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

Newark, NJ

Population: 307,355 (2022) · Large Cities (250K+)

C
54/100

Average fiscal health — some areas of concern

Total Spending
$6.2B
Per Capita
$20,014
Total Revenue
$1.5B
Total Debt
$72.6M

Spending Breakdown

Hospitals
28.5%$1.8B
Housing & Community Development
25.5%$1.6B
Other
21.5%$1.3B
Utilities
12.5%$769.5M
Public Welfare
3.0%$187.0M
Highways & Roads
2.9%$177.7M
Fire Protection
2.1%$127.3M
Parks & Recreation
1.7%$107.4M
Health
1.7%$104.6M
Sewerage
0.6%$34.6M

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

Property Tax
0.7%$10.5M
Sales Tax
0.2%$2.4M
Intergovernmental
50.8%$755.0M
Charges & Fees
38.2%$567.9M
Other
44.8%$665.4M

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection$414/person
Highways & Roads$578/person
Parks & Recreation$350/person
Health$340/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)1/100
Debt Burden (20%)100/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)88/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)0/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Debt Overview

Total Debt$72.6M
Long-Term Debt$0
Debt Per Capita$236
Cash & Securities$2.8M

Compare Cities

See how Newark stacks up against another city.

vs Jersey City, 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

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

Toms River, NJ

Pop. 93K

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

Compare Newark With

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

Toms River, NJ

Spending: $9,931/person · Grade: A

Frequently Asked Questions

Newark, NJ spends $20,014 per resident, based on total expenditures of $6.2B for a population of 307,355. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of C (54/100).

Newark, NJ has total expenditures of $6.2B and total revenue of $1.5B. The city carries $72.6M in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

Newark, 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.

Newark, NJ has a Fiscal Health Score of C (54/100). 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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