Bergen County, New Jersey Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for Bergen County, 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 Bergen County, New Jersey. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in Bergen County, New Jersey. The estimated population of Bergen County, New Jersey is 952,979 people, with a median age of 41.9.

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

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
952,979
+2.33%
+1.61%
2020
931,275
+0.1%
-
2019
930,390
+0.04%
-
2018
929,999
 -0.84% -
2017
937,920
 - -

Population of Bergen County, 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
54.5%
57.8%
 -5.71%
Black/African American
5.3%
5.3%
 0.00%
Native
0.1%
0.1%
 0.00%
Hispanic
21%
18.9%
 +11.11%
Asian
16.5%
16.2%
 +1.85%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0%
0%
 0.00%
Two Or More Races
2.1%
1.5%
 +40.00%
Other
0.5%
0.2%
 +150.00%

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 Bergen County, 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 41.9 0% 40.6 +0.5% 43 -0.69%
2020 41.9 0% 40.4 0% 43.3 0%
2019 41.9 +0.24% 40.4 +0.5% 43.3 +0.23%
2018 41.8 +0.48% 40.2 +0.25% 43.2 +0.23%
2017 41.6 - 40.1 - 43.1 -

The median age of Bergen County, 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 53,637 -2.55% 51,919 -1.83% 52,278 50,969
10 to 19 60,723 +3.41% 57,579 +2.68% 62,724 59,066
20 to 29 53,781 +0.36% 52,222 +1.44% 53,977 52,968
30 to 39 58,580 +3.2% 61,219 -1.02% 60,448 60,579
40 to 49 64,657 -1.99% 68,625 -3.71% 63,324 66,051
50 to 59 68,542 +2.72% 74,764 -2.25% 70,353 73,084
60 to 69 50,544 +8.21% 54,832 +7.46% 54,787 59,024
70+ 43,740 +9.43% 62,556 +4.41% 47,995 65,352

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of Bergen County, New Jersey is $109,497.00.

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 Bergen County.

  • Under 25
    $61,856.00
  • 25 to 44
    $119,011.00
  • 45 to 64
    $130,539.00
  • 65 and over
    $70,695.00

Average Household Income

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

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in Bergen County, 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 Bergen County, New Jersey is currently $150,403.00.

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.

22.94% of households in Bergen County 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 Bergen County against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    10.59%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    12.57%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    11.99%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    10.55%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    18.61%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    12.76%
  • $200,000 or more
    22.94%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in Bergen County is $55,710.00.

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

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people in Bergen County, 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 Bergen County 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
    20.12%
  • Bachelor's degree
    44.07%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    5.81%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    27.93%
  • Less than high school diploma
    2.07%

Employment

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

The total population of Bergen County over the age of 16 is 775,305.

Of those people, a total of 66.80% 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 Bergen County is 63.30%.

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 47,363 26.00% 14.20%
20 to 24 years 54,849 68.40% 10.40%
25 to 29 years 52,096 86.90% 5.90%
30 to 34 years 56,287 86.30% 5.70%
35 to 44 years 127,121 85.60% 4.20%
45 to 54 years 137,551 86.10% 4.30%
55 to 59 years 72,880 81.60% 3.60%
60 to 64 years 63,472 71.10% 4.50%
65 to 74 years 92,047 38.70% 5.30%
75 years and over 71,639 9.80% 5.60%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in Bergen County. 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 518,582 65.20% 5.10%
Black or African American 45,346 71.70% 6.10%
American Indian and Alaska Native 1,712 63.40% 4.50%
Asian 129,672 68.10% 4.60%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 251 78.90% 2.90%
Other 33,960 75.10% 5.60%
Two or more races 45,782 70.30% 8.00%
Hispanic or Latino 154,381 72.90% 5.40%
Not Hispanic or Latino 434,271 63.90% 5.20%

Occupations

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

The total population of civilian employees that are 16 years old or older in Bergen County is 490,627, with median earnings of $61,102.00.

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

Population Earnings
Total 490,627 $61,102.00
Male 259,761 $72,467.00
Female 230,866 $50,739.00

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 70,651 $106,608.00
Business and Financial 40,862 $94,797.00
Computer and Mathematical 21,171 $105,928.00
Architecture and Engineering 9,058 $88,675.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 5,284 $86,168.00
Community and Social Service 8,509 $55,220.00
Legal 8,661 $120,114.00
Educational and Library 37,188 $57,360.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 13,789 $64,457.00
Healthcare Practitioners 36,296 $88,118.00
Healthcare Support 10,911 $30,775.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 4,927 $24,272.00
Law Enforcement 4,643 $106,482.00
Food Preparation and Serving 14,681 $19,489.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 11,225 $30,100.00
Personal Care and Service 14,360 $19,045.00
Sales 51,127 $50,809.00
Office and Administrative Support 55,628 $43,710.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 281 $37,193.00
Construction and Extraction 16,778 $53,588.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 10,327 $56,451.00
Production 15,299 $40,216.00
Transportation and Material Moving 16,343 $38,839.00

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 43,624 $121,638.00 27,027 $84,197.00
Business and Financial 21,580 $108,573.00 19,282 $82,361.00
Computer and Mathematical 16,441 $110,318.00 4,730 $95,458.00
Architecture and Engineering 7,953 $91,077.00 1,105 $78,488.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 2,555 $93,242.00 2,729 $81,559.00
Community and Social Service 2,980 $51,685.00 5,529 $55,823.00
Legal 5,151 $142,227.00 3,510 $98,019.00
Educational and Library 8,630 $73,512.00 28,558 $52,616.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 7,543 $75,115.00 6,246 $54,118.00
Healthcare Practitioners 11,763 $123,795.00 24,533 $82,618.00
Healthcare Support 1,600 $34,967.00 9,311 $30,123.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 3,617 $34,283.00 1,310 $13,855.00
Law Enforcement 4,414 $105,997.00 229 $116,211.00
Food Preparation and Serving 7,390 $24,016.00 7,291 $14,942.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 7,232 $36,888.00 3,993 $20,331.00
Personal Care and Service 3,723 $27,065.00 10,637 $16,732.00
Sales 28,205 $65,688.00 22,922 $33,241.00
Office and Administrative Support 14,643 $48,447.00 40,985 $42,545.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 237 $37,356.00 44 $0.00
Construction and Extraction 16,395 $53,968.00 383 $12,204.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 10,031 $56,668.00 296 $53,488.00
Production 9,872 $48,161.00 5,427 $31,752.00
Transportation and Material Moving 14,950 $39,492.00 1,393 $31,895.00

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 348,674 households in Bergen County, with an average household size of 2.7 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 250,970 families in Bergen County with an average family size of 3.22 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 196,054 15,238 39,678 97,704
Average Household Size 3.34 3.06 3.12 1.2
Total Families 196,054 15,238 39,678 0
Average Household Size 3.32 2.68 2.95 0

Poverty

Of the 250,970 families in Bergen County, 5.00% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in Bergen County:

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 365,609 housing units in Bergen County, New Jersey.

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

Total Percentage
Occupied 348,674 95.37%
Vacant 16,935 4.63%

32.41% of the total 365,609 housing units in Bergen County are rental units. This is approximately 118,477 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 226,303 are occupied by the owner - or 61.90% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in Bergen County is $1,637.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in Bergen County 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
    3,894
  • Less than $500
    5,657
  • $500 to $999
    7,592
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    36,169
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    35,777
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    15,346
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    8,297
  • $3,000 or more
    9,639

Property Value

The median value of a property in Bergen County is $489,600.00.

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

  • Less than $50,000
    3,537
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    2,315
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    3,252
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    4,075
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    16,972
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    87,865
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    88,398
  • $1,000,000 or more
    19,889

Property Age

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

  • 1939 or earlier
    72,819
  • 1940 to 1949
    41,079
  • 1950 to 1959
    78,926
  • 1960 to 1969
    51,859
  • 1970 to 1979
    33,548
  • 1980 to 1989
    29,866
  • 1990 to 1999
    21,391
  • 2000 to 2009
    20,517
  • 2010 to 2013
    15,280
  • 2014 or later
    324

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 Bergen County that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    27,855
  • 1 vehicle available
    120,750
  • 2 vehicles available
    135,473
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    64,596

Commuting to Work

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

32.4 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in Bergen County.

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
    9,206
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    31,233
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    46,817
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    50,844
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    54,541
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    28,033
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    53,486
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    10,621
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    18,592
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    40,722
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    59,297
  • 90 or more minutes
    19,822

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for Bergen County, 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.

Places in Bergen County, New Jersey

We have data for 9 places in Bergen County, New Jersey. Click on a place below to see more information about the demographics of that place.