Elizabeth, NJ vs Paterson, NJ
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Elizabeth, NJ spends 31% more per resident than Paterson, NJ: $21,067 against $16,110. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Paterson, NJ edges Elizabeth, NJ on the Fiscal Health Score by 3 points — 64/100 (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. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Elizabeth, NJ at $980 per resident and in Paterson, NJ at $349.
They also fund themselves differently: charges and fees is the largest single revenue source in Elizabeth, NJ at 18% of total revenue, whereas Paterson, NJ relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.
Summary
Elizabeth spends 30.8% more per capita than Paterson ($4,957/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 | $0 | $17 |
| Sales Tax | $528 | $450 |
| Income Tax | $24 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,021 | $6,517 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,319 | $0 |
| Other | $0 | $1,614 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $437 | $142 |
| Highways & Roads | $599 | $168 |
| Public Welfare | $225 | $294 |
| Health | $332 | $138 |
| Hospitals | $3,386 | $2,937 |
| Parks & Recreation | $980 | $349 |
| Housing | $3,768 | $2,861 |
| Sewerage | $178 | $1 |
| Utilities | $928 | $71 |
| Other | $10,234 | $9,148 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.