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 | San Jose | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,392/mo | $2,526/mo | 44.9% lower in A |
| Median home value | $314,100 | $1,149,600 | 72.7% lower in A |
| Median household income | $52,092 | $136,010 | 61.7% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 95.7 | 114.4 | 16.3% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 92.4 | 141.7 | 34.8% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 86.0 | 125.8 | 31.6% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 90.4 | 132.6 | 31.8% 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 $159,133 in San Jose to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Paterson, NJ is about 37.2% cheaper overall than San Jose, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 45% lower in Paterson than in San Jose. If you earn $80,000 in Paterson, you'd need about $127,306 in San Jose to keep the same standard of living.