Passaic is home to 70,002 people in New Jersey. 24% of homes are owner-occupied. The foreign-born share is 41%. 17% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 36% national rate. The median age is 31.9, younger than the US median of 38.9. Households here earn about 47% less than in New Jersey as a whole.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $55,371, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 31.9
US median: 38.9
Less educated
17% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 51%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Passaic
What changed most since 1990
Hispanic share49.0% → 73.3%(+24.3 pts)US over the same years: +9.9 pts
Black share14.7% → 6.8%(−7.9 pts)US over the same years: +0.2 pts
Poverty rate17.0% → 22.9%(+5.9 pts)US over the same years: −0.8 pts
Passaic's population equals 13% of Passaic County's. Its number of veterans equals 4.1% of the county's. Its number of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher equals 6.3% of the county's.
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)27.2%(119)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)16.2%(71)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era18.5%(81)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War1.8%(8)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0%(0)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 437 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Passaic, decade by decade
Passaic population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
58,041
$64,007
$392,891
14.2%
81.5
2000
67,861
$61,197
$285,271
13.7%
69.9
2010
69,781
$44,790
$520,331
16.9%
57.8
2020
70,537
$54,274
$421,790
15.6%
54.6
2024
70,002
$55,371
$429,900
16.7%
54.4
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
