Paterson, NJ vs Passaic, 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: Paterson, NJ leads with parks and recreation at $349 per resident, while Passaic, NJ leads with education at $19,480.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Paterson, NJ at 100% of total revenue, whereas Passaic, NJ relies most on other revenue at 3%.
Summary
Passaic spends 77.1% 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 | $17 | $182 |
| Sales Tax | $450 | $479 |
| Intergovernmental | $6,517 | $710 |
| Other | $1,614 | $1,358 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $8,511 |
| Fire Protection | $142 | $752 |
| Highways & Roads | $168 | $1,498 |
| Education | $0 | $19,480 |
| Public Welfare | $294 | $871 |
| Health | $138 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $2,937 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $349 | $975 |
| Housing | $2,861 | $5,476 |
| Sewerage | $1 | $78 |
| Utilities | $71 | $8,628 |
| General Admin | $0 | $353 |
| Other | $9,148 | $23,649 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.