Trenton, NJ vs Toms River, NJ
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Trenton, NJ outspends Toms River, NJ by a wide margin per resident — $69,951 versus $9,931, a 604% 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 50/100 (grade C) for Trenton, NJ — a 40-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Toms River, 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 Toms River, NJ leads with parks and recreation at $606.
They also fund themselves differently: charges and fees is the largest single revenue source in Trenton, NJ at 46% of total revenue, whereas Toms River, NJ relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 30%.
Summary
Trenton spends 604.4% more per capita than Toms River ($60,020/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 | $22 | $2 |
| Sales Tax | $769 | $439 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $26 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,876 | $3,838 |
| Charges & Fees | $5,281 | $0 |
| Other | $432 | $2,872 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $333 | $277 |
| Education | $47,653 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $362 | $324 |
| Health | $96 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $2,234 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $580 | $606 |
| Housing | $3,325 | $2,899 |
| Sewerage | $176 | $363 |
| Utilities | $5,430 | $1,122 |
| Other | $9,760 | $4,339 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.