Essex and Bergen Counties, New Jersey

Profile:

Essex and Bergen Counties, in the northeast corner of New Jersey, range from the densely urban environment of the New York Metropolitan Area to quieter, high-priced suburbs. Compare the median household income of Newark, county seat of Essex County, at $26,900, with that of Essex Fells, 5 miles away, at $148,200.

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The low-lying shorefront land of these counties has a deep history reaching back to before 1675, when both counties were included in the new proprietary colony of East Jersey. Bergen County saw several battles and troop movements during the American Revolutionary War.

In 1931, when the George Washington Bridge was finished, linking Fort Lee to Manhattan, the development of Essex and Bergen Counties accelerated. Now, while many residents commute to New York City, the counties themselves are home to the headquarters or major facilities of companies such as Organon, Anheuser-Busch, CIT Group, and others.

Population:

Combined population of Essex and Bergen Counties: 1.7 million in 2000

Interesting Facts:

Much of Bergen county is in the Hackensack River valley. Only in the northwestern portion of the county are any serious hills found, leading to the Ramapo Mountains
Median value of a Essex and Bergen Counties house/condo in 2005: $242,600 (Newark); $348,800 (Hackensack)
Number of single-family new-home construction permits issued in Newark in 2005: 376 buildings, average cost: $70,500
Bergen County is one of the last remaining areas of the country in which “blue laws” are still in effect, meaning that nearly all businesses are closed on Sundays.
The HBO mob drama The Sopranos is set in North Caldwell, Essex County

Demographic:

The racial makeup of Hackensack, Bergen County:
- White (39.9%)
- Hispanic (25.9%)
- Black (24.6%)
- Other race (9.7%)
- Two or more races (5.1%)
- Asian Indian (2.6%)
- Filipino (1.9%)
- Korean (1.3%)
- American Indian (1.1%)
- Chinese (0.8%)

The racial makeup of Newark, Essex County:
- Black (53.5%)
- Hispanic (29.5%)
- White (14.2%)
- Other race (14.0%)
- Two or more races (4.4%)
- American Indian (0.8%)
- Asian Indian (0.5%)

Median age: 30.8 (Essex County); 36.2 (Bergen County)
Ancestries, Newark: Ancestries: Portuguese (5.8%), Italian (2.6%), sub-Saharan African (2.6%), West Indian (2.3%), United States (1.8%)
Ancestries, Hackensack: Italian (13.7%), Irish (7.4%), German (5.7%), West Indian (4.3%), Polish (3.3%), United States (2.9%)
Among people in Hackensack age 25 and above, 29.1% have a college degree
Among people in Newark age 25 and above, 9.0% have a college degree
Average household size: 2.26 (Hackensack); 2.85 (Newark)

Avg. Family Income:

Median household income in Hackensack, Bergen County, in 2005: $54,000
Median household income in Newark, Essex County, in 2005: $30,700

Transportation:

Bergen County has a well-developed road network, including the northern termini of the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway, the eastern terminus of I-80 and a portion of I-287.
Like all the New York area, traffic in cities and on the freeways is heavy for much of the workday. Many commuters rely on public transportation, which consists of rapid-rail cars and buses. New Jersey Transit operates 6,000 buses on 50 lines in Newark.
Newark Liberty International Airport (NLIA), one of the world's busiest airports, annually serves more than 29 million passengers carried on more than 450,000 flights. About 60 scheduled airlines operate out of Newark.
Essex County is home to the Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal
Approximately 450 trains arrive in and depart from Newark daily. Amtrak, Conrail, and PATH rail lines travel into Newark's recently renovated historic Penn Station. The PATH train connects downtown Newark with New York City.