Newark receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Passaic
Newark
Opportunity
49 · Bottom 35%
vs41 · Bottom 20%
Growth
51 · Top 48%
vs68 · Top 20%
Climate
71 · Top 47%
vs71 · Top 48%
Physical resilience
36 · Bottom 28%
vs50 · Bottom 43%
Housing affordability
31 · Bottom 1%
vs34 · Bottom 2%
Schools
25 · Bottom 17%
vs21 · Bottom 12%
Access
98 · Top 20%
vs99 · Top 14%
Economic stability
52 · Bottom 35%
vs43 · Bottom 22%
Measured values
| Metric | Passaic | Newark | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 70,002 | 310,178 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $55,371 | $52,060 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $24,489 | $27,193 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 22,343/sq mi | 12,847/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $429,900 | $373,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,465 | $1,392 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 23.8% | 24.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.9% | 6.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 1.6% | 0.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.7% | 19.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 22.9% | 23.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 93 | 2,472 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.3 | 8.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 40.9% | -4.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 87°F | 87°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 26°F | 26°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 46.3" | 46.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 12 mi | 2 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 27.7 min | 35.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 31.9 | 34.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 18 | 83 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 12.22 | 16.78 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 6.0% | 9.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 28.7% | 29.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 99.2% | 81.7% | 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
Passaic
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, earthquake.
Newark
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: Passaic, NJ · Newark, NJ · How this is calculated: methodology