Signals
West Freehold
Paterson
Opportunity
72 · Top 19%
vs39 · Bottom 16%
Climate
70 · Bottom 47%
vs65 · Bottom 35%
Physical resilience
52 · Bottom 44%
vs36 · Bottom 28%
Housing affordability
84 · Top 44%
vs36 · Bottom 3%
Schools
70 · Top 27%
vs24 · Bottom 16%
Access
85 · Bottom 29%
vs95 · Top 37%
Economic stability
84 · Top 3%
vs48 · Bottom 28%
Measured values
| Metric | West Freehold | Paterson | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 14,883 | 158,735 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $130,800 | $55,997 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $58,004 | $24,403 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,517/sq mi | 18,868/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $529,000 | $360,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,144 | $1,548 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 87.4% | 26.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.0% | 6.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.6% | 1.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 53.1% | 11.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 4.0% | 21.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average July high | 86°F | 85°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 24°F | 23°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 45.6" | 44.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 33 mi | 15 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 32.8 min | 24.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.9 | 33.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 17 | 49 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 10.66 | 13.17 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 28.8% | 7.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 49.5% | 26.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 31.5% | 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.
Physical risk tradeoff
West Freehold
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, earthquake, hurricane.
Paterson
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, earthquake.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
West Freehold
74
Your Score
—
Area Score
Paterson
48
Your Score
43
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: West Freehold, NJ · Paterson, NJ · How this is calculated: methodology