HomeNew JerseyBergen County
Bergen County, New Jersey: commercial real estate data.
Bergen County, New Jersey has a population of 962,316 across 233 square miles, up 2.4 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $105.80 bn in 2024, 31,818 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 1,861 7(a) approvals worth $769.0 m.
123 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Bergen County
How many people live in Bergen County
- Population962,316
- Households355,127
- Average household size2.71
- Median household income$124,884
- Median age42.0
- Median gross rent$1,914 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$623,000
- Home value to household income5.0 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income18.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher53.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree21.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over684,999
- Population under 18201,193
- Share under 1820.9 percent
- Population 65 and over175,043
- Share 65 and over18.2 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64586,080
- Civilian labor force527,974
- Unemployment rate5.8 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over69.4 percent
- Rank by population among New Jersey counties1st of 21
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents56th
Bergen County is the 1st largest of 21 New Jersey counties by population. A median home costs 5.0 times median household income, which is a stretched ownership market and usually shows up as rental demand. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 20.9 percent against 18.2 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Bergen County
Is Bergen County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.40 percent
- Census 2020 base population955,721
- Births, 20248,993
- Deaths, 20247,027
- Natural change, 20241,966
- Net domestic migration, 2024-2,142
- Net international migration, 202412,297
- Total net migration, 202410,155
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-13,773
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1036th
The county has grown 2.40 percent since the 2020 census base. Migration contributed more to 2024 change than births over deaths, so demand here follows people arriving rather than families forming.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Bergen County
Where people moving to Bergen County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving22,865
- People arriving, from those returns39,439
- Adjusted gross income arriving$2.95 bn
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$129,007
- Largest single originBergen County Non-migrants (378,488 households)
- Largest single destination (378,488 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bergen County Non-migrants | 378,488 | 764,453 | $60.14 bn |
| Hudson County | 3,834 | 6,873 | $511.6 m |
| Passaic County | 2,921 | 5,093 | $203.1 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 1,974 | 3,323 | $204.4 m |
| New York County | 1,954 | 3,428 | $424.8 m |
| Queens County | 1,559 | 2,908 | $158.1 m |
| Essex County | 1,245 | 2,062 | $117.4 m |
| Bronx County | 1,173 | 2,212 | $78.0 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Bergen County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Bergen County
What the Bergen County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$105.80 bn
- County GDP, 2023$101.81 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20243.9 percent
- GDP change over five years29.6 percent
- Rank by GDP among New Jersey counties1st
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents56th
- GDP per resident$109,948
Output grew 3.9 percent in the latest year and 29.6 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Bergen County
Who employs people in Bergen County
- Covered employment, annual average438,240
- Establishments reporting36,016
- Average annual pay$80,639
- Average weekly wage$1,551
- Sector 62, employment83,475
- Sector 62, average annual pay$77,918
- Sector 44-45, employment47,692
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$49,338
- Sector 72, employment34,627
- Sector 72, average annual pay$32,314
- Sector 42, employment32,172
- Sector 42, average annual pay$104,236
- Sector 31-33, employment29,611
- Sector 54, employment28,731
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 83,475 | 6,760 | $77,918 |
| Sector 44-45 | 47,692 | 3,292 | $49,338 |
| Sector 72 | 34,627 | 2,648 | $32,314 |
| Sector 42 | 32,172 | 2,544 | $104,236 |
| Sector 31-33 | 29,611 | 1,216 | $91,799 |
| Sector 54 | 28,731 | 4,063 | $125,478 |
| Sector 56 | 23,358 | 2,010 | $64,614 |
| Sector 48-49 | 17,725 | 996 | $59,312 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 83,475 jobs, 19.0 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Bergen County
What businesses operate in Bergen County
- Establishments, all industries31,818
- Employment at those establishments441,870
- Annual payroll$32.81 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents33.1
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Bergen County
What is being built in Bergen County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20243,329
- Declared construction value permitted$604.7 m
- Single family units authorised1,450
- Multifamily units authorised1,879
- Multifamily share of units56.4 percent
- Average declared value per unit$181,639
- Units authorised per 1,000 households9.4
Multifamily is 56.4 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Bergen County
How much SBA lending happens in Bergen County
- 7(a) approvals recorded1,861
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$769.0 m
- Average 7(a) approval$413,200
- Median 7(a) approval$150,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,060,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)14,254
- Jobs per approval7.7
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active129
- Distinct industries receiving approvals345
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer10.2 percent
- Loans on real estate terms189
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter1,610
- Franchise loans161
- Franchise share of approvals8.7 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (136)
- Most active lenderTD Bank, National Association (442)
- 504 approvals recorded211
- 504 gross approval dollars$229.3 m
- Average 504 approval$1,086,962
- Median 504 approval$827,000
- Distinct CDCs active5
- 504 jobs per approval12.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved11.0
- Most active CDCTrenton Business Assistance Corporation (85)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals89.8 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$998.3 m
The average approval of $413,200 sits well above the median of $150,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 10.2 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Bergen County
Do SBA loans in Bergen County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded311
- Paid in full258
- Charged off53
- Charge off rate on resolved loans17.0 percent
- Status: Paid in full258
- Status: Exempt from disclosure1,172
- Status: Cancelled275
- Status: Charged off53
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed103
| NAICS | Industry | Resolved loans | Charged off | Charge off rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 722511 | Full-Service Restaurants | 24 | 2 | 8.3% |
| 561730 | Landscaping Services | 11 | 0 | 0.0% |
Of the 311 loans that have reached a final outcome, 17.0 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong. Among industries with at least ten resolved loans, Full-Service Restaurants carries the highest charge off rate at 8.3 percent.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Bergen County
Which parts of Bergen County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending82
- HACKENSACK, approvals133
- Fort Lee, approvals114
- PALISADES PARK, approvals78
- PARAMUS, approvals69
- FAIR LAWN, approvals54
- Teaneck, approvals53
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| HACKENSACK | 133 | $50,351,300 |
| Fort Lee | 114 | $44,622,300 |
| PALISADES PARK | 78 | $25,636,800 |
| PARAMUS | 69 | $30,772,200 |
| FAIR LAWN | 54 | $15,900,100 |
| Teaneck | 53 | $22,642,300 |
| Englewood | 52 | $22,118,700 |
| RAMSEY | 47 | $21,727,600 |
HACKENSACK accounts for 133 approvals against 114 in Fort Lee. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Bergen County
How big is Bergen County
- Land area233 sq mi
- Rank by land area among New Jersey counties15th of 21
- Width, east to west19.7 mi
- Height, north to south24 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary3
- Residents per square mile of land4,130
- Establishments per square mile136.56
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Bergen County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Bergen County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population962,316
- Households355,127
- Average household size2.71
- Median household income$124,884
- Median age42.0
Common questions
Bergen County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Bergen County, New Jersey?
962,316, in 355,127 households, ranking 1st of 21 New Jersey counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Bergen County growing?
The population has grown 2.40 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 8,993 births against 7,027 deaths, with net migration of 10,155. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Bergen County?
$124,884. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $623,000, which is 5.0 times income, and median gross rent is $1,914 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Bergen County?
31,818 establishments, employing 441,870 people with an annual payroll of $32.81 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Bergen County?
Average annual pay is $80,639, or $1,551 a week, across 438,240 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Bergen County?
1,861 7(a) approvals totalling $769.0 m since FY2020, across 129 lenders, with a median approval of $150,000, plus 211 504 approvals worth $229.3 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Bergen County get paid back?
Of the 311 loans that have reached a final outcome, 258 were paid in full and 53 charged off, a charge off rate of 17.0 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Bergen County?
3,329 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $604.7 m. Multifamily was 56.4 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Bergen County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Bergen County come from?
The largest single origin is Bergen County Non-migrants, with 378,488 households. Arriving households report an average income of $129,007 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Bergen County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Bergen County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.