Loading...

By Erin Petenko | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

New Jersey's population hit a major milestone this year: 9 million residents, a number it's been flirting with since 2013. And with the release of the latest population estimates from the Census, some cities should be celebrating, too. Hudson County is booming, Central Jersey is steadily thriving and Newark and Jersey City are battling it out for the title of largest city in the state.

Those gains come in stark contrast with far North and far South Jersey, where rural populations are seeing steep drops. And the Shore has yet to bounce back from Hurricane Sandy, if it ever will.

Don't Edit

1. Hudson County is growing out of control.

Hudson County gained 55,000 residents between 2010 and 2017, at a rate nearly four times higher than the rest of New Jersey. Three of its towns — Harrison, Weehawken and Secaucus — were in the top 10 municipalities for population growth this decade.

Other top gainers? Tiny Lebanon in Hunterdon County, along with Woolwich, Riverdale, Wood-ridge, Mount Arlington, Raritan and Monroe.

Don't Edit

2. Jersey City may not be the "second city" for much longer.

In 2014, Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop boldly claimed that Jersey City would overtake Newark in population by 2016.

Fulop may have been a bit optimistic. While the Jersey City population skyrocketed last year, it's still 14,000 residents behind. But that gap is closing.

If Jersey City and Newark continue to grow at the same rate they did last year — a big assumption, since Jersey City's growth rate may prove unsustainable — New Jersey's second city will become its first in 2023. So if the Yellowstone supervolcano hasn't destroyed the Earth by then, maybe Steve Fulop will finally hold a city-wide block party.

Don't Edit

3. But Lakewood is the king of boomtowns

While Jersey City gained the most residents in 2017, Lakewood in Ocean County had the biggest percent change of the 25 largest municipalities in New Jersey. The town is well-known for its high fertility rate and its young population, where the median age is only 20. Other Ocean County in the area fared well, with Lacey, Ocean Township, and Jackson gaining residents at a rate higher than the rest of the state.

Don't Edit

4. The rest of the Shore has not bounced back.

While Ocean County has seen relative increases, the Shore as a whole has yet to recover from Hurricane Sandy. Monmouth, Atlantic and Cape May have all lost residents steadily since then, egged on by Atlantic City's fiscal woes and Cape May's aging population.

Ocean County itself is masking its own issues with its Lakewood boom. Towns without much inland space have mostly declined or stayed at the same population level compared with 2010.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

5. And rural areas are really struggling.

Municipalities with a more rural population on average lost 2 percent of their population between 2010 and 2017, and smaller towns tended to lose population as well. Rural areas have struggled with the increasing economic shift toward retail, trade and technical jobs as well as an aging population.

Don't Edit

(Aristide Economopoulos/The Star-Ledger)

Read more NJ.com data reporting

The 25 N.J. school districts with the richest residents

Why N.J. was just named the best state in the U.S. to raise kids

Good luck finding a home in these 15 N.J. real estate markets