HomeNew JerseyEssex County
Essex County, New Jersey: commercial real estate data.
Essex County, New Jersey has a population of 863,002 across 126 square miles, up 2.2 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $76.18 bn in 2024, 19,392 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 1,028 7(a) approvals worth $406.8 m.
123 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Essex County
How many people live in Essex County
- Population863,002
- Households319,788
- Average household size2.70
- Median household income$80,789
- Median age37.7
- Median gross rent$1,531 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$524,100
- Home value to household income6.5 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income22.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher39.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree16.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over582,478
- Population under 18203,641
- Share under 1823.6 percent
- Population 65 and over122,640
- Share 65 and over14.2 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64536,721
- Civilian labor force453,673
- Unemployment rate8.7 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over68.8 percent
- Rank by population among New Jersey counties3rd of 21
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents71st
Essex County is the 3rd largest of 21 New Jersey counties by population. A median home costs 6.5 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 23.6 percent against 14.2 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Essex County
Is Essex County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.17 percent
- Census 2020 base population862,769
- Births, 202410,010
- Deaths, 20246,146
- Natural change, 20243,864
- Net domestic migration, 2024-6,707
- Net international migration, 202420,019
- Total net migration, 202413,312
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-42,532
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1114th
The county has grown 2.17 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.
Essex County
Where people moving to Essex County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving19,590
- People arriving, from those returns33,549
- Adjusted gross income arriving$2.08 bn
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$106,064
- Largest single originEssex County Non-migrants (297,893 households)
- Largest single destination (297,893 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essex County Non-migrants | 297,893 | 588,598 | $37.41 bn |
| Hudson County | 2,567 | 4,721 | $372.2 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 2,079 | 3,454 | $201.8 m |
| Union County | 1,815 | 3,136 | $116.2 m |
| Kings County | 1,810 | 3,346 | $212.1 m |
| Passaic County | 1,407 | 2,305 | $95.6 m |
| Bergen County | 1,365 | 2,254 | $147.6 m |
| Other flows - South | 1,010 | 1,691 | $72.2 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Essex 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.
Essex County
What the Essex County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$76.18 bn
- County GDP, 2023$71.65 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20246.3 percent
- GDP change over five years39.9 percent
- Rank by GDP among New Jersey counties3rd
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents70th
- GDP per resident$88,273
Output grew 6.3 percent in the latest year and 39.9 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.
Essex County
Who employs people in Essex County
- Covered employment, annual average349,076
- Establishments reporting23,692
- Average annual pay$88,369
- Average weekly wage$1,699
- Sector 62, employment54,759
- Sector 62, average annual pay$66,362
- Sector 48-49, employment35,509
- Sector 48-49, average annual pay$93,187
- Sector 72, employment25,623
- Sector 72, average annual pay$36,746
- Sector 44-45, employment23,832
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$45,383
- Sector 54, employment21,635
- Sector 52, employment16,552
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 54,759 | 5,447 | $66,362 |
| Sector 48-49 | 35,509 | 725 | $93,187 |
| Sector 72 | 25,623 | 1,654 | $36,746 |
| Sector 44-45 | 23,832 | 2,386 | $45,383 |
| Sector 54 | 21,635 | 2,321 | $144,597 |
| Sector 52 | 16,552 | 784 | $200,897 |
| Sector 31-33 | 16,491 | 690 | $80,695 |
| Sector 56 | 16,065 | 1,072 | $59,377 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 54,759 jobs, 15.7 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job exceeds median household income, which usually means single earner households and a wage base that can carry rent.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Essex County
What businesses operate in Essex County
- Establishments, all industries19,392
- Employment at those establishments295,575
- Annual payroll$22.34 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents22.5
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.
Essex County
What is being built in Essex County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20243,827
- Declared construction value permitted$555.7 m
- Single family units authorised298
- Multifamily units authorised3,529
- Multifamily share of units92.2 percent
- Average declared value per unit$145,195
- Units authorised per 1,000 households12.0
Multifamily is 92.2 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Essex County
How much SBA lending happens in Essex County
- 7(a) approvals recorded1,028
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$406.8 m
- Average 7(a) approval$395,694
- Median 7(a) approval$150,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,100,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)8,410
- Jobs per approval8.2
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active100
- Distinct industries receiving approvals250
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer12.9 percent
- Loans on real estate terms133
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter855
- Franchise loans95
- Franchise share of approvals9.2 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (69)
- Most active lenderTD Bank, National Association (220)
- 504 approvals recorded116
- 504 gross approval dollars$121.8 m
- Average 504 approval$1,049,957
- Median 504 approval$658,000
- Distinct CDCs active6
- 504 jobs per approval11.2
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved10.7
- Most active CDCTrenton Business Assistance Corporation (62)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals89.9 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$528.6 m
The average approval of $395,694 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 12.9 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.
Essex County
Do SBA loans in Essex County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded171
- Paid in full134
- Charged off37
- Charge off rate on resolved loans21.6 percent
- Status: Paid in full134
- Status: Exempt from disclosure623
- Status: Cancelled167
- Status: Charged off37
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed67
Of the 171 loans that have reached a final outcome, 21.6 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.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Essex County
Which parts of Essex County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending37
- Newark, approvals212
- MONTCLAIR, approvals90
- WEST ORANGE, approvals70
- Fairfield, approvals68
- LIVINGSTON, approvals57
- Nutley, approvals57
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Newark | 212 | $71,564,700 |
| MONTCLAIR | 90 | $26,481,500 |
| WEST ORANGE | 70 | $30,868,200 |
| Fairfield | 68 | $53,260,100 |
| LIVINGSTON | 57 | $23,553,500 |
| Nutley | 57 | $20,067,900 |
| BLOOMFIELD | 56 | $15,997,100 |
| East Orange | 54 | $12,584,900 |
Newark accounts for 212 approvals against 90 in MONTCLAIR. 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.
Essex County
How big is Essex County
- Land area126 sq mi
- Rank by land area among New Jersey counties19th of 21
- Width, east to west13.6 mi
- Height, north to south15.9 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land6,849
- Establishments per square mile153.90
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 Essex 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 Essex County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population863,002
- Households319,788
- Average household size2.70
- Median household income$80,789
- Median age37.7
Common questions
Essex County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Essex County, New Jersey?
863,002, in 319,788 households, ranking 3rd of 21 New Jersey counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Essex County growing?
The population has grown 2.17 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 10,010 births against 6,146 deaths, with net migration of 13,312. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Essex County?
$80,789. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $524,100, which is 6.5 times income, and median gross rent is $1,531 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Essex County?
19,392 establishments, employing 295,575 people with an annual payroll of $22.34 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 Essex County?
Average annual pay is $88,369, or $1,699 a week, across 349,076 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Essex County?
1,028 7(a) approvals totalling $406.8 m since FY2020, across 100 lenders, with a median approval of $150,000, plus 116 504 approvals worth $121.8 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Essex County get paid back?
Of the 171 loans that have reached a final outcome, 134 were paid in full and 37 charged off, a charge off rate of 21.6 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Essex County?
3,827 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $555.7 m. Multifamily was 92.2 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Essex 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 Essex County come from?
The largest single origin is Essex County Non-migrants, with 297,893 households. Arriving households report an average income of $106,064 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 Essex 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 Essex 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.