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CITY · 1990 CENSUS

Paterson

New Jersey · 140,891 residents · 8.41 sq mi
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The short version

Paterson is a city of 140,891 people in New Jersey. 34% of homes are owner-occupied. 9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. That trails the New Jersey median by roughly 34%. Median home value sits at $136,300. The median age is 29.8, younger than the US median of 33.0.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $30,130
Younger
median age 29.8
US median: 33.0
Less educated
9% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 20%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $93,722
Section 01

Population & growth

140,891
−6%vs 2000
vs 149,222 in 2000
1990 – 2025
29.8
−2%vs 2000
vs 30.5 in 2000
US average: 33.0
Land area
8.41 sq mi
Population, 19902024
139K145K150K156K162K19902000201020202024Paterson
2024159K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 1990
Under 58.8%(12,328)
US avg: 7.3%
5 to 97.7%(10,813)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 147.9%(11,136)
US avg: 6.9%
15 to 198%(11,246)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 248.9%(12,556)
US avg: 7.5%
25 to 3418.5%(26,037)
US avg: 17.5%
35 to 4413.8%(19,509)
US avg: 15.1%
45 to 549.8%(13,864)
US avg: 10.2%
55 to 647.1%(10,028)
US avg: 8.5%
65 to 745.5%(7,785)
US avg: 7.3%
75 to 843%(4,255)
US avg: 4%
85 and over0.9%(1,334)
US avg: 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

$26,960
+8%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $32,778 in 2000
US average: $30,130
1990 – 2024
$10,518
−21%vs 2000
vs $13,257 in 2000
US average: $14,340
18.5%
−3.7 ptsvs 2000
vs 22.2% in 2000
US average: 13.2%
Section 03

Housing

$136,300
+21%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $148,500 in 2000
US average: $93,722
1990 – 2024
$524
−1%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $696 in 2000
US average: $450
33.6%
+2.1 ptsvs 2000
vs 31.5% in 2000
66.4% rent
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%
1990
White, non-Hispanic41.2%(58,052)
Black36.1%(50,799)
Hispanic / Latino40.5%(57,050)
Asian1.4%(1,913)
Other21.4%(30,127)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

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

8.7%
+0.5 ptsvs 2000
vs 8.2% in 2000
US average: 20.3%
High school or higher
54.9%
−3.6 ptsvs 2000
vs 58.5% in 2000
US average: 75.2%
2.8%
Unchangedvs 2000
vs 2.8% in 2000
US average: 7.1%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

18.4 min
+15%vs 2000
vs 15.9 min in 2000
US average: 21.9
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)
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

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

19.5%
−6.6 ptssince 2013
from 26.1% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
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%
13.0%
+0.2 ptssince 2020
from 12.8% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
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
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Frequently asked

How many people live in Paterson, New Jersey?

Paterson, New Jersey has about 140,891 residents according to the 1990 Census.

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

The typical household in Paterson, New Jersey earns about $26,960 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 $136,300, and the typical rent is about $524 a month.

How educated are people in Paterson, New Jersey?

About 8.7% 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 18.5% of people in Paterson, New Jersey live below the federal poverty line.

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

How we source and harmonize this data →