Photo: AEMoreira042281 · CC BY-SA 3.0Dunellen spent less per resident in 2022 than 96% of similar cities
Dunellen’s borough government spent $5 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $694 per resident.
What stands out about how Dunellen is run
Read from the borough’s budget and official records.
$694 per resident in 2022: less than 96% of them
Dunellen’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($694 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 48 New Jersey cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,535, and the middle half spent $1,110–$2,284. Dunellen spent less than 96% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
New Jersey cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Dunellen itself left out).
About $694 per resident a year, or $1.90 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 38%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Revenue is well above spending. That usually means Dunellen collects property taxes for the school district and county and passes them on, so only its own spending is counted.
No trend yet
Dunellen reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
Typical bills top $10,000 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Dunellen’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Dunellen’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Dunellen →
Who’s in charge in Dunellen
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Dunellen’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The borough posts agendas and minutes on dunellen-nj.gov ↗.
One full-time borough employee for every 193 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (7,141).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Dunellen Borough School District
Dunellen’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $22,280 per pupil, $13,111 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
New Jersey districts overall: 48% local, 46% state, 6% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Dunellen.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: dunellen-nj.gov ↗
- 2New Jersey General AssemblyState representatives
- 3New Jersey SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of New Jersey
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Dunellen compares with the towns next door
Dunellen spent $694 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,123 to $2,251. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Piscataway Township | $1,123 | $9,018 |
| Plainfield | $2,251 | $9,920 |
| Green Brook Township | estimate | $10,000+ |
| Middlesex | estimate | $10,000+ |
| Dunellen | $694 | $10,000+ |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Dunellen’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Dunellen’s government
How much does Dunellen spend per resident?
About $694 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $694 was less than 96% of 48 New Jersey cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
Who runs Dunellen’s government?
See dunellen-nj.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Dunellen yet.
How many people work for Dunellen?
37 full-time and 39 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $310,628 (about $3.7M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Dunellen in the state legislature?
State Senate District 21 (Jon Bramnick) and General Assembly District 21 (Andrew Macurdy and Vinnie Kearney). The General Assembly district also covers 18 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Dunellen’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →