Paterson, NJ vs Elizabeth, NJ
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Elizabeth, NJ spends 31% more per resident than Paterson, NJ: $21,067 against $16,110. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Paterson, NJ edges Elizabeth, NJ on the Fiscal Health Score by 3 points — 64/100 (grade C) to 61/100 (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. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Paterson, NJ at $349 per resident and in Elizabeth, NJ at $980.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Paterson, NJ at 100% of total revenue, whereas Elizabeth, NJ relies most on charges and fees at 18%.
Summary
Elizabeth spends 23.5% more per capita than Paterson ($4,957/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 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $450 | $528 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $24 |
| Intergovernmental | $6,517 | $1,021 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $2,319 |
| Other | $1,614 | $0 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $142 | $437 |
| Highways & Roads | $168 | $599 |
| Public Welfare | $294 | $225 |
| Health | $138 | $332 |
| Hospitals | $2,937 | $3,386 |
| Parks & Recreation | $349 | $980 |
| Housing | $2,861 | $3,768 |
| Sewerage | $1 | $178 |
| Utilities | $71 | $928 |
| Other | $9,148 | $10,234 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.