Passaic County, NJ

County

Add Comparison

2024 Population

521,012

US Senator

Cory Booker

Democratic Party

US Senator

Andy Kim

Democratic Party

2024 Poverty Rate

13%

4.96% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$87,522

0.442% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$459,500

4.57% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

251,016

0.0458% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Passaic 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.

85% of the residents in Passaic County, NJ are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Passaic County, NJ are Montclair State University (5,588 degrees awarded in 2023), William Paterson University of New Jersey (2,765 degrees), and Passaic County Community College (875 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Passaic County, NJ was $459,500, and the homeownership rate was 53.1%.

Most people in Passaic County, NJ drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 26.5 minutes. The average car ownership in Passaic County, NJ was 2 cars per household.

Passaic County, NJ borders Bergen County, NJ, Essex County, NJ, Morris County, NJ, Sussex County, NJ, Orange County, NY, and Rockland County, NY.

Photo by PatersonGreatFalls -A Visual Reference for Teacher

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

Population & Diversity

Passaic County, NJ is home to a population of 521k people, from which 85% are citizens. As of 2024, 33% of Passaic County, NJ residents were born outside of the country (172k people).

In 2024, there were 1.81 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (198k people) in Passaic County, NJ than any other race or ethnicity. There were 109k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) and 94.6k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

85%

2024 Citizenship

85.4%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 85% of Passaic County, NJ residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Passaic County, NJ was 85.4%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Passaic County, NJ

White (Non-Hispanic)
198k ± 698
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
109k ± 4.16k
Other (Hispanic)
94.6k ± 3.84k

44.3%

Hispanic Population

231k people

44.3% of the people in Passaic County, NJ are hispanic (231k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Passaic 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

33%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

172k people

32.8%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

170k people

As of 2024, 33% of Passaic County, NJ residents (172k 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 Passaic County, NJ was 32.8%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
3,998 ± 560
Gulf War (2001-)
2,390 ± 424
Korea
785 ± 181

Passaic County, NJ has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.67 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Passaic County, NJ employs 251k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Passaic County, NJ were Health Care & Social Assistance (34,954 people), Retail Trade (30,569 people), and Manufacturing (27,418 people), and the highest paying industries were Management of Companies & Enterprises ($103,973), Information ($90,338), and Utilities ($89,977).

Employment

Occupations

251k

2024 Value

± 4,194

−0.0458%

1 Year decline

± 2.36%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Passaic County, NJ declined at a rate of −0.0458%, from 251k employees to 251k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Passaic County, NJ, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (28,534 people), Management Occupations (25,222 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (24,904 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Passaic 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

251k

2024 Value

± 4,194

−0.0458%

1 Year decline

± 2.36%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Passaic County, NJ declined at a rate of −0.0458%, from 251k employees to 251k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Passaic County, NJ, are Health Care & Social Assistance (34,954 people), Retail Trade (30,569 people), and Manufacturing (27,418 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Passaic County, NJ, though some of these residents may live in Passaic County, NJ and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$54,188

Median earning men ± $1,415

$42,014

Median earning women ± $778

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($95,082), Information ($93,305), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($87,615).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Information ($74,147), Public Administration ($67,483), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($63,514).

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

1,069
Retail Trade
969
Construction
959
Other Services (except Public Administration)

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

$1.58M
Health Care and Social Assistance
$1.16M
Manufacturing
$934k
Wholesale Trade

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

Education

In 2023, universities in Passaic County, NJ awarded 10,770 degrees. The student population of Passaic County, NJ in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 15,010 male students and 25,998 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Passaic County, NJ are White (4,136 and 38.9%), Hispanic or Latino (3,523 and 33.2%), Black or African American (1,401 and 13.2%), and Asian (725 and 6.82%).

The largest universities in Passaic County, NJ by number of degrees awarded are Montclair State University (5,588 and 51.9%), William Paterson University of New Jersey (2,765 and 25.7%), and Passaic County Community College (875 and 8.12%).

The most popular majors in Passaic County, NJ are General Business Administration & Management (1,470 and 13.6%), Registered Nursing (764 and 7.09%), and Other Research & Experimental Psychology (456 and 4.23%).

The median tuition costs in Passaic County, NJ are $N/A for private four year colleges, and $14,200 and $23,537 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Passaic County, NJ, the percentage of applicants admitted was 88.7%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 17.7%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 41,008 (36.6% men and 63.4% 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

Universities

In 2023 there were 41,008 students enrolled in Passaic County, NJ, 36.6% men and 63.4% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Hispanic or Latino with 15,584 records, of which 65.4% were women and 34.6% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Business Administration & Management
719 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
523 degrees awarded
Other Research & Experimental Psychology
455 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Passaic County, NJ was General Business Administration & Management with 719 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Montclair State University
5,588 degrees awarded
William Paterson University of New Jersey
2,765 degrees awarded
Passaic County Community College
875 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Montclair State University with 5,588 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 3,684 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Passaic County, NJ, which is 0.52 times less than the 7,086 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 4,136 degrees mean that there were 1.17 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 3,523 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

Universities

Private for-profit, 4-year or above ($26,072) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Private for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,700) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,600) 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 Passaic County, NJ was $459,500 in 2024, which is 1.38 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $439,400 to $459,500, a 4.57% increase. The homeownership rate in Passaic County, NJ is 53.1%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Passaic County, NJ have an average commute time of 26.5 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Passaic County, NJ is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 27.3% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Passaic County, NJ. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 5.44%.

Housing

Property

$459,500

Median Property Value 2024

±$3,736

$94,970

Median Property Taxes

±$1,830

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 Passaic County, NJ the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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

Rent vs Own

53.1%

Homeownership

2024

61.1%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 53.1% of the housing units in Passaic County, NJ were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 52.8%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Passaic 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.

$87,522

Median Household Income

± $2,333

179k

Number of Households

± 3,457

In 2024, the median household income of the 179k households in Passaic County, NJ grew to $87,522 from the previous year's value of $87,137.

The following chart displays the households in Passaic 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 Passaic 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 (65%)
Worked At Home (11.5%)
Carpooled (11.4%)

In 2024, 65% of workers in Passaic County, NJ drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (11.5%) and those who carpooled to work (11.4%).

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

26.5 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Passaic County, NJ have a longer commute time (26.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.67% of the workforce in Passaic County, NJ have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Passaic 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 Passaic County, NJ distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Passaic County, NJ have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 27.3% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Passaic County, NJ. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 5.44%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

13% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Passaic County, NJ (66.7k out of 513k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 35 - 44, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Males 6 - 11.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Passaic County, NJ is Hispanic, followed by Two Or More 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, 20.2% of the children was living in poverty in Passaic County, NJ. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 3%.

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 382 in Passaic County, NJ. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 107 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

88% of the population of Passaic County, NJ has health coverage, with 42% on employee plans, 25.9% on Medicaid, 11.1% on Medicare, 8.76% on non-group plans, and 0.27% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Passaic County, NJ see 1,926 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,926 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1397 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 556 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.1% were men and 50.9% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,926 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Passaic County, NJ

Primary care physicians in Passaic County, NJ see an average of 1,926 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,926 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 25.1% under 18 years, 21.3% between 18 and 34 years, 38.1% between 35 and 64 years, and 15.6% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.1% were men and 50.9% were women.

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

Uninsured People

12%

Uninsured

42%

Employer Coverage

25.9%

Medicaid

11.1%

Medicare

8.76%

Non-Group

0.27%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Passaic County, NJ declined by 0.927% from 12.1% to 12%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Passaic 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 34.5 in Passaic County, NJ.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Passaic 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 31.7% in Passaic County, NJ.

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