CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

40.94° N · 74.22° W · GEOID 3460810

Preakness

Passaic County, New Jersey · part of the New York, NY metro

New JerseyPreakness, NJPreaknessPreakness

The short answer

Preakness is home to 18,520 people. Median household income is $133,205 a year and median rent is $1,918 a month, 17.3% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $617,700, about 4.6x annual median household income.

Preakness's housing market sets it apart. Owning with a mortgage costs about $1,624 a month more than the median rent, a wider gap than in 96% of places its size. Also notable: Rent is light relative to pay, but the county has a FEMA natural hazard risk score of 96 out of 100. Budget for insurance before counting the savings.

79OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Strong

Preakness scores better than 79% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 75th of 287 in New Jersey.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%53
Economy 20%72
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%66
Education 10%86
Commute 10%24
Growth 5%n/a

Not rated: safety, growth, for want of data (the city police department does not report a full year to the FBI). The other weights are spread over the categories rated.

Median gross rent
$1,918
41% above the median place
Median household income
$133,205
66% above the median place
Median home value
$617,700
93% above the median place
Unemployment
4.6%
6% below the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

01

Moving to Preakness

Passaic County loses about 12.5 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in17,961
Moved out23,429
Net−5,468

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Bergen County, NJ4,5094,930−421
Essex County, NJ1,9392,234−295
Morris County, NJ1,1442,138−994
Hudson County, NJ1,493897+596
Bronx County, NY1,204455+749
Queens County, NY638
New York County, NY559

Within New Jersey, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within New JerseyOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$69K
Leavers$71K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Passaic County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
4.9% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 1.0% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Passaic County report $69,300 a year in income on average; those leaving, $70,900.
Income you would need
$76,700 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,918 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $3,542 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $617,700.
Getting to work
30 minutes each way on average; 16.9% work from home; 5.1% take transit.
If it is close but not quite
Wethersfield, CT matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
4.9%
15% below the median place
Net movers per 1,000 people7
-12.5
below the median place (median -0.6)
Moved from another state1
1.0%
49% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasurePreaknessAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year14.9%15% below
Moved from another state1County figure1.0%49% below
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure-12.5below (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$69,2742% below
Income of households moving out7County figure$70,8701% above
02

What it costs to live here

After the median rent, with other prices set to the US average, the median household keeps about $104,800 a year, more than in 82% of the 1,884 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.

Preakness17.3%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$76,720
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
17.3%
15% below the median place
Home price to income
4.6x
22% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
17%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$104,600
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Preakness, $1,918 a month, and local prices for everything else (105.2 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Preakness, but easier on the budget

Places that match Preakness on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Wethersfield, CT8913.0% vs 17.3%$4,300Compare
Niskayuna, NY8714.2% vs 17.3%$11,400Compare
Solon, OH8414.0% vs 17.3%$18,600Compare
DeWitt, NY8211.4% vs 17.3%$6,300Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Preakness.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Preakness? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$3,542
89% above the median place
Property tax paid (median)1
$10,001
206% above the median place
Median home value1
$617,700
93% above the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasurePreaknessAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,91841% above
Rent to income117.3%15% below
Home price to income14.6x22% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure112.612% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$2,28241% above
HUD area median income4County figure$139,10030% above
Property tax paid (median)1$10,001206% above
Median home value1$617,70093% above
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure6.8%112% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure58.0%13% above
Homeownership170.6%6% above
Renters paying 30%+151.4%2% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$3,54289% above
Vacant homes1County figure3.7%48% below
Median year built119671% below
03

Work and pay

OpenStreetMap shows 13.4 bus and rail stops per square mile, more than in 90% of the 2,301 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.

Poverty rate1
3.3%
69% below the median place
Commutes by transit1
5.1%
above the median place (median 0.8%)
Median household income1
$133,205
66% above the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Income per person$57,082 +42%
Mean commute30 min +20%
Works from home16.9% +36%
Unemployment4.6% −6%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasurePreaknessAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$133,20566% above
Income per person1$57,08242% above
Unemployment14.6%6% below
Average annual pay6County figure$64,7752% below
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure1.7%54% below
Jobs6County figure174,26816% above
Poverty rate13.3%69% below
Mean commute130 min20% above
Works from home116.9%36% above
Commutes by transit15.1%above (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

3.3% of residents live below the poverty line, fewer than in 93% of the 2,223 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.

No health insurance1
2.5%
61% below the median place
Bachelor's or higher1
57.1%
78% above the median place
Born abroad1
21.8%
147% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

High school or higher95.9% +4%
Household size2.8 +10%
Median age41.0 +5%
Homes with broadband92.9% +1%
All 8 people measures
MeasurePreaknessAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population118,5202489th largest
Median age141.05% above
Bachelor's or higher157.1%78% above
High school or higher195.9%4% above
Household size12.810% above
Born abroad121.8%147% above
No health insurance12.5%61% below
Homes with broadband192.9%1% above
05

Life in Preakness

22 National Park Service sites lie within 60 miles, more than in 92% of the 2,301 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.

43 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, 4 of them National Historic Landmarks. Its history on Wikipedia

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents15.1 +49%
Playgrounds per 10k26.5 2.8×
Grocery stores per 10k2.7 +27%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k28.6 2.6×
Libraries per 10k1.1 +24%
Named paths and bike trails0 km −90%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi13.4 63.8×

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park 3 miles
  • Thomas Edison National Historical Park 11 miles
  • Morristown National Historical Park 16 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars20.8 +0%
Shops35.3 +17%
Arts, recreation and fitness2.8 −32%
Doctors' offices and clinics22.3 +10%
Child care centers2.6 +13%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Nearest National Park Service site10
2.8
91% below the median place
Public schools12
149
above the median place (median 9)
Public school students12
82,808
above the median place (median 4,897)
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasurePreaknessAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools12County figure149above (median 9)
Public school students12County figure82,808above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher12County figure12.022% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure20.80% above
Shops per 10k8County figure35.317% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure2.832% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure22.310% above
Child care centers per 10k8County figure2.613% above
Parks per 10k915.149% above
Playgrounds per 10k926.5181% above
Grocery stores per 10k92.727% above
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k928.6157% above
Libraries per 10k91.124% above
Named paths and bike trails90.290% below
Transit stops per sq mi913.4above (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site102.891% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles1022above (median 2)
National Register listings11County figure43231% above
06

Safety, weather and risk

Wildfire risk is 16.1, 74% below the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Preakness. Larger places are fetched first.

Wildfire risk14
16.1
74% below the median place
Annual precipitation13
48.6 in
11% above the median place
January average low13
20°F
20% below the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasurePreaknessAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high13County figure84°F3% below
January average low13County figure20°F20% below
Average temperature13County figure51°F7% below
Annual precipitation13County figure48.6 in11% above
Natural hazard risk14County figure95.84% above
Hurricane risk14County figure87.924% above
Tornado risk14County figure88.89% above
Wildfire risk14County figure16.174% below
Heat wave risk14County figure96.27% above
Median air quality index15County figure415% below
Good air days15County figure73.6%7% above
08

Preakness in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 18% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 17% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, Preakness does better than 52% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 20%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,918/mo (2024)$2,440/mo$2,000 to $2,980/mo+4.1%
Median household income$133,205 (2024)$167,000$141,000 to $197,500+3.8%
Median home value$617,700 (2024)$868,000$630,000 to $1,195,000+5.8%

The median home would be worth 5.2 years of the median income in 2030, against 4.6 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Preakness

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Windsor, CO$1,793$127,028Compare
Fruit Heights, UT$1,932$140,679Compare
Franklin Town, MA$1,899$145,773Compare
Wood-Ridge, NJ$1,878$136,108Compare
Wood-Ridge, NJFranklin Town, MAFruit Heights, UTWindsor, COPreakness, NJPreaknessWindsorFruit HeightsFranklin TownWood-RidgePreaknessWindsorFruit HeightsFranklin TownWood-Ridge

Places built like Preakness

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how Preakness performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Preakness, NJ17.3%2.6%/yrn/a
Pearl River, NY16.3%4.8%/yrn/aCompare
Westwood, NJ17.8%8.5%/yr0.8%Compare
Wood-Ridge, NJ16.6%4.2%/yr2.0%Compare
Ramsey, NJ16.7%1.7%/yr0.9%Compare
Cherry Hill Mall, NJ24.7%4.1%/yrn/aCompare
Mineola, NY21.0%6.4%/yr2.7%Compare

Common questions

Is Preakness a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 79 out of 100, better than 79% of the places we rate and 75th of 287 in New Jersey. On cost, space and class size it scores 83 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Preakness expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 17.3% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $617,700.

What salary do you need to live in Preakness?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $76,720 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Preakness?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Windsor, CO, Fruit Heights, UT, Franklin Town, MA and Wood-Ridge, NJ.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  13. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  14. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  15. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Preakness with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Preakness itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/preakness-new-jersey

Citytistics. “Preakness, New Jersey.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/preakness-new-jersey/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.