How many people have a disability in ?

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In 2024, 1.03 million people in New Jersey reported having a disability. That’s the equivalent of 11% of the state’s population. In census data, a person with a disability is someone who reports difficulty with walking or climbing stairs, hearing, vision, self-care, cognition, or independent living.

1.03M

people with a disability (2024)

11%

population with a disability (2024)

How does the federal government determine who has a disability?

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines a person with a disability as someone who:

  • has a physical or mental condition that significantly limits one or more major life activities,
  • has a past history or documented record of such a condition (for example, cancer in remission), or
  • is regarded by others as having such a condition, even if it does not currently limit major life activities (for example, someone with visible burn scars).


There is no standard government approach to measuring disability, but in its American Community Survey (ACS), the Census Bureau considers a person with a disability as an individual who self-reports difficulty with walking or climbing stairs, hearing, independent living, vision, self-care, and/or cognition.

In 2024, 11.0% of people in New Jersey had a disability, 2.7 percentage points less than the national average. The share of people with disabilities increased by 0.1 percentage points from the prior year. This shift can be due to a range of factors, including age and geographic differences.

Around 1.03 million people, or 11.0% of the population, had a disability in 2024.

Share of people with a disability in New Jersey

Which age group is likeliest to have a disability in New Jersey?

In 2024, adults aged 75 and older had the highest rate of disability in New Jersey, with 42.4% experiencing a disability, while the youngest group, children aged 5 years and under, had the lowest rate, at 0.7%.
An important breakdown in disabilities is age and how they affect age groups differently. According to the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, older adults are more likely to go to the hospital for infectious diseases and are at a higher risks for chronic conditions more than any other age group. These trends are reflected in disability rates across different age groups.

In 2024, 42.4% of adults aged 75 and older had a disability.

Share of people with a disability, by age group (2024)

How does New Jersey’s disability rate rank with other states?

As of 2024, New Jersey ranks 50 out of 51 in comparison to other states and Washington, DC for the highest share of people with disabilities. Reflecting a similar rate are Colorado, with a share of 12.0%, and Utah, at 11.0%.

In 2024, New Jersey ranked 50th for the highest share of people with disabilities.

Share of people with a disability, by state (2024)

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Methodology

USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.

Page sources

USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.