Photo: King of Hearts · CC BY-SA 4.0Jersey City spent more per resident in 2022 than 69% of similar cities
Jersey City’s city government spent $696.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $2,431 per resident.
What stands out about how Jersey City is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Who’s in charge in Jersey City
From public records with a current term; a name is hidden the day its term ends.
Council members and agencies: jerseycitynj.gov ↗
Jersey City’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on jerseycitynj.gov ↗.
About $2,431 per resident a year, or $6.66 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 19%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,758 per resident in 2022: more than 69% of them
Jersey City’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,758 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 147 New Jersey cities that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,322, and the middle half spent $1,002–$2,060. Jersey City spent more than 69% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($7.5 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 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Jersey City itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 51% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Jersey City reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $1,758 · 2023: $1,876 · 2024: $2,431. Per resident it went from $1,758 to $2,431 (up 38%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 262,664 to 286,670.
full-time in March 2025, up from 2,785 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $8,627 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.52% of the home’s value, vs 2.11% across New Jersey.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Jersey City’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 Jersey City’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Jersey City →
One full-time city employee for every 97 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (286,670).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Jersey City School District
Jersey City’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $29,234 per pupil, $17,607 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
Jersey City sends 4 members to the State General Assembly alone.
- 1Your cityMayorJames Solomonas listed by Open States, October 9, 2026
- 2New Jersey General AssemblyJersey City is split between 2 districts
- 3New Jersey SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseSplit between districts
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of New Jersey
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Jersey City compares with the towns next door
No neighbor is close in size, so the comparison above uses New Jersey cities that don’t run their own schools. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Kearny | $1,321 | $10,000+ |
| Hoboken | $1,927 | $10,000+ |
| North Bergen Township | $2,163 | $8,629 |
| Secaucus | $2,215 | $7,540 |
| Bayonne | $4,631 runs schools | $10,000+ |
| Union City | $7,562 runs schools | $10,000+ |
| Jersey City | $1,758 | $8,627 |
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 Jersey City’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Jersey City’s government
How much does Jersey City spend per resident?
About $2,431 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,758 was more than 69% of 147 New Jersey cities that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Jersey City?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $8,627 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.52% of the typical home’s value, vs 2.11% across New Jersey. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see jerseycitynj.gov.
Who is the mayor of Jersey City?
James Solomon, as listed by Open States (checked October 9, 2026). The council and agencies are listed on jerseycitynj.gov.
How many people work for Jersey City?
2,948 full-time and 512 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $26.3M (about $315.0M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Jersey City in the state legislature?
Jersey City is split among 2 General Assembly districts and 2 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The New Jersey Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Jersey City’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 →