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CITY

Elizabeth

New Jersey · 141,675 residents (2025 est.) · 12.3 sq mi
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Part of the New York metro area
The short version

Elizabeth is home to 137,302 people in New Jersey. 26% of homes are owner-occupied. The foreign-born share is 52%. 15% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 36% national rate. Density works out to 11,146 people per square mile. That trails the New Jersey median by roughly 36%.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 35.8
US median: 38.9
Less educated
15% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 60%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
137,302
+14%since 2000
from 120,568 in 2000
141,675 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
11,146 / sq mi
+11%since 2009
from 10,074 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
35.8
+10%since 2000
from 32.6 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
12.3 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
107K115K124K132K140K19902000201020202024Elizabeth
2024137K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 57.4%(10,225)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 97%(9,613)
US avg: 6%
10 to 146.9%(9,438)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 197.2%(9,898)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 247.2%(9,820)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3413.1%(17,962)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4415%(20,589)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5413.2%(18,173)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6411.1%(15,281)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 747.3%(10,024)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 843.4%(4,608)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.2%(1,671)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$66,555
+4%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $35,175 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$28,969
+92%since 2000
from $15,114 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
44.5%
+20.0 ptssince 2009
from 24.5% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
15.7%
−2.1 ptssince 2000
from 17.8% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.439
+4%since 2010
from 0.421 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Finance & insurance15.8%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical15.5%
US avg: 5.1%
Information10.7%
US avg: 10.8%
Wholesale trade10.3%
US avg: 6.9%
Retail trade9.9%
US avg: 9.9%
Transportation & warehousing4.2%
US avg: 2.2%
Other services3%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration2.1%
US avg: 4.8%
Arts, entertainment, food0.7%
US avg: 1.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.3%
US avg: 1.6%
Education & health services0.3%
US avg: 0.9%
Construction0.3%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$449,300
+60%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $154,600 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,523
+23%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $681 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
25.6%
−4.2 ptssince 2000
from 29.7% in 2000
74.4% rent
Vacancy rate
5.8%
−4.2 ptssince 2009
from 10.0% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.95 people
−2%since 2009
from 3.00 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
42.2%
−14.5 ptssince 2009
from 56.7% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
51.7%
+1.6 ptssince 2009
from 50.1% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
6.8
−20%since 2009
from 8.5 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
35
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic26.8%(32,338)
Black18.5%(22,329)
Hispanic / Latino49.5%(59,627)
Asian2.3%(2,745)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic12.1%(16,552)
Black14.6%(20,002)
Hispanic / Latino67.4%(92,543)
Asian1.7%(2,366)
Other4.3%(5,839)
Diversity Score
63
−16%since 2009
from 75 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
South American25.5%(35,020)
Central American14.2%(19,430)
Colombian11.6%(15,878)
Dominican10.9%(14,975)
Salvadoran8.8%(12,122)
Ecuadorian7.7%(10,564)
Puerto Rican7%(9,552)
Cuban4.6%(6,339)
Peruvian3.2%(4,378)
Honduran3.2%(4,332)
Mexican2.8%(3,876)
Uruguayan1.5%(2,052)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Guatemalan1.2%(1,693)
Venezuelan0.8%(1,118)
Costa Rican0.6%(761)
Argentine0.4%(551)
Spaniard0.4%(525)
Nicaraguan0.3%(460)
Chilean0.3%(375)
Bolivian0%(55)
Asian origin
Asian Indian0.4%(596)
Kazakh0.4%(550)
Filipino0.2%(282)
Chinese0.2%(268)
Pakistani0.1%(176)
Bangladeshi0.1%(137)
Sri Lankan0.1%(128)
Korean0.1%(114)
Japanese0.1%(106)
Pacific Islander origin
Ancestry
West Indian3.7%(5,142)
Portuguese3.4%(4,683)
Haitian2.4%(3,301)
Brazilian2.2%(3,060)
Italian2.2%(3,026)
Arab1.4%(1,925)
American1.3%(1,761)
Irish1.2%(1,600)
Jamaican0.9%(1,266)
Polish0.8%(1,134)
German0.8%(1,046)
+ 37 more ancestry groups with data
Egyptian0.7%(903)
Ghanaian0.6%(806)
Syrian0.4%(551)
Moroccan0.3%(420)
Barbadian0.3%(350)
English0.2%(237)
Nigerian0.2%(235)
Ukrainian0.1%(200)
Slovak0.1%(179)
Hungarian0.1%(173)
Scottish0.1%(172)
Russian0.1%(143)
Guyanese0.1%(125)
Romanian0.1%(113)
Greek0.1%(106)
Armenian0.1%(104)
Dutch0.1%(101)
British0.1%(88)
Cape Verdean0.1%(83)
Welsh0.1%(83)
French0.1%(76)
Iranian0%(59)
Danish0%(52)
Swedish0%(35)
Kenyan0%(33)
Norwegian0%(26)
Lebanese0%(23)
Turkish0%(20)
Austrian0%(17)
Jordanian0%(15)
Belgian0%(12)
Czech0%(11)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
14.6%
+2.4 ptssince 2000
from 12.1% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
74.2%
+12.4 ptssince 2000
from 61.7% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
4.4%
+0.2 ptssince 2000
from 4.2% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
26.7 min
+38%since 2000
from 19.3 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
57.9%
+4.8 ptssince 2009
from 53.2% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
17.1%
+3.9 ptssince 2009
from 13.1% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
11.0%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 10.4% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
6.3%
+4.5 ptssince 2009
from 1.8% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
4.7%
−1.8 ptssince 2009
from 6.5% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.4%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.3% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
20.6%
−5.1 ptssince 2009
from 25.7% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
7.7%
−3.2 ptssince 2011
from 10.9% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
67.6%
−2.2 ptssince 2011
from 69.9% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
73.5%
−0.7 ptssince 2020
from 74.2% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
9.6%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 9.6% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
19.3%
+1.5 ptssince 2009
from 17.7% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
50.1%
+0.7 ptssince 2009
from 49.4% in 2009
Female
49.9%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 50.6% in 2009
Foreign born
51.6%
+6.6 ptssince 2009
from 45.0% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
1.4%
−1.3 ptssince 2009
from 2.7% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
10.7%
+1.8 ptssince 2012
from 8.9% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
24.2%
−3.8 ptssince 2013
from 28.0% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
89.0%
+18.1 ptssince 2017
from 70.9% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
93.1%
+7.3 ptssince 2020
from 85.8% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
91.8%
+2.4 ptssince 2020
from 89.4% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
22.9%
−2.2 ptssince 2016
from 25.1% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
61.9%
+1.2 ptssince 2016
from 60.7% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married48.7%(26,028)
Married41.1%(22,012)
Widowed2.6%(1,365)
Divorced7.6%(4,092)
Women 15+
Never married44.9%(24,459)
Married38.8%(21,156)
Widowed6%(3,289)
Divorced10.3%(5,625)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
24.2%
−3.8 ptssince 2013
from 28.0% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
34.0%
−3.4 ptssince 2020
from 37.4% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
6.2%
−0.4 ptssince 2020
from 6.6% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
12.1%
+0.1 ptssince 2020
from 12.0% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
33.5%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 33.8% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
0.5%
−0.2 ptssince 2020
from 0.7% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
39.4%
−3.7 ptssince 2020
from 43.1% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
41.2%
−0.2 ptssince 2020
from 41.4% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)26.4%(379)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)17.6%(253)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era29.2%(420)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War9.6%(138)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II2.6%(38)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 1,437 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
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Frequently asked

How many people live in Elizabeth, New Jersey?

Elizabeth, New Jersey has about 137,302 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Elizabeth, New Jersey?

The typical household in Elizabeth, New Jersey earns about $66,555 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Elizabeth, New Jersey expensive?

In Elizabeth, New Jersey, the median home is worth about $449,300, and the typical rent is about $1,523 a month.

How educated are people in Elizabeth, New Jersey?

About 14.6% of adults age 25 and over in Elizabeth, New Jersey hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Elizabeth, New Jersey?

About 15.7% of people in Elizabeth, New Jersey live below the federal poverty line.

Has Elizabeth, New Jersey grown since 1990?

Yes, Elizabeth, New Jersey has grown since 1990. The population has added about 27,300 residents, a change of about 25 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →