City comparison
East Orange, NJ is about 10 miles (20 km) from Paterson, NJ in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 10 miles, or about 13 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 East Orange, NJ to Paterson, NJ takes about 1 min, covering roughly 10 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 68,879 in East Orange — about 2.3× larger by population. By land area, Paterson covers about 8.4 sq mi vs 3.9 sq mi for East Orange.
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 | East Orange | Paterson | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,331/mo | $1,392/mo | 4.6% higher in Paterson |
| Median home value | $282,900 | $314,100 | 11.0% higher in Paterson |
| Median household income | $58,659 | $52,092 | 12.6% higher in East Orange |
| Groceries index | 109.4 | 109.4 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 124.5 | 124.5 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 105.0 | 105.0 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 105.7 | 105.7 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in East Orange, you'd need $100,145 in Paterson to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
East Orange and Paterson have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in East Orange, you'd need about $80,116 in Paterson to keep the same standard of living.