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 1737 census of the colony. Image: New Jersey State Archives
New Jersey Population Overview New Jersey, the most densely populated state in the United States, continues to grow modestly through a combination of natural increase and net international migration, despite ongoing domestic out-migration to other states. As of the latest U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the state's population stands at 9,548,215 as of July 1, 2025. This represents an increase of 2.8% since the April 1, 2020 Census base of 9,289,024 and ranks New Jersey 11th among U.S. states in total population. The state's high density--approximately 1,263 to 1,298 persons per square mile--reflects its compact geography and proximity to major metropolitan areas like New York City and Philadelphia. Growth has been driven primarily by international immigration, though this component slowed notably in 2024–2025. Urban and shore counties have seen stronger gains in recent years, while some exurban and southern coastal areas have experienced slower growth or minor declines. Fast Facts (July 1, 2025 estimates unless noted)
Population Growth Trends (2020–2025) New Jersey added approximately 259,191 residents between the 2020 Census base and July 1, 2025, for a total growth of 2.8%. Annual growth slowed after stronger post-COVID rebounds, with international migration declining by more than half in the most recent period. Domestic migration remains a net negative, but this has been more than offset by births and immigration in most years. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2025 Population Estimates. Historical Overview
Historically, New Jersey's first settlements were located along waterways, particularly the Hudson River waterfront, Newark Bay, the Raritan and Passaic rivers, and the Delaware River and Bay. Despite the efforts by Lord John Berkeley and Sir George Carteret to attract settlers to the lands granted to them in 1664 by the Duke of York, New Jersey's population grew relatively slowly compared to adjacent Pennsylvania and New York, which benefited from natural advantages in serving as major ports for both overseas and domestic trade.
In 1702, New Jersey's population was estimated at about 10,000, compared to Pennsylvania's 15,000 and New York's 20,000. By the 1737 Colonial Census, the population had reached 47,369 (recorded as 43,588 white residents and 3,981 enslaved people). New Jersey’s population primarily clustered in towns across the rivers from Manhattan and Philadelphia, seeding the development of Jersey City, Hoboken, Newark, Elizabeth, and Camden. Inland waterways and rivers provided the foundation for industrial hubs like New Brunswick, Perth Amboy, and Paterson.  1790 US Census. Image: US Census Bureau/National Geographic Society
In the first federal census in 1790, the state reported a total population of 184,139. At that time, New Jersey was composed of 13 counties:
Commencing in the 1830s, population growth accelerated, fueled by New Jersey's role as a gateway for immigrant labor and its position on the central railroad corridor. Between 1850 and 1860, the state population surged by 37.3%. From 1850 to 1900, the average decennial growth rate remained high at approximately 31%. Most of this growth was from urban areas like Newark, Jersey City, Paterson, and Camden, which evolved into major manufacturing centers, attracting factory workers who lived in densely populated nearby neighborhoods. Following the Civil War, the state also saw an influx of African Americans, expanding a community already established by freed or escaping slaves who had sought refuge via the Underground Railroad. Foreign immigration and the prosperity of the 1920s led to another surge; from 1920 to 1930, the state’s 28% gain nearly doubled the national average. Many immigrants arriving at Ellis Island would board ferries to the Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal in Jersey City, where they were often kept in segregated waiting rooms before boarding trains to their final destinations. The Great Depression caused a sharp decline in growth, which fell to just 2.9% between 1930 and 1940. This was driven by plummeting birth rates and federal immigration restrictions. Post-World War II, the "baby boom" and the GI Bill sparked a suburban explosion. In the 1950s and 1960s, the population increased by over one million people each decade. Development shifted toward suburban towns, made accessible by the construction of the Garden State Parkway and New Jersey Turnpike along with the links within the state of the interstate highway system. By the 1970s, the decline of manufacturing and urban civil unrest slowed growth to a record low of 2.7%. The state began losing residents to "Sunbelt" states with lower costs of living. In the 21st century, New Jersey has relied heavily on international migration to maintain its population, but sharp cutbacks during the Trump Administration, along with aggressive enforcement in arresting and deporting illegal immigrants, may see a decline in the state's past dependence on immigration to sustain population and employment growth.. According to updated data:
Race and Ethnicity New Jersey remains one of the most diverse states in the nation, with a mix of racial, ethnic, and ancestral backgrounds. As of the latest U.S. Census Bureau estimates (2024–2025), the state's population of approximately 9.55 million breaks down as follows:
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau - New Jersey QuickFacts;, U.S. Census Bureau - New Jersey QuickFacts, Counties by Population (2025 Estimates)
Bergen County remains the most populous, followed by Essex and Middlesex. Ocean County has shown the strongest percentage growth since 2020 (≈5.58%).. Most counties gained population between 2020 and 2025, with Cape May County as the notable exception with a slight net loss..
* Census Brief: Warmer, older, more diverse: State-by-state population changes to 2025, US Census Bureau
* 2020 Census Statistics Highlight Local Population Changes and Nation’s Racial and Ethnic Diversity, US Census Bureau Foreign immigration and national origins
New Jersey has about 2.3 million immigrants, including about 450,000 who are undocumented, according to federal reports, comprising nearly a quarter of the state's population, higher than the national rate of 14.3%. In recent years, New Jersey has depended on foreign immigration to avoid a net decline in population. It is estimated that there were about 475,000 illegal immigrants making up about 5.2% of the population--the fourth highest percentage of any state. In the 2020 census, 90.3% of the residents in New Jersey were US citizens.
The primary sources of foreign immigration to New Jersey have increasingly been shifting from Europe to Latin America and Asia, but the five largest ethnic groups in 2000 continued to reflect the historical pattern, with the largest groups comprised of Italian (17.9%), Irish (15.9%), African (13.6%), German (12.6%) and Polish (6.9%). Just under 32% of New Jersey residents speak a language other than English at home. The Spanish language, with 14.59% of households speaking it as their primary language at home, is by far the most frequent language spoken other than English, with Chinese (1.23%), Italian (1.06%) and Portuguese (1.06%) the only other languages exceeding one percent. As a percentage of population in 2022, New Jersey was the third highest state in the percentage of Asians with 9.6%, behind only Hawaii (38.6%) and California (14.6%), and the highest of all states in the percentage of Asian Indians with 3.32%. Bergen County is home to all of the nation's top ten municipalities by percentage of Korean population, led by Palisades Park, where Koreans comprise the majority (52%) of the population. The state also had the largest population of Peruvian Americans of all states; the largest population of Cuban Americans outside of Florida; and the third highest Italian American population by percentage, according to the 2000 Census. Some 31.6% of the households in New Jersey reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language, which is higher than the national average of 21.5%, with the survey measuring only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household. In 2020, the most common non-English language spoken in households in New Jersey was Spanish. 16.4% of the households in New Jersey reported speaking Spanish at home as the primary shared language between all members living in the household. According to data from the National Science Foundation, immigrants comprise 48% of state residents with master’s degrees and 41% of those with doctorates in scientific fields. New Jersey attitudes toward immigrants appear to be more positive than the nation as a whole. The state provides eligible undocumented residents, including DACA recipients, with access to in-state tuition, state financial aid, professional and occupational licenses, and driver licenses and state identification. Legislation enacted in 2024, after the election of Donald Trump for a second term as president, bars law enforcement officers from stopping, questioning, arresting, searching, or detaining any person based solely on their actual or suspected immigration status and also prohibits law enforcement from sharing immigrant-related resources or databases with federal immigration officials. * State Immigration Data Profiles, New Jersey, Migration Policy Institute * New Jersey Data Profile, DataUSA.io * US unauthorized immigrant population estimates by state 2016, Pew Center
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