What it's like to live in Totowa
Totowa is a small city in New Jersey with household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, a highly educated workforce, and schools with smaller class sizes than the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Totowa deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, county unemployment above the national average, and a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Highly educated workforce
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Above-average unemployment in the county
- High rent burden for renters
- Cold winters
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Totowa compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Totowa
Based on Totowa's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$4,144
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $82,880 a year
- 55% of Totowa renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$111,860
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $55,930
- Homes cost 4.9× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 47% above US
$2,072/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $2,072 a month median and well above the national average. This is the kind of city where housing costs deserve serious budgeting before committing to a move. Home prices are steep, with a median around $559,300. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $559,300 · 55% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
6.0% county unemployment
Unemployment in Passaic County is 6.0%, well above the national average of 4.3%. Moving with a job already lined up matters more here. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Passaic County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 73% below US
90 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 1808/100k · Totowa Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
25 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 25.3 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 16% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 83°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 25°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 13% above US
41% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 41% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
3 public schools inside the boundary
There are 3 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 14:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park (2 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Totowa's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($2,072/mo) equals 22% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime, remote workers (16% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget, anyone moving without a job lined up, and anyone who doesn't drive.
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