Poverty and living standards in Passaic, New Jersey: official figures
22.9% of residents of Passaic (15,929 people) had incomes below the federal poverty line in the 2020-2024 American Community Survey, 78th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 12.5%; New Jersey: 9.7%).
How many children live in poverty in Passaic?
32.1% of children under 18 in Passaic lived below the poverty line in 2020-2024 (6,708 children), 57th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 16.1%; New Jersey: 13.0%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyWhat is the poverty rate for older people in Passaic?
By age, the poverty rate in Passaic was 33.3% for children under 6 and 20.1% for residents aged 60 and over in 2020-2024 (US: 17.2% and 11.0%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyHow many people in Passaic live in deep poverty?
6,886 people in Passaic, 9.9% of residents, had incomes below half the poverty line in 2020-2024, 119th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 6.0%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyHow many renters in Passaic are cost-burdened?
57.8% of renting households in Passaic spent 30% or more of their income on rent and utilities in 2020-2024 (9,074 households), 203rd highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 51.1%; New Jersey: 51.6%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyHow many households in Passaic spend half their income on rent?
32.0% of renting households in Passaic spent half or more of their income on rent and utilities, 144th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 25.9%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyHow many people in Passaic are food insecure?
An estimated 40.2% of adults in Passaic experienced food insecurity in the past year, joint 5th highest of 592 US cities of 50,000 or more with an estimate, and 30.5% housing insecurity (CDC PLACES model-based estimate for 2023, age-adjusted).
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · saved copyHow Passaic compares with other cities in the United States
Residents below the poverty line (2020-2024)
Passaic ranks 78 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Residents below the poverty line |
|---|---|---|
| 75 | Provo | 23.0% |
| 76 | Scranton | 23.0% |
| 77 | Albany | 22.9% |
| 78 | Passaic | 22.9% |
| 79 | Gulfport | 22.8% |
| 80 | Jonesboro | 22.8% |
| 81 | Milwaukee | 22.8% |
Children under 18 below the poverty line (2020-2024)
Passaic ranks 57 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Children under 18 below the poverty line |
|---|---|---|
| 54 | Baton Rouge | 32.4% |
| 55 | Jackson | 32.1% |
| 56 | Dearborn Heights | 32.1% |
| 57 | Passaic | 32.1% |
| 58 | Jonesboro | 31.9% |
| 59 | Milwaukee | 31.7% |
| 60 | Gulfport | 31.6% |
Residents with incomes below half the poverty line (2020-2024)
Passaic ranks 119 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Residents with incomes below half the poverty line |
|---|---|---|
| 116 | Fall River | 10.0% |
| 117 | Kingsport | 10.0% |
| 118 | Hamilton | 9.9% |
| 119 | Passaic | 9.9% |
| 120 | South Bend | 9.9% |
| 121 | Dothan | 9.8% |
| 122 | Taylor | 9.8% |
Renting households spending 30% or more of income on rent (2020-2024)
Passaic ranks 203 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Renting households spending 30% or more of income on rent |
|---|---|---|
| 200 | Lacey | 57.9% |
| 201 | San Rafael | 57.8% |
| 202 | Palm Coast | 57.8% |
| 203 | Passaic | 57.8% |
| 204 | Springfield | 57.7% |
| 205 | Laguna Niguel | 57.7% |
| 206 | Casa Grande | 57.7% |
Adults experiencing food insecurity (age-adjusted model estimate) (2023)
Passaic ranks 6 of 592, highest first.
| Rank | City | Adults experiencing food insecurity (age-adjusted model estimate) |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Detroit | 41.4% |
| 4 | Flint | 40.7% |
| 5 | Paterson | 40.2% |
| 6 | Passaic | 40.2% |
| 7 | Huntington Park | 39.0% |
| 8 | Madera | 37.9% |
| 9 | Hartford | 37.7% |
More on Passaic: overview · economy and jobs · health · education and schools · government budget · all cities in the United States
Sources
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: PLACES: Place Data (GIS Friendly Format), 2025 release: model-based age-adjusted prevalence among adults, for every place (data.cdc.gov API, columns used), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 b2174bcc660f…)
- U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table B17020: Poverty Status in the Past 12 Months by Age (Summary File rows for the US, the states and the listed cities, copied unchanged from the full file, sha256 e79a292f34605560506b7f4b5c8ea242c9d6e203c8e95ba675565ddb7758571e), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 41bab025d213…)
- U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table C17002: Ratio of Income to Poverty Level in the Past 12 Months (Summary File rows for the US, the states and the listed cities, copied unchanged from the full file, sha256 dc3dc675113683ec3ff2a0e29a840f43e03268151d7f14b922658d7306da5187), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 31aa364bfddf…)
- U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table B25070: Gross Rent as a Percentage of Household Income in the Past 12 Months (Summary File rows for the US, the states and the listed cities, copied unchanged from the full file, sha256 862ccc17d913305d11e6f802ce4518d76b30585ea0b05b251cd8cf21f8661386), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 4f8d499d9e95…)
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