By Spencer Kent | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

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The number of homeless people in New Jersey dropped by 4.6 percent this year compared to 2016, according to the states' annual count.

Conducted on Jan. 24, the count found 8,532 homeless men, women and children. That's down from 8,941 homeless people in 2016, according to Monarch Housing Associates, which helped to coordinate the count.

Despite the slight decrease, Taiisa Kelly, a senior associate at Monarch and head of the Ending Homelessness Team, said the homeless population has not changed significantly over the past two years, as the difference from year to year is within the statistical margin of error.

Here's how the counties rank, from the smallest homeless population to the largest:

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Salem

Salem County had a homeless population of 17, or .2 percent of the statewide homeless population this year, a decrease of 23 homeless people, or 57.5 percent, from 2016.

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Warren

Warren County had a homeless population of 57, or .7 percent of the statewide homeless population this year, an increase of 17 homeless people, or 42.5 percent, from 2016.

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Sussex

There were 99 homeless people counted in Sussex County. That's about 1 percent of the statewide homeless population this year, an increase of 19 homeless people, or nearly 24 percent, from 2016.

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Cape May

Cape May County had a homeless population of 119, or 1.4 percent of the statewide homeless population this year, a decrease of 14 homeless people, or 10.5 percent, from 2016.

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Gloucester

Gloucester County had a homeless population of 128, or 1.5 percent of the statewide homeless population this year, an increase of 16 homeless people, or slightly more than 14 percent, from 2016.

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Hunterdon

There were 130 homeless people counted in Hunterdon County, or 1.5 percent of the statewide homeless population this year, a decrease of three homeless people, or slightly more than 2 percent, from 2016.

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Cumberland

Cumberland County had a homeless population of 151, or 1.8 percent of the statewide homeless population this year, an increase of 11 homeless people, or nearly 8 percent, from 2016.

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Ocean

Ocean County had a homeless population of 224, or 2.6 percent of the statewide homeless population this year, a decrease of 206 homeless people, or nearly 48 percent, from 2016.

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Somerset

Somerset County had a homeless population of 244, or nearly 3 percent of the statewide homeless population this year, an increase of 26 homeless people, or nearly 12 percent, from 2016.

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Monmouth

Monmouth County had a homeless population of 299, or 3.5 percent of the statewide homeless population this year, a decrease of 45 homeless people, or slightly more than 13 percent, from 2016.

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Bergen

Bergen County had a homeless population of 302, or 3.5 percent of the statewide homeless population this year, an increase of six homeless people, or 2 percent, from 2016.

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Morris

Morris County had a homeless population of 378, or 4.4 percent of the statewide homeless population this year, a decrease of 32 homeless people, or nearly 8 percent, from 2016.

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Union

Union County had a homeless population of 475, or 5.6 percent of the statewide homeless population this year, a decrease of 37 homeless people, or roughly 7 percent, from 2016.

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Atlantic

Atlantic County had a homeless population of 422, or nearly 5 percent of the statewide homeless population this year, a decrease of 54 homeless people, or right 11 percent, from 2016.

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Passaic

Passaic County had a homeless population of 449, or 5.3 percent of the statewide homeless population this year, an increase of 17 homeless people, or nearly 4 percent, from 2016.

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Mercer

The sixth largest homeless population in the state, Mercer County had 478 homeless people, or 5.6 percent of the statewide homeless population this year, an increase of 13 homeless people, or nearly 3 percent, from 2016.

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Camden

Camden County ranked fifth in the largest homeless population in the state with 540 homeless people, or 6.3 percent of the statewide homeless population this year — a decrease of 143 homeless people, or nearly 21 percent, from 2016.

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Middlesex

Middlesex County had the fourth highest with a total of 546 homeless people, representing 6.4 percent of New Jersey's homeless population. This was an increase of 89 homeless people, or 19.5 percent, from 2016.

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Burlington

Burlington County had the third highest homeless population with 604, or 7.1 percent of the statewide homeless population this year, a decrease of 324 homeless people, or nearly 35 percent, from 2016.

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Hudson

Hudson County had the second highest homeless population with 822 homeless people or 9.6 percent, representing 9.6 percent of the statewide homeless population, a decrease of seven homeless people, or less than 1 percent, from 2016.

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Essex

Essex County had the largest number of homeless people, 2,048, or 24 percent of the statewide homeless population. This was a roughly 4-percent rise compared to last year.

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Barriers still getting in the way

Monarch Housing said there still are barriers to ending homelessness, including low-paying jobs, a lack of rental apartments and the failure of Congress to increase funding for vouchers that help cover the cost of housing.

"Rising housing costs in New Jersey and across the nation put the gains made in recent years to address homelessness at risk,” said Diane Yentel, president and CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition.

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Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerMKent. Find the Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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