Newark, NJ vs Paterson, NJ
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Newark, NJ spends 24% more per resident than Paterson, NJ: $20,014 against $16,110. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Paterson, NJ holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 64/100 (grade C) against 54/100 (grade C) for Newark, NJ — a 10-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Paterson, 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 Paterson, NJ leads with parks and recreation at $349.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 51% of total revenue in Newark, NJ and 100% in Paterson, NJ.
Summary
Newark spends 24.2% more per capita than Paterson ($3,904/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 | $34 | $17 |
| Sales Tax | $8 | $450 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,457 | $6,517 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,848 | $0 |
| Other | $2,165 | $1,614 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $414 | $142 |
| Highways & Roads | $578 | $168 |
| Public Welfare | $609 | $294 |
| Health | $340 | $138 |
| Hospitals | $5,702 | $2,937 |
| Parks & Recreation | $350 | $349 |
| Housing | $5,110 | $2,861 |
| Sewerage | $113 | $1 |
| Utilities | $2,504 | $71 |
| Other | $4,295 | $9,148 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.