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COUNTY

Passaic County

New Jersey · 531,624 residents (2025 est.) · 186 sq mi
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Part of the New York metro area
The short version

Passaic County is a county of 521,012 people in New Jersey. 33% of locals were born outside the United States. Few US counties rank higher on income. Owners hold 53% of the housing stock. There are 2,799 people per square mile. Households here earn about 15% less than in New Jersey as a whole.

At a glance
Wealthier
median household income $87,522, above the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 38.1
US median: 38.9
Average education
31% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 36%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place

What stands out about Passaic County

What changed most since 1990

  • Hispanic share21.2% → 44.3% (+23.1 pts)US over the same years: +9.9 pts
  • White share63.2% → 37.9% (−25.2 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts

Among the 21 counties in New Jersey

  • 17th in household income$87,522
  • 19th in share with a bachelor's degree30.9%
  • 10th in home value$459,500
  • 10th in diversity score80.8
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
521,012
+7%since 2000
from 489,049 in 2000
531,624 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
2,799 / sq mi
+7%since 2000
from 2,627 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
38.1
+9%since 2000
from 34.8 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
186 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
446K467K489K510K531K19902000201020202024Passaic County
2024521K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 56.3%(32,856)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.4%(33,275)
US avg: 6%
10 to 146.9%(35,853)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196.7%(35,064)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.6%(34,504)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3413.3%(69,149)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4412.7%(66,397)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5412.5%(64,970)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6412.7%(66,312)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 749.2%(48,003)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 844.8%(24,886)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.9%(9,743)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$87,522
−2%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $49,210 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$40,703
+90%since 2000
from $21,370 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
56.4%
+19.2 ptssince 2009
from 37.2% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
13.0%
+0.7 ptssince 2000
from 12.3% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.466
+1%since 2010
from 0.463 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information12.2%
US avg: 10.8%
Retail trade10.9%
US avg: 9.9%
Finance & insurance7.6%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical6.9%
US avg: 5.1%
Wholesale trade6.5%
US avg: 6.9%
Other services6.2%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration4.3%
US avg: 4.8%
Transportation & warehousing3%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.7%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services0.7%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.2%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.2%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$459,500
+36%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $185,300 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,621
+19%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $747 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
53.1%
−2.6 ptssince 2000
from 55.6% in 2000
46.9% rent
Vacancy rate
3.7%
−3.5 ptssince 2009
from 7.2% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.86 people
−4%since 2009
from 2.99 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
35.5%
−11.9 ptssince 2009
from 47.3% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
54.2%
−3.3 ptssince 2009
from 57.5% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
5.3
−25%since 2009
from 7.0 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
40
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic51.5%(251,687)
Black12.4%(60,528)
Hispanic / Latino30%(146,492)
Asian3.6%(17,747)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic37.9%(197,624)
Black9.7%(50,414)
Hispanic / Latino44.3%(231,009)
Asian5.4%(28,296)
Other2.6%(13,669)
Diversity Score
81
+2%since 2009
from 80 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
59
−1%since 2020
from 60 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
Dominican15.5%(80,522)
South American9.9%(51,748)
Mexican7.1%(37,246)
Puerto Rican6.7%(34,829)
Peruvian4.1%(21,118)
Colombian3.2%(16,623)
Central American2.7%(14,278)
Ecuadorian1.7%(9,035)
Salvadoran0.9%(4,692)
Cuban0.8%(4,000)
Guatemalan0.7%(3,429)
Costa Rican0.6%(2,879)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Honduran0.5%(2,518)
Venezuelan0.3%(1,548)
Spaniard0.3%(1,366)
Argentine0.2%(1,231)
Bolivian0.2%(1,112)
Chilean0.1%(639)
Nicaraguan0.1%(517)
Uruguayan0.1%(262)
Panamanian0%(237)
Asian origin
Asian Indian2.8%(14,355)
Filipino0.9%(4,934)
Bangladeshi0.5%(2,618)
Chinese0.5%(2,351)
Korean0.3%(1,800)
Pakistani0.1%(742)
Japanese0.1%(316)
Taiwanese0.1%(298)
Sri Lankan0%(211)
Indonesian0%(183)
Kazakh0%(120)
Vietnamese0%(108)
+ 5 more asian origin groups with data
Thai0%(53)
Burmese0%(24)
Hmong0%(13)
Nepalese0%(13)
Cambodian0%(12)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(83)
Chamorro0%(45)
Ancestry
Italian10.7%(55,744)
Irish6%(31,237)
German4.7%(24,534)
Polish4%(20,827)
Arab3%(15,490)
American2.5%(13,034)
English2.2%(11,618)
West Indian1.7%(9,094)
Jamaican1.4%(7,252)
Dutch1.2%(6,041)
Russian1%(5,043)
Turkish0.9%(4,653)
+ 49 more ancestry groups with data
Hungarian0.8%(4,067)
Palestinian0.7%(3,524)
French0.6%(2,935)
Ukrainian0.6%(2,872)
Egyptian0.5%(2,846)
Jordanian0.5%(2,723)
Scottish0.5%(2,690)
Syrian0.5%(2,627)
Greek0.4%(2,114)
Portuguese0.4%(1,898)
Swedish0.3%(1,448)
Austrian0.2%(1,241)
Lebanese0.2%(1,223)
Israeli0.2%(1,112)
Slovak0.2%(1,071)
Brazilian0.2%(934)
Armenian0.2%(826)
Czech0.2%(807)
Romanian0.2%(786)
Haitian0.1%(757)
Macedonian0.1%(750)
Moroccan0.1%(736)
British0.1%(727)
Scotch-Irish0.1%(727)
Norwegian0.1%(710)
Serbian0.1%(690)
Croatian0.1%(632)
Lithuanian0.1%(604)
Nigerian0.1%(532)
Swiss0.1%(482)
Welsh0.1%(477)
Guyanese0.1%(476)
Iranian0.1%(379)
Belgian0%(250)
Bulgarian0%(210)
Danish0%(189)
Finnish0%(187)
Canadian0%(179)
Ghanaian0%(175)
Ethiopian0%(133)
Latvian0%(117)
Iraqi0%(45)
Barbadian0%(21)
Slovene0%(9)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
30.9%
+9.7 ptssince 2000
from 21.2% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
84.9%
+11.6 ptssince 2000
from 73.3% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
10.5%
+3.5 ptssince 2000
from 7.0% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
26.5 min
+45%since 2000
from 18.3 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
65.0%
−6.1 ptssince 2009
from 71.1% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
11.4%
+2.6 ptssince 2009
from 8.9% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
6.4%
−2.6 ptssince 2009
from 8.9% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
11.5%
+9.3 ptssince 2009
from 2.2% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
4.0%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 4.2% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.2%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
13.9%
−2.1 ptssince 2009
from 16.0% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
8.0%
−1.1 ptssince 2011
from 9.1% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
66.2%
+1.7 ptssince 2011
from 64.6% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
75.9%
+1.1 ptssince 2020
from 74.8% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
12.2%
+1.0 ptssince 2009
from 11.2% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
36.3%
+6.6 ptssince 2009
from 29.7% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.1%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 48.8% in 2009
Female
50.9%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 51.2% in 2009
Foreign born
33.1%
+6.4 ptssince 2009
from 26.7% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
2.7%
−2.7 ptssince 2009
from 5.4% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
9.6%
−0.1 ptssince 2012
from 9.7% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
12.0%
−6.8 ptssince 2013
from 18.8% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
92.5%
+15.8 ptssince 2017
from 76.7% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
95.1%
+3.8 ptssince 2020
from 91.3% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
92.0%
+0.8 ptssince 2020
from 91.2% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
48.7%
−3.5 ptssince 2016
from 52.2% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
37.4%
+3.0 ptssince 2016
from 34.4% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married41.8%(85,179)
Married49.4%(100,705)
Widowed2%(4,116)
Divorced6.8%(13,776)
Women 15+
Never married38%(81,759)
Married44.2%(95,072)
Widowed8.5%(18,361)
Divorced9.3%(20,060)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
12.0%
−6.8 ptssince 2013
from 18.8% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
47.3%
−3.1 ptssince 2020
from 50.4% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
10.0%
+0.7 ptssince 2020
from 9.3% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
16.1%
+0.9 ptssince 2020
from 15.2% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
28.4%
+3.3 ptssince 2020
from 25.1% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
0.6%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 0.7% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
55.6%
−2.3 ptssince 2020
from 57.9% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
40.7%
+3.3 ptssince 2020
from 37.4% 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)22.5%(2,390)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)10.1%(1,072)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era38.1%(4,048)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War7.4%(785)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1%(107)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 10,616 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

Passaic County, decade by decade

Passaic County population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
YearPopulationMedian household incomeMedian home valueBachelor's degree+Diversity score
1990453,060$90,233$444,01318.7%67.4
2000489,049$89,644$337,55321.2%78.5
2010501,226$79,041$550,39725.2%80.3
2020524,118$89,160$426,63829.5%81.6
2024521,012$87,522$459,50030.9%80.8

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 Passaic County to nearby counties

PASSAIC COUNTY VS
Bergen County
Income$124,884+43%
Home value$623,000+36%
Population977,026+84%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
PASSAIC COUNTY VS
Rockland County
Income$109,959+26%
Home value$596,900+30%
Population357,397−33%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
PASSAIC COUNTY VS
Essex County
Income$80,789−8%
Home value$524,100+14%
Population896,379+69%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
PASSAIC COUNTY VS
Morris County
Income$137,326+57%
Home value$582,500+27%
Population524,251−1%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Passaic County, New Jersey?

Passaic County, New Jersey has about 521,012 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Passaic County, New Jersey earns about $87,522 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Passaic County, New Jersey expensive?

In Passaic County, New Jersey, the median home is worth about $459,500, and the typical rent is about $1,621 a month.

How educated are people in Passaic County, New Jersey?

About 30.9% of adults age 25 and over in Passaic County, New Jersey hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

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

About 13.0% of people in Passaic County, New Jersey live below the federal poverty line.

Has Passaic County, New Jersey grown since 1990?

Yes, Passaic County, New Jersey has grown since 1990. The population has added about 67,952 residents, a change of about 15 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 →