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COUNTY

Essex County

New Jersey · 896,379 residents (2025 est.) · 126 sq mi
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Part of the New York metro area
The short version

With 863,002 people, Essex County is a county in New Jersey. 45% of homes are owner-occupied. That puts it in the top 5% of US counties for household income. The foreign-born share is 30%. Density works out to 6,845 people per square mile. The typical home is worth $524,100, having more than doubled since 2000.

At a glance
Average income
median household income $80,789, 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
Unique to this place

What stands out about Essex County

What changed most since 1990

  • Median home value (2024 dollars)$466,573 → $524,100 (+12%)US over the same years: +67%

Among the 21 counties in New Jersey

  • 18th in household income$80,789
  • 11th in share with a bachelor's degree39.1%
  • 7th in home value$524,100
  • 1st in diversity score91.2
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
863,002
+9%since 2000
from 793,633 in 2000
896,379 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
6,845 / sq mi
+9%since 2000
from 6,295 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
37.7
+9%since 2000
from 34.7 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
126 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
762K790K818K845K873K19902000201020202024Essex 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%
Persons per household
2.63 people
−2%since 2009
from 2.68 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
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
1990 – 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
37
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
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
1990 – 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)
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%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
77.2%
+1.6 ptssince 2020
from 75.6% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
13.2%
−1.2 ptssince 2009
from 14.4% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
43.5%
+8.2 ptssince 2009
from 35.3% 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%
−2.8 ptssince 2009
from 5.4% 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%
−5.5 ptssince 2013
from 17.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
90.4%
+14.2 ptssince 2017
from 76.2% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
95.4%
+4.3 ptssince 2020
from 91.1% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
89.3%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 89.6% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
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
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
11.9%
−5.5 ptssince 2013
from 17.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
52.4%
−1.7 ptssince 2020
from 54.1% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
10.5%
+1.0 ptssince 2020
from 9.5% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
14.9%
+0.1 ptssince 2020
from 14.8% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
24.4%
+0.5 ptssince 2020
from 23.9% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
0.8%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 0.8% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
60.6%
−0.9 ptssince 2020
from 61.5% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
35.9%
+0.3 ptssince 2020
from 35.6% 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)20.2%(3,488)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)19.4%(3,352)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era29.6%(5,127)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War4%(695)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.5%(266)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 17,292 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
Over time

Essex County, decade by decade

Essex County population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
YearPopulationMedian household incomeMedian home valueBachelor's degree+Diversity score
1990778,206$82,846$466,57324.0%77.8
2000793,633$81,872$343,20027.5%83.7
2010783,969$79,301$569,24231.6%86.4
2020863,728$77,521$479,84636.3%90.2
2024863,002$80,789$524,10039.1%91.2

Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.

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

How we source and harmonize this data →