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CITY

Paterson

New Jersey · 161,793 residents (2025 est.) · 8.41 sq mi
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Part of the New York metro area
The short version

Paterson is a city of 158,735 people in New Jersey. 27% of homes are owner-occupied. The foreign-born share is 45%. 12% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 36% national rate. That trails the New Jersey median by roughly 46%. Density works out to 18,868 people per square mile.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 33.3
US median: 38.9
Less educated
12% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 33%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
158,735
+6%since 2000
from 149,222 in 2000
161,793 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
18,868 / sq mi
+9%since 2009
from 17,324 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
33.3
+9%since 2000
from 30.5 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
8.41 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
139K145K150K156K162K19902000201020202024Paterson
2024159K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 58%(12,627)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 97.5%(11,828)
US avg: 6%
10 to 147.7%(12,292)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 197.1%(11,315)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 247.3%(11,573)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3414.6%(23,206)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4412.8%(20,375)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5411.9%(18,855)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6410.9%(17,377)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 747.5%(11,877)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 843.6%(5,692)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.1%(1,718)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$55,997
−6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $32,778 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$24,403
+84%since 2000
from $13,257 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
38.6%
+22.5 ptssince 2009
from 16.0% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
21.2%
−0.9 ptssince 2000
from 22.2% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.473
+3%since 2010
from 0.459 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade13.2%
US avg: 9.9%
Information13.2%
US avg: 10.8%
Finance & insurance11.5%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical11.3%
US avg: 5.1%
Wholesale trade5.6%
US avg: 6.9%
Other services4%
US avg: 6.7%
Transportation & warehousing2.4%
US avg: 2.2%
Public administration2.3%
US avg: 4.8%
Arts, entertainment, food1%
US avg: 1.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.2%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.2%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services0.2%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$360,100
+33%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $148,500 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,548
+22%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $696 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
26.9%
−4.6 ptssince 2000
from 31.5% in 2000
73.1% rent
Vacancy rate
5.1%
−5.8 ptssince 2009
from 10.8% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
3.15 people
−1%since 2009
from 3.19 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
49.4%
−11.6 ptssince 2009
from 61.0% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
56.0%
−7.0 ptssince 2009
from 63.0% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
6.4
−35%since 2009
from 9.8 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
35
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic13.2%(19,765)
Black31.4%(46,882)
Hispanic / Latino50.1%(74,774)
Asian1.8%(2,728)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic7.8%(12,454)
Black22.1%(35,041)
Hispanic / Latino64.5%(102,436)
Asian4.1%(6,515)
Other1.4%(2,289)
Diversity Score
66
−12%since 2009
from 75 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Dominican30.1%(47,708)
South American13%(20,713)
Puerto Rican9.7%(15,418)
Peruvian6.6%(10,456)
Mexican4.6%(7,274)
Central American4.6%(7,250)
Colombian4.4%(6,927)
Salvadoran1.5%(2,416)
Ecuadorian1.4%(2,162)
Guatemalan1.1%(1,706)
Costa Rican1%(1,655)
Honduran0.7%(1,119)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Venezuelan0.3%(518)
Cuban0.3%(434)
Argentine0.2%(388)
Spaniard0.2%(372)
Nicaraguan0.2%(354)
Bolivian0%(73)
Chilean0%(65)
Uruguayan0%(61)
Asian origin
Asian Indian2.6%(4,066)
Bangladeshi1.2%(1,963)
Korean0.1%(145)
Filipino0.1%(145)
Pakistani0.1%(105)
Chinese0%(45)
Kazakh0%(1)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(26)
Ancestry
West Indian3.7%(5,822)
Jamaican3.2%(5,125)
Arab2.6%(4,122)
Italian1.5%(2,339)
American1%(1,546)
Palestinian0.9%(1,354)
Irish0.8%(1,208)
Jordanian0.7%(1,138)
Turkish0.4%(699)
Egyptian0.4%(657)
German0.3%(520)
+ 38 more ancestry groups with data
Haitian0.2%(318)
Guyanese0.2%(295)
English0.2%(290)
Syrian0.2%(276)
Polish0.2%(272)
Brazilian0.2%(239)
Moroccan0.1%(223)
Ghanaian0.1%(148)
Ethiopian0.1%(133)
Nigerian0.1%(121)
Russian0.1%(117)
Hungarian0.1%(110)
Portuguese0.1%(90)
French0%(78)
Serbian0%(75)
Scottish0%(66)
Dutch0%(59)
Swedish0%(36)
Iraqi0%(27)
Swiss0%(27)
Ukrainian0%(26)
Austrian0%(25)
Norwegian0%(23)
Armenian0%(20)
Greek0%(18)
Danish0%(17)
Romanian0%(17)
Croatian0%(13)
Barbadian0%(12)
Canadian0%(11)
British0%(7)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
11.8%
+3.6 ptssince 2000
from 8.2% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
74.2%
+15.7 ptssince 2000
from 58.5% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
3.0%
+0.2 ptssince 2000
from 2.8% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
22.6 min
+42%since 2000
from 15.9 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
61.3%
−2.1 ptssince 2009
from 63.3% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
17.9%
+8.1 ptssince 2009
from 9.8% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
7.4%
−5.5 ptssince 2009
from 12.9% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
5.2%
+4.3 ptssince 2009
from 0.9% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
6.0%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 5.9% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.1%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
26.1%
−1.0 ptssince 2009
from 27.1% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
10.7%
Unchangedsince 2011
from 10.7% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
63.7%
+6.6 ptssince 2011
from 57.2% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
71.0%
+1.6 ptssince 2020
from 69.4% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
8.7%
−1.7 ptssince 2009
from 10.4% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
18.5%
+2.5 ptssince 2009
from 16.0% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.2%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 48.8% in 2009
Female
50.8%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 51.2% in 2009
Foreign born
44.6%
+14.7 ptssince 2009
from 29.9% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
1.4%
−1.5 ptssince 2009
from 2.9% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
9.2%
+0.5 ptssince 2012
from 8.7% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
19.5%
−6.6 ptssince 2013
from 26.1% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
89.3%
+26.8 ptssince 2017
from 62.5% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
93.0%
+6.0 ptssince 2020
from 87.0% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
92.0%
+0.6 ptssince 2020
from 91.4% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
32.7%
−5.5 ptssince 2016
from 38.2% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
58.0%
+4.3 ptssince 2016
from 53.7% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married49%(28,926)
Married41.6%(24,546)
Widowed2.2%(1,283)
Divorced7.2%(4,262)
Women 15+
Never married47.5%(29,916)
Married35.9%(22,605)
Widowed7.7%(4,839)
Divorced8.9%(5,611)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
19.5%
−6.6 ptssince 2013
from 26.1% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
25.7%
−5.5 ptssince 2020
from 31.2% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
5.7%
+1.0 ptssince 2020
from 4.7% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
13.0%
+0.2 ptssince 2020
from 12.8% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
47.0%
+5.9 ptssince 2020
from 41.1% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
0.4%
+0.1 ptssince 2020
from 0.3% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
30.6%
−4.4 ptssince 2020
from 35.0% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
54.6%
+4.7 ptssince 2020
from 49.9% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

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)16%(261)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)4.7%(77)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era41.4%(677)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War4.2%(69)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II2.6%(43)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 1,635 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
Drill deeper

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Frequently asked

How many people live in Paterson, New Jersey?

Paterson, New Jersey has about 158,735 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Paterson, New Jersey?

The typical household in Paterson, New Jersey earns about $55,997 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Paterson, New Jersey expensive?

In Paterson, New Jersey, the median home is worth about $360,100, and the typical rent is about $1,548 a month.

How educated are people in Paterson, New Jersey?

About 11.8% of adults age 25 and over in Paterson, New Jersey hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Paterson, New Jersey?

About 21.2% of people in Paterson, New Jersey live below the federal poverty line.

Has Paterson, New Jersey grown since 1990?

Yes, Paterson, New Jersey has grown since 1990. The population has added about 17,844 residents, a change of about 13 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →