In 2025, Paterson police reported 1,396 violent crimes (869 per 100,000 residents), including 14 murders, 366 robberies and 976 aggravated assaults, plus 3,867 property crimes, according to FBI data.
Population covered: 160,567. Violent-crime rate rank: 1 of 8 large New Jersey cities on this site (1 = highest rate). Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer, agency NJ0160800, January–December 2025.
| City | Violent / 100k | Violent | Murders | Property / 100k | Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paterson | 869 | 1,396 | 14 | 2,408 | Totals |
| Newark | 517 | 1,646 | 33 | 1,784 | Totals |
| Jersey City | 487 | 1,487 | 13 | 1,828 | Totals |
| Elizabeth | 345 | 487 | 2 | 2,408 | Totals |
| Edison | 179 | 198 | 2 | 1,475 | Totals |
| Woodbridge | 139 | 148 | 1 | 1,164 | Totals |
| Lakewood | 129 | 186 | 1 | 468 | Totals |
| Toms River | 124 | 125 | 1 | 973 | Totals |
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer agency counts for 2025 (all 12 months reported unless noted), retrieved October 7, 2026. Rates use the population the FBI lists for each police agency.
Paterson's violent-crime rate of 869 per 100,000 people in 2025 was 4.5 times the New Jersey rate (194) and 2.7 times the U.S. rate (320). That works out to one reported violent crime for every 115 residents, or about 26.8 a week.
Among the 362 cities with full-year FBI numbers on CityCrimeMap, Paterson ranks 39th for violent crime, in the higher half, and 79th for murder (14 murders, 8.7 per 100,000).
Aggravated assaults made up 70% of Paterson's violent crimes and robberies 26%, a bigger robbery share than the 15% seen nationally.
Property crime ran 2,408 per 100,000, 2 times New Jersey overall. Paterson police logged 748 vehicle thefts (466 per 100,000, 73rd of 351; New Jersey: 145) and 548 burglaries (341 per 100,000, 2.9 times the state).
The closest city we cover is Newark, 13 miles south; its violent-crime rate (517) is 41% lower than Paterson's.
Out-of-state cities near Paterson's size (160,567 residents): Palmdale, CA at 483 violent crimes per 100,000 and Salinas, CA at 516.
By the FBI's 2025 numbers, Paterson had 869 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 4.5 times the statewide 194. It is 1st highest of the 8 New Jersey cities on this site; Newark is next at 517. A city-wide rate does not tell you about a single block.
Paterson police reported 14 murders for 2025, a rate of 8.7 per 100,000 residents. The New Jersey rate was 1.9 and the national rate 4.1.
748 vehicles were reported stolen in Paterson in 2025, 466 per 100,000 residents. That is 2.4 times the national rate of 195 and ranks 73rd of 351 cities on this site.