City comparison
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 | Phoenix | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,392/mo | $1,322/mo | 5.3% higher in A |
| Median home value | $314,100 | $340,200 | 7.7% lower in A |
| Median household income | $52,092 | $72,092 | 27.7% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 95.7 | 103.1 | 7.2% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 92.4 | 123.5 | 25.2% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 86.0 | 102.5 | 16.1% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 90.4 | 101.2 | 10.7% lower in A |
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 $106,484 in Phoenix to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Paterson, NJ is about 6.1% cheaper overall than Phoenix, AZ, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 5% lower in Phoenix than in Paterson. If you earn $80,000 in Paterson, you'd need about $85,187 in Phoenix to keep the same standard of living.