Photo: KForce at en.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0Rahway spent more per resident in 2022 than 80% of similar cities
Rahway’s city government spent $51.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,717 per resident. Water and other utilities ($5 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Rahway is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,717 per resident in 2022: more than 80% of them
Rahway’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,717 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 $1,267, and the middle half spent $1,009–$1,600. Rahway spent more than 80% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($8.2 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; Rahway itself left out).
About $1,717 per resident a year, or $4.70 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 18%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Rahway reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $9,916 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 2.57% 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 Rahway’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 Rahway’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Rahway →
Who’s in charge in Rahway
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Rahway’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofrahway.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 116 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 (29,832).
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.
Rahway City School District
Rahway’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $22,758 per pupil, $13,400 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 Rahway.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofrahway.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 Rahway compares with the towns next door
Rahway spent $1,717 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,465 to $1,689. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Woodbridge Township | $1,465 | $9,775 |
| Linden | $1,689 | $10,000+ |
| Clark Township | estimate | $10,000+ |
| Rahway | $1,717 | $9,916 |
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 Rahway’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Rahway’s government
How much does Rahway spend per resident?
About $1,717 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 $1,717 was more than 80% of 15 New Jersey cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Rahway?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $9,916 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 2.57% of the typical home’s value, vs 2.11% across New Jersey. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofrahway.com.
Who runs Rahway’s government?
See cityofrahway.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Rahway yet.
How many people work for Rahway?
257 full-time and 90 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $2.1M (about $25.3M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Rahway in the state legislature?
State Senate District 22 (Nick Scutari) and General Assembly District 22 (Jim Kennedy and Linda Carter). The General Assembly district also covers nine other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Rahway’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 →