Trenton, NJ vs Camden, NJ
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Trenton, NJ spends 25% more per resident than Camden, NJ: $69,951 against $55,742. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Trenton, NJ edges Camden, NJ on the Fiscal Health Score by 6 points — 50/100 (grade C) to 44/100 (grade D). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Camden, NJ reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Trenton, NJ carries $111 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: education leads in Trenton, NJ at $47,653 per resident and in Camden, NJ at $9,407.
They also fund themselves differently: charges and fees is the largest single revenue source in Trenton, NJ at 46% of total revenue, whereas Camden, NJ relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 98%.
Summary
Trenton spends 25.5% more per capita than Camden ($14,209/person difference). Trenton, NJ has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 50/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $22 | $70 |
| Sales Tax | $769 | $90 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $1,040 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,876 | $10,075 |
| Charges & Fees | $5,281 | $0 |
| Other | $432 | $2,131 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $5,797 |
| Fire Protection | $333 | $840 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $155 |
| Education | $47,653 | $9,407 |
| Public Welfare | $362 | $1,010 |
| Health | $96 | $1,329 |
| Hospitals | $2,234 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $580 | $570 |
| Housing | $3,325 | $4,700 |
| Sewerage | $176 | $0 |
| Utilities | $5,430 | $4,198 |
| General Admin | $0 | $32 |
| Other | $9,760 | $27,704 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.