Passaic, NJ vs Newark, 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: Passaic, NJ leads with education at $19,480 per resident, while Newark, NJ leads with highways and roads at $578.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Passaic, NJ at 3% of total revenue, whereas Newark, NJ relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 51%.
Summary
Passaic spends 251.1% 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 | $182 | $34 |
| Sales Tax | $479 | $8 |
| Intergovernmental | $710 | $2,457 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $1,848 |
| Other | $1,358 | $2,165 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $8,511 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $752 | $414 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,498 | $578 |
| Education | $19,480 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $871 | $609 |
| Health | $0 | $340 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $5,702 |
| Parks & Recreation | $975 | $350 |
| Housing | $5,476 | $5,110 |
| Sewerage | $78 | $113 |
| Utilities | $8,628 | $2,504 |
| General Admin | $353 | $0 |
| Other | $23,649 | $4,295 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.