Photo: Lenier81 · CC BY-SA 4.0Ridgefield spent more per resident in 2022 than 82% of similar cities
Ridgefield’s borough government spent $17 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,524 per resident.
What stands out about how Ridgefield is run
Read from the borough’s budget and official records.
$1,524 per resident in 2022: more than 82% of them
Ridgefield’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,524 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 45 New Jersey cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,189, and the middle half spent $1,010–$1,440. Ridgefield spent more than 82% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($2.7 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 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Ridgefield itself left out).
About $1,524 per resident a year, or $4.18 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 28%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Revenue is well above spending. That usually means Ridgefield collects property taxes for the school district and county and passes them on, so only its own spending is counted.
No trend yet
Ridgefield reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
full-time in March 2025, up from 142 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
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 Ridgefield’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 Ridgefield’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Ridgefield →
Who’s in charge in Ridgefield
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Ridgefield’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The borough posts agendas and minutes on ridgefieldnj.gov ↗.
One full-time borough employee for every 77 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 2022 finance file (11,125).
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.
Ridgefield Borough School District
Ridgefield’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $35,332 per pupil, $19,721 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 Ridgefield.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: ridgefieldnj.gov ↗
- 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 Ridgefield compares with the towns next door
Ridgefield spent $1,524 per resident in 2022; the 6 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $611 to $3,557. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Little Ferry | $611 | $10,000+ |
| Cliffside Park | $1,366 | $10,000+ |
| Fairview | $1,440 | $10,000+ |
| Ridgefield Park | $1,790 | $10,000+ |
| North Bergen Township | $2,163 | $8,629 |
| Carlstadt | $3,557 | $8,716 |
| Palisades Park | estimate | $10,000+ |
| Ridgefield | $1,524 | $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 Ridgefield’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Ridgefield’s government
How much does Ridgefield spend per resident?
About $1,524 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 $1,524 was more than 82% of 45 New Jersey cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
Who runs Ridgefield’s government?
See ridgefieldnj.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Ridgefield yet.
How many people work for Ridgefield?
144 full-time and 567 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $1.7M (about $20.4M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Ridgefield 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 Ridgefield’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 →