Bergen County vs Essex County
A side-by-side comparison of Bergen County and Essex County: population, income, housing, and more.
Bergen County and Essex County are counties in New Jersey. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
Bergen County has the higher population (954,717 vs 854,130 in Essex County). Bergen County has the higher median household income ($123,715 vs $76,712 in Essex County). Bergen County has the higher median home value ($593,200 vs $494,400 in Essex County).
Population, income & housing
| Bergen County | Essex County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 954,717 | 854,130 |
| Median age | 42.1 yrs | 37.7 yrs |
| Median household income | $123,715 | $76,712 |
| Median home value | $593,200 | $494,400 |
| Median gross rent | $1,863 | $1,459 |
| Housing units | 368,535 | 335,550 |
| Homeownership rate | 65.4% | 44.5% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 52.6% | 37.9% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.5% | 8.3% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Bergen County | Essex County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 930,390 → 954,717 (+2.6%) | 795,404 → 854,130 (+7.4%) |
| Median household income | $101,144 → $123,715 (+22.3%) | $61,510 → $76,712 (+24.7%) |
| Median home value | $469,500 → $593,200 (+26.3%) | $386,000 → $494,400 (+28.1%) |
| Median gross rent | $1,506 → $1,863 (+23.7%) | $1,178 → $1,459 (+23.9%) |
Bergen County
930,390954,717
$101,144$123,715
$469,500$593,200
$1,506$1,863
Essex County
795,404854,130
$61,510$76,712
$386,000$494,400
$1,178$1,459
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Bergen County | Essex County | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 5.1% | 6.3% |
| 5 to 17 | 15.9% | 17.4% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.9% | 8.9% |
| 25 to 34 | 11.4% | 13.5% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.5% | 14.1% |
| 45 to 54 | 14.0% | 13.6% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.3% | 12.2% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.1% | 8.2% |
| 75 and over | 7.7% | 5.7% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Bergen County | Essex County | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 52.5% | 27.9% |
| Black or African American | 5.3% | 36.0% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Asian | 16.6% | 5.7% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Some other race | 0.7% | 1.4% |
| Two or more races | 2.7% | 4.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 22.1% | 24.7% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Bergen County | Essex County | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 7.1% | 13.2% |
| High school graduate | 20.1% | 27.7% |
| Some college or associate's | 20.2% | 21.2% |
| Bachelor's degree | 31.3% | 22.0% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 21.3% | 15.9% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Bergen County | Essex County | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 60.6% | 53.9% |
| Carpooled | 7.2% | 8.0% |
| Public transit | 11.2% | 16.2% |
| Walked | 2.5% | 3.1% |
| Bicycle | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| Worked from home | 16.3% | 14.2% |
| Other means | 1.8% | 4.5% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Bergen County | Essex County | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 53.2% | 32.8% |
| 1-unit, attached | 6.0% | 7.7% |
| 2 to 4 units | 18.2% | 28.3% |
| 5 to 19 units | 7.0% | 11.7% |
| 20 or more units | 15.1% | 19.3% |
| Mobile home & other | 0.4% | 0.2% |
Poverty & households
| Bergen County | Essex County | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 6.7% | 15.0% |
| Average household size | 2.67 | 2.62 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 31 | 34 |
| Median year structure built | 1959 | 1958 |
Full profiles
2Related rankings
21- Largest by population — counties in New Jersey
- Most densely populated — counties in New Jersey
- Highest median household income — counties in New Jersey
- Highest median home value — counties in New Jersey
- Most affordable home values — counties in New Jersey
- Highest median gross rent — counties in New Jersey
- Cheapest median gross rent — counties in New Jersey
- Oldest by median age — counties in New Jersey
- Youngest by median age — counties in New Jersey
- Most college-educated — counties in New Jersey
- Highest poverty rate — counties in New Jersey
- Lowest poverty rate — counties in New Jersey
- Highest homeownership rate — counties in New Jersey
- Lowest homeownership rate — counties in New Jersey
- Longest commutes — counties in New Jersey
- Shortest commutes — counties in New Jersey
- Largest households — counties in New Jersey
- Newest housing — counties in New Jersey
- Oldest housing — counties in New Jersey
- Fastest-growing (2019–2023) — counties in New Jersey
- Fastest-shrinking (2019–2023) — counties in New Jersey