Paterson, New Jersey
Cost of living, housing, income, commute, climate, and safety — compiled for relocators researching Paterson.
Key figures
Each metric shows how Paterson compares with the U.S. baseline (ACS/BLS nationals where available; catalog-city averages for crime, climate, and commute). Income, housing, population, and crime are for the incorporated city (city limits), not the broader metro/MSA — unemployment is county-level (BLS LAUS).
- Population
- 157,660City limits · not metro/MSA
- Median household income
- $53,766Incorporated place (ACS)32% below U.S. avgU.S. $78,538
- Housing cost index
- 109ACS home+rent vs U.S. (100 = avg)9% above U.S. avgU.S. 100
- Median home value
- $335,400City limits (ACS)11% above U.S. avgU.S. $303,400
- Median rent
- $1,457City limits (ACS)8% above U.S. avgU.S. $1,348
- Unemployment
- 4.7%County LAUS · not city-onlyNear U.S. avg (4.2 pts)U.S. 4.2 pts
- Avg commute
- 30 min20% above U.S. avgU.S. 25 min
- Walk Score
- 7873% above U.S. avgU.S. 45
- Violent crime rate
- 841.5annualized per 100k · citywide40% above U.S. avgU.S. 602.7
- Property crime rate
- 2162annualized per 100k · citywide30% below U.S. avgU.S. 3084.9
- Summer high
- 83°F4.0°F below U.S. avgU.S. 87°F
- Winter low
- 25°F9.0°F below U.S. avgU.S. 34°F
- Annual rainfall
- 44.9 in36% above U.S. avgU.S. 32.9 in
- Sunny days
- 23213% below U.S. avgU.S. 266
Compare Paterson with another city
Dense suburbs, port logistics, and quick Manhattan access define many towns. Expect summer highs near 83°F and winter lows around 25°F. Average one-way commute time is about 30 minutes, and Walk Score estimates land around 78/100. Labor-market readings near 4.7% unemployment are neither boom nor bust by national standards. FBI CDE violent-offense rates run comparatively high (~841.5 per 100k annualized), so block-by-block due diligence is especially important.
Paterson, New Jersey counts about 157,660 residents inside the city limits. With median income around $53,766 and a cost index of 109, the market reads close to the national housing-cost baseline. A typical home near $335,400 and rents around $1,457 frame most shortlists.
Paterson is compact enough that a single wrong neighborhood choice is easy to feel day to day — visit at commute hour before signing. Figures on this page are merged from Census ACS, BLS LAUS, FBI Crime Data Explorer, and NOAA Climate Normals — use them to compare Paterson with nearby alternatives before you relocate.
Nearby & similar cities
Continue researching with these internal links — each page is a full data profile.
Sources
- Census / ACS: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 5-year (Paterson city, 1600000US3457000)
- BLS: BLS LAUS LAUCN340310000000003 (Passaic County, May 2026)
- Crime: FBI CIUS Table 8 (2019) city offenses known to law enforcement — rates per 100k; CDE API unavailable at enrich time
- Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 Monthly Normals (USW00054743 CALDWELL ESSEX CO AP)
Last updated 2026-07-28