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

Trenton, NJ

Population: 90,055 (2022) · Small Cities (50K–100K)

C
50/100

Average fiscal health — some areas of concern

Total Spending
$6.3B
Per Capita
$69,951
Total Revenue
$1.0B
Total Debt
$10.0M

Spending Breakdown

Education
68.1%$4.3B
Other
14.0%$879.0M
Utilities
7.8%$489.0M
Housing & Community Development
4.8%$299.4M
Hospitals
3.2%$201.2M
Parks & Recreation
0.8%$52.3M
Public Welfare
0.5%$32.6M
Fire Protection
0.5%$30.0M
Sewerage
0.3%$15.9M
Health
0.1%$8.6M

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
0.2%$2.0M
Sales Tax
6.7%$69.3M
Intergovernmental
16.2%$169.0M
Charges & Fees
45.7%$475.6M
Other
3.7%$38.9M

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection$333/person
Parks & Recreation$580/person
Education$47,653/person
Health$96/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)9/100
Debt Burden (20%)100/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)0/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)72/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Debt Overview

Total Debt$10.0M
Long-Term Debt$0
Debt Per Capita$111
Cash & Securities$28.1M

Compare Cities

See how Trenton 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 Trenton 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

Trenton, NJ spends $69,951 per resident, based on total expenditures of $6.3B for a population of 90,055. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of C (50/100).

Trenton, NJ has total expenditures of $6.3B and total revenue of $1.0B. The city carries $10.0M in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

Trenton, 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.

Trenton, NJ has a Fiscal Health Score of C (50/100). 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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