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COUNTY · 2020 ACS

Essex County

New Jersey · 863,728 residents · 126 sq mi
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The short version

Essex County is a county of 863,728 people in New Jersey. 41% of homes are owner-occupied. The foreign-born share is 28%. The typical home is worth $395,900, having more than doubled since 2000. Households here earn about 25% less than in New Jersey as a whole. Getting to work takes 35 minutes on average.

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
Land area
126 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
762K790K818K845K873K19902000201020202024Essex 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
Persons per household
2.67 people
Unchangedsince 2009
from 2.68 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
Afford Score
6.2
−15%since 2009
from 7.3 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.
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)
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%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
75.6%
US average: 73.3%
Management & professional
40.2%
+4.9 ptssince 2009
from 35.3% 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%
−6.1 ptssince 2013
from 17.4% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
91.1%
US average: 91.9%
Same house as last year
89.6%
US average: 86.2%
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
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
11.3%
−6.1 ptssince 2013
from 17.4% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Employer-based
54.1%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
9.5%
US average: 13.7%
Medicare
14.8%
US average: 17.6%
Medicaid
23.9%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
0.8%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
61.5%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
35.6%
US average: 35.2%

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, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later)15.1%(2,775)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)15.7%(2,879)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era30.7%(5,621)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War8.5%(1,566)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II4.8%(881)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 18,326 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
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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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →