Elizabeth receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Paterson
Elizabeth
Opportunity
39 · Bottom 16%
vs45 · Bottom 27%
Growth
43 · Bottom 36%
vs66 · Top 22%
Climate
65 · Bottom 35%
vs71 · Top 48%
Physical resilience
36 · Bottom 28%
vs49 · Bottom 41%
Housing affordability
36 · Bottom 3%
vs46 · Bottom 8%
Schools
24 · Bottom 16%
vs27 · Bottom 19%
Access
95 · Top 37%
vs99 · Top 14%
Economic stability
48 · Bottom 28%
vs57 · Bottom 43%
Measured values
| Metric | Paterson | Elizabeth | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 158,735 | 137,302 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $55,997 | $66,555 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $24,403 | $28,969 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 18,868/sq mi | 11,146/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $360,100 | $449,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,548 | $1,523 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 26.9% | 25.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 6.9% | 5.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 1.6% | 0.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 11.8% | 14.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 21.2% | 15.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 260 | 319 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.6 | 2.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -13.0% | 175.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 85°F | 87°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 23°F | 26°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 44.9" | 46.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 15 mi | 2 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.5 min | 28.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 33.3 | 35.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 49 | 37 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.17 | 13.39 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 7.3% | 8.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 26.6% | 29.0% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 72.8% | 83.0% | 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
Paterson
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, earthquake.
Elizabeth
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: Paterson, NJ · Elizabeth, NJ · How this is calculated: methodology