City comparison
Hoboken, NJ is about 10 miles (20 km) from Paterson, NJ in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 20 miles, or about 18 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 Hoboken, NJ to Paterson, NJ takes about 2 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 58,754 in Hoboken — about 2.7× larger by population. By land area, Paterson covers about 8.4 sq mi vs 1.3 sq mi for Hoboken.
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 | Hoboken | Paterson | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,648/mo | $1,392/mo | 90.2% higher in Hoboken |
| Median home value | $859,300 | $314,100 | 173.6% higher in Hoboken |
| Median household income | $168,137 | $52,092 | 222.8% higher in Hoboken |
| 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 Hoboken, you'd need $97,062 in Paterson to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Paterson, NJ is about 2.9% cheaper overall than Hoboken, NJ, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 6% higher in Hoboken than in Paterson. If you earn $80,000 in Hoboken, you'd need about $77,649 in Paterson to keep the same standard of living.