County

Essex County, New Jersey in charts

In the Census Bureau's 5-year survey ending in 2024, the median household income in Essex County, New Jersey, was $80,789, lower than New Jersey's ($103,556) and about the same as the U.S. figure ($80,734). 14.6% of its people lived below the poverty line, higher than New Jersey's (9.7%) and the U.S. figure (12.5%). Median rent was $1,531 a month, and the typical owner-occupied home was worth $524,100.

Median household income

$80,789 ± $1,638

Median household income, dollars a year. 548th highest of 3,143 counties; 4th lowest of 21 in New Jersey.

Essex County: $80,789
New Jersey: $103,556
U.S.: $80,734

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Poverty rate

14.6% ± 0.6%

Percent of people below the poverty line. 1,260th highest of 3,144 counties; 3rd highest of 21 in New Jersey.

Essex County: 14.6%
New Jersey: 9.7%
U.S.: 12.5%

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Median rent

$1,531 ± $19

Median gross rent, dollars a month. 228th highest of 3,137 counties; 7th lowest of 21 in New Jersey.

Essex County: $1,531
New Jersey: $1,720
U.S.: $1,413

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Median home value

$524,100 ± $11,118

Median home value, dollars. 123rd highest of 3,139 counties; 7th highest of 21 in New Jersey.

Essex County: $524,100
New Jersey: $454,400
U.S.: $332,700

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Average commute

33.6 minutes ± 0.4

Average one-way commute, minutes. 189th highest of 3,143 counties; 4th highest of 21 in New Jersey.

Essex County: 33.6 minutes
New Jersey: 30.5 minutes
U.S.: 26.4 minutes

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Cite this page

Chartly, “Essex County, New Jersey in charts”, from U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates ending in 2024. https://chart.ly/counties/essex-county-new-jersey

See New Jersey in charts: the state's crime, jobs, income and more next to the U.S.

How these figures are measured

Every figure comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey, which asks a sample of households each year. The 5-year estimates pool five years of answers so that even small counties have one, so they describe those years together, not the latest year, and don't reflect recent price increases.
Each county figure is shown with its margin of error (±, at 90% confidence, as the Census publishes it). Small counties' margins can be wide; where a county's gap from its state or the U.S. is within its margin, we say “about the same.”
Rent is median gross rent, including utilities. Home value is what owners estimate their home would sell for. The poverty line is the same across the country, so it doesn't reflect higher living costs in some places. Commute is the average one-way trip to work; people who work from home are not counted.
Counties include county equivalents such as parishes, boroughs and independent cities. Connecticut appears as its nine planning regions, which replaced its counties in Census data.

Sources and dates

What is the typical household income in your county? U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (Public domain (U.S. government work). This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.), data as of December 31, 2024.
What share of people live in poverty in your county? U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (Public domain (U.S. government work). This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.), data as of December 31, 2024.
How much is rent in your county? U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (Public domain (U.S. government work). This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.), data as of December 31, 2024.
What is the typical home worth in your county? U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (Public domain (U.S. government work). This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.), data as of December 31, 2024.
How long is the commute to work in your county? U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (Public domain (U.S. government work). This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.), data as of December 31, 2024.