West New York receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
West New York
Paterson
Opportunity
73 · Top 17%
vs39 · Bottom 16%
Growth
35 · Bottom 24%
vs43 · Bottom 36%
Climate
72 · Top 39%
vs65 · Bottom 35%
Physical resilience
29 · Bottom 23%
vs36 · Bottom 28%
Housing affordability
45 · Bottom 7%
vs36 · Bottom 3%
Schools
25 · Bottom 16%
vs24 · Bottom 16%
Access
99 · Top 15%
vs95 · Top 37%
Economic stability
55 · Bottom 40%
vs48 · Bottom 28%
Measured values
| Metric | West New York | Paterson | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 52,004 | 158,735 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $71,729 | $55,997 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $40,965 | $24,403 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 52,371/sq mi | 18,868/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $465,600 | $360,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,716 | $1,548 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 23.0% | 26.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 6.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 1.6% | 1.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 33.5% | 11.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 19.4% | 21.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 66 | 260 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.3 | 1.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -79.4% | -13.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 85°F | 85°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 28°F | 23°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 49.5" | 44.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 11 mi | 15 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 37.9 min | 24.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.2 | 33.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 10 | 49 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.98 | 13.17 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 7.4% | 7.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 29.5% | 26.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 85.8% | 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 New York
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, coastal flooding.
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 New York
54
Your Score
51
Area Score
Paterson
48
Your Score
43
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: West New York, NJ · Paterson, NJ · How this is calculated: methodology