Discover the 5 Fastest-Shrinking Counties in New Jersey

New Jersey is ranked 47 out of 50 in terms of states by size, and it only has 8,723 square miles of area. However, the Garden State has 9.2 million residents, the 11^th largest population in the country. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the population of New Jersey has decreased between 2020 and 2022. Discover the fastest-shrinking counties in New Jersey from 2020 to 2022 and see how many people left those areas!

Using county population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, we’re going to show you the counties people have left at the greatest rate!

5. Union County

Union County is in northeastern New Jersey. The county is west of Staten Island, New York, and south of Newark, New Jersey. Elizabeth is the most populous city in this part of the state. People in this county are employed in the pharmaceutical, hospital, and transportation industries.

The population in Union County in 2020 was 575,352 people, making this one of the most populous counties in the state. However, the population declined by an estimated 5,537 residents between 2020 and 2022. As a result, the new population in this part of the state is 569,815. The population in this area dropped by 1%.

While a drop in a single percentage point may seem small, Union County was still among the fastest-shrinking counties in New Jersey.

4. Mercer County

Mercer County is in the western part of central New Jersey. Trenton, the state’s capital, is in this county. This county is bordered by the Delaware River and Pennsylvania to the west. Mercer County is the only county on this list that is not located in the northern or northeastern part of the state.

Mercer County’s population in 2020 was 387,340. The number of people in this county dropped over the next two years. At least, that is what the U.S. Census Bureau is reporting. Mercer County’s 2022 estimated population is 380,688 people. A total of 6,652 people left this part of the state over two years, a drop of 1.7% of the population in the region.

3. Passaic County

Passaic County is in northern New Jersey, and it shares a border with New York State to the north. However, this county has an unusual shape and stretches far to the east, bordering East Rutherford at the Passaic River. Patterson is the largest city in this county, and it is home to about 160,000 people. This county has many important roadways that connect the large city suburbs in this region to areas closer to New York City and beyond.  

According to the 2020 Census, Passaic County was home to 525,052 people. Yet, this number dropped by 2.1% over two years, meaning that 11,116 people left this county. So, the new population is an estimated 513,936 people. This huge loss of residents makes Passaic County one of the fastest-shrinking counties in New Jersey.

2. Essex County

Essex County is in northeastern New Jersey, and it is home to cities like Newark, Montclair, and East Orange. This part of the state is full of locations that are important to the state’s economic power, such as the Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal, the Newark Liberty International Airport, several commuter train lines, many universities, and more.

The county faces some challenges in the forms of poverty and crime, but Essex County continues to show improvements in its most dire areas.

Essex County was the second-most populous county in New Jersey in 2020. The population of this county was 862,782 in 2020. However, the population in this region plummeted by a total of 13,305 people over two years. The new estimated population in Essex County is 849,477. That population change represents a 1.5% drop in total residents.

1. Hudson County

Hudson County is in northeastern New Jersey, and it is located directly across the Hudson River from New York City. Jersey City, Hoboken, and Bayonne are fairly large cities in this area. This part of the state is highly traveled as people pass through on their way to New York City.

Yet, this county is an economic powerhouse in its own right. The county is home to several business headquarters like the MLB Network, John Wiley & Sons, Verisk Analytics, The Vitamin Shoppe, and more. The GDP in this area reached $41.7 billion in 2021.

Hudson County is highly populated, and it tops the list of the fastest-shrinking counties in New Jersey. After all, this area was home to 724,857 people in 2020. The population went into freefall between 2020 and July 2022.

An estimated 21,491 people left this part of the state in just two years. The new estimated population in Hudson County is just 703,366. Not only did this region have the greatest number of departures, but it also had the greatest decrease in population by percentage. About 3% of the population in this area left.

Based on current news stories, it seems that people left these counties for two big reasons. The first was to escape the high population density during the COVID-19 pandemic. The second was that the economic conditions for housing deteriorated in cities and their nearby suburban areas during the early 2020s.

So, people are leaving for less densely populated areas to find more affordable housing in other parts of the state or other states entirely.

Summary of the Fastest-Shrinking Counties in New Jersey

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