Paterson has plenty to offer, but the price of admission usually comes with traffic, sky-high rent, and a calendar that fills itself.
If you want the upside of Paterson without the daily grind, the answer is almost always a good suburb. The catch: not every suburb is worth the move.
So we ranked them. Using Saturday Night Science, we pulled the numbers on every place within commuting distance of Paterson: incomes, home prices, unemployment, schools, the works. The result is a no-nonsense ranking of where you actually want to live.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 best suburbs to live around Paterson for 2026:
What’s the best suburb of Paterson? Ho-Ho-Kus ranks as the best suburb of Paterson for 2026 based on the most recent Census and FBI data. If you happen to be a resident of Ho-Ho-Kus, you’re probably not too surprised to find it on the top our list.
We’ll tell you what makes each of these 10 Paterson ‘burbs better than the rest–but first, a bit about our methodology.
Feel free to check out some more reading about New Jersey:
The 10 Best Paterson Suburbs To Live For 2026
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Ho-Ho-Kus is always mentioned as one of the best suburbs in the Paterson area. We’ll tell you the good about “Awesome Ho-Ho-Kus.”
Everyone here is rich; families average $250,001 a year, which is the 6th highest in the Paterson region. And only 1.73% are out of work. Homes average more than $1,369,017 each.
2. Munsey Park, NY
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Population: 2,778
Median Income: $250,001
Unemployment Rate: 6.2%
Poverty Rate: 2.0%
More on Munsey Park: Movers
Munsey Park is the second best ‘burb we looked at near Paterson for 2026.
It ranks 6th for incomes in the area and only 0.0% of residents lack insurance, good for best.
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Here in Mountain Lakes, it’s really safe, and residents are just about as rich as you’ll see in the Paterson metro area.
The bad side? Schools are more crowded, and the cost of living puts a large part of the city out of reach for most families.
But price is based on demand and a lot of people want to live in Mountain Lakes.
4. East Williston, NY
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Population: 2,611
Median Income: $214,750
Unemployment Rate: 1.7%
Poverty Rate: 2.3%
More on East Williston: Movers
East Williston ranks as the 4th best suburb of Paterson for 2026.
You won’t find many better places to raise your kids in the region than in East Williston and the schools are some of the best around.
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Population: 31,111
Median Income: $232,629
Unemployment Rate: 3.6%
Poverty Rate: 1.8%
More on Westfield: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Coming in as the fifth best is Westfield.
Westfield gets kudos for having the 29th most expensive homes in the Paterson area, where houses sell for an average of $1,269,852. However, the cost of living here is among the highest in the area.
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Population: 4,803
Median Income: $250,001
Unemployment Rate: 5.0%
Poverty Rate: 2.9%
More on Flower Hill: Data | Movers
Flower Hill is proud of its 6th place finish on this list. And here’s why.
Most residents have great jobs and the unemployment rate sits at 5.02%.
According to online reports, Flower Hill is quickly becoming one of the more affluent suburbs in the Paterson area, meaning you need to get in soon.
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Population: 9,407
Median Income: $241,500
Unemployment Rate: 5.2%
Poverty Rate: 2.2%
More on Chatham: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
The 7th best suburb on our list goes to Chatham.
Chatham schools are some of the best in the region, and crime is really low. The cost of living makes it a lot more desirable for many families, especially first-time home buyers.
And, it’s only 16.7 miles to downtown, which is a good thing.
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Population: 6,510
Median Income: $215,815
Unemployment Rate: 3.8%
Poverty Rate: 4.6%
More on Bronxville: Data | Movers
Bronxville is growing quickly, and for a good reason. Crime is far below average, and most residents are gainfully employed. Even the cost of living is reasonable.
A solid 1.23% of people lack insurance, good for 23rd in the area.
The crime rate is bad. And everyone is rude.
I dont like how people are and how disrespectful they are.
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Population: 18,010
Median Income: $250,001
Unemployment Rate: 4.5%
Poverty Rate: 2.9%
More on Scarsdale: Data | Movers
Is ‘Everything Better In Scarsdale?’
Almost.
It placed 9th on our list thanks to the fact that it’s really expensive to live here, but the schools are great, so you get what you pay for in that regard.
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Population: 3,149
Median Income: $136,389
Unemployment Rate: 4.2%
Poverty Rate: 2.8%
More on Port Washington North: Data | Movers
And rounding out the top ten for 2026 is Port Washington North.
This city is far above average in every category, and the best part? It’s far more affordable than the other cities listed above. So, you get a big bang for your buck here.
Methodology: How We Determined The Best Suburbs Around Paterson for 2026
Figuring out the best suburbs around Paterson was simple. We used Saturday Night Science to find things people like about living in the suburbs and then locate the suburbs with those things.
We analyzed the newest American Community Survey data for 2020-2024 to research each suburb. We decided upon the following criteria:
- Low unemployment rate
- High median household incomes
- Population density (lots of things to do)
- High home values
- A lot of college-educated people
- Low poverty
- High rate of insured families
We defined a suburb as being within 30 miles of Paterson.
Additionally, we limited the analysis to places that have over 2,000 people. This left us with a grand total of 203 suburbs to evaluate around Paterson.
We ranked each place with scores from 1 to 203 in each category, where 1 was the “best.
Next, we averaged the rankings for each place to create a quality-of-life index.
Finally, we crowned the city with the best quality of life index, the “Best Suburb near Paterson.” We’re lookin’ at you, Ho-Ho-Kus.
This result may differ from our state-wide data as we did not include commute times and crime for this analysis to allow for a more extensive selection of suburbs.
We updated the data for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the best Paterson suburbs. Skip to the end to see the list of all the suburbs ranked from best to worst.
Summary: Welcome to the Best Paterson ‘Burbs of 2026
We said it once, and we’ll say it again–life in the big city isn’t for everyone. At least not all the time.
The best suburbs of Paterson are .
So if you’re craving the amenities of a larger city like Paterson but don’t want to deal with the drawbacks, one of these suburbs might be for you.
For more New Jersey reading, check out:
Table: Best Paterson Suburbs
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ | 4,270 | $250,001 | $1,369,017 |
| 2 | Munsey Park, NJ | 2,778 | $250,001 | $2,377,694 |
| 3 | Mountain Lakes, NJ | 4,585 | $250,001 | $1,190,631 |
| 4 | East Williston, NJ | 2,611 | $214,750 | $1,374,902 |
| 5 | Westfield, NJ | 31,111 | $232,629 | $1,269,852 |
| 6 | Flower Hill, NJ | 4,803 | $250,001 | $2,367,030 |
| 7 | Chatham, NJ | 9,407 | $241,500 | $1,310,369 |
| 8 | Bronxville, NJ | 6,510 | $215,815 | $1,450,320 |
| 9 | Scarsdale, NJ | 18,010 | $250,001 | $2,157,586 |
| 10 | Port Washington North, NJ | 3,149 | $136,389 | $1,268,766 |
| 11 | North Hills, NJ | 5,415 | $173,315 | $1,472,339 |
| 12 | Fanwood, NJ | 7,799 | $195,529 | $791,728 |
| 13 | Glen Ridge, NJ | 7,943 | $250,001 | $1,125,696 |
| 14 | Essex Fells, NJ | 2,361 | $250,001 | $1,438,414 |
| 15 | Oradell, NJ | 8,235 | $221,322 | $975,411 |
| 16 | Pelham Manor, NJ | 5,644 | $250,001 | $1,309,984 |
| 17 | Ridgewood, NJ | 26,308 | $208,211 | $1,200,488 |
| 18 | Irvington, NJ | 6,531 | $173,248 | $1,222,447 |
| 19 | East Hills, NJ | 7,257 | $250,001 | $1,751,159 |
| 20 | Pelham, NJ | 7,305 | $184,375 | $1,360,404 |
| 21 | Kings Point, NJ | 5,634 | $211,299 | $2,373,620 |
| 22 | Franklin Lakes, NJ | 11,084 | $235,795 | $1,557,852 |
| 23 | Sands Point, NJ | 2,722 | $250,001 | $3,232,903 |
| 24 | Haworth, NJ | 3,363 | $236,765 | $1,191,256 |
| 25 | Floral Park, NJ | 16,169 | $150,084 | $858,495 |
| 26 | Old Brookville, NJ | 2,107 | $250,001 | $2,396,387 |
| 27 | Hastings-On-Hudson, NJ | 8,434 | $193,621 | $1,036,676 |
| 28 | Larchmont, NJ | 6,567 | $167,536 | $1,661,377 |
| 29 | Rye, NJ | 16,428 | $239,815 | $2,180,591 |
| 30 | Demarest, NJ | 4,911 | $208,036 | $1,462,793 |
| 31 | Norwood, NJ | 5,724 | $178,311 | $898,893 |
| 32 | Old Tappan, NJ | 6,008 | $205,385 | $1,224,145 |
| 33 | Glen Rock, NJ | 12,154 | $215,096 | $1,056,914 |
| 34 | Great Neck Estates, NJ | 3,023 | $237,788 | $1,963,479 |
| 35 | Hillsdale, NJ | 10,144 | $186,688 | $843,787 |
| 36 | Waldwick, NJ | 10,164 | $177,962 | $738,299 |
| 37 | Mendham, NJ | 4,973 | $211,944 | $1,027,295 |
| 38 | Sea Cliff, NJ | 5,033 | $193,590 | $1,099,756 |
| 39 | Park Ridge, NJ | 9,406 | $171,029 | $845,037 |
| 40 | Hoboken, NJ | 58,668 | $180,579 | $855,399 |
| 41 | New Providence, NJ | 13,727 | $161,599 | $990,084 |
| 42 | Ardsley, NJ | 4,998 | $243,000 | $999,658 |
| 43 | Wesley Hills, NJ | 6,196 | $209,345 | $1,123,610 |
| 44 | Roslyn, NJ | 2,978 | $116,386 | $1,660,035 |
| 45 | Mountainside, NJ | 7,049 | $211,538 | $1,043,568 |
| 46 | River Edge, NJ | 12,091 | $159,028 | $839,655 |
| 47 | Cresskill, NJ | 9,174 | $170,376 | $1,000,898 |
| 48 | Bernardsville, NJ | 7,916 | $236,115 | $1,003,866 |
| 49 | Piermont, NJ | 2,514 | $140,450 | $813,807 |
| 50 | Harrington Park, NJ | 4,954 | $180,500 | $967,521 |
| 51 | Woodcliff Lake, NJ | 6,152 | $213,981 | $1,228,602 |
| 52 | Allendale, NJ | 6,865 | $160,162 | $1,073,640 |
| 53 | North Caldwell, NJ | 6,656 | $208,245 | $1,133,695 |
| 54 | Tenafly, NJ | 15,319 | $208,200 | $1,262,422 |
| 55 | Williston Park, NJ | 7,542 | $156,382 | $927,595 |
| 56 | New Hyde Park, NJ | 10,220 | $142,927 | $974,067 |
| 57 | Thomaston, NJ | 2,744 | $157,917 | $1,298,841 |
| 58 | Silver Lake, NJ | 2,515 | $139,934 | $359,405 |
| 59 | Roseland, NJ | 6,268 | $164,458 | $819,879 |
| 60 | Peapack And Gladstone, NJ | 2,571 | $202,578 | $1,088,697 |
| 61 | Rye Brook, NJ | 9,900 | $246,944 | $1,236,847 |
| 62 | Madison, NJ | 16,447 | $171,471 | $990,722 |
| 63 | Closter, NJ | 8,606 | $190,469 | $1,153,805 |
| 64 | Upper Saddle River, NJ | 8,439 | $250,001 | $1,412,975 |
| 65 | Morris Plains, NJ | 6,315 | $154,923 | $727,185 |
| 66 | Metuchen, NJ | 15,144 | $158,052 | $683,090 |
| 67 | Englewood Cliffs, NJ | 5,362 | $230,611 | $1,733,277 |
| 68 | Briarcliff Manor, NJ | 7,519 | $229,732 | $1,094,016 |
| 69 | Watchung, NJ | 6,485 | $173,672 | $1,060,984 |
| 70 | Lake Success, NJ | 2,829 | $244,079 | $1,863,190 |
| 71 | Mineola, NJ | 21,211 | $137,739 | $815,486 |
| 72 | Florham Park, NJ | 13,564 | $158,696 | $1,025,255 |
| 73 | Valley Stream, NJ | 40,315 | $133,190 | $756,940 |
| 74 | Manorhaven, NJ | 6,958 | $105,486 | $823,278 |
| 75 | Ramsey, NJ | 14,805 | $160,996 | $863,403 |
| 76 | Emerson, NJ | 7,305 | $155,536 | $780,189 |
| 77 | Great Neck, NJ | 11,087 | $137,981 | $1,455,882 |
| 78 | Midland Park, NJ | 7,019 | $146,841 | $732,464 |
| 79 | Summit, NJ | 22,705 | $190,304 | $1,372,010 |
| 80 | Buchanan, NJ | 2,397 | $128,218 | $576,520 |
| 81 | Dobbs Ferry, NJ | 11,443 | $165,417 | $975,067 |
| 82 | Rutherford, NJ | 18,894 | $143,153 | $738,683 |
| 83 | Dumont, NJ | 18,279 | $126,071 | $666,364 |
| 84 | Wood-Ridge, NJ | 10,218 | $136,108 | $709,508 |
| 85 | Oakland, NJ | 12,768 | $162,019 | $750,020 |
| 86 | Montvale, NJ | 8,901 | $178,269 | $920,950 |
| 87 | Hamburg, NJ | 3,308 | $86,975 | $395,522 |
| 88 | Saddle River, NJ | 3,389 | $212,143 | $2,270,387 |
| 89 | Hawthorne, NJ | 19,628 | $110,237 | $629,473 |
| 90 | Ringwood, NJ | 11,657 | $152,414 | $596,571 |
| 91 | Kinnelon, NJ | 10,013 | $187,438 | $836,758 |
| 92 | Fair Lawn, NJ | 35,610 | $144,574 | $709,175 |
| 93 | Westwood, NJ | 11,283 | $165,781 | $755,182 |
| 94 | Croton-On-Hudson, NJ | 8,202 | $191,678 | $812,905 |
| 95 | Pleasantville, NJ | 7,371 | $136,406 | $987,581 |
| 96 | Harrison, NJ | 29,961 | $164,250 | $1,211,013 |
| 97 | Mount Arlington, NJ | 5,935 | $92,264 | $529,938 |
| 98 | Hasbrouck Heights, NJ | 12,115 | $123,734 | $709,659 |
| 99 | Great Neck Plaza, NJ | 7,593 | $92,474 | $498,568 |
| 100 | Pomona, NJ | 3,996 | $156,000 | $722,363 |
