Tool
Compare places
Put up to four U.S. cities, towns or census-designated places side by side on 29 figures: 22 measures from the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates, each with its margin, and their 2025 population estimate, growth, density, new homes and housing costs against income. A filled square marks a figure that differs from the first place by more than both margins of error allow; without it, the survey cannot tell the two apart.
How do Paterson, NJ compare?
| Figure | Paterson, NJ |
|---|---|
| Residents, July 2025 (estimate) | 161,793 |
| Change since April 2020 | +1.3% |
| Residents counted in the 2020 Census | 159,732 |
| Residents per square mile (2020) | 18,986 |
| Homes permitted in 2025 per 1,000 residents | 1.7 |
| Median home value ÷ median household income | 6.4 years of income |
| A year of median rent ÷ median income of all households (renters usually earn less) | 33.2% |
| Measure | Paterson, NJ |
|---|---|
| Total population | 158,735±87 |
| Median age | 33.3±0.6 |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 64.5%±1.4 pts |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 7.8%±0.8 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 22.1%±1.1 pts |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 4.1%±0.6 pts |
| Born outside the United States | 44.6%±1.4 pts |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 11.8%±1.0 pts |
| Median household income | $55,997±$3,427 |
| Per capita income | $24,403±$836 |
| People below the poverty line | 21.2%±1.7 pts |
| Unemployment rate | 10.7%±1.0 pts |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $360,100±$11,010 |
| Median gross rent | $1,548±$25 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 50.8%±2.5 pts |
| Owner-occupied homes | 26.9%±1.6 pts |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.7%±0.3 pts |
| Worked from home | 5.2%±0.8 pts |
| Drove alone to work | 61.3%±1.9 pts |
| Public transportation | 7.4%±1.1 pts |
| Mean travel time to work | 22.6 min±0.8 |
| No health insurance coverage | 19.5%±1.3 pts |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census Bureau population estimates, Vintage 2025; 2020 Census; Building Permits Survey 2025 · Check it at data.census.gov