Passaic County · New York-Newark-Jersey City · population 160,463
Where Paterson stands
At or near all-time high. home values up 5.0% in the last year. averaging 7.3% annual growth over 5 years. rents up 6.0% in the last year.
Home value trajectory · last 10 years
Zillow ZHVI · monthlyLifestyle scores
Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.
Rent trajectory · last 5 years
Zillow ZORI · monthlyHome value vs rent · indexed to 100
Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)Rent vs buy
At a 21.9 price-to-rent ratio, the math is starting to lean toward renting in Paterson. Owner-occupier ROI requires longer holds and the assumption that prices keep appreciating roughly at the rate of rent.
How the momentum score breaks down
methodology →Paterson has averaged 7.3% annual appreciation over five years and the trend is still live (+5.0% in the last 12 months). When a momentum trade keeps working, the simplest explanation is usually correct: more people want in.
Paterson's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.
About Paterson
Paterson is a city in Passaic County, New Jersey, with an estimated population of 160,463. It anchors the New York-Newark-Jersey City metro area. The median home value in Paterson is $527,542 as of 2026-04, up 5.0% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +7.3% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Paterson average $2,010 per month, up 6.0% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 76 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.
▲ Bull case
▼ Bear case
About Paterson (Wikipedia)
Paterson is the largest city in and the county seat of Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, Paterson was the state's third-most-populous municipality, with a population of 159,732, an increase of 13,533 (+9.3%) from the 2010 census count of 146,199, which in turn reflected a decline of 3,023 (-2.0%) from the 149,222 counted in the 2000 census. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated a population of 156,452 for 2023, making it the 168th-most populous municipality in the nation.
Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.
City facts
Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.
Playbook
You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.
Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.
Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.
Local safety & alerts
No active National Weather Service alerts for Passaic County right now.
Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Passaic County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.
Neighborhoods of Paterson
13 tracked · ranked by median home valueCities like Paterson
Run the numbers for Paterson
Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.
Climate & natural-disaster risk
State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.
Local sports teams
Major professional teams the New York-Newark-Jersey City area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.
Current weather
Find rentals & listings
Open current Paterson listings on the major real-estate sites.
Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.
Local news & community
Latest news
- “Gaza Love” Monument Unveiled in Paterson, NJHyperallergic · 1d ago
- Multiple people shot at Paterson, New Jersey intersectionABC7 New York · 1w ago
- Mayor Andre Sayegh retains lead in final Paterson election tallyBergen Record · 3h ago
- Paterson Designates Sandy Hill Parcels as Redevelopment AreaTAPinto · 16h ago
- Anthony J. Suquan Herring Obituary | Carnie P Bragg Funeral Homes | Paterson, NJTribute Archive · 7h ago
- EPA Cleanup Paves the Way for Quarry Lawn Park Reopening in Paterson, New JerseyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency (.gov) · 1w ago
Local chatter (Reddit)
Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.
Local economy & environment
Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.
Cities similar to Paterson
Explore other places with comparable momentum or affordability.