City comparison
Newark, NJ is about 10 miles (20 km) from Paterson, NJ in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 20 miles, or about 17 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 Newark, 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.
Newark has a population of 307,355, vs 157,864 in Paterson — about 1.9× larger by population. By land area, Newark covers about 24 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 | Newark | Paterson | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,273/mo | $1,392/mo | 9.3% higher in Paterson |
| Median home value | $312,300 | $314,100 | 0.6% higher in Paterson |
| Median household income | $46,460 | $52,092 | 12.1% higher in Paterson |
| Groceries index | 109.6 | 109.4 | ≈ equal (Newark slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 128.8 | 124.5 | 3.5% higher in Newark |
| Transportation index | 105.4 | 105.0 | ≈ equal (Newark slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 105.3 | 105.7 | ≈ equal (Paterson slightly higher) |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Newark, you'd need $99,912 in Paterson to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Newark and Paterson have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Newark, you'd need about $79,929 in Paterson to keep the same standard of living.