Where Do I Move?

Northeast · New Jersey · pop 157.7K

Paterson, NJ

Fit score

Fair match

at the reference profile: one person earning $6,700/mo gross, default weights.

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After estimated taxes in NJ, your $6,700/mo income nets about $5,168 — covering estimated essentials here (about $1,650 rent plus everyday costs incl. local sales tax) with roughly $571 left over.

Expect summer highs near 85°F, winter lows around 20°F, and about 0 sunny days a year.

Reported crime rates sit below most similar-sized cities in this dataset.

Tradeoff: home prices run high relative to local incomes, so buying may take longer than elsewhere.

AFFORDABILITY71HOUSING15JOBS56SAFETY60CLIMATE61AMENITIES29

The Paterson fit print

Est. monthly cost

$4,597/mo

Typical rent

$1,941/mo

Home value ÷ income

6.2×

Score breakdown

Affordability
71
Housing
15
Jobs
56
Safety
60
Climate
61
Amenities
29

The data behind the score

Money (Census ACS · HUD)

Median gross rent
$1,941/mo
Median home value
$335,400
Median household income
$53,766
Population
157,660

Work (BLS)

Unemployment rate
0.0%
Job growth (1yr)
0.0%

Safety (FBI CDE, per 100k)

Violent crime rate
0
Property crime rate
0

Climate (NOAA normals)

Avg. summer high
85°F
Avg. winter low
20°F
Sunny days / year
0
Days ≥100°F by 2050 (air temp)
≈5/yr
Dangerous humid days by 2050 (feels-like)
≈0/yr
Unhealthy air days
≈10/yr
Annual rain
49"
Annual snow
0"

Community & access (approx.)

2024 county margin
R+3
Bachelor's degree or higher
≈13%
Major airport
≈15 mi
Time zone
ET
Walkability
40/100
Transit
30/100
Disaster risk
41/100
Top natural hazard
Strong wind
Local pay lags local costs. A typical Paterson household earns about $54k — about 39% short of the $88k needed just to cover local costs here. If you're taking a local job rather than bringing your income with you, negotiate hard.
A citywide number is an average. Rent, safety, and everything else vary block by block — treat these figures as a starting point and research specific neighborhoods before committing.

Data vintage: acs2023-5yr+zori-2026-06-30. Sources & methodology

Natural-hazard risk

Wildfire

low risk

Hurricanes

high risk

Tornadoes

moderate risk

Flooding

moderate risk

Earthquakes

low risk

Severe winter

high risk

Per-hazard risk-index scores from FEMA's National Risk Index for this city's county, with any hazard FEMA doesn't score filled in by our model. Screen by hazard from search.

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Go deeper

Buy vs. rent the median home

Owning the median Paterson home would run about $2,728/mo (mortgage, tax, insurance, upkeep) versus $1,941/mo to rent — about $787/mo more to buy at today's 6.60% rate.

To own$2,728/mo
Mortgage (P&I)
$1,714
Property tax
$623
Insurance (state avg)
$112
Maintenance
$280
To rent$1,941/mo

Buying costs about $787/mo more.

Median home $335,400 · $67,080 down

Estimate only: 30-year fixed, state-average property tax and homeowners insurance, ~1%/yr maintenance. Part of the mortgage payment builds equity, which a pure outlay comparison ignores; and the median home is typically larger than the median rental, which biases the gap toward renting. Ignores closing costs, HOA dues, PMI on low down payments, and the opportunity cost of the down payment. Not a lending quote.

What will the move cost?

Moving to Paterson

About 16 mi from New York, NY.

DIY — rental truck

$150$250

One-way truck, mileage, and fuel. Your labor.

Full-service movers

$2,500$3,600

Pros load, drive, and unload. Packing usually extra.

Rough estimates from distance and household size — real quotes vary with season, access, exact inventory, and fuel. Get a few binding quotes before you book.

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