East Orange, NJ vs Jersey City, NJ
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
East Orange, NJ outspends Jersey City, NJ by a wide margin per resident — $69,459 versus $21,136, a 229% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Jersey City, NJ holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 70/100 (grade B) against 43/100 (grade D) for East Orange, NJ — a 27-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Jersey City, NJ reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while East Orange, NJ carries $323 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: East Orange, NJ leads with education at $46,120 per resident, while Jersey City, NJ leads with health at $634.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 51% of total revenue in East Orange, NJ and 27% in Jersey City, NJ.
Summary
East Orange spends 228.6% more per capita than Jersey City ($48,324/person difference). Jersey City, NJ has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 70/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $164 | $420 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $603 |
| Intergovernmental | $7,381 | $4,168 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,463 | $2,474 |
| Other | $885 | $3,297 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $319 | $275 |
| Highways & Roads | $346 | $173 |
| Education | $46,120 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $557 | $953 |
| Health | $623 | $634 |
| Hospitals | $2,311 | $3,827 |
| Parks & Recreation | $581 | $248 |
| Housing | $3,425 | $4,412 |
| Sewerage | $259 | $155 |
| Utilities | $4,177 | $3,426 |
| Other | $10,741 | $7,033 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.