City comparison
Camden, NJ is about 80 miles (125 km) from Paterson, NJ in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 100 miles, or about 1 h 45 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Camden, NJ to Paterson, NJ takes about 10 min, covering roughly 80 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Paterson has a population of 157,864, vs 71,799 in Camden — about 2.2× larger by population. By land area, Camden covers about 8.9 sq mi vs 8.4 sq mi for Paterson.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Camden | Paterson | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,091/mo | $1,392/mo | 27.6% higher in Paterson |
| Median home value | $95,700 | $314,100 | 228.2% higher in Paterson |
| Median household income | $36,258 | $52,092 | 43.7% higher in Paterson |
| Groceries index | 97.2 | 109.4 | 12.6% higher in Paterson |
| Utilities index | 113.0 | 124.5 | 10.2% higher in Paterson |
| Transportation index | 102.4 | 105.0 | 2.5% higher in Paterson |
| Healthcare index | 103.2 | 105.7 | 2.5% higher in Paterson |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Camden, you'd need $117,393 in Paterson to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Camden, NJ is about 14.8% cheaper overall than Paterson, NJ, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 31% higher in Paterson than in Camden. If you earn $80,000 in Camden, you'd need about $93,914 in Paterson to keep the same standard of living.