Residential comparison · 13 facts
Jersey City, NJ vs Paterson, NJ
Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.
A household earning $85,000 in Jersey City needs about $72,500 in Paterson to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Paterson, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $97,500 in Jersey City.
A few differences
- Jersey City is higher on median household income ($97,710 vs $55,997).
- Paterson is lower on cost of living index (107 vs 124).
- Paterson is lower on 2-bedroom rent ($1,588/mo vs $1,932/mo).
Jersey City vs Paterson · facet by facet
| Facet | Jersey City, NJ | Paterson, NJ |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $566,900 | $360,100 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,932/mo | $1,588/mo |
| Property tax rate | 2.2% | 2.2% |
| State & local income tax | 2.26% | 2.26% |
| Sales tax | 6.6% | 6.6% |
| Cost of living index | 124 | 107 |
| Groceries index | 106 | 106 |
| Utilities | $180/mo | $180/mo |
| Median household income | $97,710 | $55,997 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.5% | 4.5% |
| Crime index | 25/100 | 25/100 |
| School rating | 8.3/10 | 8.3/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 205 days | 205 days |
Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.
Full profiles: Jersey City, NJ · Paterson, NJ
Questions & answers
- Is Jersey City cheaper than Paterson?
- Paterson has the lower day-to-day cost index (107 vs 124 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in Paterson equals $85,000 in Jersey City?
- A household earning $85,000 in Jersey City needs about $72,500 in Paterson to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Paterson lifestyle costs about $97,500 in Jersey City.