Passaic, NJ vs Paterson, NJ
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Passaic, NJ outspends Paterson, NJ by a wide margin per resident — $70,270 versus $16,110, a 336% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Paterson, NJ edges Passaic, NJ on the Fiscal Health Score by 1 points — 64/100 (grade C) to 63/100 (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. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Passaic, NJ leads with education at $19,480 per resident, while Paterson, NJ leads with parks and recreation at $349.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Passaic, NJ at 3% of total revenue, whereas Paterson, NJ relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.
Summary
Passaic spends 336.2% more per capita than Paterson ($54,161/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 | $182 | $17 |
| Sales Tax | $479 | $450 |
| Intergovernmental | $710 | $6,517 |
| Other | $1,358 | $1,614 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $8,511 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $752 | $142 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,498 | $168 |
| Education | $19,480 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $871 | $294 |
| Health | $0 | $138 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $2,937 |
| Parks & Recreation | $975 | $349 |
| Housing | $5,476 | $2,861 |
| Sewerage | $78 | $1 |
| Utilities | $8,628 | $71 |
| General Admin | $353 | $0 |
| Other | $23,649 | $9,148 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.