Hispanics are now the dominant minority group in the state, while N.J.'s southern and Shore counties continued their rapid growth
A replica of the first census taken of the population of New Jersey in 1790 is on display at he Newark Public Library. America by the Numbers: A Look at the Census Bureau is an exhibit dedicated to the history of the U.S. census.New Jersey’s population grew more racially diverse over the past decade and continued its shift to southern counties, according to new data released today by the Census Bureau.
The numbers from the 2010 Census provide a detailed portrait of the state’s ongoing demographic changes, including population counts for all 21 counties, 566 municipalities.
Among the findings:
• Hispanics are now the dominant minority group in New Jersey after decades of sustained growth. Last year, the number of New Jerseyans who identified themselves as Hispanics or Latino rose 39 percent from 2000, to roughly 1.5 million.
• The state’s southern and Shore counties continued their rapid growth, a trend that began 30 years ago. Ocean and Gloucester counties saw their populations rise by 13 percent each, the largest percentage growth in New Jersey.
• Newark’s population grew for the first time in at least three decades, registering a modest increase even as Essex County’s overall population dropped by 1 percent.
In December, the Census Bureau reported that New Jersey’s population was 8.8 million, an increase of nearly 5 percent since 2000. The U.S. population grew by roughly 10 percent, to 308 million, between 2000 and 2010.
The Census information will be used almost immediately to redraw legislative districts in time for the November elections. The data, which will also be used to redraw congressional district, will later help determine the allocation of roughly $400 billion in federal aid nationwide. The Census Bureau will release more detailed social and demographic estimates, including immigration and housing figures, later this year.
New Jersey towns with the most Hispanic residents in 2010
| Town | # Hispanics | % Hispanic | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Newark city | 93,746 | 33.8% |
| 2 | Paterson city | 84,254 | 57.6% |
| 3 | Elizabeth city | 74,353 | 59.5% |
| 4 | Jersey City city | 68,256 | 27.6% |
| 5 | Union City city | 56,291 | 84.7% |
| 6 | Passaic city | 49,557 | 71.0% |
| 7 | North Bergen township | 41,569 | 68.4% |
| 8 | Perth Amboy city | 39,685 | 78.1% |
| 9 | West New York town | 38,812 | 78.1% |
| 10 | Camden city | 36,379 | 47.0% |
| 11 | Trenton city | 28,621 | 33.7% |
| 12 | New Brunswick city | 27,553 | 49.9% |
| 13 | Clifton city | 26,854 | 31.9% |
| 14 | Vineland city | 23,093 | 38.0% |
| 15 | Plainfield city | 20,105 | 40.4% |
| 16 | Kearny town | 16,253 | 39.9% |
| 17 | Bayonne city | 16,251 | 25.8% |
| 18 | Lakewood township | 16,062 | 17.3% |
| 19 | Woodbridge township | 15,562 | 15.6% |
| 20 | Hackensack city | 15,186 | 35.3% |
Demographers said state residents continued to move south in search of cheaper land.
"The sheer volume of traffic coming up the Parkway into Route 287 is testament to this," said James Hughes, dean of the Edward J. Bloustein School Of Planning and Policy at Rutgers University.
"What makes the future a little bit hazy is that all these trends (the shift south) were influenced by the housing bubble and now it’s a new housing era," Hughes said. "It’s unclear whether what happened in the 2000s was a one-shot deal linked to easy credit, or a trend that will reassert itself."
The Census data offered hopeful signs for some of New Jersey’s cities, which have suffered steep population declines in the past.
Newark remains the state’s largest city, its population rising 1 percent to 277,140. Jersey City grew roughly 7,000 since 2000, to 247,700.
The biggest growth in the last decade came from suburban towns, which added nearly 220,000 residents.
Lakewood proved a particularly popular destination. More than 92,000 people now live in the Ocean County town, up 54 percent from 2000. The county itself is now the sixth-largest in New Jersey after growing 67 percent since 1980, fueled in part by new senior communities.
"The housing is affordable," county Freeholder Director Joseph Vicari said. "Middle class people can afford a nice piece of property with a garage. They get a nice house for a reasonable cost and the taxes are reasonable."
New Jersey towns with the biggest population in 2010
| Rank | Municipality | 2010 pop | % change | 2000 pop | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Newark | 277,140 | 1% | 273,546 | |
| 2 | Jersey City | 247,597 | 3% | 240,055 | |
| 3 | Paterson | 146,199 | -2% | 149,222 | |
| 4 | Elizabeth | 124,969 | 4% | 120,568 | |
| 5 | Edison | 99,967 | 2% | 97,687 | |
| 6 | Woodbridge | 99,585 | 2% | 97,203 | |
| 7 | Lakewood | 92,843 | 54% | 60,352 | |
| 8 | Toms River | 91,239 | 2% | 89,706 | |
| 9 | Hamilton | 88,464 | 2% | 87,109 | |
| 10 | Trenton | 84,913 | -1% | 85,403 |
Mirroring a national trend, New Jersey’s Hispanic population grew by nearly 438,000 since the previous Census, outpacing the state’s overall population growth of 377,500.
Demographers attributed the rapid growth of the Hispanic population to immigration and New Jersey’s status as a transportation hub.
The state has attracted Hispanic groups since the 1950s, when Puerto Ricans and Cubans established toeholds in northern New Jersey.
Christine Thurlow Brenner, director of the urban studies program at Rutgers-Camden, said the state’s Hispanic population has now grown more diverse, especially since the 1990s.
"What is newer in New Jersey is immigration from Central (and) South American and Mexican populations," she said. "Some of the Puerto Ricans and Cubans, their children are moving into the ranks of the middle class, and as they transition from affordable housing areas, newer immigrants are moving into those communities."
Edward Correa, 33, the president of the New Jersey Latino Foundation, has lived in Morris County for 17 years. He said social venues in Dover, like Club Colombia and Casa Puerto Rico, have helped the community flourish.
More Hispanics are moving to Morris County to run their own companies and pursue opportunities in the service and manufacturing industries, Correa said.
The Asian population also continued to grow in New Jersey, adding roughly 245,000 in the last 10 years. Asians made up about 8 percent of the state’s population last year, up from nearly 6 percent in 2000.
The number of New Jersey residents who identified solely as African-American totaled 1.2 million, a gain of 6 percent since the previous census. African-Americans now make up almost 14 percent of the state’s population.
The white population continued to decline in New Jersey, falling 1 percent to about 6.03 million. This is the second consecutive decade the proportion of white residents has fallen in New Jersey.
Roughly 240,300 residents listed themselves as multiracial.
"The data reinforces for New Jersey the realization that we are a very diverse state," Brenner, the Rutgers expert, said. "We have to create civic, political and social space for the diversity."
By Rohan Mascarenhas and Tom Meagher/The Star-Ledger
Staff writers Dan Goldberg, Eunice Lee and Aliza Applebaum contributed to this report.
Previous 2010 Census coverage:
• Mercer County's population grows 4.5 percent in 2010 census led Robbinsville, West Windsor
• With release of census data, N.J. Legislature has 60 days to come up with redistricting map
• Census data shows Hispanics as the largest minority in N.J.
• Newark's population grew for first time in 3 decades, new Census data shows
• Hamilton, Trenton rank among top 10 N.J. towns for population, census figures show
• Detailed N.J. population totals expected to be released by Census Bureau today
• N.J. illegal immigration level holds steady
• Di Ionno: Regardless of 'most densely populated' title, N.J. landscape is diverse
• Census 2010: Slower population growth causes N.J. to lose seat in U.S. House
• Community Survey results paint N.J. as wealthy, heavily populated with immigrants
• N.J. is home to three of 19 counties nationally with poverty rate below 5 percent, survey reveals