NJ
New Jersey
FIPS 34 · Population 9,343,809
6 Sources
Updated June 22, 2026
9.3M ▲
Population
334,922,499 U.S.
$103,556 ▲
Median Income
$80,734 national
$846B
GDP
4.6%
Unemployment
4% national
County Map
Click a county to view its economic profile
Demographics & Population
Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024 · 5-Year Estimates
Household Income
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2024 5-Year Estimates
Median Household
$103,556
Per Capita
$54,253
Mean Household
$143,363
Poverty Rate
9.7% ▼
Age & Race / Ethnicity
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2024 · Tables B01001, B02001, B03003
Cohorts
Under 18 · 21.8%
18-34 · 21.3%
35-54 · 26.2%
55-64 · 13.5%
65+ · 17.2%
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnic category and overlaps with the race categories above.
Educational Attainment
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2024 · Table B15003 · Population 25+
90.7%
High School+
National: 89.6%
▲ +1.1 pts
43.6%
Bachelor's+
National: 35.7%
▲ +7.9 pts
17.6%
Graduate+
National: 14.1%
▲ +3.5 pts
Employment Overview
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2024 5-Year Estimates
9,343,809
Population
5,014,547
Labor Force
Employed
4,687,305
Unemployment Rate BLS LAUS 2024 annual
4.6%
Mean Commute 4 min above national avg
30.5 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
16.8%
New Jersey's median household income sits 28% above the national median. At 9.7%, its poverty rate runs 2.8 pts below the ~12.5% national level, relevant for federal funding eligibility narratives. Bachelor's-or-higher attainment of 43.6% exceeds the national average of 35.7%.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024 5-Year Estimates (released December 2025). Figures reflect the most recent Census release, older news reports may cite prior vintages.
Key Takeaways
- Income premium: Households earn well above the national median, supporting strong consumer markets statewide.
- Talent advantage: Bachelor's-or-higher attainment exceeds the national average by 7.9 pts, supports knowledge-economy positioning.
Economy & Industry
Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW · Bureau of Economic Analysis
Key Takeaways
- Largest sector: Health Care and Social Assistance employs 685,613 workers (22% of the tracked sectors), at an average wage of $70,345.
- Economic scale: State GDP of $846B (2024).
Source: BLS QCEW + BEA Regional GDP.
Industry Concentration
Location Quotient measures regional specialization vs. national average. LQ > 1.0 = concentrated.
Attraction Opportunities - Below-Average Industries
LQ < 0.5, below-average employment, potential attraction targets. Source: BLS QCEW · 3-digit NAICS sub-sector
0.01x
Forestry and Logging
14 employed
0.08x
Animal Production and Aquaculture
629 employed
0.11x
Transportation Equipment Manufacturing
5,488 employed
0.24x
Mining (except Oil and Gas)
1,237 employed
0.26x
Support Activities for Agriculture and Forestry
2,672 employed
0.26x
Wood Product Manufacturing
2,860 employed
0.34x
Primary Metal Manufacturing
3,422 employed
0.37x
Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar
1,851 employed
Key Takeaways
- Top specialization: concentrates at 5.48x the national norm, top-decile concentration, the kind of signature sector that defines a region's economic identity.
- Cluster depth: 5 sub-sectors register LQ ≥ 1.5, suggesting an interconnected industrial base across the state.
- Attraction whitespace: 8 sub-sectors register LQ < 0.5, candidates for diversification or recruitment.
Source: BLS QCEW sub-sector Location Quotients.
Housing & Affordability
Census ACS · HUD Fair Market Rents FY2026
Housing Overview
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates · Tables B25001, B25077, B25064
$454,400 ▲
Median Home Value vs 2019
$1,720 ▲
Rent/Mo
63.8% ▼
Owner-Occ
7.5% ▼
Vacancy
4.4x
Home Value to Income Ratio
vs. ~4.1x national average
HUD Fair Market Rents (Statewide)
Renter-household-weighted average across 21 Fair Market Rent areas · Source: HUD · Fair Market Rents FY2026
Studio
$1,747/mo$1,280 to $2,407
1 Bedroom
$1,918/mo$1,366 to $2,458
2 Bedroom
$2,282/mo$1,673 to $2,763
3 Bedroom
$2,821/mo$2,170 to $3,367
4 Bedroom
$3,260/mo$2,311 to $3,955
30% of monthly median household income (~$2,589/mo) · rents above this line are typically considered cost-burdened.
Key Takeaways
- In line with national: Home value to income ratio of 4.4x sits near the ~4.1x national average; affordability is neither a clear advantage nor a recruitment friction.
Source: Census ACS housing tables.
Workforce Pipeline
Labor force readiness, commuting, and workforce composition
Labor Market Overview
Source: Census ACS 2024 · Tables B01001, B23025, B08303, B08301
5,700,406 ▲
Working Age (18-64) vs 2019
▲ vs 2019
Mean Commute
30.5 min
Work From Home
16.8%
Education & Talent Pipeline
Source: Census ACS 2024 · Table B15003 · College Scorecard
Bachelor's+
43.6%
HS Diploma+
90.7%
Top Institutions
Degrees, certificates, and other credentials awarded last academic year (College Scorecard).
13,105/yr
5,800/yr
5,465/yr
3,712/yr
3,249/yr
2,827/yr
Aging Workforce
Source: Census Bureau ACS · Derived from age & employment tables
22.2%
55-64 of working-age population (18-64)
Elevated retirement risk, above the 20% threshold. Succession planning recommended.
Workforce by Occupation
Source: Census ACS 2024 · Table C24010 · Civilian employed population 16+
Management / Professional
47.5%
Service
14.7%
Sales & Office
19.9%
Construction / Maint.
6.7%
Production / Transport
11.2%
Bars scaled 2× for visual differentiation; percentage labels show actual share of 4,687,305 employed workers.
Key Takeaways
- Succession risk is real: 22.2% of working-age residents are 55-64. Plan for retirements over the next decade and pair attraction strategy with talent retention.
Source: ACS workforce data.
County Profiles
21 counties in New Jersey
Atlantic County
FIPS 34001
Bergen County
FIPS 34003
Burlington County
FIPS 34005
Camden County
FIPS 34007
Cape May County
FIPS 34009
Cumberland County
FIPS 34011
Essex County
FIPS 34013
Gloucester County
FIPS 34015
Hudson County
FIPS 34017
Hunterdon County
FIPS 34019
Mercer County
FIPS 34021
Middlesex County
FIPS 34023
Monmouth County
FIPS 34025
Morris County
FIPS 34027
Ocean County
FIPS 34029
Passaic County
FIPS 34031
Salem County
FIPS 34033
Somerset County
FIPS 34035
Sussex County
FIPS 34037
Union County
FIPS 34039
Warren County
FIPS 34041
AI Insights
AI-assisted analysis, drawn from 6 federal data sources
Sample AI Insight
New Jersey shows strong potential for attraction, with a 5.48x concentration and 34,400 jobs in this sub-sector. Near-term succession risk is elevated, with 22.2% of the working-age population within 10 years of retirement age.
Cluster depth across , chemical manufacturing, and fishing, hunting and trapping creates supply-chain attraction leverage, a structural advantage for industrial recruitment.
Industry Shift Analysis
Manufacturing Automation Risk
High
Healthcare Growth Forecast
+4.2% CAGR
Remote Work Migration
67/100
Prospect Match Scores
Advanced Manufacturing
92/100
Life Sciences
84/100
Data Centers
71/100
Illustrative example
Take it further
AI Insights: Built into ExecutivePulse. Continuous analysis tied to your own pipeline: industry-shift signals, prospect matches, retention prompts.
Managed Services: Prefer to hand it off? Our team delivers the analysis and consulting for you.
Schedule a DemoAvailable as premium offerings.
Data Sources
Updated from official federal government data.
Census ACS 5-Year2024
BLS QCEW2025
BEA Regional GDP2024
Census CBP2024
HUD Fair Market RentsFY2026
USAspending.govFY2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Key economic and demographic figures for New Jersey, from federal data sources.
What is the population of New Jersey?
9,343,809 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).
What is the median household income in New Jersey?
$103,556 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in New Jersey?
4.6% (2024 annual average, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS).
What is the GDP of New Jersey?
$846B (BEA SAGDP (state GDP)).
New Jersey (NJ): Public data. Imagine the full platform.
Get a Demo →