Photo: Rickyrab at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0Fair Lawn spent less per resident in 2022 than 67% of similar cities
Fair Lawn’s borough government spent $35.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,093 per resident. Water and other utilities ($7.8 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Fair Lawn is run
Read from the borough’s budget and official records.
$1,093 per resident in 2022: less than 67% of them
Fair Lawn’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,093 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 15 New Jersey cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,321, and the middle half spent $1,009–$1,703. Fair Lawn spent less than 67% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($6.8 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 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Fair Lawn itself left out).
About $1,093 per resident a year, or $2.99 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 31%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Fair Lawn 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 Fair Lawn’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 Fair Lawn’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Fair Lawn →
Who’s in charge in Fair Lawn
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Fair Lawn’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The borough posts agendas and minutes on fairlawn.org ↗.
One full-time borough employee for every 177 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 (32,877).
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.
Fair Lawn Borough School District
Fair Lawn’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $24,143 per pupil, $14,753 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 Fair Lawn.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: fairlawn.org ↗
- 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 Fair Lawn compares with the towns next door
Fair Lawn spent $1,093 per resident in 2022; the 6 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $308 to $2,115. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Elmwood Park | $308 | $9,924 |
| Hawthorne | $665 | $10,000+ |
| Glen Rock | $1,403 | $10,000+ |
| Paterson | $1,716 | $10,000+ |
| Rochelle Park Township | $1,997 | $9,353 |
| Paramus | $2,115 | $10,000+ |
| Saddle Brook Township | estimate | $9,939 |
| Fair Lawn | $1,093 | $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 Fair Lawn’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Fair Lawn’s government
How much does Fair Lawn spend per resident?
About $1,093 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 $1,093 was less than 67% of 15 New Jersey cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools.
Who runs Fair Lawn’s government?
See fairlawn.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Fair Lawn yet.
How many people work for Fair Lawn?
186 full-time and 149 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $1.9M (about $23.0M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Fair Lawn in the state legislature?
State Senate District 38 (Joe Lagana) and General Assembly District 38 (Chris Tully and Lisa Swain). The General Assembly district also covers 15 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Fair Lawn’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 →