States · New Jersey · Passaic County

Preakness, New Jersey.

A community in Passaic County, with no city government of its own. Zillow publishes no home prices for it: see Passaic County’s.

Living in Preakness, Passaic County, New Jersey

Preakness, in Passaic County, had 18,487 people in the 2020 census. Half its households earn more than $133,205 a year and half less, against $87,522 across Passaic County; 3% of its people live below the poverty line. 71% of its homes are lived in by their owners and 29% are rented. Unemployment in Passaic County was 5.5% in August 2026, and the county had 2.0% more jobs in 2025 than the year before. The most residents work in schools and health care, then professional services.

People 18,487 in the 2020 census; median age 41.0
Household income $133,205 the median, give or take $17,201 · Passaic County: $87,522
Unemployment 5.5% Passaic County, August 2026; 6.8% a year before
Homes 71% lived in by their owners; 29% rented
  • 6,602households
  • 57%of adults have a degree
  • 3%below the poverty line
  • 30 mintypical commute
  • 17%work from home

What residents work in

  • Schools, hospitals and social care30%
  • Professional and business services18%
  • Banks, insurance and property10%
  • Shops (retail)9%
  • Manufacturing6%
  • Transport, warehouses and utilities5%

Employed residents by industry, from the Census survey. Passaic County had 174,268 jobs in 2025, 2.0% more than the year before (Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Weather through the year

Average daily high and low for each month: coldest in January, 39° and 22°; warmest in July, 86° and 65° 20° 40° 60° 80° J 39° 22° F M A M J J 86° 65° A S O N D
Average daily high and low for each month: coldest in January, 39° and 22°; warmest in July, 86° and 65° 20° 40° 60° 80° J 39° 22° F M A M J J 86° 65° A S O N D

Coldest in January, with highs near 39° and lows near 22°; warmest in July, with highs near 86° and lows near 65°.

Average daily high and low, 1991–2020, at the Little Falls weather station, 4 miles away (NOAA).

Largest workplaces in Preakness

  1. Passaic County Technical-Vocational School DistrictSchool district672FTE
  2. Boys & Girls Clubs of NorthwestYouth clubs189
  3. Quick HoldingsGeneral warehousing and storage164
  4. HaydonCold rolling steel shapes made from purchased steel163
  5. Brightview WayneNursing and residential care149
  6. Wayne137
  7. Stop & ShopGrocery stores110
  8. TruGreenLawn care35

Staff on average in 2025, as each workplace reported it to OSHA with its injury records: 7 workplaces with 20 or more staff, 947 people in all. School districts come from the Common Core of Data (NCES, 2023–24); FTE marks full-time equivalent staff. Not listed: many offices and banks, which need not report to OSHA; military bases, whose staff OPM withholds; and, in about half the states, city and county governments.

Natural hazards

  1. Winter weatherRelatively high
  2. Strong windrelatively high in parts of PreaknessRelatively moderate
  3. Inland floodingrelatively high in parts of PreaknessRelatively moderate
  4. Lightningrelatively high in parts of PreaknessRelatively moderate
  5. Heat wavesRelatively moderate
  6. Cold wavesRelatively moderate

FEMA’s National Risk Index (December 2025) rates the risk each natural hazard poses to the people, buildings and farms in Preakness’ census tracts, against the rest of the country; all of them together, relatively low. It is meant for planning, not a substitute for a local risk assessment or a flood map: FEMA’s index.

From the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 census and its American Community Survey (2020–2024 five-year estimates), and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. A survey, so each figure has a margin of error, and figures it is not sure of are left out. More on Passaic County.