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COUNTY · 2020 ACS

Essex County

New Jersey · 863,728 residents · 126.083 sq mi
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The short version

Essex County has roughly average household income, with a median household income of $63,959. Population has held roughly steady since 2000. Median home value has more than doubled since 2000, reaching $395,900.

At a glance
Average income
near the US median
US median: $66,278
Younger
median age 37.1
US median: 38.8
More educated
36% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Less affordable
home values up 40%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
863,728
+9%since 2000
from 793,633 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
37.1
+7%since 2000
from 34.7 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Population, 1990 – 2024
762K790K818K845K873K1990201020202024Essex County
2024863K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 56%(51,645)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.6%(56,675)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 146.8%(58,979)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 197.1%(61,482)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.5%(56,412)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3413.9%(119,677)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4414.2%(122,457)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5413.6%(117,293)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6412.1%(104,566)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 747.9%(68,170)
US avg: 10%
75 to 843.8%(32,547)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over1.6%(13,825)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$63,959
−5%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $44,944 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$39,695
+59%since 2000
from $24,943 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
44.5%
+7.6 ptssince 2009
from 37.0% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
15.3%
−0.3 ptssince 2000
from 15.6% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Information9.9%
US avg: 11.1%
Other services8.1%
US avg: 6.6%
Finance & insurance7.9%
US avg: 5.5%
Professional, scientific, technical7.5%
US avg: 4.7%
Retail trade6.7%
US avg: 10%
Public administration6.1%
US avg: 4.7%
Wholesale trade6%
US avg: 6.7%
Arts, entertainment, food3%
US avg: 2%
Transportation & warehousing2.5%
US avg: 2.5%
Education & health services0.4%
US avg: 0.8%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.2%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction0.1%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$395,900
+40%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $188,400 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,211
+19%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $675 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
40.6%
−5.0 ptssince 2000
from 45.6% in 2000
59.4% rent
Afford Score
6.2
−15%since 2009
from 7.3 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
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%
2020
White, non-Hispanic27.2%(235,125)
Black37.5%(324,081)
Hispanic / Latino24.4%(210,353)
Asian5.4%(46,957)
Other3.3%(28,301)
Segregation Score
62
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 American7%(55,740)
Puerto Rican6.3%(50,673)
Ecuadorian4.2%(33,575)
Dominican3.9%(31,108)
Central American2.3%(18,728)
Peruvian1.1%(9,014)
Mexican1%(7,965)
Colombian0.8%(6,595)
Cuban0.8%(6,396)
Salvadoran0.8%(6,276)
Guatemalan0.6%(5,113)
Honduran0.5%(4,378)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Spaniard0.5%(3,599)
Uruguayan0.2%(1,806)
Costa Rican0.2%(1,685)
Venezuelan0.2%(1,501)
Argentine0.2%(1,491)
Chilean0.1%(1,156)
Nicaraguan0.1%(743)
Panamanian0.1%(503)
Bolivian0%(186)
Paraguayan0%(120)
Asian origin
Asian Indian1.9%(15,209)
Chinese1.4%(11,566)
Filipino1%(8,380)
Korean0.4%(2,898)
Pakistani0.2%(1,449)
Vietnamese0.1%(615)
Japanese0.1%(567)
Bangladeshi0.1%(546)
Taiwanese0%(374)
Thai0%(248)
Sri Lankan0%(197)
Burmese0%(141)
+ 3 more asian origin groups with data
Nepalese0%(102)
Malaysian0%(59)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0%(84)
Samoan0%(41)
Tongan0%(18)
Ancestry
Italian8.6%(68,766)
West Indian6.8%(54,080)
Irish5.3%(42,589)
Subsaharan African4.2%(33,451)
American3.8%(30,071)
German3.6%(28,923)
Haitian3.4%(27,514)
English2.3%(18,237)
Polish2.3%(18,180)
Jamaican2.1%(16,612)
Brazilian1.6%(12,478)
Nigerian1.5%(12,078)
+ 51 more ancestry groups with data
Portuguese1.5%(11,823)
Russian1.4%(10,995)
Guyanese1.2%(9,208)
Scottish0.6%(4,776)
French0.5%(4,284)
Hungarian0.5%(3,663)
Ghanaian0.4%(3,422)
Greek0.4%(2,895)
Ukrainian0.3%(2,744)
Dutch0.3%(2,355)
Austrian0.3%(2,098)
Swedish0.2%(1,897)
British0.2%(1,729)
Egyptian0.2%(1,699)
Lithuanian0.2%(1,426)
Scotch-Irish0.2%(1,330)
Norwegian0.2%(1,316)
Turkish0.2%(1,206)
Czech0.1%(1,154)
Ethiopian0.1%(1,153)
Romanian0.1%(1,142)
Welsh0.1%(1,064)
French Canadian0.1%(1,051)
Barbadian0.1%(1,037)
Croatian0.1%(944)
Iranian0.1%(778)
Moroccan0.1%(771)
Slovak0.1%(767)
Canadian0.1%(652)
Danish0.1%(575)
Syrian0.1%(509)
Armenian0.1%(509)
Kenyan0.1%(495)
Lebanese0.1%(493)
Swiss0.1%(484)
Arab0.1%(416)
Israeli0.1%(402)
Belgian0%(367)
Bulgarian0%(323)
Jordanian0%(311)
Latvian0%(281)
Finnish0%(226)
Australian0%(217)
Serbian0%(215)
Slovene0%(107)
Iraqi0%(85)
Somali0%(12)
RANKED:Largest Italian population · Largest South American population · Largest West Indian population · Largest Puerto Rican population · Largest Irish population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
36.3%
+8.8 ptssince 2000
from 27.5% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
86.7%
+11.1 ptssince 2000
from 75.6% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
15.0%
+4.1 ptssince 2000
from 10.9% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
34.8 min
+56%since 2000
from 22.2 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
59.1%
−1.5 ptssince 2009
from 60.7% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
22.0%
−1.0 ptssince 2009
from 23.1% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
8.0%
−3.4 ptssince 2011
from 11.3% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
65.6%
−0.3 ptssince 2011
from 65.9% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Management & professional
40.2%
−25.1 ptssince 2009
from 65.4% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.1%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 48.1% in 2009
Female
51.9%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 51.9% in 2009
Foreign born
27.7%
+4.3 ptssince 2009
from 23.3% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
11.3%
−71.3 ptssince 2013
from 82.6% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Marital status (2024)
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+61%
Home value$529,200+34%
Population601,863−33%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ESSEX COUNTY VS
Hudson County
Income$91,795+44%
Home value$539,700+36%
Population735,033−18%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ESSEX COUNTY VS
New York County
Income$103,931+62%
Home value$1,090,500+175%
Population1,664,862+86%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ESSEX COUNTY VS
Bergen County
Income$124,884+95%
Home value$623,000+57%
Population977,026+9%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Essex County, New Jersey?

Essex County, New Jersey has about 863,728 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Essex County, New Jersey earns about $63,959 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 $395,900, and the typical rent is about $1,211 a month.

How educated are people in Essex County, New Jersey?

About 36.3% 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 15.3% 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 85,522 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 →