Camden, NJ vs Paterson, NJ
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Camden, NJ outspends Paterson, NJ by a wide margin per resident — $55,742 versus $16,110, a 246% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Paterson, NJ holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 64/100 (grade C) against 44/100 (grade D) for Camden, NJ — a 20-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Neither city reports outstanding debt per resident in its current Census filing, which removes debt service as a point of difference between them. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Camden, NJ leads with education at $9,407 per resident, while Paterson, NJ leads with parks and recreation at $349.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 98% of total revenue in Camden, NJ and 100% in Paterson, NJ.
Summary
Camden spends 246.0% more per capita than Paterson ($39,632/person difference). Paterson, NJ has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 64/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $70 | $17 |
| Sales Tax | $90 | $450 |
| Income Tax | $1,040 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $10,075 | $6,517 |
| Other | $2,131 | $1,614 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $5,797 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $840 | $142 |
| Highways & Roads | $155 | $168 |
| Education | $9,407 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,010 | $294 |
| Health | $1,329 | $138 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $2,937 |
| Parks & Recreation | $570 | $349 |
| Housing | $4,700 | $2,861 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $1 |
| Utilities | $4,198 | $71 |
| General Admin | $32 | $0 |
| Other | $27,704 | $9,148 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.