Photo: Famartin · CC BY-SA 4.0Newark spent more per resident in 2022 than 85% of similar cities
Newark’s city government spent $742.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $2,432 per resident. Water and other utilities ($47.5 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Newark is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$2,867 per resident in 2022: more than 85% of them
Newark’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,867 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–$2,040. Newark spent more than 85% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($91.5 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; Newark itself left out).
About $2,432 per resident a year, or $6.66 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: housing & development, at 25%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is down 8% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Newark 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: $2,867 · 2023: $2,058 · 2024: $2,432. Per resident it went from $2,867 to $2,432 (down 15%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 282,520 to 305,344.
full-time in March 2025, down from 3,844 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 $7,262 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.94% 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 Newark’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 Newark’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Newark →
Who’s in charge in Newark
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Newark’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on newarknj.gov ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 81 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (305,344).
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.
Newark City School District
Newark’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $29,694 per pupil, $15,946 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
Newark sends 4 members to the State General Assembly alone.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: newarknj.gov ↗
- 2New Jersey General AssemblyNewark 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 Newark compares with the towns next door
Newark spent $2,867 per resident in 2022; the 5 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,321 to $6,965. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Kearny | $1,321 | $10,000+ |
| Elizabeth | $2,287 | $10,000+ |
| Harrison | $4,294 runs schools | $10,000+ |
| Irvington Township | $5,584 runs schools | $9,259 |
| East Orange | $6,965 runs schools | $9,970 |
| Belleville Township | estimate | $10,000+ |
| South Orange Village Township | estimate | $10,000+ |
| Maplewood Township | estimate | $10,000+ |
| Newark | $2,867 | $7,262 |
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 Newark’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Newark’s government
How much does Newark spend per resident?
About $2,432 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 $2,867 was more than 85% of 147 New Jersey cities that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Newark?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $7,262 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.94% of the typical home’s value, vs 2.11% across New Jersey. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see newarknj.gov.
Who runs Newark’s government?
See newarknj.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Newark yet.
How many people work for Newark?
3,787 full-time and 263 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $31.8M (about $381.1M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Newark in the state legislature?
Newark 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 Newark’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 →