State
County
Land Area
14.7 sq mi
Density
17,655.2/sq mi
2020 Growth Rate
-0.68%
Growth Since 2010
5.13%
Rank in State
Rank in Country
Metro Population
19,155,700
Jersey City is a city located in New Jersey. With a 2020 population of 260,299, it is the 2nd largest city in New Jersey (after Newark) and the 85th largest city in the United States. Jersey City is currently declining at a rate of -0.68% annually but its population has increased by 5.13% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 247,597 in 2010. Jersey City reached it's highest population of 316,715 in 1930. Spanning over 21 miles, Jersey City has a population density of 17,655 people per square mile.
The average household income in Jersey City is $105,122 with a poverty rate of 17.15%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to $1,401 per month, and the median house value is $373,700. The median age in Jersey City is 34.3 years, 34 years for males, and 34.7 years for females. For every 100 females there are 98.4 males.
Jersey City is located in the state of New Jersey. It is the county seat of Hudson County, and it is the largest city by population within that county. Jersey City is part of the New York metro area and serves as a transportation, distribution, and manufacturing center for the Port of New York and New Jersey.
In its earliest years, Jersey City experienced substantial population growth, reaching over 100,000 residents by 1880 and more than 200,000 by 1900. However, the period between the 1930s and 1990s saw a decline in population. As mentioned, this was due to rising crime rates, political corruption, and other problems within the city. However, efforts in the late 1980s were successful in bringing more residents into Jersey City, posting a 2.2% increase between 1980 and 1990. Since the last census taken in 2010, the population has risen by over 6%, showing that this once thriving city is back on track to see continued growth in the future.
The Lenape once inhabited the area that is now Jersey City. Henry Hudson arrived in the region in 1609. A land grant to Michael Reyniersz Pauw was used to purchase the land from the Lenape in 1630.
In the late 1700s, Alexander Hamilton and other prominent people in New York and New Jersey went to work to develop what is now historic downtown Jersey City. An interesting fact about Jersey City is that during the 19th century, former slaves used the Underground Railroad to reach this city. Jersey City was not incorporated as a city until 1820. It was reincorporated in 1829, then again in 1838. Two years later, it was made part of Hudson County.
The 1850s through the 1880s saw the introduction of the railroad, which through the 20th century was one of the biggest employers in the city. During the 19th and 20th centuries, the city was a dock and manufacturing town. It was also a city that attracted many immigrants from Germany, Italy, and Ireland.
The 1970s saw a decline in urban population as more people moved to the suburbs following high crime rates, political corruption, and hardships. Through the 1970s and early 1980s, Jersey City lost 9% of its workforce, while the 30-year period from 1950 to 1980 saw a loss of 75,000 residents. However, later in the 1980s, revitalization efforts began to bring in more residents. This included the construction of high-rise buildings, the development of the financial district, and a thriving downtown area.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Jersey City was:
2019 and 2020 population is estimated by projecting the raw 2018 numbers.
Year | Total Population | Growth | Annual Growth Rate |
---|---|---|---|
2020 | 19,155,700 | -60,500 | -0.32% |
2019 | 19,216,200 | -60,400 | -0.31% |
2018 | 19,276,600 | -46,000 | -0.24% |
2017 | 19,322,600 | -12,200 | -0.06% |
2016 | 19,334,800 | 13,800 | 0.07% |
2015 | 19,321,000 | 40,100 | 0.21% |
2014 | 19,280,900 | 54,500 | 0.28% |
2013 | 19,226,400 | 76,700 | 0.40% |
2012 | 19,149,700 | 96,900 | 0.51% |
2011 | 19,052,800 | 129,400 | 0.68% |
2010 | 18,923,400 | 0.00% |
Race | Population | Percentage |
---|---|---|
White | 93,925 | 35.86% |
Asian | 65,829 | 25.13% |
Black or African American | 60,007 | 22.91% |
Some Other Race | 30,796 | 11.76% |
Two or More Races | 9,864 | 3.77% |
American Indian and Alaska Native | 1,421 | 0.54% |
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 98 | 0.04% |
Type | Count | Average Size | Owned |
---|---|---|---|
All | 103,225 | 2.51 | 29.1 |
Married | 41,096 | 3.23 | 39.2 |
Non Family | 40,448 | 1.39 | 21.2 |
Female | 16,098 | 3.22 | 22 |
Male | 5,583 | 3.33 | 32 |
3.13
Average Family Size
2.51
Average Household Size
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Less Than 9th Grade | 11,915 | 6.38% |
9th to 12th Grade | 11,189 | 5.99% |
High School Graduate | 42,496 | 22.75% |
Some College | 24,141 | 12.92% |
Associates Degree | 8,250 | 4.42% |
Bachelors Degree | 51,930 | 27.80% |
Graduate Degree | 36,891 | 19.75% |
Name | Total | High School | Bachelors |
---|---|---|---|
Asian | 50,330 | 46,906 | 37,144 |
Hispanic | 47,877 | 36,090 | 9,845 |
White | 47,149 | 44,351 | 29,286 |
Black | 39,377 | 34,005 | 10,545 |
Other Race | 18,655 | 14,186 | 2,983 |
Multiple Races | 5,158 | 4,668 | 2,706 |
Native American | 915 | 654 | 145 |
Islander | 40 | 40 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among islander people with a rate of 100.00%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 73.80%.
$51,002
Average Earnings
$56,825
Average Male
$43,539
Average Female
46.98% of Jersey City residents speak only English, while 53.02% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 23.17% of the population.
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
---|---|---|---|
Hispanic | 73,809 | 16,379 | 22.19% |
Black | 59,212 | 13,821 | 23.34% |
Asian | 65,583 | 7,196 | 10.97% |
White | 56,685 | 7,071 | 12.47% |
Other | 30,563 | 6,955 | 22.76% |
Multiple | 9,715 | 1,346 | 13.85% |
Native | 1,421 | 103 | 7.25% |
Islander | 98 | 31 | 31.63% |
17.15%
Overall Poverty Rate
15.21%
Male Poverty Rate
19.07%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Jersey City is Islander, with 31.63% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Jersey City is Native, with 7.25% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 3.06%. Among those working part-time, it was 20.03%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 33.07%.
43.6%
Overall Marriage Rate
45.8%
Male Marriage Rate
41.5%
Female Marriage Rate
The age group where males are most likely to be married is 35-44, while the female age group most likely to be married is 35-44.
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
---|---|---|
White | 2,028 | 2.62% |
Black | 1,381 | 2.99% |
Hispanic | 899 | 1.65% |
Asian | 310 | 0.56% |
Other | 289 | 1.33% |
2 or More | 113 | 1.93% |
Indian | 76 | 8.14% |
11.00%
Veteran Poverty Rate
24.84%
Veteran Disability Rate
68.5%
Labor Force Participation
64.5%
Employment Rate
5.7%
Unemployment Rate
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
58.21%
Native Born
41.79%
Foreign Born
22.63%
Non Citizen
19.17%
Naturalized
58.21% of Jersey City residents were born in the United States, with 34.51% having been born in New Jersey. 22.63% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Asia.
Year | Population | Growth | Annual Growth Rate |
---|---|---|---|
2020 | 260,299 | -1,776 | -0.68% |
2019 | 262,075 | -1,776 | -0.67% |
2018 | 263,851 | 559 | 0.21% |
2017 | 263,292 | 2,865 | 1.10% |
2016 | 260,427 | 256 | 0.10% |
2015 | 260,171 | 1,539 | 0.60% |
2014 | 258,632 | 1,513 | 0.59% |
2013 | 257,119 | 1,047 | 0.41% |
2012 | 256,072 | 3,195 | 1.26% |
2011 | 252,877 | 4,553 | 1.83% |
2010 | 248,324 | 8,269 | 0.34% |
2000 | 240,055 | 11,518 | 0.49% |
1990 | 228,537 | 5,005 | 0.22% |
1980 | 223,532 | -36,818 | -1.51% |
1970 | 260,350 | -15,751 | -0.59% |
1960 | 276,101 | -22,916 | -0.79% |
1950 | 299,017 | -2,156 | -0.07% |
1940 | 301,173 | -15,542 | -0.50% |
1930 | 316,715 | 18,612 | 0.61% |
1920 | 298,103 | 30,324 | 1.08% |
1910 | 267,779 | 61,346 | 2.64% |
1900 | 206,433 | 43,430 | 2.39% |
1890 | 163,003 | 42,281 | 3.05% |
1880 | 120,722 | 38,176 | 3.87% |
1870 | 82,546 | 53,320 | 10.94% |
1860 | 29,226 | 22,370 | 15.60% |
1850 | 6,856 | 3,784 | 8.36% |
1840 | 3,072 | 0.00% |