City safety & data profile

PatersonNJ

Paterson, NJ is a 148K-resident city in Passaic County with a median household income of $55,997.

Passaic County, New Jersey. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Paterson, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Paterson has a population larger than 96% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $360,100, and 1 hospital serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-20

148K
Population
Top 4%
By size
$55,997
Median income
$360,100
Median home
21.2%
Poverty rate

The read on Paterson

Paterson posts a median household income higher than 16% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 1 hospital serves the Paterson area.

Top 84%
by median income, US cities
1
hospital in & near Paterson

Where Paterson income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$55,997 Bottom 16% higher than 16% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. NJ $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading Paterson, NJ beyond the headline numbers

Paterson sits inside Passaic County, New Jersey, at roughly 40.92°N, -74.17°W. Population 147,754, $55,997 median household income. Median home value $360,100, median rent $1,548. Poverty rate 21.2%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Paterson's highest-prevalence health measure is short sleep duration at 42.6%, then physical inactivity at 41.7%. 1 hospital in/around Paterson, 3/5 avg rating, 0 with an ER.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for Paterson from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
147,754
Paterson
Median Income
$55,997
-18% vs avg
Median Home Value
$360,100
+58% vs avg
Median Age
33.3
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Passaic County) - Paterson's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
521K+4%
Median Income
$87,522+52%
Median Home Value
$459,500+31%
Poverty Rate
13%-20%
Unemployment
8%-23%

Economics

Economics indicators for Paterson, NJ
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$1,548/mo
Poverty Rate
21.2% +49% vs avg
Unemployment 10.7%
Bachelor's Degree+ 11.8%
Work From Home 5.2%
Public Transit 7.4%

Population

White 10.9%
African American 22.6%
Asian 4.2%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

Short Sleep Duration
42.6%
Physical Inactivity
41.7%
Obesity
37.5%
High Blood Pressure
34.5%
Lack of Health Insurance
28.6%
Frequent Mental Distress
18.6%
Frequent Physical Distress
17.6%
Current Smoking
16.4%
Diabetes
16.1%
Binge Drinking
14.3%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 47.9%
Annual Checkup 73.1%

Other Measures

Current Asthma
9.7%
Coronary Heart Disease
6.3%
Stroke
4%

Hospitals 1 total

Rating Distribution
★★★★★
0
★★★★
0
★★★
1
★★
0
★
0
Average Rating
3/5
Total Hospitals
1
With ER
0
ST JOSEPH'S UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER INC
PATERSON · Acute Care Hospitals
★★★☆☆

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of Paterson, NJ? ▼
Paterson, NJ has a population of 147,754 people, located in Passaic County, New Jersey.
What is the median household income in Paterson? ▼
The median household income in Paterson, NJ is $55,997 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 21.2%.
What is the median home value in Paterson? ▼
The median home value in Paterson, NJ is $360,100. Median rent is $1,548/month.
What are the top health concerns in Paterson? ▼
The top health indicators in Paterson include Short Sleep Duration (42.6%), Physical Inactivity (41.7%), Obesity (37.5%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in Paterson? ▼
Paterson has 1 hospital with an average rating of 3/5 stars. 0 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in Paterson? ▼
The median age in Paterson, NJ is 33.3 years. 11.8% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Paterson, NJ is located in Passaic County, New Jersey. With a population of 148K and a $55,997 median household income, the community faces health challenges including short sleep duration and physical inactivity. Residents have access to 1 hospital with an average rating of 3/5 stars. Safety alerts for the Paterson area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - New Jersey

Real-time AQI for every monitored New Jersey location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Woodland Park, NJ 13K Hawthorne, NJ 19K Totowa, NJ 11K Fair Lawn, NJ 34K Elmwood Park, NJ 20K Clifton, NJ 86K Little Falls, NJ 11K Glen Rock, NJ 12K
All cities in New Jersey → Compare Paterson vs Woodland Park → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Paterson's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the Paterson area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare Paterson against New Jersey peers on any ranking lens. Explore New Jersey

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Passaic County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.