Ideal CityOpen the map

Garfield vs Passaic

Garfield, New Jersey versus Passaic, New Jersey: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.

Overall livability

Garfield

Mixed · objective livability45/100

Passaic

Mixed · objective livability43/100

Garfield and Passaic score about the same overall (45 vs 43 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.

Factor-by-factor comparison

FactorGarfieldPassaic
Affordability
Median Household Income$72k$58k
Cost of Living$64k$64k
Home Value$431k$380k
Monthly Rent$1k$1k
Monthly Owner Costs$3k$3k
Property Tax Rate2.17%2.63%
Income Tax10.70%10.70%
Sales Tax6.60%6.60%
Estimated total tax burden25.82%30.17%
Unemployment4.7%11.8%
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)33°F33°F
Summer Temp (Jul)77°F77°F
Annual Precipitation46.3 in46.3 in
Annual Snowfall28.2 in28.2 in
Sunny Days233 days233 days
Summer Humidity63°F63°F
Comfortable Days81 days81 days
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk33.729.2
Air Quality48 AQI44 AQI
School Quality100.0100.0
Violent Crime541/100k1783/100k
Property Crime1610/100k2009/100k
Community
Population32,47270,048
Median Age38.430.5
Racial Diversity0.490.70
Male/Female Ratio1.010.92
Political LeaningD+17D+17
White (%)51.3%14.6%
Black (%)4.7%6.4%
Hispanic (%)40.4%74.1%
Asian (%)2.9%3.8%
Other / Multiracial (%)0.7%1.1%
Getting Around
Commute Time28 min25 min
Walkability14.4/2014.8/20
Airport Distance13 mi12 mi
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access84.8%89.5%
Amenities Nearby225.42101.22
Park & Nature AccessLimitedLimited

Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.

Frequently asked questions

Is Garfield or Passaic more affordable?
Passaic has the lower cost of living: its index is $64k, compared with Garfield's $64k and Passaic's $64k. Median rent is $1k in Garfield versus $1k in Passaic.
Is Garfield or Passaic safer?
Garfield has the lower violent crime rate. Garfield reports 541/100k and Passaic reports 1783/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
Are homes cheaper in Garfield or Passaic?
The median home value is $431k in Garfield and $380k in Passaic, so homes are more affordable in Passaic.
See each on the map

Explore Garfield →Explore Passaic →

Full profiles