Suffern receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Suffern
Paterson
Opportunity
76 · Top 12%
vs39 · Bottom 16%
Growth
26 · Bottom 13%
vs43 · Bottom 36%
Climate
65 · Bottom 35%
vs65 · Bottom 35%
Physical resilience
84 · Top 19%
vs36 · Bottom 28%
Housing affordability
79 · Bottom 47%
vs36 · Bottom 3%
Access
87 · Bottom 34%
vs95 · Top 37%
Economic stability
73 · Top 22%
vs48 · Bottom 28%
Measured values
| Metric | Suffern | Paterson | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 11,441 | 158,735 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $104,607 | $55,997 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $50,242 | $24,403 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 5,456/sq mi | 18,868/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $382,100 | $360,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,091 | $1,548 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 67.4% | 26.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.5% | 6.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.1% | 1.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 43.2% | 11.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 6.1% | 21.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 0 | 260 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.0 | 1.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 85°F | 85°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 23°F | 23°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 44.9" | 44.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 27 mi | 15 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 31.7 min | 24.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 40.7 | 33.3 | 2024 ACS 5-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
Suffern
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Paterson
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, earthquake.
Full profiles: Suffern, NY · Paterson, NJ · How this is calculated: methodology