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COUNTY

Somerset County

New Jersey · 356,486 residents (2025 est.) · 302 sq mi
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Part of the New York metro area
The short version

Somerset County is home to 349,846 people in New Jersey. This is an unusually credentialed place: 58% of adults have a four-year degree. Few US counties rank higher on income. Median household income runs $140,374, well clear of the $82,259 US median. The foreign-born share is 28%. Households here earn about 36% more than in New Jersey as a whole.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 41.8
US median: 38.9
More educated
58% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 36%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
349,846
+18%since 2000
from 297,490 in 2000
356,486 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
1,159 / sq mi
+9%since 2009
from 1,062 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
41.8
+12%since 2000
from 37.2 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
302 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
229K262K295K328K361K19902000201020202024Somerset County
2024350K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 54.9%(17,238)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.7%(19,889)
US avg: 6%
10 to 146.3%(22,093)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196.4%(22,487)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 245.8%(20,257)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3411.5%(40,151)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4413.2%(46,349)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5414.3%(50,130)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6414.8%(51,715)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 749.8%(34,220)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 845.2%(18,024)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2.1%(7,293)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$140,374
Unchangedinflation adjusted, since 2000
from $76,933 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$72,193
+90%since 2000
from $37,970 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
75.4%
+14.0 ptssince 2009
from 61.4% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
5.4%
+1.6 ptssince 2000
from 3.8% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.460
+3%since 2010
from 0.445 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade12.7%
US avg: 9.9%
Other services9.4%
US avg: 6.7%
Information9.3%
US avg: 10.8%
Public administration7.7%
US avg: 4.8%
Finance & insurance4.8%
US avg: 5.9%
Wholesale trade4.4%
US avg: 6.9%
Professional, scientific, technical4.4%
US avg: 5.1%
Arts, entertainment, food3.4%
US avg: 1.9%
Transportation & warehousing2.7%
US avg: 2.2%
Education & health services0.5%
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
$552,100
+36%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $222,400 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$2,033
+24%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $898 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
74.3%
−2.9 ptssince 2000
from 77.2% in 2000
25.7% rent
Vacancy rate
2.1%
−4.1 ptssince 2009
from 6.2% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.64 people
−6%since 2009
from 2.80 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
23.0%
−13.5 ptssince 2009
from 36.5% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
47.0%
+0.7 ptssince 2009
from 46.3% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
3.9
−13%since 2009
from 4.5 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.
Gentrification Score
35
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic74.1%(220,584)
Black7.3%(21,571)
Hispanic / Latino8.7%(25,811)
Asian8.4%(24,870)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic49.3%(172,324)
Black9.3%(32,411)
Hispanic / Latino17.6%(61,585)
Asian19.6%(68,440)
Other4.3%(15,086)
Diversity Score
85
+29%since 2009
from 66 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
36
−1%since 2020
from 36 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 American4.5%(15,900)
Central American3.9%(13,816)
Puerto Rican2.9%(10,048)
Mexican2.1%(7,506)
Dominican2.1%(7,466)
Colombian1.6%(5,458)
Guatemalan1.3%(4,416)
Ecuadorian1.2%(4,161)
Salvadoran1.1%(4,005)
Costa Rican1.1%(3,722)
Peruvian0.8%(2,659)
Cuban0.7%(2,333)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Paraguayan0.5%(1,670)
Spaniard0.4%(1,398)
Honduran0.4%(1,302)
Argentine0.2%(737)
Uruguayan0.1%(392)
Chilean0.1%(377)
Venezuelan0.1%(359)
Panamanian0.1%(263)
Nicaraguan0%(108)
Bolivian0%(72)
Asian origin
Asian Indian11.1%(38,835)
Chinese4.3%(14,963)
Filipino1.6%(5,471)
Pakistani0.7%(2,578)
Korean0.6%(2,196)
Taiwanese0.3%(1,005)
Vietnamese0.2%(848)
Sri Lankan0.2%(573)
Japanese0.1%(522)
Thai0%(127)
+ 4 more asian origin groups with data
Laotian0%(24)
Malaysian0%(12)
Uzbek0%(8)
Burmese0%(6)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(22)
Ancestry
Italian12.9%(45,002)
Irish10.8%(37,666)
German8.9%(31,007)
Polish6.1%(21,245)
English5.3%(18,502)
American3.3%(11,385)
West Indian1.8%(6,212)
Russian1.6%(5,674)
Hungarian1.3%(4,541)
Scottish1.1%(3,927)
French1.1%(3,727)
+ 49 more ancestry groups with data
Ukrainian1%(3,607)
Portuguese1%(3,600)
Arab0.9%(3,223)
Jamaican0.9%(3,028)
Dutch0.8%(2,752)
Swedish0.7%(2,443)
Norwegian0.6%(2,011)
Slovak0.6%(1,988)
Greek0.5%(1,901)
Haitian0.4%(1,529)
British0.4%(1,424)
Egyptian0.4%(1,388)
Czech0.4%(1,306)
Austrian0.3%(1,090)
Lithuanian0.3%(1,026)
Welsh0.3%(1,008)
Scotch-Irish0.3%(915)
Ghanaian0.2%(855)
Swiss0.2%(802)
Guyanese0.2%(787)
Brazilian0.2%(756)
Nigerian0.2%(717)
Iranian0.2%(708)
Turkish0.2%(594)
Palestinian0.2%(573)
Danish0.2%(530)
Lebanese0.1%(510)
Romanian0.1%(499)
Canadian0.1%(398)
Syrian0.1%(323)
Armenian0.1%(301)
Croatian0.1%(269)
Belgian0.1%(245)
Latvian0.1%(204)
Finnish0.1%(197)
Israeli0.1%(194)
Slovene0%(171)
Iraqi0%(113)
Barbadian0%(106)
Moroccan0%(83)
Serbian0%(80)
Kenyan0%(77)
Jordanian0%(36)
Ethiopian0%(29)
Bulgarian0%(25)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
57.8%
+11.3 ptssince 2000
from 46.5% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
94.0%
+4.4 ptssince 2000
from 89.6% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
26.6%
+7.5 ptssince 2000
from 19.1% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
31.4 min
+47%since 2000
from 21.4 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
63.8%
−14.4 ptssince 2009
from 78.2% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
6.5%
−3.0 ptssince 2009
from 9.5% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
3.4%
−2.0 ptssince 2009
from 5.4% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
22.7%
+18.6 ptssince 2009
from 4.1% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
1.2%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 1.7% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.1%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 0.3% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
4.0%
−1.1 ptssince 2009
from 5.1% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.7%
−1.6 ptssince 2011
from 6.4% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
70.0%
+0.1 ptssince 2011
from 69.9% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
80.8%
+2.1 ptssince 2020
from 78.7% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
11.3%
+0.8 ptssince 2009
from 10.5% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
57.2%
+6.7 ptssince 2009
from 50.4% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.3%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 49.3% in 2009
Female
50.7%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 50.7% in 2009
Foreign born
27.9%
+6.2 ptssince 2009
from 21.7% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
3.2%
−3.3 ptssince 2009
from 6.5% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
8.6%
+1.0 ptssince 2012
from 7.6% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
5.4%
−3.6 ptssince 2013
from 9.0% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
95.8%
+6.4 ptssince 2017
from 89.4% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
97.7%
+1.9 ptssince 2020
from 95.8% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
90.9%
+0.6 ptssince 2020
from 90.2% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
65.3%
−4.5 ptssince 2016
from 69.8% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
13.0%
+1.9 ptssince 2016
from 11.2% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married32.9%(46,752)
Married59%(83,844)
Widowed2%(2,867)
Divorced6%(8,562)
Women 15+
Never married28.6%(42,516)
Married54.5%(80,970)
Widowed7.7%(11,460)
Divorced9.2%(13,655)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
5.4%
−3.6 ptssince 2013
from 9.0% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
70.9%
−1.2 ptssince 2020
from 72.1% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
14.0%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 14.0% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
16.4%
+0.4 ptssince 2020
from 16.0% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
9.6%
+1.0 ptssince 2020
from 8.6% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
0.9%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 1.0% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
81.6%
−1.2 ptssince 2020
from 82.8% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
24.4%
+1.4 ptssince 2020
from 23.0% 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)22.4%(1,990)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)15.5%(1,375)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era34.3%(3,044)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War7.8%(693)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II2.8%(249)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 8,875 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

Places similar to Somerset County

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Pop 339,183
Douglas County
Pop 399,396
Forsyth County
Pop 282,805
Hamilton County
Pop 387,036
Places similar to Somerset County
Head to head

Compare Somerset County to nearby counties

SOMERSET COUNTY VS
Middlesex County
Income$111,549−21%
Home value$462,900−16%
Population883,335+148%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SOMERSET COUNTY VS
Hunterdon County
Income$141,715+1%
Home value$517,200−6%
Population131,781−63%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SOMERSET COUNTY VS
Union County
Income$103,202−26%
Home value$529,200−4%
Population601,863+69%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SOMERSET COUNTY VS
Mercer County
Income$100,645−28%
Home value$377,700−32%
Population399,289+12%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Somerset County, New Jersey?

Somerset County, New Jersey has about 349,846 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Somerset County, New Jersey earns about $140,374 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Somerset County, New Jersey expensive?

In Somerset County, New Jersey, the median home is worth about $552,100, and the typical rent is about $2,033 a month.

How educated are people in Somerset County, New Jersey?

About 57.8% of adults age 25 and over in Somerset County, New Jersey hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

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

About 5.4% of people in Somerset County, New Jersey live below the federal poverty line.

Has Somerset County, New Jersey grown since 1990?

Yes, Somerset County, New Jersey has grown since 1990. The population has added about 109,567 residents, a change of about 46 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 →