Census-designated place · Passaic County, New Jersey

Preakness, New Jersey

Preakness is a census-designated place in Passaic County, New Jersey, part of the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area. It has 18,520 residents. Preakness, New Jersey has a quality-of-life score of 70 out of 100 (high), ranking #4,646 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within New Jersey it ranks #374 of 552 cities and towns. It ranks best on child poverty rate (low), grocery stores (high) and suicide rate (low). It ranks worst on child care cost burden (high), effective property tax rate (high) and average commute time (high).

70High

Quality-of-life score: #4,646 of 15,651 cities and towns
New Jersey: #374 of 552 in NJ
Population: 18,520 (2020-2024)
Land area: 6 mi²
Density: 3,263.8 /mi²
FIPS code: 3460810

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 75 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety48#8,171/15,637
Economy83#2,594/15,631
Housing13#13,010/14,977
Health93#1,030/15,609
Healthcare77#3,619/15,650
Environment48#8,003/15,453
Education66#5,398/15,649
Infrastructure74#4,015/15,650
Community62#6,002/15,651
Leisure & amenities50#7,887/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Preakness, New Jersey ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Passaic County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Child poverty rate · low1.5%
99/100New Jersey 11.8%United States 15.5%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B17001High uncertainty
Grocery stores · high3.9 /10k
98/100New Jersey 2.4 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsPassaic County value
Suicide rate · low6.2 /100k
97/100New Jersey 8.0 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataPassaic County value
Depression · low16.4%
96/100New Jersey 15.6%United States 20.7%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Access to exercise opportunities · high98.8%
95/100New Jersey 95.9%United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstitutePassaic County value
Adult obesity · low24.0%
95/100New Jersey 29.7%United States 38.2%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate

Weaknesses

Child care cost burden · high41.8%
5/100New Jersey 34.2%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstitutePassaic County value
Effective property tax rate · high2.13%
5/100New Jersey 1.88%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Average commute time · high29.8 min
11/100New Jersey 30.5 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
Violent crime rate · high390 /100k
19/100New Jersey 194 /100kUnited States 328 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationPassaic County value
Time spent in the emergency room · high204 min
19/100New Jersey 185 minUnited States 170 minOct 2024–Sep 2025Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesPassaic County value
Arts, entertainment and recreation · low2.5 /10k
19/100New Jersey 4.6 /10kUnited States 5.5 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsPassaic County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
41.3% (2016-2020) → 51.4% (2020-2024)
+10 pts4 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.1% → 51.1%
Public transit commutersWorsening
9.4% (2016-2020) → 5.1% (2020-2024)
−4.3 pts4 yearsCensus table B08301US 4.6% → 3.2%
Rent as share of incomeWorsening
26.9% (2016-2020) → 30.7% (2020-2024)
+3.8 pts4 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.6% → 30.6%
Home price to income ratioWorsening
4.1× (2016-2020) → 4.6× (2020-2024)
+14%4 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×
Unemployment rateWorsening
2.1% (2016-2020) → 4.6% (2020-2024)
+2.5 pts4 yearsCensus table B23025US 8.1% → 4.0%
Bachelor's degree or higherWorsening
59.6% (2016-2020) → 57.1% (2020-2024)
−2.5 pts4 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.9% → 35.7%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

There is not enough history to compare Preakness, New Jersey over five years.

Cities and towns like Preakness, New Jersey five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Preakness, New Jersey in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

No place that looked like Preakness, New Jersey five years ago has more measures that improved than declined, with a higher standing among its peers today.

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

18,520 residents (±1,037)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79
60–69
50–59
40–49
30–39
20–29†
10–19
Under 10†

Share of all residents, each sex

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

18,520 residents (±1,037)

Preakness, New Jersey
New Jersey share

White70%12,899
Black3.1%†566
Hispanic or Latino14%2,501

Education

12,734 residents (±656)

Preakness, New Jersey
New Jersey share

No high school diploma4.1%†519
High school or GED20%2,488
Some college14%1,788

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

6,602 households (±397)

Preakness, New Jersey
New Jersey share

Under $25k8.5%559
$25k–50k12%†769
$50k–75k8.3%†551
$75k–100k7.5%497
$100k–150k21%1,383
$150k–200k16%1,044
$200k or more27%1,799

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

6,602 households (±397)

Preakness, New Jersey
New Jersey share

Own71%4,662
Rent29%1,940

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

1,931 households (±266)

Preakness, New Jersey
New Jersey share

Under $75012%†235
$750–1,0006.0%†116
$1,000–1,50013%†251

Home values

4,662 homes (±399)

Preakness, New Jersey
New Jersey share

Under $150k1.5%†69
$150k–250k3.3%†154
$250k–400k7.3%†341

Age of homes

6,759 homes (±380)

Preakness, New Jersey
New Jersey share

2010 or later2.2%†147
2000–20097.5%†510
1980–199924%1,624

Size of homes

6,759 homes (±380)

Preakness, New Jersey
New Jersey share

Studio1.5%†98
1 bedroom22%1,516
2 bedrooms19%1,260

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

9,062 workers (±747)

Preakness, New Jersey
New Jersey share

Drive alone70%6,358
Carpool6.8%†612
Public transit5.1%†460
Walk0.8%†71
Bike0.0%0
Work from home17%1,531
Other0.3%†30

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

7,531 workers (±690)

Preakness, New Jersey
New Jersey share

Under 15 min20%1,528
15–29 min30%2,275
30–44 min30%2,250
45–59 min

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Passaic County, the county holding most of Preakness's residents.

Passaic County has 12,406 employer establishments, 237 for every 10,000 residents (0.95× the US rate of 248; 0.93× New Jersey's), with 146,956 paid employees at an average annual pay of $60,957. The Census Bureau also counts 61,349 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 12,406; 61,349 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 237; US 248 · New Jersey 253
Paid employees: 146,956
Average annual pay: $60,957; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Passaic County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	1,162	22.2	1.06×About typical	11,343	$61,150	2,298
Restaurants and other eating places	934	17.8	0.97×About typical	10,541	$25,970	541
Specialty trade contractors	848	16.2	1.05×About typical	5,894	$84,269	2,856
Services to buildings and dwellings	492	9.4	1.39×More than typical	2,333	$43,976	3,339
Construction of buildings	427	8.1	1.08×About typical	1,891	$73,656	1,772
Offices of physicians	424	8.1	1.25×About typical	3,108	$98,881	337
Full-service restaurants	416	7.9	1.03×About typical	5,010	$28,514	292
Building equipment contractors	412	7.9	1.31×More than typical	3,246	$90,949	778
Limited-service restaurants	397	7.6	0.94×About typical	4,243	$23,686	158
Personal care services	376	7.2	1.50×More than typical	1,565	$24,542	2,223
Lessors of real estate	375	7.2	0.58×Fewer than typical	2,266	$45,328	5,281
Offices of other health practitioners	320	6.1	1.01×About typical	1,734	$47,901	1,190

Rank places for an industry Open Passaic County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 524,011 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $2.7M of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Preakness, New Jersey: $145 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $2.7M; −62% vs FY2025
Per resident: $145; US $1,994
Sole-source: 32%; US 30%
Single offer: 13%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Department of the Navy$1.7M65%
Department of Veterans Affairs$331.1K12%
Defense Logistics Agency$204.4K7.6%
National Institutes of Health$97.3K3.6%
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement$84K3.1%
Agricultural Research Service$59.6K2.2%
National Labor Relations Board$34.1K1.3%
U.S. Agency for Global Media$33K1.2%

Top recipients

BAE SYSTEMS INFORMATION AND ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS INTEGRATION INC.$1.8M68%
GETINGE USA SALES, LLC$538.2K20%
VISION RESEARCH, INC$142K5.3%
BAE SYSTEMS INFORMATION AND ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS INTEGRATION INC.$69.6K2.6%
BURKE COURT REPORTING LLC$39.1K1.5%

Spending by fiscal year

8.5MFY2017
4MFY2018
10.2MFY2019
9.5MFY2020
4.7MFY2021
4.5MFY2022
4.1MFY2023
6.3M

Top industries (NAICS)

Scientific research and development services · 5417$1.3M47%
Computer systems design and related services · 5415$367.8K14%
Medical equipment and supplies manufacturing · 3391$295.1K11%
Electronic and precision equipment repair and maintenance · 8112$175.8K6.5%
Navigational, measuring, electromedical, and control instruments manufacturing · 3345$167.2K6.2%

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Preakness, New Jersey, so they do not add up across cities.

Preakness, New Jersey's figures are part of those of Passaic County, NJ ($173.4M in FY2026), never added to them: 1.6% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Preakness is mostly in Passaic County.

See federal money in Passaic County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Preakness, New Jersey is split between congressional districts: each representative is shown with the share of its residents in their district (current boundaries).

House

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Passaic County57100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ68

Other cities and towns in Passaic County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/3460810

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Cities and towns like Preakness, New Jersey five years ago that improved