Paterson grades D− overall, 460th of 466 graded towns in New Jersey, mostly because of safety and schools. Its police reported 1,334 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025, a higher rate per resident than 94% of U.S. towns. Its public schools trail 92% of New Jersey towns on state tests and graduation. One bright spot: it is among the most walkable places in the country. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 96% of U.S. towns, with 19 places on the National Register. Paterson’s violent crime rate is 8.3 per 1,000 residents, above both the New Jersey town median (0.7) and the median of U.S. towns (1.6). On health, just 12 of New Jersey’s 530 towns do worse. Its National Register listings include Hinchliffe Stadium and Great Falls of Paterson/S.U.M. Historic District.

StrongestA⁺Walkability A⁺HistoryWeakestDSafety DSchools DHealth C⁻Cost of living CJobs & income

What makes Paterson stand out

Where Paterson beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.

Great Falls of Paterson/S.U.M. Historic District

HistoryA⁺

Settled in 1792

A history going back 234 years.

WalkabilityA⁺

More walkable than 99% of U.S. towns

13.5% of workers walk, bike or ride transit

EPA National Walkability Index; Census ACS.

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Paterson8.3

New Jersey2

U.S.3.3

Worth knowing · SafetyD

4.2 times the violent crime than NJ

FBI data, 2025. Crimes reported to police.

Great Falls of Paterson/S.U.M. Historic District · National Register of Historic Places

Paterson’s story

234 years in pictures

Great Falls of Paterson/S.U.M. Historic District is one of 2 National Historic Landmarks here, the National Register’s top tier. Its 19 National Register listings are more than in 97% of New Jersey towns with a listing.

Census counts: 7,596 in 1840, 159,732 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1834 and 8 maps from 1888 on.

1792Paterson is settled

Explore the history →

How Paterson grades

Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New Jersey), ordered by how far Paterson is from typical.

How grading works

Its grades run from A+ for walkability (better than 99% of comparable towns) to D for safety (better than 6%), so the D− overall blends very different results.

WalkabilityEPA walkability 14.7 of 20; 26.1% of households have no carA⁺Open →SafetyDOpen →SchoolsDOpen →HealthLess healthy than 88% of U.S. towns; St. Mary's General Hospital 4.1 miles awayDOpen →Cost of livingTypical home $541K, 5.5 years of the New York metro’s $99K median household incomeC⁻Open →Jobs & incomeCOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listC⁺Open →

Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.

Outdoors5 miles of trails; 5% conserved landBOpen →History53 notable people born hereA⁺Open →Civic life1.4 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsD⁻Open →

Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.

Climate–Open →Housing market55 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 33.3; 12% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →

How TownRatings grades towns →

Nearby attractions

MetLife Stadium and 544 more within 40 miles

Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Paterson. Close and well known come first.

All 632 attractions →

Big draw8 mi Stadium & arenaMetLife Stadium

Big draw14 mi GardenCentral Park40.0M visitors a year

Big draw14 mi Stadium & arenaMadison Square Garden

Big draw14 mi TheatreStudio 54

Big draw14 mi MuseumMetropolitan Museum of Art2.0M visitors a year

Big draw14 mi Stadium & arenaYankee Stadium

Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons

Photo credits

MetLife Stadium: babyknight, CC BY 2.0 · Central Park: Ed Yourdon from New York City, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Madison Square Garden: Ajay Suresh from New York, NY, USA, CC BY 2.0 · Studio 54: Americasroof (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Metropolitan Museum of Art: Hugo Schneider, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Yankee Stadium: Matt Boulton, CC BY-SA 2.0

Getting set up

Moving to Paterson: who provides what

Who provides power, water and the rest in Paterson, and how to reach them.

The full setup list →

PowerPSE&G25.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA

WaterPassaic Valley Water CommissionNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA

Internet4 providers97% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC

Trash & dumpNearest public drop-offHawthorne Recycling Center, 2 miOpenStreetMap

SchoolsPaterson City School DistrictWhich school depends on your addressNCES

Register to voteOnlineIn New Jersey you can register online until 21 days before Election Day, in person until 21 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 21 days before).vote.gov

Who runs elections herePassaic County ClerkPassaic County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2019

ZIP codes07501, 07522, 07503, 0751407501 24% · 07522 15% · 07503 12% · 07514 12%Census 2020

EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.

The data

Ordered by what stands out in Paterson.

Paterson reports violent crime at 4 times the New Jersey rate, but it has poverty well above the New Jersey rate and scores below Prospect Park and its other neighbors on health.

SafetyD

Paterson’s grade for safety is a D

Violent crime runs at 8.3 per 1,000 residents, 4 times the New Jersey rate; the Safety Grade counts each violent crime four times, so this weighs most on its D. Each of the 4 graded towns on its borders reports less crime per resident, from Elmwood Park (C) to Hawthorne (A−).

Paterson’s property crime rate is 23.2 per 1,000 residents. Paterson reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 94% report less.

6%of U.S. towns report more crimeDSafety Grade

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Paterson8.3

New Jersey2

U.S.3.3

Property crime per 1,000 residents

Paterson23.2

New Jersey12.7

U.S.15.5

6th

percentile among U.S. towns we grade

2nd

percentile among NJ towns

1,334

violent crimes reported in 2025

3,723

property crimes reported in 2025

Full pagePaterson’s safety reportOpen the page

Violent crime by type8.3 violent crimes per 1,000 Crime over the yearsDown since 2023 Vs. the neighborsBehind its 4 graded neighbors Questions“Is Paterson, NJ safe?”

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police

SchoolsD

Paterson’s grade for schools is a D

Its public schools are run by the Paterson Public School District. Three of its 53 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.

8%of NJ districts it outscoresDSchool Grade

School	Level	Students	Letter
Joseph A. Taub SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8	Grades 6–8	976	C⁻
Eastside High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12	Grades 9–12	2,073	–
School 28Top results in townGrades PK–8	Grades PK–8	463	A⁺

Full pagePaterson’s schools pageOpen the page

The districtsPaterson Public School District Vs. the neighborsAhead of 1 of its 8 graded neighbors Every school53 schools · Community Charter School of Paterson Questions“Are Paterson’s schools good?”

NCES · EDFacts · graded within NJ on state tests and graduation

HealthD

Paterson stands out in New Jersey and nationally, with more of its adults who say their health is fair or poor

All 7 graded neighbors score healthier than its D, from Prospect Park (C−) to Fair Lawn (A+).

32% of Paterson adults say their health is fair or poor. Among 468 New Jersey towns, just 1 have a higher share of adults who feel lonely than Paterson. 18% of Paterson adults report frequent physical distress.

13%healthier than U.S. townsDHealth Grade

	Paterson	New Jersey towns	U.S. towns
Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES)	32%	15%	19%
Get no exercise (CDC PLACES)	42%	22%	25%
Feel lonely (CDC PLACES)	41%	32%	33%
Food insecurity (CDC PLACES)	40%	11%	14%

32 measures vs. New Jersey

2 better7 too close to call23 worse

What stands out	Paterson	NJ
Fewer adults who have had cancer	4.2%	7.5%
Fewer adults with high cholesterol	35.9%	39.3%
More adults facing food insecurity	40.4%	14.3%

St. Mary's General Hospital

4.1 mi away · emergency room

None

primary care, dental or mental-health shortage

2nd

percentile among NJ towns

Full pagePaterson’s health reportOpen the page

Everyday habitsMore adults who get no exercise Hospitals & doctors nearby4.1 miles to an ER · St. Mary's General Hospital How adults are doingMore adults in fair or poor health Every CDC estimateBetter than NJ on 2 of 32

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Work & commuteJobs & income grade C

Paterson’s grade for incomes is a C

The average commute for its 58,693 working residents takes 22.6 minutes, against 30.5 across New Jersey.

21% of residents live below the poverty line in Paterson. Since 2013, Paterson has added 4,847 jobs, to 38,879 in 2023. The median household income in Paterson is $56,000.

18%work in town

	Paterson	New Jersey towns	U.S. towns
Below the poverty line	21%	6%	9.6%
Median household income	$56,000	$113,000	$80,000
Work from home	5.2%	17%	11%
Working residents who work in town	18%	6.3%	8%

Where working residents work

In Paterson18%

Wayne Township4%

Paramus3%

Clifton3%

New York3%

7 mi

median commute distance

38,879

jobs based in Paterson

A commuter town

jobs vs. working residents

A+

Walkability grade: among the most walkable U.S. towns

Full pagePaterson’s work & commute pageOpen the page

The jobs here38,879 jobs based here · A commuter town Where people work18% work in Paterson Commute times23 minutes · The average commute How far they goHalf commute less than 7 miles

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

OutdoorsB

Paterson has set aside 5.2% of its land for conservation

4.6 miles of trail in 15 parks and preserves. Garret Mountain Reservation, at 109 acres with 2.6 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.

#257for trails in NJ

	Paterson	New Jersey towns	U.S. towns
Conserved land	5.2%	11%	4.3%
Miles of trail per square mile	0.5 miles per square mile	0.7	0.4

5.2%

conserved · 289 of 5,543 acres

4.6 mi

of trails · 0.5 per sq mi

Biggest places to walk	Trails	Acres
1. Garret Mountain Reservation	2.6 mi	109
2. Pennington Park	0.8 mi	18
3. Upper Raceway Park	0.3 mi	3

Full pagePaterson’s outdoors pageOpen the page

Trail map4.6 miles of trail, mapped Pick a walk2.6 miles of trail · Garret Mountain Reservation Conserved land5.2% conserved · 289 acres protected Questions“Where can I hike in Paterson?”

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

Climate

Four seasons and pleasant summers in Paterson

Paterson has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 87°, January nights drop to 23° and about 24 inches of snow falls in a winter.

24″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter25–42°

Spring41–62°

Summer63–84°

Fall46–66°

Oct 28

typical first frost

Apr 15

typical last frost

+2.2°

vs. the 20th-century average

Full pagePaterson’s climate pageOpen the page

A year of weatherJuly highs 87°, January lows 23°Rain & snow24″ of snow a winter · 48 inches of rain and snow a year Heating & coolingMostly a heating bill Then and now+2.2° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C⁺

Moderate risk in Paterson, with inland flooding at the top

1,078 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 196 properties have flooded more than once.

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 58% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 1,078 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Paterson.

58risk score of 100

FEMA risk score

Inland floodingEarthquakesHeat waves

1,078

paid flood claims since 1978

federal disasters paid out here

Full pagePaterson’s hazards pageOpen the page

What it facesModerate risk Flood claims1,078 paid flood claims · Since 1978 Past disasters11 federal disasters · Paid out in Paterson Get ready3.5 events a year, on average · Ready for inland flooding

FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

HousingCost of living grade C⁻

Compared with most of New Jersey and the rest of the country, fewer of Paterson’s households own their home

Only 8 of the 468 New Jersey towns we compare have a lower share of households owning their home than Paterson. Typical home values rose 5% in the year to September 2026.

$541KZillow home value

	Paterson	New Jersey towns	U.S. towns
Households that own their home	27%	77%	73%
Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent	59%	52%	48%
Median rent	$1,548 a month	$1,780 a month	$1,185 a month

Typical home value

Paterson$541K

New Jersey$575K

Market temperature

days on market

103.3%

sale-to-list price

+5%

value change, 1 year

homes sold in May

Full pagePaterson’s housing & cost-of-living pageOpen the page

Prices over the yearsUp 5% in a year Years of income to buyA typical home costs 9.7 years of income Rents$1,548 a month · Median rent Vs. the neighborsAhead of all 8 graded neighbors

Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Paterson

20pages on Paterson

The big questions

SchoolsDBehind 92% of NJ districts · 53 schools SafetyD8.3 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthDBetter than NJ on 2 of 32 CDC measures Cost of livingC⁻$541K typical home · up 5% in a year Work & commuteC$56K median household income · 38,879 jobs here Natural hazardsC⁺FEMA risk higher than 58% of U.S. communities · inland flooding

Out and about

OutdoorsB5 mi of trails · 5% conserved land PlacesAttractions632 nearby · Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park under 1 mi LibraryD⁻0.7 library visits per resident CollegesPassaic County Community College, in town

The story

HistoryA⁺Settled 1792 · 19 on the National Register Famous people53 born in Paterson Town Hall & politicsOne full-time town employee per 106 residents Climate87° summer highs · 24″ of snow

Day to day

News22 recent stories about Paterson WeatherHandbookZIP code 07501, 07502, 07503 Town SquareNeighbors

After high school

Colleges nearby

78 within 15 miles of the center of Paterson

Passaic County Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · PatersonIn town$6,300 in-state tuition Berkeley College-Woodland ParkUniversity or college · Private for-profit · Woodland Park1.8 mi$29,800 tuition William Paterson University of New JerseyUniversity or college · Public · Wayne2.9 mi$15,704 in-state tuition

About 5 of every 100 Paterson residents are enrolled in college, about the same as New Jersey.

Prices by family income, graduation and earnings →

College town

Passaic County Community College calls Paterson home

Passaic County Community College4,748 students on campus

Admission: Open
Net price: $7,761
Graduate: 19%

College Scorecard · IPEDS

Landmarks

19 places in Paterson on the National Register of Historic Places.

All landmarks →

Great Falls of Paterson/S.U.M. Historic DistrictNational Historic Landmark

Hinchliffe StadiumNational Historic Landmark

Westside Park

Belle Vista

Famous people from Paterson

53 notable people were born in Paterson.

See all 53 →

Frederick ReinesAmerican physicist · 1918–1998

Kathryn D. SullivanAmerican astronaut · born 1951

Patrick WarburtonAmerican actor · born 1964

J. Michael StraczynskiAmerican writer and filmmaker · born 1954

John SpencerAmerican actor · 1946–2005

Lou CostelloAmerican actor and comedian · 1906–1959

About Paterson

City in Passaic County, New Jersey, US

Official town website ↗

Paterson (English pronunciation: /ˈpætɚsən/ ) is the largest city in and the county seat of Passaic County, in the North Jersey region of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, Paterson was the state's third-most-populous municipality, with a population of 159,732, an increase of 13,533 (+9.3%) from the 2010 census count of 146,199, which in turn reflected a decline of 3,023 (-2.0%) from the 149,222 counted in the 2000 census. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated a population of 161,793 for 2025, making it the 165th-most populous municipality in the nation. A prominent mill town within the New York–New Jersey metropolitan area, Paterson has…

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Established: 1792
Area: 8.7 sq mi
Elevation: 105 ft
ZIP code: 07501, 07502, 07503
Area code: 973, 201

Paterson’s neighbors

8 towns share a border with Paterson.

Explore the map →

All 7 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its D−; Prospect Park (D−) is closest. Elmwood Park next door grades higher for schools (C to Paterson’s D) and lower for cost of living (D− to C−).

How the neighbors grade

Town	NJ rank	Overall	Cost	Safety	Schools	Health
Paterson	#460	D⁻	C⁻	D	D	D
Fair Lawn	#98	A	D	—	A	A⁺
Elmwood Park	#368	C	D⁻	C	C	A⁻
Prospect Park	#438	D⁻	D	B	D	C⁻
Hawthorne	#192	B⁺	D	A⁻	B⁻	A
Haledon	#406	C⁻	D	—	D	B
Woodland Park	#264	B⁻	D	B⁺	C⁺	B⁺
Clifton	#341	C⁺	D	—	C⁻	B⁺

Fair Lawn, Haledon and Clifton report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Paterson with a neighbor →

Questions about Paterson

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Paterson, NJ a good place to live?

Paterson grades D− overall, in the bottom 2% of U.S. towns and #460 of 466 in New Jersey. It grades D for health, D for safety and D for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a D.

Is Paterson, NJ expensive?

Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.

What is Paterson, NJ known for?

53 notable people were born here, including Frederick Reines and Kathryn D. Sullivan.

Post to Paterson

Check your email

PatersonNJ

Is Paterson a good place to live?

What makes Paterson stand out

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

234 years in pictures

How Paterson grades

MetLife Stadium and 544 more within 40 miles

Moving to Paterson: who provides what

The data

Paterson’s grade for safety is a D

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Property crime per 1,000 residents

Paterson’s grade for schools is a D

Paterson stands out in New Jersey and nationally, with more of its adults who say their health is fair or poor

Paterson’s grade for incomes is a C

Where working residents work

Paterson has set aside 5.2% of its land for conservation

Four seasons and pleasant summers in Paterson

Typical low → high °F

Moderate risk in Paterson, with inland flooding at the top

Compared with most of New Jersey and the rest of the country, fewer of Paterson’s households own their home

Typical home value

Everything we know about Paterson

Colleges nearby

Passaic County Community College calls Paterson home

Landmarks

Famous people from Paterson

About Paterson

Paterson’s neighbors

Questions about Paterson