Is New Jersey's population growing or shrinking?
Refreshed annually
It grew by 41,900 between 2024 and 2025. That’s more than the population of the city of Marlboro. Changes in population reflect birth and death rates, immigration patterns, regional shifts, and even the overall health of the economy. New Jersey’s 0.44% annual increase was primarily driven by immigration to the state. In the decade between 2015 and 2025, New Jersey’s population grew by 5.2%.
+41.9K
population change (2024 to 2025)
+0.44%
percent change in population (2024 to 2025)
Since 2000, New Jersey's population increased in 24 of 25 years. The largest increase occurred between 2023 and 2024, when it gained 111,000 residents. The state's largest decline during the 21st century occurred between 2020 and 2021 when it lost 4,000 residents.
New Jersey gained 41,900 residents between 2024 and 2025.
Annual population change, 1901–2025
What contributes to population change in New Jersey?
A state’s population is influenced by three factors:
- Natural population change: If births outnumber deaths in a given year, natural population growth is positive. If deaths exceed births, it is negative. Between 2024 to 2025 natural population change was positive in New Jersey, with births exceeding deaths by 26,000.
- Immigration: international migration directly into or out of a state. If more people move in than move out, population change from immigration is positive. If more people move out than move in, it’s negative. New Jersey’s population change from immigration was positive, with about 53,100 more people coming from another country to New Jersey than leaving.
- Domestic migration, moving between states: New Jersey’s population change from domestic migration was negative, with about 37,400 more people leaving for another state than moving in.
Between 2024 and 2025, immigration was the primary driver of population growth in New Jersey.
Components of population change, 2011–2025
Which counties in New Jersey are growing? Which are shrinking?
Among 21 county equivalents, Ocean County had the largest population growth in New Jersey, welcoming 5,351 new residents. Cape May County lost the most, with a loss of 704 residents. County-level population data is available as of 2025.
Get weekly insights
Subscribe for data-driven insights. No spin, just the facts.
Burlington County led New Jersey in percent population increase between 2024 and 2025 at 0.82 percent. Cape May County ranked last with a 0.75 percent decline.
Between 2024 and 2025, Burlington County gained 0.82% in population, the largest increase in New Jersey.
Population change
How does population change in New Jersey compare to other states?
Between 2015 and 2025, New Jersey’s population has increased by 5.2%. During that same period, the US population grew by 6.2%. New Jersey ranks 25th among states in population growth over that decade.
New Jersey ranked 25th in population growth between 2015 and 2025.
Percent change in population
Population change between 2024 and 2025, by county in New Jersey
| County | Population change rate | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Burlington County, NJ | +0.82% |
| 2. | Ocean County, NJ | +0.8% |
| 3. | Essex County, NJ | +0.58% |
| 4. | Morris County, NJ | +0.56% |
| 5. | Hudson County, NJ | +0.55% |
| 6. | Hunterdon County, NJ | +0.52% |
| 7. | Union County, NJ | +0.52% |
| 8. | Salem County, NJ | +0.52% |
| 9. | Mercer County, NJ | +0.49% |
| 10. | Cumberland County, NJ | +0.47% |
Population change between 2015 and 2025, by state
| State | Population change rate | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Idaho | +22% |
| 2. | Utah | +17.9% |
| 3. | Florida | +16.5% |
| 4. | Texas | +15.8% |
| 5. | Nevada | +14.9% |
| 6. | South Carolina | +14.8% |
| 7. | Arizona | +13.7% |
| 8. | North Carolina | +12.4% |
| 9. | Delaware | +12.2% |
| 10. | Washington state | +11.4% |
How is the US population changing?
Keep exploring
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.
