Essex County, NJ

County

Add Comparison
    2024 Population
    863,002
    US Senator
    Cory Booker
    Democratic Party
    US Senator
    Andy Kim
    Democratic Party
    2024 Poverty Rate
    14.6%
    2.58% 1-year decrease
    2024 Median Household Income
    $80,789
    5.31% 1-year growth
    2024 Employed Population
    414,128
    1.15% 1-year growth

    About

    N/A of the households in Essex County, NJ reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

    84.9% of the residents in Essex County, NJ are U.S. citizens.

    The largest universities in Essex County, NJ are New Jersey Institute of Technology (3,332 degrees awarded in 2024), Rutgers University-Newark (2,929 degrees), and Seton Hall University (2,677 degrees).

    Most people in Essex County, NJ drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 33.6 minutes. The average car ownership in Essex County, NJ was 2 cars per household.

    About the photo: Branch Brook Park in Newark, NJ.
    Photo by Joshua Siniscal
    United StatesNew JerseyNew York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA

    Population & Diversity

    Essex County, NJ is home to a population of 863k people, from which 84.9% are citizens. As of 2024, 29.8% of Essex County, NJ residents were born outside of the country (258k people).

    Population & Diversity

    Citizenship

    84.9%
    2024 Citizenship
    85.7%
    2023 Citizenship

    As of 2024, 84.9% of Essex County, NJ residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Essex County, NJ was 85.7%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

    The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Essex County, NJ compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Diversity

    Global Diversity

    The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for New Jersey.
    Most Common Origin
    1. India
      279,408 ± 12,782 people
    2. Dominican Republic
      210,288 ± 11,131 people
    3. Mexico
      108,737 ± 8,049 people

    In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of New Jersey was India, the natal country of 279,408 New Jersey residents, followed by Dominican Republic with 210,288 and Mexico with 108,737.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Foreign-Born Population

    29.8%
    2024 Foreign-Born Population
    258k people
    29.1%
    2023 Foreign-Born Population
    248k people

    As of 2024, 29.8% of Essex County, NJ residents (258k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Essex County, NJ was 29.1%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

    The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Essex County, NJ compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Military

    Veterans

    Most Common Service Period
    1. Vietnam
      4,975 ± 571
    2. Gulf War (2001-)
      3,488 ± 625
    3. Gulf War (1990s)
      2,436 ± 405

    Essex County, NJ has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.43 times greater than any other conflict.

    The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Essex County, NJ.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Health

    N/A% of the population of Essex County, NJ has health coverage, with N/A% on employee plans, N/A% on Medicaid, N/A% on Medicare, N/A% on non-group plans, and N/A% on military or VA plans.

    Primary care physicians in Essex County, NJ see 1,325 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,325 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1088 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 354 patients per year.

    By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.3% were men and 51.7% were women.

    Coverage

    Patient to Clinician Ratios

    1,325 to 1
    Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Essex County, NJ

    Primary care physicians in Essex County, NJ see an average of 1,325 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,325 patients).

    The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Essex County, NJ in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Location of Health Services Facilities

    Health Service Type
    Top 5 Health Facilities Servicing the Greatest Number of Households
    1. Health Practice Name

      12345 Community Center Dr., Hayward, CA 94540 Census Tract # 4001

    2. Health Practice Name

      12345 Community Center Dr., Hayward, CA 94540 Census Tract # 4002

    3. Health Practice Name

      12345 Community Center Dr., Hayward, CA 94540 Census Tract # 4003

    4. Health Practice Name

      12345 Community Center Dr., Hayward, CA 94540 Census Tract # 4004

    5. Health Practice Name

      12345 Community Center Dr., Hayward, CA 94540 Census Tract # 4005

    View Data
    Save Image

    Health Care Diversity

    In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 25.2% under 18 years, 20.9% between 18 and 34 years, 39.8% between 35 and 64 years, and 14% over 64 years.

    By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.3% were men and 51.7% were women.

    The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Health Indicators

    Health Outcomes

    Indicator

    In 2025, the average number of mentally unhealthy days reported in past 30 days (age-adjusted) was 5.1 in Essex County, NJ.

    The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Essex County, NJ.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Health Behaviors

    Indicator

    In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 29.1% in Essex County, NJ.

    The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Essex County, NJ.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Clinical Care

    Indicator

    In 2025, the percentage of population under age 65 without health insurance was 10.6% in Essex County, NJ.

    The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Essex County, NJ.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Economy

    The economy of Essex County, NJ employs 414k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Essex County, NJ were Health Care & Social Assistance (61,171 people), Educational Services (41,297 people), and Retail Trade (39,051 people), and the highest paying industries were Finance & Insurance ($134,875), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($111,279), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($107,149).

    Employment

    Occupations

    414k
    2024 Value
    ± 6,008
    1.15%
    1 Year growth
    ± 2.04%

    From 2023 to 2024, employment in Essex County, NJ grew at a rate of 1.15%, from 409k employees to 414k employees.

    The most common job groups, by number of people living in Essex County, NJ, are Management Occupations (47,378 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (43,248 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (32,983 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Essex County, NJ.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Unemployment Insurance Claims

    Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for New Jersey.

    This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in New Jersey (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

    The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Industries

    Employment by Industries

    414k
    2024 Value
    ± 6,008
    1.15%
    1 Year growth
    ± 2.04%

    From 2023 to 2024, employment in Essex County, NJ grew at a rate of 1.15%, from 409k employees to 414k employees.

    The most common employment sectors for those who live in Essex County, NJ, are Health Care & Social Assistance (61,171 people), Educational Services (41,297 people), and Retail Trade (39,051 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Essex County, NJ, though some of these residents may live in Essex County, NJ and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Employment by Industry Sector

    Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for New Jersey.
    Y-Axis
    2.27%
    Year-over-year growth
    Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

    As of February 2023, there are 4.24M people employed in New Jersey. This represents a 2.27% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

    Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 16.5%.

    The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in New Jersey.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Establishments by Size

    The industries with the most establishments
    1. 1,570
      Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
    2. 1,551
      Retail Trade
    3. 1,436
      Other Services (except Public Administration)

    The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

    The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Payroll by Industry Sector

    The industries with the highest total annual payroll
    1. $3.79M
      Health Care and Social Assistance
    2. $2.91M
      Finance and Insurance
    3. $2.48M
      Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

    The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Civics

    In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in New Jersey went to Kamala Harris with 52% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (46.1%), followed by Jill Stein (0.914%).

    Cory Booker and Andy Kim are the senators currently representing the state of New Jersey. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

    New Jersey is currently represented by 11 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

    Presidential Elections

    Voting results are not available for Essex County, NJ. Showing the available data for New Jersey.
    2024 Election Results
    1. Kamala Harris (52%)
      Democratic Party
    2. Donald J. Trump (46.1%)
      Republican Party
    3. Jill Stein (0.914%)
      Green Party

    In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in New Jersey went to Kamala Harris with 52% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (46.1%), followed by Jill Stein (0.914%).

    The following chart shows the popular vote results in New Jersey for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Senator Elections

    US Senators from New Jersey

    Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for New Jersey.
    Cory Booker
    Senator from New Jersey2
    Assumed office on October 31, 2013
    Elected to the seat to succeed Jeffrey Chiesa, who had been appointed to the seat following the death of Frank Lautenberg.{{Cite news |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2013/10/cory-booker-new-jersey-senate-election-098436 |title=Booker Wins New Jersey Senate Seat |work=Politico |access-date=May 21, 2020 }}
    Andy Kim
    Senator from New Jersey1
    Assumed office on December 8, 2024
    Elected to the seat to succeed George Helmy, who had been appointed to the seat following the resignation of Bob Menendez.

    Cory Booker and Andy Kim are the senators currently representing New Jersey.

    In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

    The following chart shows elected senators in New Jersey over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Education

    Most students graduating from Universities in Essex County, NJ are White (3,699 and 35.6%), Hispanic or Latino (2,632 and 25.3%), Black or African American (1,971 and 19%), and Asian (1,425 and 13.7%).

    The largest universities in Essex County, NJ by number of degrees awarded are New Jersey Institute of Technology (3,332 and 27.6%), Rutgers University-Newark (2,929 and 24.2%), and Seton Hall University (2,677 and 22.1%).

    The most popular majors in Essex County, NJ are General Computer & Information Sciences (772 and 6.39%), General Business Administration & Management (690 and 5.71%), and Law (610 and 5.05%).

    The median tuition costs are $38,470 for private four year colleges, and $14,790 and $33,734 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

    Admissions & Enrollments

    Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

    Measure

    In 2024 in Essex County, NJ, the percentage of applicants admitted was 70.7%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 9.54%. The number of students enrolled in 2024 was 47,075 (51.2% men and 48.8% women).

    The line chart  shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Enrollments by Gender and Races

    In 2024 there were 47,075 students enrolled in Essex County, NJ, 51.2% men and 48.8% women.

    By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Hispanic or Latino with 12,736 records, of which 50.4% were women and 49.6% men.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Completions

    Concentrations

    Most Common
    1. General Biological Sciences
      461 degrees awarded
    2. General Computer & Information Sciences
      358 degrees awarded
    3. General Psychology
      334 degrees awarded

    In 2024, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Essex County, NJ was General Biological Sciences with 461 degrees awarded.

    This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Essex County, NJ according to their major.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Universities

    Gender
    Race
    Largest Universities by degrees awarded
    1. New Jersey Institute of Technology
      3,332 degrees awarded
    2. Rutgers University-Newark
      2,929 degrees awarded
    3. Seton Hall University
      2,677 degrees awarded

    In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was New Jersey Institute of Technology with 3,332 degrees awarded.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Student Diversity

    In 2024, 6,225 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Essex County, NJ, which is 1.06 times more than the 5,864 female students who received degrees in the same year.

    In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 3,699 degrees mean that there were 1.41 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 2,632 degrees awarded.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Awarded Degrees over Time

    The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

    View Data
    Save Image
    View Data
    Save Image

    Housing & Living

    People in Essex County, NJ have an average commute time of 33.6 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Essex County, NJ is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

    In 2025, 26.4% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Essex County, NJ. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.35%.

    Housing

    Rent vs Own

    44.9%
    Homeownership
    2024
    59.2%
    Homeowners with Mortgage
    2024

    In 2024, 44.9% of the housing units in Essex County, NJ were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 44.5%.

    This chart shows the percentage of owner in Essex County, NJ compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Equity

    Household Income

    Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
    $80,789
    Median Household Income
    ± $1,638
    320k
    Number of Households
    ± 5,340

    In 2024, the median household income of the 320k households in Essex County, NJ grew to $80,789 from the previous year's value of $76,712.

    The following chart displays the households in Essex County, NJ distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $200k+ range.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Wage Distribution

    The closest comparable wage GINI for Essex County, NJ is from New Jersey.
    0.482
    2024 Wage GINI in New Jersey
    0.486
    2023 Wage GINI in New Jersey

    In 2024, the income inequality in New Jersey was 0.482 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.733% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for New Jersey was higher than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed less evenly in New Jersey in comparison to the national average.

    This chart shows the number of workers in New Jersey across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Transportation

    Commuter Transportation

    Most Common Commute in 2024
    1. Drove Alone (52.7%)
    2. Worked At Home (16.1%)
    3. Public Transit (15.8%)

    In 2024, 52.7% of workers in Essex County, NJ drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (16.1%) and those who used public transit to get to work (15.8%).

    The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Commute Time

    33.6 minutes
    Average Travel Time

    Using averages, employees in Essex County, NJ have a longer commute time (33.6 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 5.66% of the workforce in Essex County, NJ have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

    The chart below shows how the median household income in Essex County, NJ compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

    View Data
    Save Image
    View Data
    Save Image

    Car Ownership

    2 cars
    Average Number

    The following chart displays the households in Essex County, NJ distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Essex County, NJ have 2 cars.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Poverty

    Severe Housing Problems

    In 2025, 26.4% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Essex County, NJ. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.35%.

    The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Poverty & Diversity

    14.6% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Essex County, NJ (124k out of 844k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Females 45 - 54.

    The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Essex County, NJ is Black, followed by Hispanic and Other.

    The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Children in Poverty

    In 2025, 18.4% of the children was living in poverty in Essex County, NJ. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 6.4%.

    The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Security

    Crimes & Accidents

    Indicator

    In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 606 in Essex County, NJ. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 69.3% per 100,000 population.

    The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

    View Data
    Save Image