Paterson, NJ

Census Place

Add Comparison

2024 Population

158,735

US Senator

Cory Booker

Democratic Party

US Senator

Andy Kim

Democratic Party

2024 Poverty Rate

21.2%

9.82% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$55,997

4.15% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$360,100

7.36% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

67,993

1.09% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Paterson, NJ reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

75.4% of the residents in Paterson, NJ are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Paterson, NJ are Passaic County Community College (879 degrees awarded in 2024) and Hohokus School of Trade and Technical Sciences (183 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Paterson, NJ was $360,100, and the homeownership rate was 26.9%.

Most people in Paterson, NJ drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 22.6 minutes. The average car ownership in Paterson, NJ was 1 car per household.

United States New Jersey Passaic County, NJ New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA Bergen County (West Central)--Fair Lawn, Garfield & Lodi PUMA, NJ Passaic County (South)--Passaic & Clifton (SE) PUMA, NJ Passaic County (Central)--Hawthorne PUMA, NJ Passaic County--Paterson PUMA, NJ

Population & Diversity

Paterson, NJ is home to a population of 159k people, from which 75.4% are citizens. As of 2024, 44.5% of Paterson, NJ residents were born outside of the country (70.6k people).

In 2024, there were 1.68 times more Other (Hispanic) residents (58.8k people) in Paterson, NJ than any other race or ethnicity. There were 35k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) and 35k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

75.4%

2024 Citizenship

76.4%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 75.4% of Paterson, NJ residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Paterson, NJ was 76.4%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Paterson, NJ compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Paterson, NJ

Other (Hispanic)
58.8k ± 3.01k
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
35k ± 3.17k
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
35k ± 1.69k

64.5%

Hispanic Population

102k people

64.5% of the people in Paterson, NJ are hispanic (102k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Paterson, NJ as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for New Jersey.

Most Common Origin

India
279,408 ± 12,782 people
Dominican Republic
210,288 ± 11,131 people
Mexico
108,737 ± 8,049 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of New Jersey was India, the natal country of 279,408 New Jersey residents, followed by Dominican Republic with 210,288 and Mexico with 108,737.

Foreign-Born Population

44.5%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

70.6k people

44.1%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

69.5k people

As of 2024, 44.5% of Paterson, NJ residents (70.6k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Paterson, NJ was 44.1%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Paterson, NJ compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
677 ± 316
Gulf War (2001-)
261 ± 123
Korea
69 ± 88

Paterson, NJ has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.59 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Paterson, NJ.

Health

80.5% of the population of Paterson, NJ has health coverage, with 22.8% on employee plans, 44.4% on Medicaid, 7.1% on Medicare, 6.04% on non-group plans, and 0.161% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in New Jersey see 1,279 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,279 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1157 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 320 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.1% were men and 50.9% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 29.1% under 18 years, 23.1% between 18 and 34 years, 35.7% between 35 and 64 years, and 12.1% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.1% were men and 50.9% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

19.5%

Uninsured

22.8%

Employer Coverage

44.4%

Medicaid

7.1%

Medicare

6.04%

Non-Group

0.161%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Paterson, NJ grew by 2.05% from 19.1% to 19.5%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Paterson, NJ changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Economy

The economy of Paterson, NJ employs 68k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Paterson, NJ were Health Care & Social Assistance (9,977 people), Manufacturing (8,981 people), and Retail Trade (8,966 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($87,906), Public Administration ($61,787), and Educational Services ($53,741).

Employment

Occupations

68k

2024 Value

± 2,292

1.09%

1 Year growth

± 4.72%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Paterson, NJ grew at a rate of 1.09%, from 67.3k employees to 68k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Paterson, NJ, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (8,086 people), Production Occupations (7,705 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (6,569 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Paterson, NJ.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for New Jersey.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in New Jersey (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

68k

2024 Value

± 2,292

1.09%

1 Year growth

± 4.72%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Paterson, NJ grew at a rate of 1.09%, from 67.3k employees to 68k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Paterson, NJ, are Health Care & Social Assistance (9,977 people), Manufacturing (8,981 people), and Retail Trade (8,966 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Paterson, NJ, though some of these residents may live in Paterson, NJ and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$39,648

Median earning men ± $1,764

$31,330

Median earning women ± $1,068

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($63,720), Wholesale Trade ($50,969), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($47,867).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($58,678), Information ($52,050), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($44,583).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for New Jersey.

Y-Axis

2.27%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 4.24M people employed in New Jersey. This represents a 2.27% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 16.5%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in New Jersey.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in New Jersey went to Kamala Harris with 52% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (46.1%), followed by Jill Stein (0.914%).

Cory Booker and Andy Kim are the senators currently representing the state of New Jersey. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

New Jersey is currently represented by 11 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Paterson, NJ. Showing the available data for New Jersey.

2024 Election Results

Kamala Harris (52%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (46.1%)
Republican Party
Jill Stein (0.914%)
Green Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in New Jersey went to Kamala Harris with 52% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (46.1%), followed by Jill Stein (0.914%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in New Jersey for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from New Jersey

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for New Jersey.

Cory Booker

Senator from New Jersey

Assumed office on October 31, 2013
Elected to the seat to succeed Jeffrey Chiesa, who had been appointed to the seat following the death of Frank Lautenberg.{{Cite news |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2013/10/cory-booker-new-jersey-senate-election-098436 |title=Booker Wins New Jersey Senate Seat |work=Politico |access-date=May 21, 2020 }}

Andy Kim

Senator from New Jersey

Assumed office on December 8, 2024
Elected to the seat to succeed George Helmy, who had been appointed to the seat following the resignation of Bob Menendez.

Cory Booker and Andy Kim are the senators currently representing New Jersey.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in New Jersey over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Education

In 2024, universities in Paterson, NJ awarded 1,062 degrees. The student population of Paterson, NJ in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 1,988 male students and 2,940 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Paterson, NJ are Hispanic or Latino (643 and 60.5%), White (189 and 17.8%), Black or African American (147 and 13.8%), and Asian (38 and 3.58%).

The largest universities in Paterson, NJ by number of degrees awarded are Passaic County Community College (879 and 82.8%) and Hohokus School of Trade and Technical Sciences (183 and 17.2%).

The most popular majors in Paterson, NJ are Liberal Arts & Sciences (222 and 20.9%), Criminal Justice - Police Science (90 and 8.47%), and Electrician (88 and 8.29%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2024 there were 4,928 students enrolled in Paterson, NJ, 40.3% men and 59.7% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Hispanic or Latino with 3,149 records, of which 60.7% were women and 39.3% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Liberal Arts & Sciences
222 degrees awarded
General Business
81 degrees awarded
General Computer & Information Sciences
55 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Paterson, NJ was Liberal Arts & Sciences with 222 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Associates Degree from schools in Paterson, NJ according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Passaic County Community College
879 degrees awarded
Hohokus School of Trade and Technical Sciences
183 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Passaic County Community College with 879 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2024, 479 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Paterson, NJ, which is 0.822 times less than the 583 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was Hispanic or Latino students. These 643 degrees mean that there were 3.4 times more degrees awarded to Hispanic or Latino students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, White, with 189 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Public, 2-year ($7,740) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

Public, 2-year ($660) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

Public, 2-year ($1,600) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Paterson, NJ was $360,100 in 2024, which is 1.08 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $335,400 to $360,100, a 7.36% increase. The homeownership rate in Paterson, NJ is 26.9%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Paterson, NJ have an average commute time of 22.6 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Paterson, NJ is lower than the national average, with an average of 1 car per household.

Housing

Property

$360,100

Median Property Value 2024

±$11,010

$13,424

Median Property Taxes

±$990

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Paterson, NJ the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Paterson, NJ compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

26.9%

Homeownership

2024

61.6%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 26.9% of the housing units in Paterson, NJ were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 26.2%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Paterson, NJ compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$55,997

Median Household Income

± $3,427

49.9k

Number of Households

± 1,909

In 2024, the median household income of the 49.9k households in Paterson, NJ grew to $55,997 from the previous year's value of $53,766.

The following chart displays the households in Paterson, NJ distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Paterson, NJ is from New Jersey.

0.482

2024 Wage GINI in New Jersey

0.486

2023 Wage GINI in New Jersey

In 2024, the income inequality in New Jersey was 0.482 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.733% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for New Jersey was higher than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed less evenly in New Jersey in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in New Jersey across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (61.3%)
Carpooled (17.9%)
Public Transit (7.38%)

In 2024, 61.3% of workers in Paterson, NJ drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (17.9%) and those who used public transit to get to work (7.38%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

22.6 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Paterson, NJ have a shorter commute time (22.6 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.64% of the workforce in Paterson, NJ have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Paterson, NJ compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

1 car

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Paterson, NJ distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Paterson, NJ have 1 car.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

21.2% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Paterson, NJ (33.5k out of 158k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Males < 5.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Paterson, NJ is Hispanic, followed by Other and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.