Photo: Ramose350 at English Wikipedia · Public domainPassaic spent more per resident in 2022 than 75% of similar cities
Passaic’s city government spent $133.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,929 per resident.
What stands out about how Passaic is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$2,035 per resident in 2022: more than 75% of them
Passaic’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,035 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 24 New Jersey cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,438, and the middle half spent $1,074–$1,956. Passaic spent more than 75% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($5.9 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 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Passaic itself left out).
About $1,929 per resident a year, or $5.28 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: housing & development, at 20%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is down 5% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Passaic 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: $2,035 · 2024: $1,929.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
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 Passaic’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 Passaic’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Passaic →
Who’s in charge in Passaic
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Passaic’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofpassaic.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 129 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 2024 finance file (69,128).
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.
Passaic City School District
Passaic’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $29,834 per pupil, $17,180 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 Passaic.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofpassaic.com ↗
- 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 Passaic compares with the towns next door
Passaic spent $2,035 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,015 to $1,147. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Garfield | $1,015 | $9,308 |
| Clifton | $1,147 | $10,000+ |
| Wallington | estimate | $10,000+ |
| Rutherford | estimate | $10,000+ |
| Passaic | $2,035 | $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 Passaic’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Passaic’s government
How much does Passaic spend per resident?
About $1,929 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $2,035 was more than 75% of 24 New Jersey cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools.
Who runs Passaic’s government?
See cityofpassaic.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Passaic yet.
How many people work for Passaic?
534 full-time and 159 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $3.6M (about $43.7M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Passaic in the state legislature?
State Senate District 36 (Paul Sarlo) and General Assembly District 36 (Clinton Calabrese and Gary Schaer). The General Assembly district also covers 11 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Passaic’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 →