Passaic, NJ vs Toms River, NJ
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Passaic, NJ outspends Toms River, NJ by a wide margin per resident — $70,270 versus $9,931, a 608% 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 63/100 (grade C) for Passaic, NJ — a 27-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. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Passaic, NJ leads with education at $19,480 per resident, while Toms River, NJ leads with parks and recreation at $606.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Passaic, NJ at 3% of total revenue, whereas Toms River, NJ relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 30%.
Summary
Passaic spends 607.6% more per capita than Toms River ($60,339/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 | $182 | $2 |
| Sales Tax | $479 | $439 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $26 |
| Intergovernmental | $710 | $3,838 |
| Other | $1,358 | $2,872 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $8,511 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $752 | $277 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,498 | $0 |
| Education | $19,480 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $871 | $324 |
| Parks & Recreation | $975 | $606 |
| Housing | $5,476 | $2,899 |
| Sewerage | $78 | $363 |
| Utilities | $8,628 | $1,122 |
| General Admin | $353 | $0 |
| Other | $23,649 | $4,339 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.