Trenton, NJ vs Paterson, NJ
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Trenton, NJ outspends Paterson, NJ by a wide margin per resident — $69,951 versus $16,110, a 334% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Paterson, NJ holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 64/100 (grade C) against 50/100 (grade C) for Trenton, NJ — a 14-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Paterson, 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 Paterson, NJ leads with parks and recreation at $349.
They also fund themselves differently: charges and fees is the largest single revenue source in Trenton, NJ at 46% of total revenue, whereas Paterson, NJ relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.
Summary
Trenton spends 334.2% more per capita than Paterson ($53,841/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 | $22 | $17 |
| Sales Tax | $769 | $450 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,876 | $6,517 |
| Charges & Fees | $5,281 | $0 |
| Other | $432 | $1,614 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $333 | $142 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $168 |
| Education | $47,653 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $362 | $294 |
| Health | $96 | $138 |
| Hospitals | $2,234 | $2,937 |
| Parks & Recreation | $580 | $349 |
| Housing | $3,325 | $2,861 |
| Sewerage | $176 | $1 |
| Utilities | $5,430 | $71 |
| Other | $9,760 | $9,148 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.