Hackensack, New Jersey

The healthcare provider is a top-ranked center in New Jersey and offers more specialties than any other facility in the state. A leading care provider in the area, the facility’s history dates back more than 100 years. The nationally-recognized facility is strongly committed to excellent healthcare, with accolades from US News and World Report, Becker’s Hospital Review, and Healthgrades. It’s known as one of the top-performing healthcare centers in the Mid-Atlantic, seeing thousands of patients each year.

Hackensack, New Jersey, is a mid-sized town (city) of 46,000 people and is located in the northeastern region of New Jersey. Popular with commuters, it’s considered a suburb of New York City, New York, as it’s only 12 miles / 19 KM from the “Big Apple,” meaning you’re just minutes from the action of NYC. Locals affectionately call Hackensack “The Sack” and appreciate its small-town feel. 

Community Links & Resources

• Website
• Downtown website

Hackensack has been described as affordable, especially compared to other New Jersey cities and New York City, New York. The city’s cost of living is a bit higher than the New Jersey average, at 12%. The average rent for Hackensack residents is $1,095 a month, though your rent varies by location and community.

Hackensack offers your choice of housing options, from apartments to townhouses, to single-family homes and even lofts. Many apartment communities make the spaces feel welcoming with great in-home features and good community amenities. Shared spaces in Hackensack apartment complexes vary but include pools, dog parks, fitness studios, walking trails, and rooftop decks. 

• New Jersey Demographics

Apartment Listing Resources

• Apartments.com 
• Rentable.co
• Apartment Finder
• Trulia
• Zillow
• Rent.com

The below Hackensack apartment management companies work with PassportUSA employees, so you can get set up with a place to live as soon as possible:

• Cadillac Manor Apartment Building - Ridgetop
• Carol Apartments
• Grand Imperial Apartments

Hackensack’s public school system is large and ranked “above average.” Hackensack Public Schools has 4 elementary schools, 1 middle school, and 1 high school. The district also features an early learning center that prepares children ages 4 and 5 for kindergarten with a full-day preschool class. Throughout the district is a low student-teacher ratio of 15 to 1. 

The district’s curriculum thoroughly educates students in Reading, Math, and other required subjects, plus offers a rich appreciation of the arts. Students at the middle and high school levels can participate in various extracurricular activities, including athletics, robotics, yearbook council, marching band, and multiple clubs. Hackensack also features 3 private schools within the city. Nearby colleges include Bergen Community College, Eastwick College-Hackensack, and Fairleigh Dickenson University. 

The city’s public library, Johnson Public Library, is a Bergen County Library System member and was named the best in the county. All Hackensack residents can apply for a library card and enjoy the no-late fee policy for borrowers. In addition to books, movies, and other media, Hackensack library card holders can borrow mobile hotspots plus receive free museum passes. The library holds free events, including computer classes, children’s storytimes, and teen sessions. 

Various youth programs in the community

• Boys and Girls Club of Lower Bergen County
• Sports teams
• Kids and Teen Learning Academy Summer Programs

Hackensack has several transportation options. Taxis and ride-sharing are available within the city. The bus system connects Hackensack to nearby New Jersey cities, such as Jersey City, Paramus, and Maywood. The New Jersey transit system also offers train service within the state and to nearby New York City, with trip durations as short as 37 minutes. If you want to venture outside Hackensack, LaGuardia Airport is just 17 miles / 27 KM away and offers thousands of domestic and international flights. 

Daily Driving in Hackensack

• The average Hackensack commute is 31 minutes via car,  a figure close to the national average
• 62.6% of drivers drive their own car, while 7.5% carpool with others 

Hackensack is conveniently located close to several larger cities. You can access these destinations with short drives or using public transportation. Nearby cities include:

East Rutherford, New Jersey -  Only 17 minutes from Hackensack and a quick 15 mile / 24 KM drive through mostly city streets, East Rutherford is a popular destination for New Jersey residents and visitors. It’s home to the second-biggest mall in the country, American Dream, a massive retail and entertainment destination. American Dream includes multiple attractions such as the indoor Nickelodeon Universe theme park, Dreamworks waterpark, Blacklight mini-golf course, an indoor ski and snow resort, and LEGOLAND Discovery Center. Outside, you’ll find a Skywheel Ferris Wheel that offers stunning views of New Jersey and New York. American Dream has over 450 shops, 21 sit-down restaurants, and 100 eateries. That’s not all, as East Rutherford also has the MetLife Stadium, home to games with the New York Giants and New York Jets. 

Jersey City, New Jersey - An enjoyable city drive of just 37 minutes, Jersey City is only 20 miles / 32 KM away. It’s home to Liberty Science Center, a large 4-story science museum with many hands-on exhibits for all ages, a laser show, a 400-seat planetarium, and a climbing space. If you want to see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, head to the historic Central Railroad Terminal, which sells tickets for a ferry ride on Hudson Bay. Once aboard, you’ll see Lady Liberty in her majesty. 

New York City, New York (NYC), one of the most action-packed cities in the world, NYC offers various things to do, including the Museum of Natural History, Central Park, and Times Square. You can also catch a show on Broadway, spend the day at Central Park, or even take a bus tour to some iconic movie and TV filming sites.

Hackensack and the cities around it are a great way to play and explore, with wonders all around. 

No matter what you need, you’ll find it in Hackensack and the surrounding area. Hackensack offers a good selection of grocery stores, including Aldi, Shop-Rite, and the Hackensack Market, plus department stores Target and Walmart have large grocery sections. The 99 Ranch Market is a Pan-Asian supermarket with Asian food, letting you find Filipino delights in Hackensack. Within the area are also Wegmans and Whole Foods for specialty ingredients and organic food, while the Giant Farmer’s Market is a good stop for fresh produce. 

The diverse shopping options for Hackensack include an enclosed mall, The Shops at Riverside, for name-brand clothing, gifts, and other merchandise. You’ll find Banana Republic, Pottery Barn, Sephora, and over 20 different popular stores here. Downtown Hackensack also features an array of local shops.

Hackensack will have your days booked thanks to their ample things to do. The city revitalized a historic building downtown into a state-of-the-art performing arts and cultural space, The Hackensack Performing Arts Arts Center (HACPAC). The facility’s calendar offers shows for all ages, with musicals, stage plays, and performances from renowned artists. It also features classes and an art gallery with rotating exhibits. The adjacent Atlantic Street Park is a new greenspace with an open-air performance space for Shakespeare in the Park, film screenings, and fitness classes for the community.

Hackensack’s community is extraordinarily diverse. Bergen County and the rest of Northern New Jersey (Hudson County, Middlesex County, and Passaic County) are home to the biggest Filipino population in the state. 

• Chamber of Commerce website

Overview of nearby Filipino communities

• Calaben, Filipino restaurant in Hackensack
• Tropical Hut, a Filipino restaurant 9 minutes away in Maywood, New Jersey
• List of Filipino restaurants throughout New Jersey
• New York City and Northern New Jersey Filipino population data
• Directory of Filipino-owned businesses within New York City and Northern New Jersey
• Annual Philippine Independence Day Parade, with an annual attendance of 10,000
• Filipino American Association
• Philippine Nurses Association of New Jersey
• Filipino-American Faacnj

One can find information on religious communities in the United States through:

• Religious websites or directories: Church Finder and Church Angel‍
• Social media groups or pages dedicated to a particular religion or city:
• Local community centers or mosques/temples/churches
• Online forums or discussion groups
• Ask for recommendations from friends or acquaintances who live in the area
• Community event listings or local news websites: https://www.eventbrite.com/d/nj--hackensack/events/ and https://www.hackensackchamber.org/events/month/ and https://www.hacpac.org/events/list/

Hackensack has warm, humid summers and cold winters. The city receives an average of 47 inches / 1,193 mm of rainfall yearly, some of the highest in the country. However, Hackensack enjoys an annual average of 210 sunny days, more than the US average of 205 days. 

Average Hackensack Temperature

• Annual: 50ºF / 10ºC
• January: 46ºF / 7ºC
• July: 83ºF / 28º C

July is the hottest month, while January is the coldest. The city has an annual average of 26 inches / 660 KM of snow. Hackensack and the rest of New Jersey are at risk for hurricanes or tropical storms; however, hurricanes are rare.

Hackensack is safe for visitors and residents. The website NeighborhoodScout analyzed all cities and towns in America with a similar population size to Hackensack and found the crime rate was near average. At the same time, Areavibes says its crime rate is 39% lower than the national average and rates the city with an “A” for safety. Crime in the area has also decreased over the last year.

• Police Department
• Safest neighborhoods: Hackensack North, Prospect Courts/City Center, Haworth, Suburban Terrace, Aztec East