ExecutivePulse
Official Federal Data

Sussex County, New Jersey

FIPS 34037 · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ · Population 145,807
9 Sources Updated June 22, 2026
$116,186
Median Income
$80,734 national
5%
Unemployment
4% national
$6.7B
GDP
40.3%
Bachelor's+
35.7% national

Demographics & Population

Census Bureau American Community Survey 2020-2024 · 5-Year Estimates

Household Income

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
Median Household
$116,186
Per Capita
$57,252
Mean Household
$144,531
Poverty Rate
5.5%
Median Income Comparison
Sussex County$116,186
New Jersey$103,556
National$80,734

Population Profile

Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Tables B01001, B02001, B03003
65+: 19% (27,656 residents) 55-64: 16.3% (23,753 residents) 35-54: 26% (37,939 residents) 18-34: 19.2% (28,040 residents) Under 18: 19.5% (28,419 residents) 44 Median Age
Cohorts
Under 18 · 19.5%
18-34 · 19.2%
35-54 · 26%
55-64 · 16.3%
65+ · 19%
Race & Ethnicity
White82.3%
Black or African American1.9%
Asian2%
Hispanic or Latino(any race)11.9%
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnic category and overlaps with the race categories above.

Educational Attainment

Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · Population 25+
95.4%
High School+
National: 89.6%
▲ +5.8 pts
40.3%
Bachelor's+
National: 35.7%
▲ +4.6 pts
14.5%
Graduate+
National: 14.1%
▲ +0.4 pts

Employment Overview

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
145,807
Population
82,594
Labor Force
Employed
78,350
Unemployment Rate BLS LAUS 2025 annual
5% ▲ +0.6 pts YoY
Mean Commute 10 min above national avg
36.3 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
14.9%
Key Takeaways
  • Income premium: Households earn well above the national median, supporting strong retail and housing markets.
  • Aging population: Median age of 44 is materially above the U.S. norm; succession planning and senior-services demand are real factors.

Economy & Industry

Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW · Bureau of Economic Analysis

$6.7B
Gross Domestic Product · 2024
Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis · CAGDP1 Regional GDP

Top Industries by Employment

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics · Quarterly Census of Employment & Wages 2025 Annual
Top industries by employment in Sussex County, New Jersey, with employment, share of top sectors, and average wage
IndustryEmploymentShare of Top 10Avg Wage
1Health Care and Social Assistance
5,918 24.4%
$63,124
2Retail Trade
5,684 23.5%
$39,309
3Accommodation and Food Services
3,864 16.0%
$28,715
4Other Services (except Public Administration)
1,848 7.6%
$42,165
5Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
1,691 7.0%
$87,139
6Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation
1,530 6.3%
$28,817
7Administrative and Support and Waste Management
1,408 5.8%
$52,988
8Management of Companies and Enterprises
834 3.4%
$143,059
9Wholesale Trade
759 3.1%
$88,086
10Finance and Insurance
683 2.8%
$104,574
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Key Takeaways
  • Largest sector: Health Care and Social Assistance employs 5,918 workers (24.4% of tracked sectors), at an average wage of $63,124.
  • Economic scale: Regional GDP of $6.7B (2024).
  • Wage stratification: Management of Companies and Enterprises averages $143,059 while Accommodation and Food Services averages $28,715, a 5.0x spread in the same local economy, with implications for workforce development and talent strategy.
Source: BLS QCEW + BEA Regional GDP.
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Industry Concentration

Location Quotient measures regional specialization vs. national average. LQ > 1.0 = concentrated.

Location Quotient Analysis

Concentrated Industries
Source: BLS QCEW · 3-digit NAICS sub-sector · Location Quotient vs. national employment share
Same source as the Top Industries table above, sub-sector view surfaces the specialization the supersector view masks (e.g., Plastics & Rubber Manufacturing inside the Manufacturing supersector).
Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation
3.34x
468
Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries
2.98x
1,414
Food and Beverage Retailers
2.89x
2,327
Personal and Laundry Services
2.01x
791
Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing
1.93x
336
Gasoline Stations and Fuel Dealers
1.84x
480
Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers
1.72x
876
Repair and Maintenance
1.67x
604
Building Material and Garden Supply Retailers
1.59x
542
Waste Management and Remediation Services
1.52x
195

Cluster Depth

Source: BLS QCEW · Sub-sectors with LQ ≥ 1.5 indicate genuine cluster concentration
Dominant Cluster
Retail Trade Cluster
Coherent grouping of concentrated sub-sectors, signals supply-chain fit for site selectors
4,225
Cluster Employment
2.89x
Peak LQ
Concentrated Sub-Sectors
Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation
3.34x 468
Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries
2.98x 1,414
Food and Beverage Retailers
2.89x 2,327
Personal and Laundry Services
2.01x 791
Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing
1.93x 336
Gasoline Stations and Fuel Dealers
1.84x 480
Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers
1.72x 876
Repair and Maintenance
1.67x 604
Building Material and Garden Supply Retailers
1.59x 542
Waste Management and Remediation Services
1.52x 195

Attraction Opportunities

LQ < 0.5 with ≥ 50 employed, realistic diversification targets. Source: BLS QCEW
0.12x
Food Manufacturing
53 employed
0.25x
Clothing, Clothing Accessories, Shoe, and Jewelry Retailers
71 employed
0.35x
Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods
192 employed
0.45x
Telecommunications
66 employed
0.45x
Credit Intermediation and Related Activities
289 employed
Key Takeaways
  • Top specialization: Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation concentrates at 3.34x the national norm, strong concentration that anchors the local economy and supports supply-chain attraction strategy.
  • Cluster depth: 10 sub-sectors register LQ ≥ 1.5, suggesting an interconnected industrial base rather than reliance on a single employer or sector.
  • Attraction whitespace: 8 sub-sectors register LQ < 0.5, candidates for diversification or recruitment depending on labor-market fit.
Source: BLS QCEW sub-sector Location Quotients.
Sussex County's Top Sectors by Workforce Share
Each rectangle's area is proportional to that sector's share of total private-sector employment across all NAICS supersectors. Hover for exact employment.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW 2025 Annual · Private sector, NAICS supersectors

Housing & Affordability

Census ACS · HUD Fair Market Rents FY2026

Housing Overview

Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates · Tables B25001, B25077, B25064
$369,400
Median Home Value vs 2019
$1,585
Rent/Mo
83.7%
Owner-Occ
8.1%
Vacancy
3.2x
Home Value to Income Ratio
vs. ~4.1x national average

HUD Fair Market Rents

Source: HUD · Fair Market Rents FY2026
Studio
$1,612/mo
1 Bedroom
$1,822/mo
2 Bedroom
$2,205/mo
3 Bedroom
$2,761/mo
4 Bedroom
$3,137/mo
30% of monthly median household income (~$2,905/mo) · rents above this line are typically considered cost-burdened.
Key Takeaways
  • In line with national: Home value to income ratio of 3.2x sits near the ~4.1x national average; affordability is neither a clear advantage nor a recruitment friction.
  • High home ownership: 83.7% owner-occupied; rental supply may be tight for incoming workers.
  • Affordable rent tiers: 4 of 5 HUD Fair Market Rent bedroom tiers sit below the 30%-of-median-income affordability threshold (~$2,905/mo).
Source: Census ACS housing tables + HUD Fair Market Rents.

Workforce Pipeline

Labor force readiness, commuting, and workforce composition

Labor Market Overview

Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Tables B01001, B23025, B08303, B08301
89,732
Working Age (18-64) vs 2019
Mean Commute 10 min above national avg
36.3 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
14.9%
Prime-Age Employed (25-54)
86.6%
of prime-age population
Labor force participation rate: 70.4% of working-age population (18-64) 70% Participation
▼ vs 2019

Education & Talent Pipeline

Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · College Scorecard
Bachelor's+
40.3%
HS Diploma+
95.4%
Regional / Statewide Institutions
Total credentials awarded
32,479/yr
Rutgers University-New Brunswick 13,105/yr
Rowan University 5,800/yr
Montclair State University 5,465/yr
Kean University 3,249/yr
New Jersey Institute of Technology 2,792/yr
Bergen Community College 2,068/yr

Aging Workforce

Source: Census Bureau ACS · Derived from age & employment tables
26.5%
55-64 of working-age population (18-64)
Elevated retirement risk, above the 20% threshold. Succession planning recommended.

Workforce by Occupation

Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table C24010 · Civilian employed population 16+
Management / Professional
46.2%
Service
12.9%
Sales & Office
21.2%
Construction / Maint.
9.7%
Production / Transport
10%
Bars scaled 2× for visual differentiation; percentage labels show actual share of 78,350 employed workers.
Key Takeaways
  • Succession risk is real: 26.5% of working-age residents are 55-64. Plan for retirements over the next decade and pair attraction strategy with talent retention.
  • Talent pipeline: 6 regional institutions feed the workforce; the top three combined produce 24,370 annual credentials.
Source: ACS workforce data and College Scorecard.

AI Insights

AI-assisted analysis, drawn from 9 federal data sources

Sample AI Insight

Sussex County shows meaningful potential for transit and ground passenger transportation attraction, with a 3.34x concentration and 468 jobs in this sub-sector. Near-term succession risk is elevated, with 26.5% of the working-age population within 10 years of retirement age.

The interconnected base across transit and ground passenger transportation, amusement, gambling, and recreation industries, and food and beverage retailers creates supply-chain attraction leverage rather than single-employer risk, 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

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Data Sources

Updated from official federal government data.

Census ACS 5-Year2024
BLS QCEW2025 annual
BLS LAUS (via FRED)2025 annual
BEA Regional GDP2024
Census CBP2023
HUD Fair Market RentsFY2026
FCC Broadband Map2024
USAspending.govFY2026
College ScorecardAY 2022-23

Frequently Asked Questions

Key economic and demographic figures for Sussex County, New Jersey, from federal data sources.

What is the population of Sussex County, New Jersey?

145,807 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).

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

$116,186 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).

What is the unemployment rate in Sussex County, New Jersey?

5% (2025 annual average, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS).

What is the GDP of Sussex County, New Jersey?

$6.7B (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, CAGDP1).