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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

East Orange, NJ

Population: 68,879 (2022) · Small Cities (50K–100K)

D
43/100

Below average — significant fiscal challenges in multiple areas

Total Spending
$4.8B
Per Capita
$69,459
Total Revenue
$997.6M
Total Debt
$22.3M

Spending Breakdown

Education
66.4%$3.2B
Other
15.5%$739.8M
Utilities
6.0%$287.7M
Housing & Community Development
4.9%$235.9M
Hospitals
3.3%$159.2M
Health
0.9%$42.9M
Parks & Recreation
0.8%$40.0M
Public Welfare
0.8%$38.4M
Highways & Roads
0.5%$23.9M
Fire Protection
0.5%$22.0M
Sewerage
0.4%$17.8M

Spending data sourced from the Census Bureau's Annual Survey of State & Local Government Finances. Per-capita comparisons use the Lincoln Institute's Fiscally Standardized Cities methodology for fair cross-city benchmarking.

Revenue Sources

Sales Tax
1.1%$11.3M
Intergovernmental
51.0%$508.4M
Charges & Fees
23.9%$238.5M
Other
6.1%$61.0M

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection$319/person
Highways & Roads$346/person
Parks & Recreation$581/person
Education$46,120/person
Health$623/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)2/100
Debt Burden (20%)85/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)0/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)50/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Debt Overview

Total Debt$22.3M
Long-Term Debt$0
Debt Per Capita$323
Cash & Securities$5.5M

Compare Cities

See how East Orange stacks up against another city.

vs Newark, NJvs Jersey City, NJvs Paterson, NJ
Data source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023). Population from American Community Survey.

Other Cities in New Jersey

Newark, NJ

Pop. 307K

C
Total Spending
$6.2B
Per Capita
$20,014

Jersey City, NJ

Pop. 288K

B
Total Spending
$6.1B
Per Capita
$21,136

Paterson, NJ

Pop. 158K

C
Total Spending
$2.5B
Per Capita
$16,110

Elizabeth, NJ

Pop. 136K

C
Total Spending
$2.9B
Per Capita
$21,067

Compare East Orange With

Newark, NJ

Spending: $20,014/person · Grade: C

Jersey City, NJ

Spending: $21,136/person · Grade: B

Paterson, NJ

Spending: $16,110/person · Grade: C

Elizabeth, NJ

Spending: $21,067/person · Grade: C

Frequently Asked Questions

East Orange, NJ spends $69,459 per resident, based on total expenditures of $4.8B for a population of 68,879. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of D (43/100).

East Orange, NJ has total expenditures of $4.8B and total revenue of $997.6M. The city carries $22.3M in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

East Orange, NJ employs 0 government workers, of which 0 are full-time. The average government salary is $0, with 0.0 employees per 10,000 residents.

East Orange, NJ has a Fiscal Health Score of D (43/100). This score evaluates budget balance, debt burden, pension funding, spending efficiency, revenue diversity, and 3-year fiscal trajectory compared to peer cities of similar population.

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