Paterson, NJ vs Camden, NJ
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Camden, NJ outspends Paterson, NJ by a wide margin per resident — $55,742 versus $16,110, a 246% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Paterson, NJ holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 64/100 (grade C) against 44/100 (grade D) for Camden, NJ — a 20-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: Paterson, NJ leads with parks and recreation at $349 per resident, while Camden, NJ leads with education at $9,407.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Paterson, NJ and 98% in Camden, NJ.
Summary
Camden spends 71.1% more per capita than Paterson ($39,632/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 | $17 | $70 |
| Sales Tax | $450 | $90 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $1,040 |
| Intergovernmental | $6,517 | $10,075 |
| Other | $1,614 | $2,131 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $5,797 |
| Fire Protection | $142 | $840 |
| Highways & Roads | $168 | $155 |
| Education | $0 | $9,407 |
| Public Welfare | $294 | $1,010 |
| Health | $138 | $1,329 |
| Hospitals | $2,937 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $349 | $570 |
| Housing | $2,861 | $4,700 |
| Sewerage | $1 | $0 |
| Utilities | $71 | $4,198 |
| General Admin | $0 | $32 |
| Other | $9,148 | $27,704 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.