| County | Rank | Change (2020) ↓ | 2026 Pop. | 2020 Pop. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ocean County | 1 | 6.42% | 679,097 | 638,143 |
| Union County | 2 | 5.49% | 604,983 | 573,482 |
| Burlington County | 3 | 5.12% | 485,356 | 461,700 |
| Essex County | 4 | 4.84% | 901,517 | 859,934 |
| Somerset County | 5 | 3.87% | 357,850 | 344,516 |
| Mercer County | 6 | 3.83% | 401,249 | 386,434 |
| Gloucester County | 7 | 3.78% | 314,013 | 302,564 |
| Morris County | 8 | 3.73% | 527,147 | 508,211 |
| Warren County | 9 | 3.7% | 113,482 | 109,431 |
| Sussex County | 10 | 3.34% | 148,681 | 143,877 |
| Hunterdon County | 11 | 2.87% | 132,465 | 128,773 |
| Salem County | 12 | 2.84% | 66,620 | 64,781 |
| Camden County | 13 | 2.82% | 538,003 | 523,239 |
| Bergen County | 14 | 2.8% | 980,575 | 953,848 |
| Middlesex County | 15 | 2.76% | 885,050 | 861,248 |
| Cumberland County | 16 | 2.7% | 157,889 | 153,733 |
| Hudson County | 17 | 2.39% | 739,038 | 721,800 |
| Passaic County | 18 | 1.72% | 532,131 | 523,156 |
| Monmouth County | 19 | 1.71% | 653,397 | 642,385 |
| Atlantic County | 20 | 1.7% | 278,847 | 274,192 |
| Cape May County | 21 | -2.47% | 92,686 | 95,029 |
New Jersey's counties show varied growth patterns from 2020 to 2026. Ocean County leads with 1.04% annualized growth, followed by Union County (0.9%) and Burlington County (0.84%). The largest counties are Bergen County (980,575), Essex County (901,517), and Middlesex County (885,050). Of the 21 counties in New Jersey, 20 are growing while just 1 has experienced population decline. Overall, counties averaged 0.51% annualized growth, with total population growing by 0.57% annually.
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