Fact Brief: Is Princeton’s municipal support for its library “the highest in New Jersey” and “unmatched nationally”?
A quick online search shows that the Municipality of Princeton’s proposed $4.98 million in funding for its library for 2026, which officials say is $600 per household, is not the highest in New Jersey on a per-household basis. It is also not “unmatched in the nation.”
This year, Millburn Township in Essex County is slated to contribute $4.764 million to its library for 2026, an increase of $551,000 over last year. Millburn has between 20,000 and 22,000 residents and 7,156 households, according to recent census data. That’s $665.74 per household. Rounding up the number of households to 7,500, the figure is still $635 per household.
Other states
Westport, Connecticut, has about 27,000 to 28,000 residents and 9,400 to 10,000 households. The 2025-2026 fiscal year budget for the library was $6.3 million and covered 75-78% of the library’s budget. That’s $630 per household for 10,000 households.
The Bloomfield Township Public Library in Michigan serves 44,000 residents and an upper estimate of 16,000 households. The total library budget is $11.3 million, with $10.2 million coming from taxes. That’s $637.50 per household.
Editor’s note: If you figure in renters and others who do not pay property taxes directly, the math changes and the per household or per person cost decreases. On a population basis, the $4.98 million in funding for Princeton would be $160-166 per person bsaed on an estimated population of 30,000-31,000. For Millburn, the $4.76 million would be $216-238 per person based on an estimated population of 20,000-22,000 people.
We did not look at larger municipalities in New Jersey, which spend more than Princeton. For example Woodbridge is slated to contribute $5.6 million to its library this year, according to budget documents.
We did not do a comprehensive search on library budgets and funding. We did a quick online search of a few communities similar to Princeton in terms of wealth and size just to test the highest and unmatched claims.
Krystal Knapp is the founding editor of Planet Princeton. Follow her on Twitter @krystalknapp. She can be reached via email at editor AT planetprinceton.com. Send all letters to the editor and press releases to that email address.