Cost of living in Paterson research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Paterson is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in New Jersey, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Paterson is 116, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Paterson is 1.2x higher than the national average.
Paterson ranks as the #60 cheapest in New Jersey out of 251.
Paterson ranks as the #4,558 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Paterson is $269,200.
The median income in Paterson is $48,540.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Paterson has an overall cost of living index of 116, which is 1.2x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to New Jersey, Paterson has a cost of living index that's 1.0x higher than New Jersey's index of 111.
The standard of living in Paterson ranks as #60 most affordable out of the 251 places we measured in New Jersey. By definition, that implies Paterson ranks as the #191 most expensive place in the Garden State.
For more reading on life in Paterson, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Paterson. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Paterson is 113.
The Groceries index in Paterson is 108.
The Health index in Paterson is 99.
The Housing index in Paterson is 125.
The Transportation index in Paterson is 109.
The Utilities index in Paterson is 104.
Living Expense | Paterson | New Jersey | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 116 | 111 | 100 | |
Services | 113 | 104 | 100 | |
Groceries | 108 | 104 | 100 | |
Health | 99 | 95 | 100 | |
Housing | 125 | 130 | 100 | |
Transportation | 109 | 106 | 100 | |
Utilities | 104 | 108 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in New Jersey, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Paterson is $269,200.
The Median Rent in Paterson is $1,278.
The Median Income in Paterson is $48,540.
The Home Value To Income in Paterson is 5.5x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Paterson is 0.32x.
Statistic | Paterson | New Jersey | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $269,200 | $355,700 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $1,278 | $1,436 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $48,540 | $89,703 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 5.5x | 4.0x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.32x | 0.19x | 0.2x |
Item | Paterson | New Jersey |
---|---|---|
Shampoo | $1.0 | $1.06 |
Movie | $12.49 | $10.68 |
Bowling | $18.0 | $14.67 |
Haircut | $20.93 | $18.62 |
Beauty Salon | $36.53 | $39.05 |
Item | Paterson | New Jersey |
---|---|---|
Ground Beef | $4.09 | $4.22 |
Fried Chicken | $1.79 | $1.39 |
Milk | $2.44 | $2.05 |
Potatoes | $3.25 | $3.29 |
Pizza | $11.36 | $10.62 |
Beer | $9.32 | $9.38 |
Toothpaste | $2.22 | $2.34 |
Item | Paterson | New Jersey |
---|---|---|
Optometrist | $106.0 | $108.57 |
Doctor | $91.0 | $116.17 |
Dentist | $102.33 | $99.13 |
Item | Paterson | New Jersey |
---|---|---|
Gasoline | $2.37 | $2.22 |
Tire Balancing | $54.12 | $50.07 |
Item | Paterson | New Jersey |
---|---|---|
All Electricity | $178.53 | $167.67 |
Phone | $179.87 | $175.64 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Paterson. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Clifton, NJ has a cost of living index of 128, 1.1x Paterson.
Fair Lawn, NJ has a cost of living index of 137, 1.2x Paterson.
Elmwood Park, NJ has a cost of living index of 129, 1.1x Paterson.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Paterson |
---|---|---|---|
Clifton, NJ | 89,460 | 128 | 1.1x |
Fair Lawn, NJ | 34,820 | 137 | 1.2x |
Elmwood Park, NJ | 21,239 | 129 | 1.1x |
Eastchester, NY | 20,636 | 163 | 1.4x |
Hawthorne, NJ | 19,507 | 130 | 1.1x |
Woodland Park, NJ | 13,265 | 133 | 1.1x |
Glen Rock, NJ | 12,098 | 163 | 1.4x |
Dobbs Ferry, NY | 11,511 | 169 | 1.5x |
Totowa, NJ | 11,013 | 131 | 1.1x |
Haledon, NJ | 8,936 | 121 | 1.0x |