The 7 Fastest Growing Towns in New Jersey Everyone Is Talking About

New Jersey is the most densely population state in the United States. In 2020, New Jersey had a population of 9,289,031, but the state lost about 28,000 residents between 2020 and 2022. However, some parts of the state are still growing. Discover the fastest-growing towns in New Jersey and find out which areas are continuing to grow despite the state losing so many residents in a short time.

All the information in this article comes directly from the U.S. Census Bureau’s list of city and town population totals from 2020 to 2022.

7. Bogota

Bogota is a borough located in the northeastern part of New Jersey. The borough is in Bergen County, and the Hackensack River forms the area’s western border. This part of the state has been experiencing moderate growth over the past decade.

The 2010 census found that 8,187 people lived in the area, but the region was home to 8,776 people in 2020. From 2020 to 2022, the estimated population in this part of New Jersey rose to 9,284. The population grew by a total of 508 people, an increase equal to a 5.79% change.

Bogota is close to New York City. Bogota offers access to the I-80 Express which allows people to travel over the George Washington Bridge and into New York City. The borough’s proximity to the city is probably a reason that people continue to move to this area.

6. Park Ridge

Park Ridge is another borough in Bergen County. This borough is in the northeastern part of the Garden State. Park Ridge is an affluent area of the state that was formerly home to the Hertz Corporation. Woodcliff Lake, a fairly large body of water, reaches into the southern central portion of the town.

In 2020, the population of Park Ridge was 8,889 people. Although the population decreased slightly throughout 2020, people moved to this region over the next two years. The population in Park Ridge increased by 537 people, bringing the total to 9,426 residents. The borough attained a 6.04% growth over two years.

Adding 537 people makes this one of the fastest-growing towns in New Jersey. That small number shows just how few cities marked a significant growth from 2020 to 2022 in this state.  

5. Garwood

Garwood is another borough in the northeastern part of the state. However, Garwood is in Union County, not as far north as the first two entries on the list. Garwood is a rather densely populated area in New Jersey, and it is known by rail commuters for its stop along the Raritan Valley Line operated by NJ Transit.

In 2020, Garwood’s population was 4,451 people. The population in this area grew by 557 individuals from 2020 to 2022. That growth was equal to a 12.51% increase in population, a massive surge in residents for a relatively small place.

4. Florham Park

Florham Park is a borough in Morris County, and it is known for being the headquarters of the New York Jets as well as the BASF corporation. Aside from being one of the fastest-growing towns in New Jersey, Florham Park is one of the most expensive places to live in the state.

In 2020, the borough had 12,582 residents living in the town’s 7.48 square mile area. The population in this area rose by 743 people, reaching 13,325 residents. The increase in population was equal to 5.9%, a substantial rise in the number of people living in this region.

3. New Brunswick

New Brunswick is a city in Middlesex County. The county is in eastern New Jersey, and it is situated in the northern third of the state. The Raritan River bounds the northern and eastern portions of the city. New Brunswick is a popular place to live for workers that commute to NYC and other cities in New Jersey as well as the home of the Rutgers University New Brunswick Campus.

The U.S. Census Bureau found that New Brunswick’s population in 2020 was 55,252. The population in this city increased by 746 people from 2020 to 2022. Now, the population is an estimated 55,998, a 1.35% increase from the census.

Like many of the other places on this list of the fastest-growing towns in New Jersey, New Brunswick did not grow all that much in terms of actual residents. That fact highlights the number of places in the state that have lost residents in the last few years.  

2. Long Branch

Long Branch is a city in eastern central New Jersey. This city is located along the Atlantic Ocean in Monmouth County, making it a popular summer destination. Unlike other summer cities that rarely grow by a significant number of permanent residents, Long Branch made this list. Hurricane Sandy caused significant damage to this city back in 2012.  

Long Branch started 2020 with 31,657 residents. Yet, the population spiked by 2.45%, bringing an additional 777 people to the area from 2020 to 2022. Now, the population of the city is 32,434 people. The city continues to grow larger every year.

1. Raritan

Raritan earned the top spot of the fastest-growing towns in New Jersey. Raritan is in the central part of the northern third of the state, and its southern border is the Raritan River. This borough is a part of Somerset County. The Raritan Valley Line of the NJ Transit commuter train service runs through the borough, connecting people to Newark Penn Station.

The population in Raritan in 2020 was 7,843 people. By 2022, the estimated population in this borough rose to 9,123 people, an increase of 1,280 residents or 16.32%.

The small number of people moving into New Jersey or around the state makes it difficult to understand the reasons that people are moving into these towns and cities. New Jersey’s population is dropping as a result of high living costs, population density, high taxes, and other factors. Yet, it’s not clear why any of those elements would drive people to move into the specific towns on this list. The next census in 2030 should provide further insights into where people are moving and possibly why they’re moving there.

Summary of the Fastest-Growing Towns in New Jersey

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