City comparison
Paterson, NJ is about 60 miles (100 km) from Toms River, NJ in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 80 miles, or about 1 h 15 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 Toms River, NJ takes about 8 min, covering roughly 60 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 92,827 in Toms River — about 1.7× larger by population. By land area, Toms River covers about 39 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 | Toms River | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,392/mo | $1,592/mo | 14.4% higher in Toms River |
| Median home value | $314,100 | $356,100 | 13.4% higher in Toms River |
| Median household income | $52,092 | $92,012 | 76.6% higher in Toms River |
| Groceries index | 109.4 | 107.2 | 2.1% higher in Paterson |
| Utilities index | 124.5 | 121.4 | 2.6% higher in Paterson |
| Transportation index | 105.0 | 103.3 | 1.6% higher in Paterson |
| Healthcare index | 105.7 | 104.1 | 1.6% 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 $98,571 in Toms River to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Toms River, NJ is about 1.4% cheaper overall than Paterson, NJ, based on our cost-of-living index. If you earn $80,000 in Paterson, you'd need about $78,857 in Toms River to keep the same standard of living.