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COUNTY

Essex County

New Jersey · 896,379 residents (2025 est.) · 126.083 sq mi
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Part of the New York metro area
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Notable rankings
#14Most densely populatedof 3,1447,109#30Most foreign-born residentsof 3,14430.1%#66Largest by populationof 3,144896,379#123Most expensive homesof 3,139$524,100
The short version

Essex County has roughly average household income, with a median household income of $80,789. Population has held roughly steady since 2000. Median home value has more than doubled since 2000, reaching $524,100. It ranks in the top 5% of US counties for household income.

At a glance
Average income
near the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 37.7
US median: 38.9
Average education
39% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 53%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
863,002
+9%since 2000
from 793,633 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
6,845 / sq mi
+12%since 2009
from 6,118 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
37.7
+9%since 2000
from 34.7 in 2000
US average: 38.9

PEP 2025 EST:896,379 residents (Census Bureau Vintage 2025, released March 2026)

Population, 1990 – 2024
762K790K818K845K873K1990201020202024Essex County
2024863K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 56.2%(53,787)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.5%(56,052)
US avg: 6%
10 to 146.9%(59,152)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196.6%(56,650)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.4%(54,883)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3413.5%(116,540)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4414.2%(122,755)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5413.5%(116,100)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6412.1%(104,443)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 748.3%(72,022)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 844.2%(36,112)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.7%(14,506)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$80,789
−1%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $44,944 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$49,449
+98%since 2000
from $24,943 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
52.7%
+15.7 ptssince 2009
from 37.0% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
14.6%
−0.9 ptssince 2000
from 15.6% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.544
+4%since 2010
from 0.523 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information9.4%
US avg: 10.8%
Finance & insurance8.6%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical8.2%
US avg: 5.1%
Other services7.7%
US avg: 6.7%
Wholesale trade6.9%
US avg: 6.9%
Retail trade6.5%
US avg: 9.9%
Public administration5.7%
US avg: 4.8%
Arts, entertainment, food3%
US avg: 1.9%
Transportation & warehousing2.2%
US avg: 2.2%
Education & health services0.4%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.1%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.1%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$524,100
+53%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $188,400 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,531
+25%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $675 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
44.9%
−0.7 ptssince 2000
from 45.6% in 2000
55.1% rent
Vacancy rate
5.1%
−5.1 ptssince 2009
from 10.2% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Owner cost-burdened
32.9%
−12.9 ptssince 2009
from 45.8% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
52.4%
+3.3 ptssince 2009
from 49.1% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
6.5
−11%since 2009
from 7.3 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
37
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
RELATED:See current rent listings in Essex County on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic37.6%(298,708)
Black40.3%(319,883)
Hispanic / Latino15.4%(122,347)
Asian3.7%(29,141)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic27.3%(235,410)
Black35.4%(305,762)
Hispanic / Latino25.2%(217,167)
Asian6%(51,429)
Other6.2%(53,234)
Diversity Score
91
+7%since 2009
from 85 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
60
−3%since 2020
from 62 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
South American8.4%(72,622)
Puerto Rican5.8%(50,301)
Ecuadorian5.3%(45,793)
Dominican4.2%(36,033)
Central American3.2%(27,319)
Mexican1.3%(11,488)
Peruvian1.2%(10,168)
Salvadoran1.1%(9,440)
Guatemalan0.9%(7,844)
Colombian0.9%(7,835)
Honduran0.7%(6,400)
Cuban0.7%(6,328)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Spaniard0.4%(3,821)
Argentine0.3%(2,410)
Uruguayan0.3%(2,348)
Costa Rican0.2%(1,700)
Venezuelan0.2%(1,435)
Chilean0.1%(1,149)
Nicaraguan0.1%(1,085)
Panamanian0.1%(776)
Bolivian0.1%(529)
Paraguayan0%(352)
Asian origin
Asian Indian2.3%(19,836)
Chinese1.3%(11,437)
Filipino1%(8,784)
Korean0.4%(3,495)
Pakistani0.2%(1,610)
Japanese0.1%(1,026)
Taiwanese0.1%(997)
Bangladeshi0.1%(850)
Vietnamese0.1%(731)
Thai0.1%(489)
Nepalese0%(276)
Sri Lankan0%(191)
+ 6 more asian origin groups with data
Burmese0%(119)
Malaysian0%(93)
Mongolian0%(72)
Kazakh0%(20)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(88)
Guamanian0%(48)
Chamorro0%(28)
Fijian0%(7)
Ancestry
Italian7.6%(65,601)
West Indian7%(60,510)
Irish5.4%(46,269)
Subsaharan African4.9%(42,013)
German3.5%(30,155)
Haitian3.1%(27,081)
American3.1%(27,010)
Jamaican2.5%(21,695)
English2.3%(20,246)
Polish2.1%(18,313)
Brazilian2%(17,170)
Nigerian1.7%(14,830)
+ 50 more ancestry groups with data
Portuguese1.4%(12,369)
Guyanese1.2%(10,064)
Russian1%(9,037)
Scottish0.6%(4,828)
Ghanaian0.5%(4,702)
Arab0.5%(4,544)
French0.5%(4,368)
Ukrainian0.4%(3,478)
Hungarian0.4%(3,326)
Greek0.4%(3,164)
Dutch0.3%(2,239)
Austrian0.2%(2,052)
Swedish0.2%(1,757)
British0.2%(1,737)
Egyptian0.2%(1,452)
Romanian0.2%(1,410)
Lithuanian0.2%(1,368)
Norwegian0.1%(1,290)
Ethiopian0.1%(1,204)
Turkish0.1%(1,182)
Canadian0.1%(1,123)
Croatian0.1%(1,115)
Scotch-Irish0.1%(1,099)
Czech0.1%(1,078)
Lebanese0.1%(978)
Barbadian0.1%(973)
Welsh0.1%(916)
Iranian0.1%(893)
Israeli0.1%(777)
Slovak0.1%(722)
Danish0.1%(701)
Syrian0.1%(642)
Moroccan0.1%(590)
Kenyan0.1%(505)
Belgian0.1%(445)
Armenian0%(412)
Swiss0%(378)
Latvian0%(343)
Finnish0%(333)
Bulgarian0%(223)
Macedonian0%(186)
Serbian0%(184)
Australian0%(171)
Slovene0%(61)
Iraqi0%(47)
Jordanian0%(23)
RANKED:Largest South American population · Largest Italian population · Largest West Indian population · Largest Puerto Rican population · Largest Irish population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
39.1%
+11.7 ptssince 2000
from 27.5% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
86.7%
+11.1 ptssince 2000
from 75.6% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
16.9%
+5.9 ptssince 2000
from 10.9% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
33.6 min
+51%since 2000
from 22.2 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
52.7%
−8.0 ptssince 2009
from 60.7% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
7.9%
−2.4 ptssince 2009
from 10.3% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
15.8%
−4.1 ptssince 2009
from 19.9% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
16.1%
+13.2 ptssince 2009
from 2.9% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
3.0%
−1.3 ptssince 2009
from 4.4% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.2%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.1% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
21.0%
−2.1 ptssince 2009
from 23.1% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
8.7%
−2.6 ptssince 2011
from 11.3% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
66.4%
+0.5 ptssince 2011
from 65.9% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Self-employed
13.2%
−1.2 ptssince 2009
from 14.4% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
43.5%
−21.9 ptssince 2009
from 65.4% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.6%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 48.1% in 2009
Female
51.4%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 51.9% in 2009
Foreign born
30.1%
+6.8 ptssince 2009
from 23.3% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
2.6%
−44.5 ptssince 2009
from 47.1% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
12.2%
+1.4 ptssince 2012
from 10.8% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
11.9%
−70.7 ptssince 2013
from 82.6% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
90.4%
+14.2 ptssince 2017
from 76.2% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
English only at home
62.2%
−4.0 ptssince 2016
from 66.2% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
20.4%
+1.7 ptssince 2016
from 18.7% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married44.8%(149,307)
Married45.6%(152,002)
Widowed2.4%(7,925)
Divorced7.2%(24,158)
Women 15+
Never married41.3%(148,895)
Married41.2%(148,474)
Widowed7.4%(26,812)
Divorced10.1%(36,438)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Drill deeper

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Head to head

Compare Essex County to nearby counties

ESSEX COUNTY VS
Union County
Income$103,202+28%
Home value$529,200+1%
Population601,863−33%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ESSEX COUNTY VS
Hudson County
Income$91,795+14%
Home value$539,700+3%
Population735,033−18%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ESSEX COUNTY VS
New York County
Income$103,931+29%
Home value$1,090,500+108%
Population1,664,862+86%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ESSEX COUNTY VS
Bergen County
Income$124,884+55%
Home value$623,000+19%
Population977,026+9%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Essex County, New Jersey?

Essex County, New Jersey has about 863,002 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Essex County, New Jersey?

The typical household in Essex County, New Jersey earns about $80,789 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Essex County, New Jersey expensive?

In Essex County, New Jersey, the median home is worth about $524,100, and the typical rent is about $1,531 a month.

How educated are people in Essex County, New Jersey?

About 39.1% of adults age 25 and over in Essex County, New Jersey hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Essex County, New Jersey?

About 14.6% of people in Essex County, New Jersey live below the federal poverty line.

Has Essex County, New Jersey grown since 1990?

Yes, Essex County, New Jersey has grown since 1990. The population has added about 84,796 residents, a change of about 11 percent over that period.

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Explore from here

211 census tracts (top 20 by population)
Census Tract 208Census Tract 205Census Tract 160Census Tract 216.01Census Tract 173.02Census Tract 197Census Tract 120Census Tract 214Census Tract 22.03Census Tract 7Census Tract 216.02Census Tract 154Census Tract 136Census Tract 213Census Tract 200Census Tract 143Census Tract 68Census Tract 196Census Tract 74Census Tract 209.02
31 ZIP codes (top 30 by population)
ZIP 07111ZIP 07105ZIP 07003ZIP 07104ZIP 07052ZIP 07107ZIP 07017ZIP 07109ZIP 07103ZIP 07106ZIP 07050ZIP 07039ZIP 07110ZIP 07112ZIP 07018ZIP 07108ZIP 07042ZIP 07006ZIP 07040ZIP 07079ZIP 07078ZIP 07044ZIP 07114ZIP 07009ZIP 07043ZIP 07102ZIP 07028ZIP 07004ZIP 07041ZIP 07068
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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →

Essex County, New Jersey: demographics, income & housing data · CensusEasy