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

Camden, NJ vs Toms River, NJ

Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)

Reviewed by CitySpend Editorial Team · Updated

Camden, NJ outspends Toms River, NJ by a wide margin per resident — $55,742 versus $9,931, a 461% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.

Toms River, NJ holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 90/100 (grade A) against 44/100 (grade D) for Camden, NJ — a 46-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 Toms River, NJ leads with parks and recreation at $606.

On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 98% of total revenue in Camden, NJ and 30% in Toms River, NJ.

Summary

Camden spends 461.3% more per capita than Toms River ($45,811/person difference). Toms River, NJ has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 90/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Camden, NJ
Pop. 71,799
D
44/100
Budget Balance14
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency0
Revenue Diversity0
Trend Direction50
City B
Toms River, NJ
Pop. 92,827
A
90/100
Budget Balance100
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity99
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Camden
Toms River
Total Spending
$4.0B
$921.9M
Spending / Capita
$55,742
$9,931
Total Revenue
$735.2M
$1.2B
Revenue / Capita
$10,239
$12,652
Total Debt
$0
$0
Debt / Capita
$0
$0
Population
71,799
92,827
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Police
Camden$5,797
Toms River$0
Fire Protection
Camden$840
Toms River$277
Highways & Roads
Camden$155
Toms River$0
Parks & Recreation
Camden$570
Toms River$606
Education
Camden$9,407
Toms River$0
Health
Camden$1,329
Toms River$0

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

CamdenToms River
Property Tax
$70
$2
Sales Tax
$90
$439
Income Tax
$1,040
$26
Intergovernmental
$10,075
$3,838
Other
$2,131
$2,872

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

CamdenToms River
Police
$5,797
$0
Fire Protection
$840
$277
Highways & Roads
$155
$0
Education
$9,407
$0
Public Welfare
$1,010
$324
Health
$1,329
$0
Parks & Recreation
$570
$606
Housing
$4,700
$2,899
Sewerage
$0
$363
Utilities
$4,198
$1,122
General Admin
$32
$0
Other
$27,704
$4,339
D
Camden, NJ
Fiscal Health Score: 44/100
Below average fiscal health
A
Toms River, NJ
Fiscal Health Score: 90/100
Excellent fiscal health

Compare More Cities

Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.