Signals
Ridge
Paterson
Opportunity
64 · Top 34%
vs39 · Bottom 16%
Climate
66 · Bottom 37%
vs65 · Bottom 35%
Physical resilience
95 · Top 4%
vs36 · Bottom 28%
Housing affordability
45 · Bottom 7%
vs36 · Bottom 3%
Access
74 · Bottom 16%
vs95 · Top 37%
Economic stability
55 · Bottom 40%
vs48 · Bottom 28%
Measured values
| Metric | Ridge | Paterson | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 12,503 | 158,735 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $78,528 | $55,997 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $51,327 | $24,403 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 948/sq mi | 18,868/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $424,800 | $360,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,044 | $1,548 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 89.5% | 26.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 6.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.5% | 1.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 30.7% | 11.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 4.1% | 21.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average July high | 83°F | 85°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 24°F | 23°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 44.2" | 44.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 50 mi | 15 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 38.8 min | 24.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 52.4 | 33.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 1 | 49 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 10.06 | 13.17 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 36.5% | 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.
New York and New Jersey do not give the same test. Each state writes its own assessment and sets its own passing score, so the two proficiency rows above are not directly comparable — the difference between them partly measures which standard is harder. Students per teacher and the school count are unaffected, and each profile ranks its own proficiency within its own state.
Physical risk tradeoff
Ridge
Elevated or high exposure: coastal flooding, hurricane.
Paterson
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, earthquake.
Full profiles: Ridge, NY · Paterson, NJ · How this is calculated: methodology