New Jersey Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for New Jersey, including popular demographics data like median age, number of households, household income, gender, employment and unemployment rates, occupations, religion, and more.

We are using the latest American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year survey data from the US Census Bureau, which is accurate up to 2021.

Table of Contents

Population

There is a lot of data that lets us see how many people live in New Jersey. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in New Jersey. The estimated population of New Jersey is 9,234,024 people, with a median age of 40.

We can look at the total population in New Jersey over the last 5 years to see how much it has changed.

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
9,234,024
+3.92%
+3.06%
2020
8,885,418
+0.08%
-
2019
8,878,503
 -0.04% -
2018
8,881,845
 -0.87% -
2017
8,960,161
 - -

Population of New Jersey by Race and Ethnicity

We can also look at how the population has changed over the last 5 years by each of the race/ethnicity types as defined by the US Census Bureau.

Race 2021 2017 Change
White
53.8%
56.1%
 -4.10%
Black/African American
12.5%
12.7%
 -1.57%
Native
0.1%
0.1%
 0.00%
Hispanic
20.8%
19.7%
 +5.58%
Asian
9.7%
9.4%
 +3.19%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0%
0%
 0.00%
Two Or More Races
2.4%
1.7%
 +41.18%
Other
0.6%
0.4%
 +50.00%

This data can be very important for a number of reasons, including social and economic research, planning and development, and marketing to a multi-cultural population.

Note that the Native group includes both Native American and Alaskan Native people.

Population of New Jersey by Age and Gender

The age and gender of a population is another interesting demographic statistic because it lets us track trends in the population over time. For example, we can see how the population has changed over the last 5 years by median age as a total, and also by male and female.

Year Total Male Female
2021 40 0% 38.7 +0.52% 41.3 -0.48%
2020 40 +0.25% 38.5 +0.26% 41.5 +0.24%
2019 39.9 +0.25% 38.4 +0.52% 41.4 0%
2018 39.8 +0.51% 38.2 +0.53% 41.4 +0.49%
2017 39.6 - 38 - 41.2 -

The median age of New Jersey gives you an idea of the age distribution, with half of the population being older than the median age and half being younger.

This can then be used to infer and compare against birth rates, parent ages, and more metrics to understand the population. For example, an increasing median age indicates an aging population, which can be a sign of a declining population in terms of birth rates and workforce participation.

Age 2021 2017
(Years) Male Female Male Female
0 to 9 546,598 +2.29% 527,693 +0.4% 558,743 529,480
10 to 19 589,061 +2.03% 557,442 +3.21% 600,265 574,773
20 to 29 587,756 -1.18% 560,421 +0.51% 580,701 563,040
30 to 39 574,475 +5.73% 580,530 +3.3% 607,455 599,462
40 to 49 602,483 -0.95% 627,180 -3.87% 595,822 602,625
50 to 59 638,760 +1.59% 675,165 -0.49% 648,171 671,590
60 to 69 457,973 +13.65% 514,515 +10.09% 523,207 568,262
70+ 375,215 +12.64% 544,894 +7.25% 424,947 585,481

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of New Jersey is $89,703.00.

In simple terms, the median income is the middle income of a group of people. Half of the people in the group make more than the median income, and half make less. The median income is a good indicator of the overall income of a group of people, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more.

Median Income by Age

We can also look at the median income by age to see how the median income varies by age, and how it compares to the overall median income for New Jersey.

  • Under 25
    $42,764.00
  • 25 to 44
    $97,523.00
  • 45 to 64
    $108,974.00
  • 65 and over
    $60,697.00

Average Household Income

Whenever we ask what is the average household income in New Jersey, we are actually talking about the mean household income.

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in New Jersey, and then dividing that number by the total number of households. This is a good way to get a general idea of the average income of a group of people, but it can be skewed by a very high or very low incomes.

The average household income of New Jersey is currently $124,626.00.

In terms of accurately summarizing income at a geographic level, the median income is a better metric than the average income because it isn't affected by a small number of very high or very low incomes.

If you had an area where the average income was greater than the median, it can mean that there is significant income inequality, with income being concentrated in a small number of wealthy households.

16.55% of households in New Jersey are classed as high income households (making $200,000+ per year).

Household Income Tiers

The US Census Bureau divides households into income tiers based on the median income for the area. This is a good way to compare the income of New Jersey against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    13.67%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    14.94%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    13.92%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    12.10%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    17.93%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    10.88%
  • $200,000 or more
    16.55%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in New Jersey is $46,691.00.

Per capita income is the average income of a person in a given area. It is calculated by dividing the total income of New Jersey by the total population of New Jersey.

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people in New Jersey, including people like children, the elderly, unemployed people, retired people, and more.

Education Levels

We can also look at the education levels in New Jersey to see how many people have a high school degree, a bachelor's degree, or a graduate degree.

Educational attainment is a good indicator of the overall education level of a population, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more to see how education levels affect income, unemployment rates, and more.

  • Master's degree or higher
    17.55%
  • Bachelor's degree
    37.02%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    7.59%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    35.21%
  • Less than high school diploma
    2.64%

Employment

Employment rates are all based around the total population in New Jersey that are over the age of 16.

The total population of New Jersey over the age of 16 is 7,436,293.

Of those people, a total of 66.00% are working or actively looking for work. This is called the labor force participation rate.

The participation rate is a useful market measure because it shows the relative amount of labor resources available to the economy.

The employment to total population rate in New Jersey is 61.70%.

Employment by Age

We can look at the employment rates by age to see how it compares to the overall employment rate.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
16 to 19 years 465,530 32.30% 16.60%
20 to 24 years 559,157 72.00% 11.70%
25 to 29 years 584,584 85.40% 7.10%
30 to 34 years 595,252 84.80% 5.50%
35 to 44 years 1,197,006 85.30% 4.90%
45 to 54 years 1,265,171 84.50% 5.00%
55 to 59 years 667,696 78.30% 5.10%
60 to 64 years 607,381 65.90% 5.10%
65 to 74 years 866,918 32.60% 6.20%
75 years and over 627,598 8.20% 6.00%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in New Jersey. The table below shows the rates for each of the ethnicity groups types defined by the US Census Bureau.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
White 4,788,210 64.90% 5.30%
Black or African American 977,690 65.40% 9.20%
American Indian and Alaska Native 19,173 68.60% 8.50%
Asian 724,341 68.00% 4.80%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 2,805 63.80% 3.40%
Other 503,337 70.70% 7.40%
Two or more races 420,737 69.80% 10.00%
Hispanic or Latino 1,429,415 70.20% 7.00%
Not Hispanic or Latino 4,171,196 64.20% 5.40%

Occupations

In this section we can look at the most common occupations in New Jersey as well as the gender breakdown and earnings of them.

The total population of civilian employees that are 16 years old or older in New Jersey is 4,588,902, with median earnings of $52,390.00.

Women in New Jersey earning approximately 70.00% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 4,588,902 $52,390.00
Male 2,412,912 $61,218.00
Female 2,175,990 $42,872.00

Occupations by Category

In the table below, we can break down the population and earnings even further by occupation. The list of occupation categories below will show you how many people are employed in each category and the median earnings of each profession.

Occupation Employed Earnings
Management 550,262 $100,825.00
Business and Financial 317,579 $85,931.00
Computer and Mathematical 199,574 $102,575.00
Architecture and Engineering 83,168 $92,282.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 56,075 $78,844.00
Community and Social Service 83,145 $54,001.00
Legal 68,834 $105,622.00
Educational and Library 331,279 $56,876.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 96,241 $55,610.00
Healthcare Practitioners 284,016 $75,014.00
Healthcare Support 129,441 $27,565.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 60,226 $35,460.00
Law Enforcement 50,861 $92,889.00
Food Preparation and Serving 187,699 $17,243.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 145,438 $26,327.00
Personal Care and Service 126,078 $18,976.00
Sales 452,673 $40,417.00
Office and Administrative Support 518,220 $41,084.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 6,921 $24,640.00
Construction and Extraction 198,741 $46,605.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 116,184 $55,261.00
Production 175,216 $38,804.00
Transportation and Material Moving 186,403 $38,377.00

Occupations by Gender

The table below shows the same occupations from the list above, but we have split them by male and female to see how many male and females work in each occupation, the median earnings, and the male to female ratio of earnings.

That last metric is important because it can be used to look at the gender pay gap between men and women.

Occupation Male Female
Population Earnings Population Earnings
Management 329,710 $112,089.00 220,552 $83,310.00
Business and Financial 163,902 $99,362.00 153,677 $76,043.00
Computer and Mathematical 149,689 $107,668.00 49,885 $89,077.00
Architecture and Engineering 71,543 $95,044.00 11,625 $78,592.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 27,009 $86,688.00 29,066 $72,862.00
Community and Social Service 25,738 $51,312.00 57,407 $55,185.00
Legal 34,591 $145,020.00 34,243 $78,348.00
Educational and Library 84,334 $66,209.00 246,945 $53,365.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 48,580 $64,297.00 47,661 $47,323.00
Healthcare Practitioners 75,908 $96,428.00 208,108 $70,549.00
Healthcare Support 18,970 $32,662.00 110,471 $26,942.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 45,081 $40,949.00 15,145 $25,005.00
Law Enforcement 44,101 $96,978.00 6,760 $71,276.00
Food Preparation and Serving 91,990 $20,883.00 95,709 $15,025.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 87,545 $31,838.00 57,893 $20,182.00
Personal Care and Service 31,799 $25,201.00 94,279 $17,339.00
Sales 241,092 $56,813.00 211,581 $25,750.00
Office and Administrative Support 136,787 $45,003.00 381,433 $39,850.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 4,597 $30,180.00 2,324 $20,435.00
Construction and Extraction 194,317 $46,721.00 4,424 $42,864.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 112,944 $55,488.00 3,240 $41,212.00
Production 117,840 $45,831.00 57,376 $27,881.00
Transportation and Material Moving 160,475 $41,090.00 25,928 $27,513.00

Households and Family Size

A household defined bu the US Census Bureau is a group of people who occupy a housing unit. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, group of rooms, or single room occupied as separate living quarters.

There are currently 3,397,156 households in New Jersey, with an average household size of 2.66 people.

A family is defined as a group of two or more people related by birth, marriage, or adoption who live together in the same household.

There are 2,326,941 families in New Jersey with an average family size of 3.24 people.

Households by Marital Status

The four categories of household by marital status are:

  • Married-couple family
  • Male householder with no spouse present
  • Female household with no spouse present
  • Nonfamily household

The table below shows the total number of households and families, with the average sizes of each.

Married Male Female Nonfamily
Total Households 1,723,295 167,378 436,268 1,070,215
Average Household Size 3.34 3.24 3.31 1.23
Total Families 1,723,295 167,378 436,268 0
Average Household Size 3.31 2.86 3.11 0

Poverty

Of the 2,326,941 families in New Jersey, 7.00% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in New Jersey:

Household Size Poverty Threshold
1 Person $14,580.00
2 People $19,720.00
3 People $24,860.00
4 People $30,000.00
5 People $35,140.00
6 People $40,280.00
7 People $45,420.00
8 People $50,560.00

Housing

There are 3,738,342 housing units in New Jersey.

The table below shows the split between occupied and vacant units:

Total Percentage
Occupied 3,397,156 90.87%
Vacant 341,186 9.13%

31.91% of the total 3,738,342 housing units in New Jersey are rental units. This is approximately 1,193,004 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 2,168,148 are occupied by the owner - or 58.00% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in New Jersey is $1,436.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in New Jersey that fall into a particular rent range. These can then be used to compare with other areas, or to see how they have changed over time.

  • No rent paid
    36,004
  • Less than $500
    88,542
  • $500 to $999
    145,677
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    418,150
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    304,015
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    131,245
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    52,911
  • $3,000 or more
    52,464

Property Value

The median value of a property in New Jersey is $355,700.00.

Just like with rental rates, we can look at the number of properties in New Jersey that fall into a particular value range.

  • Less than $50,000
    52,545
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    57,723
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    101,153
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    181,997
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    439,413
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    758,769
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    491,480
  • $1,000,000 or more
    85,068

Property Age

We can also look at the age of properties in New Jersey. The chart below shows the number of properties in New Jersey that fall into a particular age range.

  • 1939 or earlier
    671,709
  • 1940 to 1949
    259,906
  • 1950 to 1959
    543,189
  • 1960 to 1969
    493,752
  • 1970 to 1979
    465,283
  • 1980 to 1989
    440,943
  • 1990 to 1999
    354,324
  • 2000 to 2009
    331,583
  • 2010 to 2013
    174,297
  • 2014 or later
    3,356

Vehicles per Household

The number of vehicles available per household can be a good indicator of the level of affluence in an area. The chart below shows the number of households in New Jersey that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    384,372
  • 1 vehicle available
    1,157,958
  • 2 vehicles available
    1,215,528
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    639,298

Commuting to Work

In this section, we can also look at how people in New Jersey get to work. The chart below shows the number of people in New Jersey that commute to work in a particular way.

31.5 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in New Jersey.

These commute times can be compared to other date like income and educational levels to see how they relate to each other and if there are any trends in the data that might suggest a correlation.

  • Less than 5 minutes
    84,532
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    306,828
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    456,026
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    513,465
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    516,392
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    259,178
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    549,032
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    129,799
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    190,745
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    404,353
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    403,205
  • 90 or more minutes
    199,007

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for New Jersey in this article! Hopefully you have found it very useful in your research of the area.

If you use any of the data found on this page, please consider linking back to USPopulation.org as the source and if you have any feedback or data requests, click here to contact us.

Counties in New Jersey

We have data for 21 counties in New Jersey. Click on a county below to see more information about the demographics of that county, with links to cities and towns within that county.

Zip Codes in New Jersey

If you want to find out more about the population and demographics of specific zip codes in New Jersey, click on the links below.