CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

40.94° N · 74.17° W · GEOID 3461170

Prospect Park

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

New JerseyProspect Park, NJProspect ParkProspect Park

The short answer

Prospect Park is home to 6,319 people. Median household income is $53,125 a year and median rent is $1,647 a month, 37.2% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). That is above the usual 30% line for cost burden. The median home is valued at $406,800, about 7.7x annual median household income.

Prospect Park stands out on how people work. Unemployment is 11.5%, against 5.8% in its closest peers. Also notable: After the median rent, with other prices set to the US average, the median household keeps about $31,700 a year, less than in 96% of places its size.

5OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Weak

Prospect Park scores better than 5% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 273rd of 287 in New Jersey.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%3
Economy 20%9
Safety 20%62
Amenities 15%4
Education 10%48
Commute 10%64
Growth 5%17
Median gross rent
$1,647
21% above the median place
Median household income
$53,125
34% below the median place
Median home value
$406,800
27% above the median place
Unemployment
11.5%
135% above 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.

What stands out about Prospect Park

  • HousingHalf the homes were built before 1938, older housing than in 98% of the 2,479 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 287 New Jersey places we track.
  • HousingThe median home costs 7.7 years of the median household's income, more than in 95% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track.
01

Moving to Prospect Park

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
3.8% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 1.0% from another state. County figure.
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
$65,900 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,647 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,763 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $406,800.
Getting to work
23 minutes each way on average; 11.5% work from home; 6.4% take transit.
If it is close but not quite
Port Chester, NY matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Net movers per 1,000 people8
-12.5
below the median place (median -0.6)
Moved from another state1
1.0%
49% below the median place
Moved here in the past year1
3.8%
33% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureProspect ParkAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure3.8%33% below
Moved from another state1County figure1.0%49% below
Net movers per 1,000 people8County figure-12.5below (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in8County figure$69,2742% below
Income of households moving out8County figure$70,8701% above
02

What it costs to live here

The median rent takes 37.2% of the median household's income, a bigger share than in 98% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the 3rd-highest of 287 New Jersey places we track.

Prospect Park37.2%
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
$65,880
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
37.2%
82% above the median place
Home price to income
7.7x
102% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
37%
over the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$31,600
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Prospect Park, $1,647 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 Prospect Park, but easier on the budget

Places that match Prospect Park 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
Port Chester, NY8226.4% vs 37.2%$32,800Compare
Burbank, CA7722.9% vs 37.2%$84,000Compare
Liberty, NY7716.4% vs 37.2%n/aCompare
New Carrollton, MD7625.7% vs 37.2%$28,700Compare

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

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Prospect Park? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Median year built1
1938
2% below the median place
Renters paying 30%+1
72.2%
43% above the median place
Homeownership1
42.0%
37% below the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasureProspect ParkAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,64721% above
Rent to income137.2%82% above
Home price to income17.7x102% 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$406,80027% above
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure6.8%112% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure58.0%13% above
Homeownership142.0%37% below
Renters paying 30%+172.2%43% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,76348% above
Vacant homes15.5%23% below
Median year built119382% below
03

Work and pay

Unemployment is 11.5%, 135% above the median place.

Unemployment1
11.5%
135% above the median place
Poverty rate1
28.3%
163% above the median place
Median household income1
$53,125
34% below the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureProspect ParkAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$53,12534% below
Income per person1$28,78528% below
Unemployment111.5%135% above
Average annual pay6County figure$64,7752% below
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure1.7%54% below
Jobs6County figure174,26816% above
Poverty rate128.3%163% above
Mean commute123 min8% below
Works from home1County figure11.5%8% below
Commutes by transit1County figure6.4%above (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Born abroad is 42.6%, 383% above the median place.

Born abroad1
42.6%
383% above the median place
Household size1
3.1
22% above the median place
No health insurance1
13.5%
111% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Median age36.2 −7%
High school or higher89.2% −3%
Homes with broadband90.1% −2%
Bachelor's or higher31.1% −3%
All 9 people measures
MeasureProspect ParkAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population16,3195756th largest
Population change since 202070.9%17% below
Median age136.27% below
Bachelor's or higher131.1%3% below
High school or higher189.2%3% below
Household size13.122% above
Born abroad142.6%383% above
No health insurance113.5%111% above
Homes with broadband190.1%2% below
05

Life in Prospect Park

22 National Park Service sites lie within 60 miles, more than in 93% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track.

Founded or incorporated in 1901. 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 residents4.8 −53%
Playgrounds per 10k4.8 −50%
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k0.0 −100%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails0 km −100%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.0 −100%

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 2 miles
  • Thomas Edison National Historical Park 11 miles
  • Grant's Tomb 14 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.

Students per teacher14
8.7
44% below the median place
Nearest National Park Service site11
1.6
95% below the median place
Public schools14
2
78% below the median place
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureProspect ParkAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools14278% below
Public school students1476384% below
Students per teacher148.744% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k9County figure20.80% above
Shops per 10k9County figure35.317% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k9County figure2.832% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k9County figure22.310% above
Child care centers per 10k9County figure2.613% above
Parks per 10k104.853% below
Playgrounds per 10k104.850% below
Grocery stores per 10k100.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k100.0below (median 11.2)
Libraries per 10k100.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails100.0below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi100.0below (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site111.695% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles1122above (median 2)
National Register listings12County figure43231% above
06

Safety, weather and risk

Violent crime per 100k is 125, 35% below the median place.

Violent crime per 100k
125
35% below the median place
Property crime per 100k
1,050
13% below the median place
Months reported
12 of 12
by the city police department to the FBI

Counts only offenses reported by the city police department. Sheriff, state and campus police are not included, and some departments do not report to the FBI at all, so compare with care.

Wildfire risk16
16.1
74% below the median place
Annual precipitation15
48.6 in
11% above the median place
January average low15
20°F
20% below the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureProspect ParkAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high15County figure84°F3% below
January average low15County figure20°F20% below
Average temperature15County figure51°F7% below
Annual precipitation15County figure48.6 in11% above
Natural hazard risk16County figure95.84% above
Hurricane risk16County figure87.924% above
Tornado risk16County figure88.89% above
Wildfire risk16County figure16.174% below
Heat wave risk16County figure96.27% above
Median air quality index17County figure415% below
Good air days17County figure73.6%7% above
08

Prospect Park in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 38% of the median income in 2030, up from 37% 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, Prospect Park does better than 2% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 65%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,647/mo (2024)$2,100/mo$1,730 to $2,560/mo+4.2%
Median household income$53,125 (2024)$66,000$56,000 to $78,500+3.7%
Median home value$406,800 (2024)$589,000$428,000 to $812,000+6.4%
Population6,450 (2025)6,5606,290 to 6,840+0.3%

The median home would be worth 8.9 years of the median income in 2030, against 7.7 now.

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

09

Places like Prospect Park

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

PlaceRentIncome
Kissimmee, FL$1,647$53,758Compare
Lake Worth Beach, FL$1,545$61,200Compare
Union City, NJ$1,537$64,310Compare
Lilburn, GA$1,778$63,581Compare
Lilburn, GAUnion City, NJLake Worth Beach, FLKissimmee, FLProspect Park, NJProspect ParkKissimmeeLake Worth BeachUnion CityLilburnProspect ParkKissimmeeLake Worth BeachUnion CityLilburn

Places built like Prospect Park

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 Prospect Park performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Prospect Park, NJ37.2%1.8%/yr0.9%
Ampere North, NJ31.4%-2.2%/yrn/aCompare
West Hazleton, PA41.7%-3.8%/yr1.0%Compare
Ridgefield, NJ21.3%10.5%/yr0.6%Compare
Madison Park, NJ23.1%3.8%/yrn/aCompare
Liberty, NY16.4%15.8%/yr1.9%Compare
Bound Brook, NJ26.1%5.1%/yr8.8%Compare

Common questions

Is Prospect Park a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 5 out of 100, better than 5% of the places we rate and 273rd of 287 in New Jersey. Half the homes were built before 1938, older housing than in 98% of the 2,479 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 287 New Jersey places we track. The median home costs 7.7 years of the median household's income, more than in 95% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 18 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Prospect Park expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 37.2% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $406,800.

What salary do you need to live in Prospect Park?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $65,880 a year. Work it out from your current city.

Is Prospect Park safe?

There were 125 reported violent crimes per 100,000 residents, against 192 in the typical place.

What places are similar to Prospect Park?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Kissimmee, FL, Lake Worth Beach, FL, Union City, NJ and Lilburn, GA.

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. Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
  8. 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.
  9. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  10. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  11. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  12. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  13. Crime Data Explorer · Federal Bureau of Investigation · 2025 data
  14. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  15. 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
  16. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  17. 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 Prospect Park with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Prospect Park itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/prospect-park-new-jersey

Citytistics. “Prospect Park, New Jersey.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/prospect-park-new-jersey/

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