Paterson, NJ vs Newark, NJ
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Newark, NJ spends 24% more per resident than Paterson, NJ: $20,014 against $16,110. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Paterson, NJ holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 64/100 (grade C) against 54/100 (grade C) for Newark, NJ — a 10-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Paterson, 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: Paterson, NJ leads with parks and recreation at $349 per resident, while Newark, NJ leads with highways and roads at $578.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Paterson, NJ and 51% in Newark, NJ.
Summary
Newark spends 19.5% more per capita than Paterson ($3,904/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 | $34 |
| Sales Tax | $450 | $8 |
| Intergovernmental | $6,517 | $2,457 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $1,848 |
| Other | $1,614 | $2,165 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $142 | $414 |
| Highways & Roads | $168 | $578 |
| Public Welfare | $294 | $609 |
| Health | $138 | $340 |
| Hospitals | $2,937 | $5,702 |
| Parks & Recreation | $349 | $350 |
| Housing | $2,861 | $5,110 |
| Sewerage | $1 | $113 |
| Utilities | $71 | $2,504 |
| Other | $9,148 | $4,295 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.