CensusEasy
CITY · 2000 CENSUS

Paterson

New Jersey · 149,222 residents · 8.413 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO
Part of the New York metro area
Compare
The short version

Paterson has lower-than-average household income, with a median household income of $32,778. Population has held roughly steady since 1990. 8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, below the national rate of 24%. Median home value is $148,500. At a median age of 30.5, residents skew younger than the country as a whole. Households here earn about 41% less than the New Jersey median.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $42,589
Younger
median age 30.5
US median: 35.2
Less educated
8% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 24%
More affordable
home values down 17%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $120,530
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
149,222
+6%since 1990
from 140,891 in 1990
1990 – 2025
Median age
30.5
+2%since 1990
from 29.8 in 1990
US average: 35.2
Population, 1990 – 2024
139K145K150K156K162K1990201020202024Paterson
2024159K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2000
Under 58.4%(12,578)
US avg: 6.8%
5 to 98.7%(12,987)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 148.2%(12,173)
US avg: 7.3%
15 to 197.7%(11,446)
US avg: 7.2%
20 to 248%(11,937)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3416.5%(24,647)
US avg: 14.2%
35 to 4415.5%(23,082)
US avg: 16%
45 to 5411.3%(16,843)
US avg: 13.4%
55 to 647.5%(11,130)
US avg: 8.6%
65 to 744.6%(6,937)
US avg: 6.5%
75 to 842.8%(4,106)
US avg: 4.4%
85 and over0.9%(1,356)
US avg: 1.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$32,778
−8%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $26,960 in 1990
US average: $42,589
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$13,257
+26%since 1990
from $10,518 in 1990
US average: $21,522
Poverty rate
22.2%
+3.7 ptssince 1990
from 18.5% in 1990
US average: 12.4%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$148,500
−17%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $136,300 in 1990
US average: $120,530
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$696
+1%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $524 in 1990
US average: $602
Owner-occupied
31.5%
−2.1 ptssince 1990
from 33.6% in 1990
68.5% rent
RELATED:See current rent listings in Paterson on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

1990
White, non-Hispanic41.2%(58,052)
Black36.1%(50,799)
Hispanic / Latino40.5%(57,050)
Asian1.4%(1,913)
2000
White, non-Hispanic13.2%(19,765)
Black31.4%(46,882)
Hispanic / Latino50.1%(74,774)
Asian1.8%(2,728)

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)
RANKED:Largest Dominican population · Largest South American population · Largest Puerto Rican population · Largest Peruvian population · Largest Mexican population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
8.2%
−0.5 ptssince 1990
from 8.7% in 1990
US average: 24.4%
High school or higher
58.5%
+3.6 ptssince 1990
from 54.9% in 1990
US average: 80.3%
Graduate degree
2.8%
Unchangedsince 1990
from 2.8% in 1990
US average: 8.8%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
15.9 min
−13%since 1990
from 18.4 min in 1990
US average: 17.6
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status
Men 15+
Never married42.4%(22,521)
Married48.3%(25,676)
Widowed2.4%(1,266)
Divorced6.9%(3,643)
Women 15+
Never married36.5%(21,311)
Married44.5%(25,933)
Widowed9.4%(5,479)
Divorced9.6%(5,588)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2000
Drill deeper

Places similar to Paterson

Savannah
Pop 149,440
Rockford
Pop 147,384
Springfield
Pop 154,702
Macon-Bibb County
Pop 157,556
Places similar to Paterson
Head to head

Compare Paterson to nearby cities

PATERSON VS
Haledon
Income$95,870+192%
Home value$396,400+167%
Population9,125−94%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
PATERSON VS
Elmwood Park
Income$101,740+210%
Home value$483,700+226%
Population21,534−87%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
PATERSON VS
Woodland Park
Income$98,845+202%
Home value$497,600+235%
Population13,623−92%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
PATERSON VS
Fair Lawn
Income$144,574+341%
Home value$564,700+280%
Population37,128−77%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Paterson, New Jersey?

Paterson, New Jersey has about 149,222 residents according to the 2000 Census.

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

The typical household in Paterson, New Jersey earns about $32,778 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 $148,500, and the typical rent is about $696 a month.

How educated are people in Paterson, New Jersey?

About 8.2% 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 22.2% 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 8,331 residents, a change of about 6 percent over that period.

Keep going

Explore from here

Up the hierarchy
New Jersey
Rankings
Highest income citiesFastest growing citiesMost educated cities
Compare
Compare Paterson with another place

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

How we source and harmonize this data →