Somerset County, NJ

County

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2024 Population

349,846

US Senator

Cory Booker

Democratic Party

US Senator

Andy Kim

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

41.8

0.239% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

5.37%

2.11% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$140,374

3.25% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$552,100

5.38% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

190,550

1.78% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Somerset County, NJ reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

88.8% of the residents in Somerset County, NJ are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Somerset County, NJ are Raritan Valley Community College (969 degrees awarded in 2023), American Institute-Somerset (165 degrees), and Robert Fiance Beauty Schools-North Plainfield (159 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Somerset County, NJ was $552,100, and the homeownership rate was 74.3%.

Most people in Somerset County, NJ drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 31.4 minutes. The average car ownership in Somerset County, NJ was 2 cars per household.

Somerset County, NJ borders Hunterdon County, NJ, Mercer County, NJ, Middlesex County, NJ, Morris County, NJ, and Union County, NJ.

About the photo: Basking Ridge, NJ

Photo by joiseyshowaa

United States New Jersey New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA

Population & Diversity

Somerset County, NJ is home to a population of 350k people, from which 88.8% are citizens. As of 2024, 27.7% of Somerset County, NJ residents were born outside of the country (96.8k people).

In 2024, there were 2.52 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (172k people) in Somerset County, NJ than any other race or ethnicity. There were 68.4k Asian (Non-Hispanic) and 32.4k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

88.8%

2024 Citizenship

89%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 88.8% of Somerset County, NJ residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Somerset County, NJ was 89%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Somerset County, NJ compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Somerset County, NJ

White (Non-Hispanic)
172k ± 789
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
68.4k ± 847
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
32.4k ± 651

17.6%

Hispanic Population

61.6k people

17.6% of the people in Somerset County, NJ are hispanic (61.6k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Somerset County, NJ as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for New Jersey.

Most Common Origin

India
273,706 ± 12,653 people
Dominican Republic
205,965 ± 11,018 people
Mexico
107,667 ± 8,009 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of New Jersey was India, the natal country of 273,706 New Jersey residents, followed by Dominican Republic with 205,965 and Mexico with 107,667.

Foreign-Born Population

27.7%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

96.8k people

27.4%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

94.7k people

As of 2024, 27.7% of Somerset County, NJ residents (96.8k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Somerset County, NJ was 27.4%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Somerset County, NJ compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
3,001 ± 463
Gulf War (2001-)
1,990 ± 408
Gulf War (1990s)
730 ± 223

Somerset County, NJ has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.51 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Somerset County, NJ.

Economy

The economy of Somerset County, NJ employs 191k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Somerset County, NJ were Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (27,116 people), Manufacturing (24,190 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (23,857 people), and the highest paying industries were Finance & Insurance ($136,488), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($124,841), and Management of Companies & Enterprises ($123,561).

Employment

Occupations

191k

2024 Value

± 3,536

1.78%

1 Year growth

± 2.57%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Somerset County, NJ grew at a rate of 1.78%, from 187k employees to 191k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Somerset County, NJ, are Management Occupations (28,503 people), Business & Financial Operations Occupations (18,613 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (18,059 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Somerset County, NJ.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for New Jersey.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in New Jersey (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

191k

2024 Value

± 3,536

1.78%

1 Year growth

± 2.57%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Somerset County, NJ grew at a rate of 1.78%, from 187k employees to 191k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Somerset County, NJ, are Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (27,116 people), Manufacturing (24,190 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (23,857 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Somerset County, NJ, though some of these residents may live in Somerset County, NJ and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$86,789

Median earning men ± $2,875

$61,934

Median earning women ± $1,292

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($159,095), Information ($122,619), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($116,375).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Manufacturing ($113,550), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($89,747), and Information ($86,944).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for New Jersey.

Y-Axis

2.27%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 4.24M people employed in New Jersey. This represents a 2.27% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 16.5%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in New Jersey.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

1,184
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
570
Health Care and Social Assistance
564
Construction

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$3.44M
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
$2.52M
Wholesale Trade
$2.37M
Management of Companies and Enterprises

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Education

In 2023, universities in Somerset County, NJ awarded 1,295 degrees. The student population of Somerset County, NJ in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 3,465 male students and 3,626 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Somerset County, NJ are White (536 and 41.8%), Hispanic or Latino (391 and 30.5%), Black or African American (153 and 11.9%), and Asian (95 and 7.41%).

The largest universities in Somerset County, NJ by number of degrees awarded are Raritan Valley Community College (969 and 74.8%), American Institute-Somerset (165 and 12.7%), and Robert Fiance Beauty Schools-North Plainfield (159 and 12.3%).

The most popular majors in Somerset County, NJ are Liberal Arts & Sciences (168 and 13%), General Business (152 and 11.7%), and Other Multidisciplinary Studies (142 and 11%).

The median tuition cost in Somerset County, NJ for private four year colleges is $9,550.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

Measure

In 2023 in Somerset County, NJ, the percentage of applicants admitted was 100%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 100%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 7,091 (48.9% men and 51.1% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 7,091 students enrolled in Somerset County, NJ, 48.9% men and 51.1% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 2,801 records, of which 47.6% were women and 52.4% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Business
152 degrees awarded
Other Multidisciplinary Studies
142 degrees awarded
Liberal Arts & Sciences
166 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Somerset County, NJ was General Business with 152 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Associates Degree from schools in Somerset County, NJ according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Raritan Valley Community College
969 degrees awarded
American Institute-Somerset
165 degrees awarded
Robert Fiance Beauty Schools-North Plainfield
159 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Raritan Valley Community College with 969 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2023, 523 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Somerset County, NJ, which is 0.677 times less than the 772 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 536 degrees mean that there were 1.37 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 391 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($9,550) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,200) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($2,400) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Somerset County, NJ was $552,100 in 2024, which is 1.66 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $523,900 to $552,100, a 5.38% increase. The homeownership rate in Somerset County, NJ is 74.3%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Somerset County, NJ have an average commute time of 31.4 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Somerset County, NJ is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 15.9% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Somerset County, NJ. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.47%.

Housing

Property

$552,100

Median Property Value 2024

±$7,374

$97,187

Median Property Taxes

±$1,757

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Somerset County, NJ the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Somerset County, NJ compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

74.3%

Homeownership

2024

61.2%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 74.3% of the housing units in Somerset County, NJ were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 74.5%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Somerset County, NJ compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$140,374

Median Household Income

± $3,294

131k

Number of Households

± 2,712

In 2024, the median household income of the 131k households in Somerset County, NJ grew to $140,374 from the previous year's value of $135,960.

The following chart displays the households in Somerset County, NJ distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $200k+ range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Somerset County, NJ is from New Jersey.

0.486

2023 Wage GINI in New Jersey

0.489

2022 Wage GINI in New Jersey

In 2023, the income inequality in New Jersey was 0.486 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.709% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for New Jersey was higher than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed less evenly in New Jersey in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in New Jersey across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (63.8%)
Worked At Home (22.7%)
Carpooled (6.54%)

In 2024, 63.8% of workers in Somerset County, NJ drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (22.7%) and those who carpooled to work (6.54%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

31.4 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Somerset County, NJ have a longer commute time (31.4 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 5.39% of the workforce in Somerset County, NJ have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Somerset County, NJ compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Somerset County, NJ distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Somerset County, NJ have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 15.9% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Somerset County, NJ. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.47%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

5.37% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Somerset County, NJ (18.6k out of 347k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 55 - 64, followed by Females 75+ and then Males 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Somerset County, NJ is White, followed by Hispanic and Other.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 6.1% of the children was living in poverty in Somerset County, NJ. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.2%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 64.2 in Somerset County, NJ. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 15.8 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

94.6% of the population of Somerset County, NJ has health coverage, with 63.2% on employee plans, 7.06% on Medicaid, 12.7% on Medicare, 11.2% on non-group plans, and 0.403% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Somerset County, NJ see 907 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (907 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1017 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 307 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.3% were men and 50.7% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

907 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Somerset County, NJ

Primary care physicians in Somerset County, NJ see an average of 907 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (907 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Somerset County, NJ in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 22.6% under 18 years, 18.1% between 18 and 34 years, 42.6% between 35 and 64 years, and 16.7% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.3% were men and 50.7% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

5.43%

Uninsured

63.2%

Employer Coverage

7.06%

Medicaid

12.7%

Medicare

11.2%

Non-Group

0.403%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Somerset County, NJ declined by 4.04% from 5.66% to 5.43%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Somerset County, NJ changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 26.8 in Somerset County, NJ.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Somerset County, NJ.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 26.9% in Somerset County, NJ.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Somerset County, NJ.