County-level Census Bureau data covering income, housing, demographics, education, employment, and more. Counties are the primary administrative division in the U.S. and the most common unit for comparing local conditions across a state.
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023 (released December 2024).
Quick Facts — Essex County
- What is the median household income in Essex County?
- The median household income in Essex County is $76,712 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023).
- What is the poverty rate in Essex County?
- The poverty rate in Essex County is 11.7% (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the median home value in Essex County?
- $494,400 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the average rent in Essex County?
- The median gross rent in Essex County is $1,459 per month (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What percentage of Essex County residents have a college degree?
- 37.9% of adults in Essex County hold a bachelor's degree or higher (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
Population
854,130
Median Income
$76,712
Median Home Value
$494,400
Poverty Rate
11.7%
Unemployment (ACS 2023)
8.3%
Median Age
37.0 yrs
Since 2019
Median Income:
+$15,202 (+24.7%)
Home Value:
+$108,400 (+28.1%)
Poverty Rate:
-1.1 pp (-8.6%)
Bachelor's+:
+2.4 pp (+6.8%)
Unemployment:
+0.2 pp (+2.5%)
Demographics
Total Population
854,130
Median Age
37.0
Female
51.4%
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino 24.7%
White (non-Hisp.) 27.9%
Black 36.9%
Asian 5.8%
Two or More 11.4%
Other 12.2%
Asian Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Indian
2.3%
Chinese
1.4%
Filipino
1.0%
Korean
0.4%
Vietnamese
0.1%
Japanese
0.1%
Hispanic Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Puerto Rican
6.2%
Mexican
1.2%
Cuban
0.7%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Income & Poverty
Median Household Income
$76,712
±$1,583
-$24,338 vs. state
Per Capita Income
$133,571
Median Family Income
$101,256
Poverty Rate
11.7%
+4.7 pp vs. state
Child Poverty Rate
17.0%
Working-Age Poverty Rate
—
SNAP Recipients
14.5%
Social Security Income
—
Retirement Income
18.6%
Household Income Distribution
< $10k
7.0%
$10–15k
4.8%
$15–25k
6.9%
$25–35k
6.9%
$35–50k
9.4%
$50–75k
14.2%
$75–100k
10.7%
$100–150k
14.4%
$150–200k
8.2%
$200k+
17.6%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Housing
Total Housing Units
335,550
Owner-Occupied
44.5%
Renter-Occupied
55.5%
Vacancy Rate
5.4%
Median Home Value
$494,400
+$66,800 vs. state
Median Gross Rent
$1,459
Owner Cost Burden (30%+)
29.8%
Renter Cost Burden (30%+)
45.6%
Home Value Distribution
< $50k
3.0%
$50–100k
0.9%
$100–200k
1.6%
$200–300k
11.8%
$300–500k
31.1%
$500k–$1M
37.4%
$1M+
11.7%
Gross Rent Distribution
< $500
10.2%
$500–1k
11.5%
$1–1.5k
31.1%
$1.5–2k
26.8%
$2–2.5k
12.7%
$2.5–3.5k
3.8%
$3.5k+
3.9%
Vehicle Availability
No vehicle
21.6%
1 vehicle
40.1%
2 vehicles
28.1%
3+
10.2%
Housing Type
Single-fam. det.
32.8%
Single-fam. att.
7.7%
2–4 units
14.4%
5–19 units
5.9%
20+ units
19.3%
Mobile home
0.2%
Housing Age
Pre-1940
29.1%
1940–1969
9.4%
1970–1999
9.1%
2000–2009
7.5%
2010+
4.9%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Education
High School or Higher
86.8%
Bachelor's or Higher
37.9%
-5.0 pp vs. state
Graduate Degree
15.9%
Some College / Associate
15.5%
Less Than High School
7.0%
Enrolled in School
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Employment
Labor Force Participation
66.2%
Unemployment Rate
8.3%
+2.1 pp vs. state
Work from Home
14.2%
Self-Employed
5.2%
Government Workers
14.4%
Private For-Profit
80.3%
Industry
Edu/Health
24.6%
Prof. Services
14.4%
Retail
9.3%
Transportation
8.6%
Finance
7.9%
Construction
7.1%
Manufacturing
6.7%
Arts/Entmt.
6.6%
Public Admin
4.5%
Information
2.9%
Wholesale
2.3%
Agriculture
0.1%
Occupation
Management
42.1%
Sales
18.9%
Food Prep
18.0%
Production
13.0%
Construction
8.0%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Commute
Median Travel Time
34.0 min
Drove Alone
53.9%
Carpool
8.0%
Public Transit
16.2%
Work from Home
14.2%
Walked
3.1%
Bicycle
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Households & Families
Total Households
317,473
Avg. Household Size
2.00
Avg. Family Size
—
Married-Couple Households
40.0%
Single-Mother Households
—
Single-Father Households
—
Living Alone
—
Households with Children
18.6%
Multigenerational
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Age Distribution
Under 5
6.3%
5–9
6.4%
10–14
7.0%
15–19
6.5%
20–24
6.3%
25–34
13.5%
35–44
14.1%
45–54
13.6%
55–64
6.4%
65–74
5.9%
75–84
8.2%
85+
4.0%
Under 18: 23.7%
Working age (18–64): 76.3%
65 and over: 14.0%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Social Characteristics
Immigration
Foreign Born
29.3%
Naturalized Citizen
51.1%
Speaks English Less Than Very Well
15.5%
Foreign-Born Origin
Latin America
63.1%
Asia
13.7%
Africa
12.6%
Europe
9.7%
Veterans & Disability
Veteran
2.7%
With a Disability
12.2%
Cognitive Difficulty
—
Ambulatory Difficulty
—
Health Insurance
Insured
88.4%
Uninsured
11.6%
Employer Insurance
—
Medicaid
—
Medicare
—
Technology & Mobility
Broadband Internet
87.8%
Has a Computer
93.9%
Same House 1 Year Ago
89.2%
Moved from Abroad
1.2%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Compare Essex County
Compare to another county →Where People Move From (IRS Migration Data)
Top origins of people who moved to Essex County in 2023, by number of tax returns filed (IRS SOI Migration Data).
| Origin | Tax Returns | People (est.) |
|---|---|---|
| Hudson County | 2,594 | 4,661 |
| Union County | 1,955 | 3,317 |
| Kings County | 1,621 | 2,965 |
| Passaic County | 1,347 | 2,234 |
| Bergen County | 1,226 | 1,980 |
| Other flows - South | 1,113 | 1,770 |
| New York County | 904 | 1,584 |
| Bronx County | 831 | 1,505 |
| Morris County | 828 | 1,274 |
| Queens County | 767 | 1,331 |