County profile

Bergen County

New Jersey · ACS 2020–2024

Download data

Latest estimates

At a glance

U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

Total population
962,316
Median household income
$124,884
People below poverty
6.8%
Median home value
$623,000

Income

The median income of households in Bergen County, New Jersey was $124,884. An estimated 3.2% of households had income below $10,000 a year and 29% had income of $200,000 or more.

Household Income in Bergen County, New Jersey in 2020-2024

View Data Table ↓

Percent
Less than $10,000 3.2
$10,000 to $14,999 2.2
$15,000 to $24,999 3.7
$25,000 to $34,999 4.1
$35,000 to $49,999 6.4
$50,000 to $74,999 11.1
$75,000 to $99,999 10.1
$100,000 to $149,999 17.5
$150,000 to $199,999 12.7
$200,000 or more 29

Median Earnings for Full-Time Year-Round Workers by Sex in Bergen County, New Jersey in 2020-2024

View Data Table ↓

Dollars
Male 96185
Female 76576

An estimated 81.9% of households received earnings. An estimated 31.1% of households received Social Security and an estimated 23.1 % of households received retirement income other than Social Security. The average income from Social Security was $27,901. These income sources are not mutually exclusive; that is, some households received income from more than one source.

Proportion of Households with Various Income Sources in Bergen County, New Jersey in 2020-2024

View Data Table ↓

Percent
Earnings 81.9
Social Security 31.1
Retirement income 23.1
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) 4
Cash public assistance income 2.1

Poverty and Participation in Government Programs

In 2020-2024, 6.8 % of people were in poverty. An estimated 7.8% of children under 18 were below the poverty level, compared with 8.4% of people 65 years old and over. An estimated 6% of people 18 to 64 years were below the poverty level.

Poverty Rates in Bergen County, New Jersey in 2020-2024

View Data Table ↓

Percent
People in poverty 6.8
Children under 18 years below poverty 7.8
People 65 years old and over below poverty 8.4
People 18 to 64 years below poverty 6

In 2020-2024, 5.3 % of households received SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). An estimated 37.4% of households that received SNAP had children under 18, and 56.8% of households that received SNAP had one or more people 60 years and over. An estimated 30.9% of all households receiving SNAP were families with a female householder and no spouse present.


Among the civilian noninstitutionalized population in Bergen County, New Jersey in 2020-2024, 93.9% had health insurance coverage and 6.1% did not have health insurance coverage. Private coverage was 76.6% and public coverage was 28.2%, respectively. The percentage of children under the age of 19 with no health insurance coverage was 3.6%.


In 2020-2024, Bergen County, New Jersey had a total population of 962,316 - 490,825 (51%) females and 471,491 (49%) males. The median age was 42 years. An estimated 20.9% of the population was under 18 years, 30.7% was 19 to 44 years, 27.9% was 45 to 64 years, and 18.2 % was 65 years and older.

Population by Age and Sex for Bergen County, New Jersey in 2020-2024

Male Female
Under 5 25045 23907
5 to 9 26292 25716
10 to 14 32096 30233
15 to 19 30395 28881
20 to 24 27637 27115
25 to 29 27283 26852
30 to 34 28362 28238
35 to 39 32733 32773
40 to 44 31537 33108
45 to 49 31981 32907
50 to 54 33684 34518
55 to 59 34454 36153
60 to 64 32190 33183
65 to 69 26077 29054
70 to 74 20429 23207
75 to 79 13628 17203
80 to 84 9015 12586
85 and over 8653 15191

Hispanic Origin and Race

For people reporting one race alone, 55.1% were White; 5.8% were Black or African American; 1.4% were American Indian and Alaska Native; 16.9% were Asian; 2.3% were Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, and 0% were Some Other Race. An estimated 13.5% reported Two or More Races. An estimated 22.7% of the people in Bergen County, New Jersey were Hispanic or Latino. An estimated 51.3% of the people in Bergen County, New Jersey were White alone, non-Hispanic. People of Hispanic origin may be of any race.


Households and Families

In 2020-2024, there were 355,127 households in Bergen County, New Jersey. The average household size was 2.68 people.

Married-couple households made up 55.5% of the households in Bergen County, New Jersey while cohabiting couple households made up 5.2% of households. Female householders with no spouse or partner present were 24.7% of all households, while 14.5% of households had male householders with no spouse or partner present. Some households had one person, as 10.2% of households were male householders living alone, and 13.7% were female householders living alone, for a total of 23.9% of all households.

In Bergen County, New Jersey, 32.1% of all households had one or more people under the age of 18; 34.6% of all households had one or more people 65 years and over.

Types of Households in Bergen County, New Jersey in 2020-2024

View Data Table ↓

Percent
Married-couple households 55.5
Cohabiting Couples 5.2
Male Householder
No spouse/partner present
14.5
Female Householder
No spouse/partner present
24.7

Marital Status

Among persons 15 and older, 56.7% of males and 51.5% of females were currently married.

Population 15 years and over Percent
Males
Percent
Females
Never married 33.4 28.9
Now married, except separated 56.7 51.5
Separated 1.3 1.5
Widowed 2.5 8.3
Divorced 6.1 9.7

Grandparents and Grandchildren

In Bergen County, New Jersey, 17,302 grandparents lived with their grandchildren under 18 years old. Of those grandparents, 18.4% were responsible for the basic needs of their grandchildren.


Nativity and Foreign-Born

In 2020-2024, an estimated 68.2% of the people living in Bergen County, New Jersey were U.S. natives. 41.5% of the Bergen County, New Jersey population were living in the state where they were born.

Approximately 31.8% of Bergen County, New Jersey residents in 2020-2024 were foreign-born. 66.4% of foreign-born were naturalized U.S. citizens and an estimated 74.6 % entered the country before the year 2010.

Foreign-born residents of Bergen County, New Jersey come from different parts of the world. The bar graph below displays the percentage of foreign-born from each world region of birth in 2020-2024 for Bergen County, New Jersey.

Region of Birth for the Foreign-Born Population in Bergen County, New Jersey in 2020-2024

View Data Table ↓

Percent
Latin America 35.9
Asia 42.2
Europe 18.2
Africa 2.8
Northern America 0.7
Oceania 0.1

Language

Among people at least five years old living in Bergen County, New Jersey in 2020-2024, 42.5 % spoke a language other than English at home. Spanish was spoken by 17.2% of people at least five years old; 16% reported that they did not speak English "very well."

Percentage of the Population 5 years and over who Speak a Language other than English in Bergen County, New Jersey in 2020-2024

View Data Table ↓

Percent
Spanish 17.2
Other Indo-European languages 10.7
Asian and Pacific Islander languages 11.8
Other languages 2.8

Geographic Mobility

In 2020-2024, 91.2 % of the people at least one year old living in Bergen County, New Jersey were living in the same house one year earlier.

Geographic Mobility of Residents of Bergen County, New Jersey in 2020-2024

View Data Table ↓

Percent
Same house 91.2
Different house, same county 4.3
Different county, same state 1.7
Different state 1.9
Abroad 0.9

Education

In 2020-2024, 92.9 % of people 25 years and over had at least graduated from high school and 53.1% had a bachelor's degree or higher. An estimated 7.1% did not complete high school.

The total school enrollment in Bergen County, New Jersey was 229,474 in 2020-2024. Nursery school enrollment was 16,110 and kindergarten through 12th grade enrollment was 153,199. College or graduate school enrollment was 60,165.

Educational Attainment of People in Bergen County, New Jersey in 2020-2024

View Data Table ↓

Percent
Less than high school diploma 7.1
High school diploma or equivalency 20
Some college, no degree 13
Associate's degree 6.8
Bachelor's degree 31.6
Graduate or professional degree 21.5

Disability

In Bergen County, New Jersey, among the civilian noninstitutionalized population in 2020-2024, 8.9 % reported a disability. The likelihood of having a disability varied by age - from 2.7% of people under 18 years old, to 6.1% of people 18 to 64 years old, and to 26% of those 65 and over.


Employment Status and Type of Employer

In Bergen County, New Jersey, 63.3 % of the population 16 and over were employed; 32.8% were not currently in the labor force.

An estimated 81.6% of the people employed were private wage and salary workers; 12.6% were federal, state, or local government workers; and 5.5 % were self-employed in their own (not incorporated) business.

Class of worker Number Percent
Private wage and salary workers 405,782 81.6
Federal, state, or local government workers 62,638 12.6
Self-employed workers in own not incorporated business 27,591 5.5

Industries

In 2020-2024, the civilian employed population 16 years and older in Bergen County, New Jersey worked in the following industries:

Percent by Industry in Bergen County, New Jersey in 2020-2024

View Data Table ↓

Percent
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and mining 0.1
Construction 5.3
Manufacturing 7.5
Wholesale trade 3.5
Retail trade 10.1
Transportation and warehousing, and utilities 5.2
Information 2.9
Finance and insurance, and real estate and rental and leasing 9.8
Professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services 15.8
Educational services, and health care and social assistance 25.1
Arts, entertainment, and recreation, and accommodation, and food services 6.9
Other Services, except public administration 4.6
Public administration 3.1

Occupations

Occupations for the Civilian Employed Population 16 Years and over in Bergen County, New Jersey in 2020-2024

Civilian employed population 16 years and over Number Percent
Management, business, sciences, and arts occupations 268,213 53.9
Service occupations 62,131 12.5
Sales and office occupations 99,368 20
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations 25,984 5.2
Production, transportation, and material moving occupations 41,486 8.3

Commuting to Work

An estimated 59% of Bergen County, New Jersey workers drove to work alone in 2020-2024, and 7.3% carpooled. Among those who commuted to work, it took them on average 31.2 minutes to get to work.

Percent of Workers 16 and over Commuting by Mode in Bergen County, New Jersey in 2020-2024

View Data Table ↓

Percent
Car, truck, van -- drove alone 59
Car, truck, van -- carpooled 7.3
Public transportation (excluding taxicab) 10.4
Walked 2.5
Other means 2.3
Worked from home 18.5

In 2020-2024, Bergen County, New Jersey had a total of 369,613 housing units. Of these housing units, 58.9% were single-family houses either not attached to any other structure or attached to one or more structures (commonly referred to as "townhouses" or "row houses"). 40.6% of the housing units were located in multi-unit structures, or those buildings that contained two or more apartments. 0.4% were mobile homes, while any remaining housing units were classified as "other," which included boats, recreational vehicles, vans, etc.

Types of Housing Units in Bergen County, New Jersey in 2020-2024

View Data Table ↓

Percent
Single-family houses 58.9
Apartments in multi-unit structures 40.6
Mobile homes 0.4
Boat, RV, van, etc 0.1

6.7% of the housing inventory was comprised of houses built since 2010, while 19.3% of the houses were first built in 1939 or earlier. The median number of rooms in all housing units in Bergen County, New Jersey was 5.7 rooms, and of these housing units 58.1% had three or more bedrooms.


In 2020-2024, Bergen County, New Jersey had 355,127 housing units that were occupied or had people living in them, while the remaining 14,486 were vacant. Of the occupied housing units, the percentage of these houses occupied by owners (also known as the homeownership rate) was 65.3% while renters occupied 34.7%. The average household size of owner-occupied houses was 2.86 and in renter-occupied houses it was 2.34.

3.5% of householders of these occupied houses had moved into their house since 2021, while 13.2% moved into their house in 1989 or earlier. Households without a vehicle available for personal use comprised 7.5% and another 18.2% had three or more vehicles available for use.

The following chart provides the primary fuel used to heat houses in Bergen County, New Jersey:

House Heating Fuel Used in Bergen County, New Jersey in 2020-2024

View Data Table ↓

Percent
Gas 79.4
Electricity 15.6
Fuel oil, kerosene, etc 3.6
All other fuels 0.7
No fuel used 0.7

In 2020-2024, the median property value for owner-occupied houses in Bergen County, New Jersey was $623,000.

Of the owner-occupied households, 61.6 % had a mortgage. 38.4% owned their houses "free and clear," that is without a primary mortgage or loan on the house. The median monthly housing costs for owners with a mortgage was $3,547 and for owners without a mortgage it was $1,498.

For renter-occupied houses, the median gross rent for Bergen County, New Jersey was $1,914. Gross rent includes the monthly contract rent and any monthly payments made for electricity, gas, water and sewer, and any other fuels to heat the house.