Signals
Short Hills
Paterson
Opportunity
66 · Top 30%
vs39 · Bottom 16%
Climate
71 · Top 48%
vs65 · Bottom 35%
Physical resilience
50 · Bottom 43%
vs36 · Bottom 28%
Housing affordability
68 · Bottom 31%
vs36 · Bottom 3%
Schools
99 · Top 1%
vs24 · Bottom 16%
Access
99 · Top 14%
vs95 · Top 37%
Economic stability
82 · Top 5%
vs48 · Bottom 28%
Measured values
| Metric | Short Hills | Paterson | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 14,923 | 158,735 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $250,000+ | $55,997 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $164,794 | $24,403 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,839/sq mi | 18,868/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $1,674,100 | $360,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $3,126 | $1,548 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 86.5% | 26.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% | 6.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.9% | 1.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 92.6% | 11.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 2.3% | 21.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average July high | 87°F | 85°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 26°F | 23°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 46.6" | 44.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 9 mi | 15 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 45.8 min | 24.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.5 | 33.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 49 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 11.01 | 13.17 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 72.1% | 7.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 78.4% | 26.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 2.0% | 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
Short Hills
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Paterson
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, earthquake.
Your best match
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Short Hills
76
Your Score
—
Area Score
Paterson
48
Your Score
43
Area Score
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Full profiles: Short Hills, NJ · Paterson, NJ · How this is calculated: methodology