Elizabeth, NJ vs Toms River, NJ
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Elizabeth, NJ outspends Toms River, NJ by a wide margin per resident — $21,067 versus $9,931, a 112% 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 61/100 (grade C) for Elizabeth, NJ — a 29-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. 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 Toms River, NJ at $606.
They also fund themselves differently: charges and fees is the largest single revenue source in Elizabeth, NJ at 18% of total revenue, whereas Toms River, NJ relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 30%.
Summary
Elizabeth spends 112.1% more per capita than Toms River ($11,136/person difference). Toms River, NJ has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 90/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $2 |
| Sales Tax | $528 | $439 |
| Income Tax | $24 | $26 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,021 | $3,838 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,319 | $0 |
| Other | $0 | $2,872 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $437 | $277 |
| Highways & Roads | $599 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $225 | $324 |
| Health | $332 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $3,386 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $980 | $606 |
| Housing | $3,768 | $2,899 |
| Sewerage | $178 | $363 |
| Utilities | $928 | $1,122 |
| Other | $10,234 | $4,339 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.