Tenafly () is a borough in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 15,409, an increase of 921 (+6.4%) from the 2010 census count of 14,488, which in turn reflected an increase of 682 (+4.9%) from the 13,806 counted in the 2000 census.Table 7. Population for the Counties and Municipalities in New Jersey: 1990, 2000 and 2010, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, February 2011. Accessed May 1, 2023. Tenafly is a suburb of New York City.
The borough has been one of the state's highest-income communities. Based on data from the American Community Survey for 2013–2017, Tenafly residents had a median household income of $153,381, ranked 13th in the state among municipalities with more than 10,000 residents, more than double the statewide median of $76,475.Raychaudhuri, Disha. "The wealthiest towns in N.J., ranked", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, June 7, 2019. Accessed November 4, 2019. "The median household income in N.J. is $76,475, recent Census data shows.... A note about the data: The data comes from 2013–2017 American Community Survey conducted by U.S. Census Bureau. Smaller towns with less than 10,000 residents were excluded from the list.... 13. Tenafly, Bergen County Median income: $153,906"
Tenafly was incorporated as a borough on January 24, 1894, by an act of the New Jersey Legislature from portions of the now-defunct Palisades Township, based on the results of a referendum held the previous day.Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 87. Accessed May 30, 2024.History, Borough of Tenafly. Accessed August 20, 2021. The borough was the first formed during the "Boroughitis" phenomenon then sweeping through Bergen County, in which 26 boroughs were formed in the county in 1894 alone.Harvey, Cornelius Burnham. Genealogical History of Hudson and Bergen Counties, New Jersey, p. 11, New Jersey Genealogical Publishing Company, 1900. Accessed September 1, 2013. "For a period of sixteen years following the passage of this act few boroughs were organized in the State, only three of them being in Bergen County.... As it was twenty-six boroughs were created in the county from January 23, 1894, to December 18, of the same year." Note that the source incorrectly lists June 23, 1894, as the borough's formation date, even though the borough is listed correctly in chronological order. Portions of Palisades Township were acquired based on legislation approved on April 8, 1897.Honeyman, Abraham Van Doren. Index-analysis of the Statutes of New Jersey, 1896-1909: Together with References to All Acts, and Parts of Acts, in the 'General Statutes' and Pamphlet Laws Expressly Repealed: and the Statutory Crimes of New Jersey During the Same Period, p. 287. New Jersey Law Journal Publishing Company, 1910. Accessed October 11, 2015.
History The first European settlers in Tenafly were Dutch immigrants, who began to populate the area during the late 17th century. The name "Tenafly" is of Dutch language origin. Some historical references cite a Dutch language connection to its location on or at "a meadow."Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed October 11, 2015.Gannett, Henry. The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States, p. 298. United States Government Printing Office, 1905. Accessed October 11, 2015.Sisson, Eva Browning. "The story of Tenafly", p. 12. Tenafly Trust Co., 1939. Accessed March 31, 2023. ". A part of the latter section between the | Hudson and Hackensack Rivers was designated by the Dutch as 'Tene Vlay' or 'Willow Meadow' (also interpreted as 'Little Valley'). Eventually the name was contracted to 'Tenafly' and it is with that area that this history is chiefly concerned." Other derivations cite the early-modern Dutch phrase "Tiene Vly" or "Ten Swamps" which was given by Dutch settlers in 1688.O'Connor, Ian. If You're Thinking of Living in: Tenafly, The New York Times, April 24, 1988. Accessed July 30, 2012. "Tenafly, named Tiene Vly (Ten Swamps) by Dutch settlers in 1688, is home to people who work in the city but want a respite from the daily urban grind."Carpenter, Wm. H. "Two Words of Dutch Origin", Modern Language Notes, June 1886. Accessed March 31, 2023.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 5.16 square miles (13.38 km2), including 4.59 square miles (11.88 km2) of land and 0.58 square miles (1.50 km2) of water (11.20%).
The borough borders the municipalities of Alpine, Bergenfield, Cresskill, Englewood and Englewood Cliffs in Bergen County, as well as The Bronx in New York City across the Hudson River.Areas touching Tenafly, MapIt. Accessed March 15, 2020.Bergen County Map of Municipalities, Bergen County, New Jersey. Accessed March 15, 2020.New Jersey Municipal Boundaries, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed November 15, 2019.
Tenafly's street plan and overall development were largely determined by its hills and valleys. The eastern part of the borough is referred to as the "East Hill" for its higher elevation in relation to the rest of the borough. There, the terrain rises dramatically to the east of the downtown area, terminating at the New Jersey Palisades, overlooking the Hudson River. Nearby is the Tenafly Nature Center, located at 313 Hudson Avenue.Parks, Borough of Tenafly. Accessed June 20, 2025. "Dominating the municipal lands are lands on the East Hill consisting of the 'Lost Brook Preserve,' a 1975 Green Acres acquisition, the Tenafly Nature Center which adjoins the Preserve, and 34 acres in a 200-foot deep strip of land which extends the full length of the westerly side of 9W."
Demographics
Racial and ethnic composition +Tenafly borough, New Jersey – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 2000Pop 2010Pop 2020% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)10,1769,4758,71973.71%65.40%56.58%Black or African American alone (NH)1221232400.88%0.85%1.56%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)8280.06%0.01%0.05%Asian alone (NH)2,6293,7944,71119.04%26.19%30.57%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)30120.02%0.00%0.08%Other race alone (NH)2942870.21%0.29%0.56%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)1972764951.43%1.91%3.21%Hispanic or Latino (any race)6427761,1374.65%5.36%7.38%Total13,80614,48815,409 100.00%100.00%100.00%
2020 census As of the 2020 census, Tenafly had a population of 15,409. The median age was 42.6 years. 29.5% of residents were under the age of 18 and 14.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 95.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 90.5 males age 18 and over.
100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 4,913 households in Tenafly, of which 48.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 70.3% were married-couple households, 9.3% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 18.8% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 15.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 5,184 housing units, of which 5.2% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.6% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.8%.
2010 census The 2010 United States census counted 14,488 people, 4,766 households and 3,956 families in the borough. The population density was . There were 4,980 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup was 69.31% (10,041) White, 0.88% (128) Black or African American, 0.03% (5) Native American, 26.22% (3,799) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 1.23% (178) from other races and 2.33% (337) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.36% (776) of the population. Korean Americans accounted for 15.4% of the population in 2010.
Of the 4,766 households, 49.1% had children under the age of 18; 72.7% were married couples living together; 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present and 17.0% were non-families. Of all households, 15.3% were made up of individuals and 8.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.02 and the average family size was 3.36.
31.2% of the population were under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 20.2% from 25 to 44, 30.2% from 45 to 64 and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.8 years. For every 100 females, the population had 93.4 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 87.6 males.
2000 census As of the 2000 United States census there were 13,806 people, 4,774 households and 3,866 families residing in the borough. The population density was . There were 4,897 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the borough was 76.79% White, 0.96% African American, 0.09% Native American, 19.08% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.40% from other races and 1.67% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.65% of the population. 11.1% of residents reported that they were of Irish, 8.7% Russian, 8.6% Italian, 7.9% American, 7.8% German and 6.2% Polish ancestry according to Census 2000.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Tenafly borough, New Jersey , United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 30, 2012.DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Tenafly borough, Bergen County, New Jersey , United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 30, 2012. Among residents, 64.0% spoke English at home, while 8.7% spoke Korean, 5.0% Spanish, 4.5% Chinese or Mandarin and 3.1% Hebrew.QT-P16: Language Spoken at Home: 2000 from Census 2000 Summary File 3 (SF 3) - Sample Data for Tenafly borough, Bergen County, New Jersey , United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 30, 2012.
There were 4,774 households, out of which 43.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.6% were married couples living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present and 19.0% were non-families. 16.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.86 and the average family size was 3.21.
In the borough the age distribution of the population shows 28.3% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 26.4% from 45 to 64 and 15.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.5 males.
Income and poverty Based on data from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey for 2013–2017, Tenafly residents median household income had increased substantially from the 2006–2010 survey, reaching $153,381, ranked 13th in the state among municipalities with more than 10,000 residents, more than double the statewide median of $76,475.
The 2006–2010 Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $125,865 (with a margin of error of +/− $23,612) and the median family income was $140,100 (+/− $26,372). Males had a median income of $102,645 (+/− $7,373) versus $60,871 (+/− $9,308) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $60,557 (+/− $5,176). About 1.8% of families and 2.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.4% of those under age 18 and 2.2% of those age 65 or over.DP03: Selected Economic Characteristics from the 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates for Tenafly borough, Bergen County, New Jersey , United States Census Bureau. Accessed January 21, 2012.