City Profile

Paterson, New Jersey

USA · Comprehensive city data and intelligence

Overall Score

Paterson, New Jersey, famously known as 'The Silk City', is a historic manufacturing powerhouse established in the late 18th century through the visionary efforts of Alexander Hamilton and the Society for Establishing Useful Manufactures. Centered around the majestic Paterson Great Falls on the Passaic River, the city grew into a critical industrial hub for silk production and textile manufacturing in the United States. Today, Paterson stands as the third-most-populous municipality in New Jersey, celebrated for its remarkable cultural diversity, rich immigrant history, and urban vibrancy. People are drawn to Paterson for its historic charm, relatively accessible housing options compared to immediate New York City locales, and strong sense of community spirit.

About New Jersey

New Jersey, known as the "Garden State," offers a diverse character ranging from dense urban areas to charming suburban towns and rural landscapes. Its robust economy, with a GDP of over $815 billion, is driven by major industries such as pharmaceuticals and life sciences, financial services, technology, advanced manufacturing, and transportation and logistics. Living in New Jersey is generally more expensive than the national average, with housing costs being a primary factor. The state experiences a humid subtropical climate across most of its area, characterized by warm, humid summers and moderately cold, occasionally snowy winters, with distinct seasonal changes. Residents enjoy a lifestyle that balances proximity to major metropolitan areas like New York City and Philadelphia with access to beaches, mountains, and various recreational opportunities.

160,446

Population

$65K

Avg Salary

112

Cost Index

44.7

Quality Score

How this 45/100 was calculated five components, with every reading behind them

Component	Readings used	Points	Weight	Contributes
Safety	Safety score: 62 / 100	62.0	30%	18.6
Affordability	Cost of living index (100 = national baseline): 112.0	28.8	25%	7.2
Economy & jobs	Median household income: $60,703 Income needed to live here: $60,000 Unemployment rate: 7.6%	28.2	20%	5.6
Growth	Population growth rate: 0.38% Job growth rate: 1.8%	45.3	15%	6.8
Business climate assessment	Business climate assessment: 65 / 100	65.0	10%	6.5
Overall score				44.7

Provenance. These figures were produced by the research pass recorded as Gemini (Tier 2 (reasoned), q=70), last refreshed 11 October 2026. They are researched estimates drawn from public sources, not a licensed data feed.

Each component is scored against fixed published endpoints, so this number is comparable with any other city and does not move as the dataset grows. Scoring framework 2026.10 — full methodology, weights and accepted ranges.

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Performance

Quality Scores

Business

Livability

Affordability

Growth

Expenses

Cost of Living

The cost of living in Paterson runs slightly above the national average, heavily influenced by its position within the broader New York-Newark-Jersey City metropolitan area. While everyday expenses like groceries and utilities align fairly closely with regional baselines, housing costs remain the primary driver shaping household budgets. Renters and prospective homeowners find that proximity to Manhattan commands competitive pricing, though Paterson still offers more budget-friendly alternatives than many surrounding Bergen or Essex County suburbs.

Average Rent

$1,900/mo

Groceries

$400/mo

Transport

$90/mo

Utilities

$180/mo

Healthcare

$230/mo

Gym membership (monthly)

$45.00

Cinema ticket

$14.00

Restaurant meal (mid-range)

$22.00

Monthly groceries

$400.00

Doctor visit (without insurance)

$150.00

Income

Salary Insights

Paterson's job market is deeply rooted in a blend of healthcare, education, retail trade, and light manufacturing, reflecting its evolution from a textile titan to a diverse service-oriented economy. Major local employers include municipal services, regional healthcare providers, and educational institutions, while many residents commute into New York City or neighboring commercial hubs via robust transit links. The entrepreneurial climate is active, with numerous small businesses and independent storefronts fueling commercial corridors like Main Street and Downtown. The remote work scene has also expanded, accommodating professionals seeking urban convenience paired with regional connectivity.

The average salary in Paterson is $65,000 per year. You would need approximately $60,000 to live comfortably.

Employment

Top Industries

Retail Trade +1.20% Manufacturing +-0.50% Education +1.50% Healthcare +2.80% Professional Services +2.00%

Weather

Climate

🌡️

54°F

Avg Temp

☀️

84°F

Summer High

❄️

25°F

Winter Low

🌧️

42.80"

Annual Rain

💧

65.00%

Humidity

🌤️

251

Sunny Days

Mobility

Transport

Getting around Paterson is facilitated by a well-connected network of public transportation options, including NJ Transit bus lines and commuter rail services providing direct access to Secaucus Junction and New York Penn Station. The city features moderate walkability around its downtown core and commercial districts, making daily errands manageable on foot for many residents. Major regional highways, including Interstate 80 and Route 19, cross the area, ensuring convenient travel for motorists despite standard peak-hour traffic.

28 min

Avg Commute

65.00/10

Transit Score

68.00/10

Walkability

Medium

Car Dependency

At a Glance

Pros & Cons

Advantages

Historic charm anchored by the Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park and rich industrial heritage

Exceptional ethnic and cultural diversity with a vibrant array of authentic international cuisine and festivals

Strong commuter connectivity via NJ Transit buses and trains providing direct routes to New York City

More accessible housing entry points compared to neighboring upscale Bergen and Essex County municipalities

Active downtown commercial districts with deep-rooted small businesses and expanding urban revitalization projects

Drawbacks

Higher than average cost of living driven primarily by regional metropolitan housing pressures

Poverty rates remain elevated in specific pockets, posing ongoing economic and social challenges

Traffic congestion during peak commuting hours along major thoroughfares like Interstate 80 and Route 19

Variable public school performance requiring families to navigate selective magnet or private educational options

Urban density can lead to parking shortages and limited green space in certain inner-city neighborhoods

Head to Head

Compare Paterson

Paterson VS Hamilton Township Paterson VS Cincinnati Paterson VS Binghamton Paterson VS Toledo

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Nearby Cities

Passaic

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Elizabeth

Edison

Community Q&A

Questions about Paterson

What people ask about living in and moving to Paterson, New Jersey.

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Gathering the most common questions about Paterson…

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Urblytica benchmarks its Cost of Living Index against a United States national average baseline of 100. A score of 115 means a city is approximately 15% more expensive than the national average, while a score of 85 indicates it is 15% more affordable. This composite calculation is weighted across six primary expenditure categories: housing, utilities, grocery items, transportation, healthcare, and miscellaneous goods.

Urblytica aggregates housing data from multiple authoritative sources, including Multiple Listing Service (MLS) feeds, municipal property tax registries, the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS), and verified historical deed transactions. This multi-tier aggregation ensures precision in tracking median home values and rental rates.

A municipality must meet minimum data-density thresholds—including consistent reporting population samples from the U.S. Census and active residential or commercial real estate transaction feeds—to ensure statistical significance before a complete scoring profile is published.

When primary agencies (such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics or U.S. Census Bureau) issue historical data revisions or benchmark corrections, Urblytica's data pipeline automatically re-indexes affected historical archives to maintain longitudinal trend accuracy.

U.S. affordability calculations incorporate federal income tax brackets, state-specific income tax rates, and local municipal tax variations to evaluate the true net tax drag on median household earnings across different states and cities.

Local county and municipal property tax millage rates are factored directly into the housing component of the cost-of-living index to reflect recurring annual tax burdens for homeowners.

The platform aggregates state sales taxes alongside county and city surtaxes to measure consumer basket purchasing power parity accurately across different retail jurisdictions.

Utility calculations apply regional seasonal consumption weightings, incorporating high summer air conditioning loads in southern states and heavy winter heating demands in northern states.

The index tracks average out-of-pocket healthcare expenses, routine outpatient visit costs, and regional health insurance premium benchmarks published by federal health agencies.

Educational metrics aggregate state standardized testing benchmarks, student-to-teacher ratios, high school graduation rates, and per-pupil expenditure data published by state departments of education.

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