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

Jersey City, NJ

Population: 287,899 (2022) · Large Cities (250K+)

B
70/100

Good fiscal health — above-average across most metrics

Total Spending
$6.1B
Per Capita
$21,136
Total Revenue
$4.5B
Total Debt
$0

Spending Breakdown

Other
33.3%$2.0B
Housing & Community Development
20.9%$1.3B
Hospitals
18.1%$1.1B
Utilities
16.2%$986.3M
Public Welfare
4.5%$274.3M
Health
3.0%$182.5M
Fire Protection
1.3%$79.2M
Parks & Recreation
1.2%$71.5M
Highways & Roads
0.8%$49.7M
Sewerage
0.7%$44.7M

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
2.7%$120.9M
Income Tax
3.9%$173.6M
Intergovernmental
26.7%$1.2B
Charges & Fees
15.9%$712.4M
Other
21.2%$949.3M

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection$275/person
Highways & Roads$173/person
Parks & Recreation$248/person
Health$634/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)31/100
Debt Burden (20%)100/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)83/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)99/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Compare Cities

See how Jersey City stacks up against another city.

vs Newark, NJvs Paterson, NJvs Elizabeth, 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

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

Toms River, NJ

Pop. 93K

A
Total Spending
$921.9M
Per Capita
$9,931

Compare Jersey City With

Newark, NJ

Spending: $20,014/person · Grade: C

Paterson, NJ

Spending: $16,110/person · Grade: C

Elizabeth, NJ

Spending: $21,067/person · Grade: C

Toms River, NJ

Spending: $9,931/person · Grade: A

Frequently Asked Questions

Jersey City, NJ spends $21,136 per resident, based on total expenditures of $6.1B for a population of 287,899. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of B (70/100).

Jersey City, NJ has total expenditures of $6.1B and total revenue of $4.5B. The city carries $0 in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

Jersey City, 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.

Jersey City, NJ has a Fiscal Health Score of B (70/100). 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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