Elizabeth, NJ vs Passaic, NJ
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Passaic, NJ outspends Elizabeth, NJ by a wide margin per resident — $70,270 versus $21,067, a 234% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Passaic, NJ edges Elizabeth, NJ on the Fiscal Health Score by 2 points — 63/100 (grade C) to 61/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
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: Elizabeth, NJ leads with parks and recreation at $980 per resident, while Passaic, NJ leads with education at $19,480.
They also fund themselves differently: charges and fees is the largest single revenue source in Elizabeth, NJ at 18% of total revenue, whereas Passaic, NJ relies most on other revenue at 3%.
Summary
Passaic spends 70.0% more per capita than Elizabeth ($49,204/person difference). Passaic, NJ has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 63/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $182 |
| Sales Tax | $528 | $479 |
| Income Tax | $24 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,021 | $710 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,319 | $0 |
| Other | $0 | $1,358 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $8,511 |
| Fire Protection | $437 | $752 |
| Highways & Roads | $599 | $1,498 |
| Education | $0 | $19,480 |
| Public Welfare | $225 | $871 |
| Health | $332 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $3,386 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $980 | $975 |
| Housing | $3,768 | $5,476 |
| Sewerage | $178 | $78 |
| Utilities | $928 | $8,628 |
| General Admin | $0 | $353 |
| Other | $10,234 | $23,649 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.