Paterson, NJ vs Toms River, NJ
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Paterson, NJ outspends Toms River, NJ by a wide margin per resident — $16,110 versus $9,931, a 62% 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 64/100 (grade C) for Paterson, NJ — a 26-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. 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 Toms River, NJ at $606.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Paterson, NJ and 30% in Toms River, NJ.
Summary
Paterson spends 62.2% more per capita than Toms River ($6,179/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 | $17 | $2 |
| Sales Tax | $450 | $439 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $26 |
| Intergovernmental | $6,517 | $3,838 |
| Other | $1,614 | $2,872 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $142 | $277 |
| Highways & Roads | $168 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $294 | $324 |
| Health | $138 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $2,937 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $349 | $606 |
| Housing | $2,861 | $2,899 |
| Sewerage | $1 | $363 |
| Utilities | $71 | $1,122 |
| Other | $9,148 | $4,339 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.