The Town FilesPreakness, New Jersey
Community in Passaic County · population 18,487 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $617,700
- Household income
- $133,205
- Jan low / Jul high
- 23° / 85°
- Snow a year
- 27 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 11
- Median age
- 41.0
Preakness is a community of 18,487 people in Passaic County, New Jersey. The median home is worth $617,700, above the typical New Jersey town ($435,600). It ranks better for young professionals than 87% of New Jersey towns, more upscale than 77% of New Jersey towns.
How Preakness ranks
Percentile among New Jersey towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of New Jersey towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Preakness is worth $617,700, above the typical New Jersey town ($435,600). Homes cost about 4.6 times the median household income of $133,205, which is more affordable than 25% of New Jersey towns. Median rent is $1,918 a month. 70.6% of households own their home.
| Housing | Preakness | Typical New Jersey town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $617,700 | $435,600 |
| Median rent | $1,918 | $1,774 |
| Median household income | $133,205 | $111,891 |
| Home value ÷ income | 4.6× | 3.8× |
| Homeownership | 70.6% | 80.8% |
| Median year built | 1967 | 1969 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Preakness
| People | Preakness | Typical New Jersey town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 41.0 | 42.7 |
| Age 65 and over | 20.4% | 18.3% |
| Under 18 | 23.7% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 57.1% | 44.1% |
| Below the poverty line | 3.3% | 5.7% |
| Veterans | 2.9% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 21.8% | — |
| Work from home | 16.9% | 16.3% |
| Average commute | 29.8 min | 30.4 min |
| Homes with broadband | 92.9% | 94.6% |
Weather in Preakness
July highs average 85.2°F and January lows 22.9°F. About 44.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 27.4 inches of snow (typical New Jersey town: 24.5 in). Expect about 21 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 108 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
11 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Preakness since 1950, compared with 9 for the typical New Jersey town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on August 7, 1962 about 8.1 miles from the town center. The most recent was on July 21, 2026.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 47 times; the largest was 2.50 inches on July 8, 2021.
Severe weather in Passaic County since 1996
Passaic County has been included in 30 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, other.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| September 5, 2021 | Hurricane | DR-4614: Remnants Of Hurricane Ida |
| September 2, 2021 | Hurricane | EM-3573: Remnants Of Hurricane Ida |
| March 25, 2020 | Biological | DR-4488: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3451: Covid-19 |
| June 8, 2018 | Severe Storm | DR-4368: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm |
Jobs and pay in Passaic County
Passaic County had 170,830 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $63,668 a year. Unemployment was 5.5% in 2023; in Preakness itself the ACS puts it at 4.6%.
Towns near Preakness
- Wayne, NJ1.2 mi · 54,838 people · home $612,700
- Packanack Lake, NJ1.6 mi · 6,261 people · home $601,000
- Haledon, NJ1.9 mi · 9,052 people · home $396,400
- Totowa, NJ2.4 mi · 11,065 people · home $559,300
- Prospect Park, NJ2.7 mi · 6,372 people · home $406,800
- North Haledon, NJ2.7 mi · 8,927 people · home $547,600
- Paterson, NJ3.6 mi · 159,732 people · home $360,100
- Hawthorne, NJ3.7 mi · 19,637 people · home $533,700
Preakness questions
Is Preakness, New Jersey a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Preakness scores better for retirees than 42% of New Jersey towns and quieter than 24%. 20.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 41.0).
How much does a house cost in Preakness?
The median owner-occupied home in Preakness is valued at $617,700 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $133,205, so homes cost about 4.6 times income. Median rent is $1,918 a month.
What is the weather like in Preakness?
July highs average 85.2°F and January lows 22.9°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 44.9 inches of precipitation a year and 27.4 inches of snow.
Does Preakness get tornadoes?
11 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Preakness since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on August 7, 1962. The typical New Jersey town has had 9.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)