Camden, NJ vs Trenton, NJ
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Trenton, NJ spends 25% more per resident than Camden, NJ: $69,951 against $55,742. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Trenton, NJ edges Camden, NJ on the Fiscal Health Score by 6 points — 50/100 (grade C) to 44/100 (grade D). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Camden, NJ reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Trenton, NJ carries $111 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: education leads in Camden, NJ at $9,407 per resident and in Trenton, NJ at $47,653.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Camden, NJ at 98% of total revenue, whereas Trenton, NJ relies most on charges and fees at 46%.
Summary
Trenton spends 20.3% more per capita than Camden ($14,209/person difference). Trenton, NJ has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 50/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $70 | $22 |
| Sales Tax | $90 | $769 |
| Income Tax | $1,040 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $10,075 | $1,876 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $5,281 |
| Other | $2,131 | $432 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $5,797 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $840 | $333 |
| Highways & Roads | $155 | $0 |
| Education | $9,407 | $47,653 |
| Public Welfare | $1,010 | $362 |
| Health | $1,329 | $96 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $2,234 |
| Parks & Recreation | $570 | $580 |
| Housing | $4,700 | $3,325 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $176 |
| Utilities | $4,198 | $5,430 |
| General Admin | $32 | $0 |
| Other | $27,704 | $9,760 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.