Edgewater receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Edgewater
Paterson
Opportunity
81 · Top 6%
vs39 · Bottom 16%
Growth
85 · Top 2%
vs43 · Bottom 36%
Climate
72 · Top 39%
vs65 · Bottom 35%
Physical resilience
47 · Bottom 37%
vs36 · Bottom 28%
Housing affordability
57 · Bottom 17%
vs36 · Bottom 3%
Access
97 · Top 29%
vs95 · Top 37%
Economic stability
71 · Top 27%
vs48 · Bottom 28%
Measured values
| Metric | Edgewater | Paterson | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 14,759 | 158,735 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $124,050 | $55,997 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $84,598 | $24,403 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 15,200/sq mi | 18,868/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $715,700 | $360,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,579 | $1,548 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 39.8% | 26.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 6.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 1.5% | 1.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 72.7% | 11.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 7.7% | 21.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 385 | 260 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 26.1 | 1.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 117.5% | -13.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 85°F | 85°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 28°F | 23°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 49.5" | 44.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 14 mi | 15 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 42.3 min | 24.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 40.6 | 33.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 2 | 49 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 10.24 | 13.17 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 16.9% | 72.8% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Edgewater
Elevated or high exposure: coastal flooding, earthquake.
Paterson
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, earthquake.
Full profiles: Edgewater, NJ · Paterson, NJ · How this is calculated: methodology