Trenton, NJ vs Jersey City, NJ
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Trenton, NJ outspends Jersey City, NJ by a wide margin per resident — $69,951 versus $21,136, a 231% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Jersey City, NJ holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 70/100 (grade B) against 50/100 (grade C) for Trenton, NJ — a 20-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Jersey City, NJ reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Trenton, NJ carries $111 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Trenton, NJ leads with education at $47,653 per resident, while Jersey City, NJ leads with health at $634.
They also fund themselves differently: charges and fees is the largest single revenue source in Trenton, NJ at 46% of total revenue, whereas Jersey City, NJ relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 27%.
Summary
Trenton spends 231.0% more per capita than Jersey City ($48,815/person difference). Jersey City, NJ has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 70/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $22 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $769 | $420 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $603 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,876 | $4,168 |
| Charges & Fees | $5,281 | $2,474 |
| Other | $432 | $3,297 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $333 | $275 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $173 |
| Education | $47,653 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $362 | $953 |
| Health | $96 | $634 |
| Hospitals | $2,234 | $3,827 |
| Parks & Recreation | $580 | $248 |
| Housing | $3,325 | $4,412 |
| Sewerage | $176 | $155 |
| Utilities | $5,430 | $3,426 |
| Other | $9,760 | $7,033 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.