City comparison
Paterson, NJ is about 80 miles (125 km) from Philadelphia, PA 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 Paterson, NJ to Philadelphia, PA 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.
Philadelphia has a population of 1,593,208, vs 157,864 in Paterson — about 10.1× larger by population. By land area, Philadelphia covers about 135 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 | Paterson | Philadelphia | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,392/mo | $1,250/mo | 11.4% higher in Paterson |
| Median home value | $314,100 | $215,500 | 45.8% higher in Paterson |
| Median household income | $52,092 | $57,537 | 10.5% higher in Philadelphia |
| Groceries index | 109.4 | 97.0 | 12.8% higher in Paterson |
| Utilities index | 124.5 | 112.3 | 10.9% higher in Paterson |
| Transportation index | 105.0 | 101.7 | 3.2% higher in Paterson |
| Healthcare index | 105.7 | 102.7 | 3.0% 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 Paterson, you'd need $85,329 in Philadelphia to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Philadelphia, PA is about 14.7% cheaper overall than Paterson, NJ, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 30% higher in Paterson than in Philadelphia. If you earn $80,000 in Paterson, you'd need about $68,263 in Philadelphia to keep the same standard of living.