Newark, NJ vs Passaic, NJ
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Passaic, NJ outspends Newark, NJ by a wide margin per resident — $70,270 versus $20,014, a 251% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Passaic, NJ holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 63/100 (grade C) against 54/100 (grade C) for Newark, NJ — a 9-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Passaic, NJ reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Newark, NJ carries $236 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Newark, NJ leads with highways and roads at $578 per resident, while Passaic, NJ leads with education at $19,480.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Newark, NJ at 51% of total revenue, whereas Passaic, NJ relies most on other revenue at 3%.
Summary
Passaic spends 71.5% more per capita than Newark ($50,256/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 | $34 | $182 |
| Sales Tax | $8 | $479 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,457 | $710 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,848 | $0 |
| Other | $2,165 | $1,358 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $8,511 |
| Fire Protection | $414 | $752 |
| Highways & Roads | $578 | $1,498 |
| Education | $0 | $19,480 |
| Public Welfare | $609 | $871 |
| Health | $340 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $5,702 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $350 | $975 |
| Housing | $5,110 | $5,476 |
| Sewerage | $113 | $78 |
| Utilities | $2,504 | $8,628 |
| General Admin | $0 | $353 |
| Other | $4,295 | $23,649 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.