Fort Lee, NJ
Bergen County's most international borough — six miles from Manhattan via the George Washington Bridge, anchored by a thriving Korean-American community, luxury high-rises, and a 2026 market that has rebalanced in favor of patient buyers.
Median Sale Price
$463K
+0.5% YoY (Redfin Jan 2026)
Days on Market
108
Buyer-friendlier vs. 2024
High School Grade
A−
Niche · 6/10 GreatSchools
NYC Commute
25 min
driving · 6 mi via GWB
Community Overview
Fort Lee is one of New Jersey's most densely international boroughs — a 2.9-square-mile community of about 40,000 residents perched on the western anchor of the George Washington Bridge. Unlike most Bergen County towns, Fort Lee combines genuine walkability, mid-rise and high-rise density, and a Manhattan commute measured in minutes rather than hours.
The borough's identity is shaped by its Asian-American majority — roughly 43.6% of residents — with the largest concentration of Korean-American businesses on the East Coast lining Main Street, Lemoine Avenue, and Center Avenue. That cultural infrastructure is paired with strong civic amenities: an active library, the Jack Alter Community Center, Fort Lee Historic Park on the Palisades, and Constitution Park's seasonal programming.
The 2020s have transformed Fort Lee's skyline. The Modern's 47-story twin towers (450 luxury rental units), the Shops at Hudson Lights mixed-use complex, and the under-construction Centuria development at the bridge’s foot have collectively added thousands of high-end residences. The pace of new supply, combined with normalized post-pandemic mortgage rates, has shifted Fort Lee from a frenzied seller's market in 2021–2022 to a more deliberate, balanced market in 2026 — particularly in the condo segment.
Education
Fort Lee Public Schools serve approximately 4,076 students across six schools — four elementaries, one middle school, and Fort Lee High School. District-wide math proficiency runs 60% versus the 38% New Jersey average; reading proficiency is 71% versus 49% statewide (Public School Review, 2023–24 data).
Top Elementary Schools
School No. 2 (math 70–74%), No. 3 (65–69%), and No. 4 (55–59%) all rank in the top 20–30% of NJ elementaries.
Fort Lee High School
1,179 students; Niche grade A−; GreatSchools 6/10. Reading proficiency 71%, math 30% — strong on liberal arts, room to grow on math.
Student-Teacher Ratio
14:1 across the district — favorable for an urban-density borough.
Bilingual & ESL Support
Robust ESL infrastructure given the international student body, with Korean and Mandarin family-liaison resources.
Transportation & Commute
Fort Lee's defining real estate asset is access. The George Washington Bridge connects directly to Manhattan's Upper West Side and Washington Heights — no rail transfer, no tunnel, no PATH. NJ Transit buses run from multiple Fort Lee stops to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in roughly 30 minutes, and the borough's Walk Score of 77 puts it well above suburban norms.
Drive (off-peak)
< 20 min
to Upper Manhattan
NJ Transit Bus
~30 min
to Port Authority
Distance
6 miles
via GWB
Bus routes serving Fort Lee
158, 159, 156, 181, 182, 188, 153, 755, 756 (NJ Transit)
Demographics & Community
Fort Lee is among the most internationally diverse boroughs in New Jersey. The Asian-American population — predominantly Korean-American with a meaningful Chinese-American presence — is the largest demographic group at 43.6%. The borough has a highly educated resident base: 62.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, roughly 1.5x the New York metropolitan average.
Population
40,067
Median Household Income
$107,274
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
62.9%
Median Age
46.6
Asian-American
43.6%
White (non-Hispanic)
37.2%
Dining & Lifestyle
Fort Lee punches well above its weight on dining. The Korean restaurant scene along Main Street and Lemoine Avenue rivals New York's own Koreatown — late-night BBQ, fried chicken specialists, noodle houses, and modern Korean gastropubs. Italian-American institutions, fine-dining steakhouses, and an active café scene round out the offering. The Shops at Hudson Lights anchors weekend retail and is home to Bergen County's first iPic luxury cinema.
Gayeon
Upscale Korean (galbi specialist)
LaNoma Italian Steakhouse
Fine dining, prime steaks & pasta
KOOKSOO
Korean noodle house — beef kooksoo, jjampong
My Way Pocha
Korean gastropub — pork bone soup, soju cocktails
Bonchon Fort Lee
Famous Korean fried chicken
Franco's Metro
Wood-fired pizza, Italian-American
Obaltan BBQ
Late-night Korean BBQ classic
Q Tea Tapas
Asian fusion, poke, bubble tea
2026 Market Insights
The Fort Lee market in 2026 looks fundamentally different from 2022. Median sale price is essentially flat year over year (+0.5%), median days on market has nearly doubled from 57 to 108, and the inventory of mid-market condos has loosened materially. For buyers who waited out the 2021–2022 frenzy, 2026 is the most negotiable Fort Lee market in five years.
The two segments diverge sharply. Single-family in the Bluff Area still benefits from countywide tightness — Bergen single-family inventory is just 1.4 months and the county median has climbed to $880,000 (+11.6% YoY). Well-priced single-family on Arcadian Way still moves quickly. Condos and co-ops, by contrast, sit longer; the county condo median is $532,500 with 80+ days on market, and Fort Lee’s condo-heavy stock reflects that softness.
Mortgage rates held in the 6.5–7.5% range through most of 2025; consensus 2026 forecasts call for 5.8–6.5%, which should gradually warm the condo segment without reigniting the bidding-war pace of three years ago. Net of taxes, Fort Lee’s price-per-square-foot remains roughly half that of comparable Manhattan condos with same-day commute access — the structural reason inventory keeps clearing despite the slower pace.
Real Estate Snapshot
Source: Redfin (Jan 2026), Zillow (Mar 2026)
Neighborhoods
Bluff Area
Most coveted micro-market — single-family homes along Arcadian Way and below Palisade Avenue with Hudson River and NYC skyline views.
$1.0M – $4.5M+
Borough Center
Walkable downtown core anchored by Hudson Lights and Main Street — a mix of co-ops, condos, and luxury rentals.
$350K – $850K
Linwood
Linwood Plaza co-op cluster — most affordable entry into Fort Lee, popular with first-time buyers and downsizers.
$165K – $300K
Center Avenue Corridor
High-rise condo and rental belt running parallel to the Palisades cliff — modern amenities, strong rental demand.
$400K – $900K
Quick Profile
Points of Interest
George Washington Bridge
LandmarkIconic 1931 suspension bridge — Fort Lee's direct artery into Upper Manhattan, 6 miles away.
Fort Lee Historic Park
Park & HistoryRevolutionary War cliff-top site on the Palisades with Hudson River views, hiking, and gateway to Palisades Interstate Park.
The Shops at Hudson Lights
Shopping & Dining140,000 sq ft retail anchor of a million-square-foot mixed-use complex; iPic luxury 8-screen theater (first in Bergen County), restaurants, and services.
Constitution Park
Recreation5.6-acre community park with playground, sports fields, bocce, jogging track, and a 9/11 tribute garden — host to summer "Movies and Music in the Park."
Monument Park & Fort Lee Museum
HistoryThe only U.S. park dedicated to American Revolution soldiers; small on-site museum tells the borough's 18th-century story.
Jack Alter Fort Lee Community Center
Community35,000 sq ft community facility offering youth and adult sports leagues, fitness programs, and cultural programming.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the median home price in Fort Lee, NJ in 2026?
As of January 2026, Redfin reports a median sale price of $463,000 in Fort Lee — up roughly 0.5% year over year. Zillow's home value index for Fort Lee is higher at approximately $538,600 (a methodology that weights all home values, not just recent sales). The market has cooled meaningfully from 2022–2024: median days on market have moved from 57 to 108, giving buyers more leverage than in recent years.
How are Fort Lee public schools rated?
Fort Lee Public Schools serve about 4,076 students across six schools. Niche grades Fort Lee High School A− (1,179 students), and the district math proficiency runs 60% versus the 38% New Jersey average; reading proficiency holds at 71% versus the 49% state average. Top elementaries — School No. 2, No. 3, and No. 4 — all rank in the top 20–30% of NJ schools.
How long is the commute from Fort Lee to Manhattan?
Fort Lee sits 6 miles from Manhattan via the George Washington Bridge. Off-peak driving to Upper Manhattan runs under 20 minutes; typical weekday driving is 25–40 minutes; peak GWB traffic can stretch to 30–60+ minutes. NJ Transit buses (158, 159, 156, 181, 182, 188 and others) reach the Port Authority in roughly 30 minutes. There is no direct rail; Walk Score rates Fort Lee 77 ("Very Walkable").
Is Fort Lee a good place for Asian-American and Korean-American families?
Yes. Fort Lee is one of the most established Korean-American hubs on the East Coast — 43.6% of residents identify as Asian-American (the largest demographic group in the borough). Korean-language signage, supermarkets (H Mart adjacent), bakeries, restaurants, and professional services line Main Street and Lemoine Avenue, and many local schools and civic services accommodate Korean and Mandarin-speaking families.
What types of homes are available in Fort Lee?
Inventory ranges from sub-$200K Linwood Plaza co-ops, to mid-market condos in the Center Avenue corridor ($400K–$900K), to single-family homes in the Bluff Area ($1M–$4.5M+). Marquee rental towers — The Modern (47 stories, 450 units) and Hudson Lights (276 units, 760–2,013 sq ft) — anchor the luxury rental tier from roughly $3,000–$5,100/month. Citywide active listings span $105,000 to $4,499,999.
Is the Fort Lee market a buyer's or seller's market in 2026?
It is a more balanced — leaning buyer-friendly — market for condos, and a tight seller's market for single-family. Bergen County's single-family inventory sits at just 1.4 months of supply with the county median at $880K (+11.6% YoY). But Fort Lee is condo-heavy: county condo median is $532,500 with 80+ days on market, and Fort Lee's 108-day DOM confirms the slower pace. Well-priced single-family on the Bluff still moves quickly; condos and co-ops give buyers room to negotiate.
Why do international and Manhattan-adjacent buyers choose Fort Lee?
Three reasons surface repeatedly: (1) the lowest-friction NYC commute of any high-density NJ borough — one bridge, no rail transfer; (2) a deeply established Asian-American and international community with bilingual professional services; (3) NJ's lower property tax base relative to comparable Manhattan condos, with materially more square footage for the price.
What are the property taxes like in Fort Lee?
Fort Lee property taxes follow Bergen County and NJ state norms — typically in the 2.0–2.5% range of assessed value. For a $463K median-priced home that is roughly $9,200–$11,500 per year, though luxury single-family in the Bluff Area can run $20K+. Always verify with the Borough of Fort Lee assessor for the specific block and lot.
History & Heritage
Fort Lee's history reaches back to the Revolutionary War, when General Charles Lee fortified the Palisades cliffs to monitor British movements on the Hudson. The remnants of those earthworks survive in Fort Lee Historic Park, alongside reconstructed 18th-century artillery and interpretive trails.
In the early 20th century, before Hollywood, Fort Lee was the silent-film capital of America — Edison, Goldwyn, and Universal all operated studios here. The 1931 opening of the George Washington Bridge transformed the borough from a riverside village into a Manhattan-adjacent urban center. The Korean-American community that defines today's Fort Lee began arriving in meaningful numbers in the 1980s, drawn by NYC commute access and a permissive immigration corridor through New Jersey.
Data Sources & References
Real Estate: Redfin (Fort Lee housing market, Jan 2026), Zillow (Home Value Index, Mar 2026), Movoto, Bergen County market reports.
Schools: Niche, GreatSchools.org, Public School Review (NJ DOE 2023–24 testing data).
Demographics: U.S. Census Bureau (Census Reporter ACS), Niche residents profile, World Population Review (2026).
Transit: NJ Transit, Walk Score, Moovit, fortleenj.org.
Data refreshed May 2026. Market figures change frequently — verify with a licensed agent before any real estate decision.
Compare Fort Lee with…
Side-by-side 2026 stats — prices, schools, commute, demographics.