Fishers vs Paterson
The short version
- Fishers is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 15% lower than in the Paterson area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $360,100 in Paterson and $391,000 in Fishers.
- Households earn more in Fishers ($130,203 vs $55,997 median).
- Fishers is growing faster: +5.8% since 2020 vs +1.3%.
- Commutes are shorter in Paterson (23 vs 27 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Fishers, IN | Paterson, NJ | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 104,812 | 161,793 |
| Growth since 2020 | +5.8% | +1.3% |
| People per square mile | 2,897 | 19,231 |
| Median age | 37.6 | 33.3 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 66% | 12% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $130,203 | $55,997 |
| Median home value | $391,000 | $360,100 |
| Home value to income | 3.0× | 6.4× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,611 | $1,548 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 95.7 | 112.6 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 88.9 | 148.6 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $71,800 | $84,400 |
| Homeowners | 76% | 27% |
| Top state income tax | 2.95% | 10.75% |
| Combined sales tax | 7% | 6.6% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 26.7 | 22.6 |
| Work from home | 26% | 5% |
| Take public transit | 0% | 7% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 2.8% | 10.7% |
| Poverty rate | 4% | 21.2% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 36° / 20° | 40° / 28° |
| July high / low | 85° / 65° | 85° / 70° |
| Precipitation per year | 47 in | 50 in |
| Snowfall per year | 27 in | 30 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 19 | 17 |
| Nights below freezing | 113 | 67 |
| Comfortable months | 3 | 3 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 88.8 | 95.8 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 38% | 42% |
| Home prices, past year | +3.5% | +5.7% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +43.8% | +45.1% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Fishers: August to October. Paterson: May and September to October.
Full monthly tables: Fishers weather by month and Paterson weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $71,800 in Fishers and $84,400 in Paterson. Moving from Fishers to Paterson, you would need about $88,200 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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