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Data on this report is based on areas within the legal city boundary, outlined in black on the map. Any additional neighborhoods shown on the map are associated with the city by name and are included for reference only.

Jersey City, NJ
Real Estate & Demographic Data






Jersey City profile


Living in Jersey City



Jersey City is a large coastal city (i.e. on the ocean, a bay, or inlet) located in the state of New Jersey. With a population of 291,657 people and 77 associated neighborhoods, Jersey City is the second largest community in New Jersey. Jersey City has an unusually large stock of pre-World War II architecture, making it one of the older and more historic cities.

Housing costs in Jersey City are among some of the highest in the nation, although real estate prices here don't compare to real estate prices in the most expensive communities in New Jersey.

Also of interest is that Jersey City has more people living here who work in computers and math than 95% of the places in the US.

Of important note, Jersey City is also a city of artists. Jersey City has more artists, designers and people working in media than 90% of the communities in America. This concentration of artists helps shape Jersey City’s character.

One interesting thing about the economy is that relatively large numbers of people worked from their home: 21.62% of the workforce. While this number may seem small overall, as a fraction of the total workforce this is high compared to the rest of the county. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.

One thing noticeable about Jersey City, is that it has a large population of people who are young, single, educated, and upwardly-mobile career starters. That’s because Jersey City is full of single people in their 20s and 30s and who have undergraduate or graduate degrees and are starting careers in professional occupations. This makes Jersey City a great place for young, educated career starters looking to find many people like themselves, with good opportunities for friendships, socializing, romance, and fun. In fact, Jersey City is one of the top larger cities in America for educated single professionals to flock.

One of the nice things about Jersey City is that it is nautical, which means that parts of it are somewhat historic and touch the ocean or tidal bodies of water, such as inlets and bays. Because of this, visitors and locals will often go to these areas to take in the scenery or to enjoy waterfront activities.

One downside of living in Jersey City is that it can take a long time to commute to work. In Jersey City, the average commute to work is 36.97 minutes, which is quite a bit higher than the national average. On the other hand, local public transit is widely used in the city, so leaving the car at home and taking transit is often a viable alternative. In addition, it is also a pedestrian-friendly city. Many of Jersey City’s neighborhoods are dense enough and have amenities close enough together that people find it feasible to get around on foot.

Like elsewhere in America, most people in Jersey City use a private automobile to get to work. But notably, a substantial number of Jersey City‘s citizens do make use of public transit in their daily commute, primarily riding the subway. This helps more people get to work with less air pollution, and require fewer highways to get them there.

Do you have a 4-year college degree or graduate degree? If so, you may feel right at home in Jersey City. 53.13% of adults here have a 4-year degree or graduate degree, whereas the national average for all cities and towns is just 21.84%.

The per capita income in Jersey City in 2022 was $57,746, which is middle income relative to New Jersey, and wealthy relative to the rest of the US. This equates to an annual income of $230,984 for a family of four. However, Jersey City contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.

Jersey City is an extremely ethnically-diverse city. The people who call Jersey City home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. People of Hispanic or Latino origin are the most prevalent group in Jersey City, accounting for 25.70% of the city’s residents (people of Hispanic or Latino origin can be of any race). The greatest number of Jersey City residents report their race to be Asian, followed by White. Important ancestries of people in Jersey City include Italian, Irish, German, Egyptian, and Polish.

Foreign born people are also an important part of Jersey City's cultural character, accounting for 41.25% of the city’s population.

The most common language spoken in Jersey City is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and Langs. of India.