Poverty and living standards in Paterson, New Jersey: official figures
21.2% of residents of Paterson (33,503 people) had incomes below the federal poverty line in the 2020-2024 American Community Survey, 97th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 12.5%; New Jersey: 9.7%).
How many children live in poverty in Paterson?
29.4% of children under 18 in Paterson lived below the poverty line in 2020-2024 (12,803 children), 82nd 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 Paterson?
By age, the poverty rate in Paterson was 34.2% for children under 6 and 21.3% 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 Paterson live in deep poverty?
14,544 people in Paterson, 9.2% of residents, had incomes below half the poverty line in 2020-2024, 151st highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 6.0%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyHow many renters in Paterson are cost-burdened?
59.4% of renting households in Paterson spent 30% or more of their income on rent and utilities in 2020-2024 (20,414 households), 149th 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 Paterson spend half their income on rent?
35.4% of renting households in Paterson spent half or more of their income on rent and utilities, 55th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 25.9%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyHow many people in Paterson are food insecure?
An estimated 40.2% of adults in Paterson experienced food insecurity in the past year, joint 5th highest of 592 US cities of 50,000 or more with an estimate, and 30.8% housing insecurity (CDC PLACES model-based estimate for 2023, age-adjusted).
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · saved copyHow Paterson compares with other cities in the United States
Residents below the poverty line (2020-2024)
Paterson ranks 97 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Residents below the poverty line |
|---|---|---|
| 94 | Wilmington | 21.4% |
| 95 | Philadelphia | 21.4% |
| 96 | Rockford | 21.3% |
| 97 | Paterson | 21.2% |
| 98 | Beaumont | 21.2% |
| 99 | Ocala | 21.1% |
| 100 | Lawton | 21.1% |
Children under 18 below the poverty line (2020-2024)
Paterson ranks 82 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Children under 18 below the poverty line |
|---|---|---|
| 79 | Columbia | 29.8% |
| 80 | St. Louis | 29.7% |
| 81 | Bryan | 29.6% |
| 82 | Paterson | 29.4% |
| 83 | South Bend | 29.1% |
| 84 | Lauderhill | 29.0% |
| 85 | Lynwood | 29.0% |
Residents with incomes below half the poverty line (2020-2024)
Paterson ranks 151 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Residents with incomes below half the poverty line |
|---|---|---|
| 148 | Bridgeport | 9.3% |
| 149 | Lansing | 9.3% |
| 150 | Wichita Falls | 9.2% |
| 151 | Paterson | 9.2% |
| 152 | Washington | 9.2% |
| 153 | Bellingham | 9.2% |
| 154 | Boston | 9.1% |
Renting households spending 30% or more of income on rent (2020-2024)
Paterson ranks 149 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Renting households spending 30% or more of income on rent |
|---|---|---|
| 146 | North Port | 59.4% |
| 147 | Burbank | 59.4% |
| 148 | Hartford | 59.4% |
| 149 | Paterson | 59.4% |
| 150 | Hesperia | 59.3% |
| 151 | Concord | 59.3% |
| 152 | Brentwood | 59.3% |
Adults experiencing food insecurity (age-adjusted model estimate) (2023)
Paterson ranks 5 of 592, highest first.
| Rank | City | Adults experiencing food insecurity (age-adjusted model estimate) |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Gary | 43.7% |
| 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% |
More on Paterson: 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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