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

Paterson, NJ

Population: 157,864 (2022) · Mid-Size Cities (100K–250K)

C
64/100

Average fiscal health — some areas of concern

Total Spending
$2.5B
Per Capita
$16,110
Total Revenue
$1.0B
Total Debt
$0

Spending Breakdown

Other
56.8%$1.4B
Hospitals
18.2%$463.6M
Housing & Community Development
17.8%$451.7M
Parks & Recreation
2.2%$55.1M
Public Welfare
1.8%$46.4M
Highways & Roads
1.0%$26.6M
Fire Protection
0.9%$22.5M
Health
0.9%$21.8M
Utilities
0.4%$11.2M
Sewerage
0.0%$152K

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
0.3%$2.7M
Sales Tax
6.9%$71.1M
Intergovernmental
100.0%$1.0B
Other
24.8%$254.8M

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection$142/person
Highways & Roads$168/person
Parks & Recreation$349/person
Health$138/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)44/100
Debt Burden (20%)100/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)84/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)0/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Compare Cities

See how Paterson stacks up against another city.

vs Newark, NJvs Jersey City, 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

Jersey City, NJ

Pop. 288K

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

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 Paterson With

Newark, NJ

Spending: $20,014/person · Grade: C

Jersey City, NJ

Spending: $21,136/person · Grade: B

Elizabeth, NJ

Spending: $21,067/person · Grade: C

Toms River, NJ

Spending: $9,931/person · Grade: A

Frequently Asked Questions

Paterson, NJ spends $16,110 per resident, based on total expenditures of $2.5B for a population of 157,864. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of C (64/100).

Paterson, NJ has total expenditures of $2.5B and total revenue of $1.0B. The city carries $0 in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

Paterson, 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.

Paterson, NJ has a Fiscal Health Score of C (64/100). 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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