Colorado Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) vs New Jersey Public Employees Retirement System (PERS)
Side-by-side pension health comparison from DOL and public plan data
Colorado Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) (C) and New Jersey Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) (C) are close on the LakeQuality rubric. Funding ratios sit at 65% and 52% respectively — within a few points of each other.
With grades this close, the comparison turns on plan-specific factors: status (active vs frozen), participant maturity, sponsor financial health, and multi-year trajectory rather than the headline composite.
Verdict
Colorado Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 61/100 (C) compared to New Jersey Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) at 54/100 (C). Funding ratios differ by 12.5 percentage points (64.8% vs 52.3%). Colorado Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) covers 625,000 participants.
| Metric | Colorado Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) | New Jersey Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) |
|---|---|---|
| Health Score Composite of funding ratio, trend, and PBGC risk | 61/100 (C)* | 54/100 (C) |
| Funding Ratio Assets as % of liabilities (100%+ is fully funded) | 64.8%* | 52.3% |
| Total Assets | $58.0B | $34.0B |
| Total Liabilities | $89.5B | $65.0B* |
| Unfunded Liability | $31.5B | $31.0B* |
| Participants | 625,000 | 425,000 |
| 1-Year Investment Return | 5.5%* | 5.1% |
| Plan Type | public | public |
| PBGC Risk Level | high | high |
| Sponsor | State of Colorado | State of New Jersey |
Colorado Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 61/100 (C) compared to New Jersey Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) at 54/100 (C). Funding ratios differ by 12.5 percentage points (64.8% vs 52.3%). Colorado Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) covers 625,000 participants.