NJ
New Jersey
Population 9,343,809
6 Sources
Updated September 10, 2026
9.3M
Population
334,922,499 U.S.
$103,556
Median Income
$80,734 national
$846B
GDP (current $), change real
4.6%
Unemployment
4.0% national
County Map
Click a county to view its economic profile
Demographics & Population
Census Bureau American Community Survey 2020-2024 · 5-Year Estimates
Household Income
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
Median Household
$103,556
Per Capita
$54,253
Mean Household
$143,363
Poverty Rate
9.7%
Age & Race / Ethnicity
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Table B01001, B02001, B03003
Cohorts
Under 18 · 21.8%
18-34 · 21.3%
35-54 · 26.2%
55-64 · 13.5%
65+ · 17.2%
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnic category and overlaps with the race categories above.
Educational Attainment
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · Population 25+
90.7%
High School+
National: 89.6%
+1.1 pts
43.6%
Bachelor's+
National: 35.7%
+7.9 pts
17.6%
Graduate+
National: 14.1%
+3.5 pts
Employment Overview
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
9,343,809
Population
5,003,179
Labor Force
Employed
4,687,305
Unemployment Rate BLS LAUS 2024 annual
4.6%
2025 is not shown for New Jersey: a state annual average needs all 12 months and the Bureau of Labor Statistics has published 11. County pages draw on the separate annual series and may show 2025.
Mean Commute 4 min above national avg
30.5 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
16.8%
Labor Force and Employed are ACS 5-Year survey estimates; the Unemployment Rate above comes from BLS LAUS, a separate monthly survey with its own methodology. The two won't reconcile by subtracting one from the other.
New Jersey's median household income sits 28% above the national median. At 9.7%, its poverty rate runs 2.8 pts below the ~12.5% national level, relevant for federal funding eligibility narratives. Bachelor's-or-higher attainment of 43.6% exceeds the national average of 35.7%.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates (released December 2025). Figures reflect the most recent Census release, older news reports may cite prior vintages.
Key Takeaways
- Income premium: Households earn well above the national median, supporting strong consumer markets statewide.
- Talent advantage: Bachelor's-or-higher attainment exceeds the national average by 7.9 pts, supports knowledge-economy positioning.
Economy & Industry
Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW · Bureau of Economic Analysis
$846B
Gross Domestic Product · 2024
Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis · CAGDP2 Regional GDP
108.805
Cost of Living - Above Avg
Key Takeaways
- Largest private-sector industry: Health Care and Social Assistance employs 686,222 workers (22% of the tracked sectors), at an average wage of $70,385. Every industry figure on this page is private sector; government employs a further 578,055 and is counted separately.
- Economic scale: State GDP of $846B (2024).
- Wage stratification: Finance and Insurance averages $181,152 while Accommodation and Food Services averages $33,223, a 5.5x spread in the same economy, with implications for workforce development and talent strategy.
Source: BLS QCEW + BEA Regional GDP (CAGDP2).
Industry Concentration
Location Quotient measures regional specialization vs. national average. LQ > 1.0 = concentrated.
Attraction Opportunities - Below-Average Industries
LQ < 0.5, below-average employment, screened against industrial power cost. Source: BLS QCEW · 3-digit NAICS sub-sector
0.01x
Forestry and Logging
14 employed
0.08x
Animal Production and Aquaculture
630 employed
0.11x
Transportation Equipment Manufacturing
5,493 employed
0.24x
Mining (except Oil and Gas)
1,236 employed
0.25x
Support Activities for Agriculture and Forestry
2,674 employed
0.26x
Wood Product Manufacturing
2,863 employed
0.34x
Primary Metal Manufacturing
3,424 employed
Energy-intensive sector in a state where industrial electricity costs 1.61x the national average.
0.37x
Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar
1,851 employed
Screened on industrial power cost only.
Industrial electricity in New Jersey costs 13.9¢/kWh against 8.62¢/kWh nationally (2025).
Land area and freight access are not assessed at state level.
Source: EIA.
Key Takeaways
- Top specialization: Chemical Manufacturing concentrates at 1.93x the national norm.
- Cluster depth: 4 sub-sectors register LQ ≥ 1.5, suggesting an interconnected industrial base across the state.
- Attraction whitespace: 8 sub-sectors register LQ < 0.5, candidates for diversification or recruitment.
Source: BLS QCEW sub-sector Location Quotients.
Housing & Affordability
Census ACS · HUD Fair Market Rents FY2026
Housing Overview
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates · Tables B25001, B25077, B25064
$454,400
Median Home Value vs 2019
$1,720
Rent/Mo
63.8%
Owner-Occ
7.5%
Vacancy
4.4x
Home Value to Income Ratio
vs. ~4.1x national average
HUD Fair Market Rents (Statewide)
Renter-household-weighted average across 21 Fair Market Rent areas · Source: HUD · Fair Market Rents FY2026 · Affordability threshold and renter cost burden from Census ACS B25119, B25070
Studio
$1,747/mo$1,280 to $2,407
1 Bedroom
$1,918/mo$1,366 to $2,458
2 Bedroom
$2,282/mo$1,673 to $2,763
3 Bedroom
$2,821/mo$2,170 to $3,367
4 Bedroom
$3,260/mo$2,311 to $3,955
30% of monthly median renter household income (~$1,567/mo, from a renter median of $62,674) · rents above this line are typically considered cost-burdened.
Measured: 49.1% of renter households already pay 30% or more of income on rent, and 25.5% pay 50% or more.
Key Takeaways
- In line with national: Home value to income ratio of 4.4x sits near the ~4.1x national average; affordability is neither a clear advantage nor a recruitment friction.
- Rent affordability gap: None of the 5 HUD Fair Market Rent bedroom sizes sit below what a household on the median renter income of $62,674 can pay without cost burden (~$1,567/mo), and 49.1% of renter households are already cost-burdened, 25.5% severely so.
Source: Census ACS housing tables.
Workforce Pipeline
Labor force readiness, commuting, and workforce composition
Labor Market Overview
Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Tables B01001, B23025, B08303, B08301
5,700,406
Working Age (18-64) vs 2019
vs 2019
Mean Commute 4 min above national avg
30.5 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
16.8%
Education & Talent Pipeline
Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · College Scorecard
Bachelor's+
43.6%
HS Diploma+
90.7%
6 Largest Institutions by Credentials Awarded
Degrees, certificates, and other credentials awarded last academic year (College Scorecard).
13,105/yr
5,800/yr
5,465/yr
3,712/yr
3,249/yr
2,827/yr
Aging Workforce
Source: Census Bureau ACS · Derived from age & employment tables
22.2%
55-64 of working-age population (18-64)
Same cohort is 13.5% of total population, the basis used in the Demographics cohort chart.
Elevated retirement risk, above the 20% threshold. Succession planning recommended.
Workforce by Occupation
Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table C24010 · Civilian employed population 16+
Management / Professional
47.5%
Service
14.7%
Sales & Office
19.9%
Construction / Maint.
6.7%
Production / Transport
11.2%
Bars are drawn on a 0% to 60% axis, so bar length is proportional to actual share. Labels give each group's share of 4,687,305 employed workers.
Key Takeaways
- Succession risk is real: 22.2% of working-age residents are 55-64. Plan for retirements over the next decade and pair attraction strategy with talent retention.
- Healthy participation: 68.6% of the population aged 18+ is in the labor force, reflecting a steady, available workforce statewide.
Source: ACS workforce data.
County Profiles
21 counties in New Jersey
Atlantic County
FIPS 34001
Bergen County
FIPS 34003
Burlington County
FIPS 34005
Camden County
FIPS 34007
Cape May County
FIPS 34009
Cumberland County
FIPS 34011
Essex County
FIPS 34013
Gloucester County
FIPS 34015
Hudson County
FIPS 34017
Hunterdon County
FIPS 34019
Mercer County
FIPS 34021
Middlesex County
FIPS 34023
Monmouth County
FIPS 34025
Morris County
FIPS 34027
Ocean County
FIPS 34029
Passaic County
FIPS 34031
Salem County
FIPS 34033
Somerset County
FIPS 34035
Sussex County
FIPS 34037
Union County
FIPS 34039
Warren County
FIPS 34041
AI Insights
Sample output. Pulse AI analysis draws on 6 federal data sources.
Sample AI Insight
New Jersey shows emerging potential for chemical manufacturing attraction, with a 1.93x concentration and 47,966 jobs in this sub-sector. Near-term succession risk is elevated, with 22.2% of the working-age population within 10 years of retirement age.
Cluster depth across chemical manufacturing, fishing, hunting and trapping, and merchant wholesalers, nondurable goods creates supply-chain attraction leverage, a structural advantage for industrial recruitment.
Industry Shift Analysis
Manufacturing Automation Risk
High
Healthcare Growth Forecast
+4.2% CAGR
Remote Work Migration
67/100
Prospect Match Scores
Advanced Manufacturing
92/100
Life Sciences
84/100
Data Centers
71/100
Illustrative example
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Data Sources
Updated from official federal government data.
Census ACS 5-Year2024
BLS QCEW2025
BEA Regional GDP2024
Census CBP2024
HUD Fair Market RentsFY2026
USAspending.govFY2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Key economic and demographic figures for New Jersey, from federal data sources.
What is the population of New Jersey?
9,343,809 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).
What is the median household income in New Jersey?
$103,556 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in New Jersey?
4.6% (2024 annual average, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS).
What is the GDP of New Jersey?
$846B (BEA CAGDP2 (Regional)).
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