[23][24] As of the 2000 census, Ho-Ho-Kus was the 15th-wealthiest community in New Jersey with a per capita money income of $63,594 as of 1999, an increase of 36.9% from the $46,451 recorded in 1989.

[26] In 2011, New Jersey Monthly magazine named Ho-Ho-Kus the best place to live in the state of New Jersey, citing its affluence, low crime rate and the quality of its school system, as well as its proximity to New York City and other major commercial destinations.

From the official history on the borough's website, the most likely origin is a contraction of the Delaware Indian term "Mah-Ho-Ho-Kus" (or "Mehokhokus"), meaning "the red cedar".

[28][29] Other meanings have been suggested over the years and are listed on the borough's website, including: a Lenape word for running water; a cleft in the rock, or under the rock, or hollow rock; the word "hohokes", signifying the whistle of the wind against the bark of trees; the Chihohokies Indians, whose chief lived here; the Dutch Hoog Akers for "high acorns" or Hoge Aukers for "high oaks"; the Lenape word hoccus, meaning "fox", or woakus, meaning "gray fox"; or that the "Ho" part means joy or spirit, and the rest of the name comes from "hohokes", referring to a type of tree bark.

[30][31] A constant source of confusion has been the manner in which the borough's name has been styled, with each syllable capitalized and separated by hyphens.

The confusion is only exacerbated by the existence of Hohokus Township (now Mahwah), which comprised the area of present-day Ho-Ho-Kus and other surrounding communities, yet was styled without the multiple capitalization or the hyphens.

One is that it was intended to differentiate between the borough and Hohokus Township, which was formed on April 9, 1849, and continued to exist until November 7, 1944, when a referendum was passed changing the name to present-day Mahwah.

[1][2] The borough borders Hillsdale, Ridgewood, Saddle River, Waldwick and Washington Township.

[41][42] Ho-Ho-Kus is primarily an upper-class and upper-middle class suburb of New York City, ranking 15th in the state of New Jersey in terms of per-capita income.

According to the Forbes 2010 survey of the most expensive ZIP codes in America, Ho-Ho-Kus ranked 268th nationally, with a median home price of $901,841.

[50][51] As of 2023[update], the mayor of Ho-Ho-Kus is Republican Thomas W. Randall, whose term of office ends December 31, 2023.

[3][52][53][54][55][56][57] In February 2020, Kathleen Moran was selected from three candidates nominated by the Republican municipal committee to fill the seat expiring in December 2022 that had been held by Philip Rorty until he resigned from office earlier that month.

[56] Thomas Fiato was selected in January 2016 from a list of three candidates nominated by the municipal Republican committee to fill the seat of Kimberley Weiss, who had resigned earlier that month after announcing that she was relocating out of the borough.

[61] For the 119th United States Congress, New Jersey's 5th congressional district is represented by Josh Gottheimer (D, Wyckoff).

As of 2025[update], the county executive is James J. Tedesco III (D, Paramus), whose four-year term of office ends December 31, 2026.

[66] Bergen County's Commissioners are: Thomas J. Sullivan Jr. (D, Montvale, 2025),[67] Chair Germaine M. Ortiz (D, Emerson, 2025),[68] Joan Voss (D, Fort Lee, 2026),[69] Vice Chair Mary J. Amoroso (D, Mahwah, 2025),[70] Rafael Marte (D, Bergenfield, 2026),[71] Steven A. Tanelli (D, North Arlington, 2027)[72] and Tracy Silna Zur (D, Franklin Lakes, 2027).

[73][74][75][76][77][78][79][80] Bergen County's constitutional officials are: Clerk John S. Hogan (D, Northvale, 2026),[81][82] Sheriff Anthony Cureton (D, Englewood, 2027)[83][84] and Surrogate Michael R. Dressler (D, Cresskill, 2026).

[88] Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 73.1% (vs. 57.1% in Bergen County) were registered to vote, including 103.3% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 73.7% countywide).

[114] In 2016, the Ho-Ho-Kus and Northern Highlands districts reached an agreement to extend the send / receive agreement through 2026 under a fixed-price contract by which Ho-Ho-Kus would pay $3.6 million for the 2016–17 school year, escalating by 2% a year to $4.3 million in 2025–26, regardless of the number of students from the borough sent to the high school.

Ho-Ho-Kus can also be accessed via exit 168 on the Garden State Parkway in neighboring Washington Township.

Connections are available at the Hoboken Terminal to other NJ Transit rail lines, the PATH train at the Hoboken PATH station, New York Waterways ferry service to the World Financial Center and other destinations and Hudson-Bergen Light Rail service.

[121][122][123] Short Line provides service between the borough and the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan from a stop at Route 17 and Hollywood Avenue, with limited service offered at a stop at Franklin Turnpike and Maple Avenue.