Carteret, New Jersey Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Carteret, NJ Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around average
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C
Income Below average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Carteret | New Jersey Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 25,402 | 9,334,304 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 5150.6 | 1071.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.47% | 0.59% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 35.5 | 40.2 | 37.3 |
| Households | 8,190 | 3,503,323 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Carteret grew by 14.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 25,402 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Carteret is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 21.8% of residents. That is 1.6 points above New Jersey as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 5,533 21.8% +1.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 5,476 21.6% -0.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 5,462 21.5% on par
- Boomers 61–79 3,590 14.1% -2.7 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below New Jersey, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.7% of the people living in Carteret and men 48.3%.
- Women 51.7% New Jersey 50.9%
- Men 48.3% New Jersey 49.1%
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Economy
Carteret has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Carteret | New Jersey Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $96,231 | $103,817 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.69% | 4.37% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 10.2% | 6.3% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Carteret is about 7% lower than in New Jersey.
Housing
| Metric | Carteret | New Jersey Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $225,000 | $352,792 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $2,032 | $1,719 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 54.5% | 63.8% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Carteret is about 9.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $2,032 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Carteret spend about 60 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 251 hours, about 10.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Carteret | New Jersey Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 30.1 | 26.2 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 60.2 | 52.4 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 251 | 218 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $7,771 | $6,764 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 11.1% | 16.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 26,599 | 14,317 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,750 | 2,109 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Carteret is 30 minutes, longer than the 26 minutes in New Jersey.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Carteret has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Carteret | New Jersey Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 25.0% | 39.6% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 3.09 | 2.61 | 2.53 |
Health
Carteret has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Carteret | New Jersey Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.3 | 79.4 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 13.7% | 12.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 14.1% | 14.2% | 19.0% |
Carteret, NJ Compared With Nearby Cities
How Carteret, NJ compares with the 2 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carteret, NJ | 25,402 | $96,231 #1/3 | $225,000 #2/3 | 30.1 min #3/3 |
| Linden, NJ | 44,201 | $91,192 | $48,655 | 27.0 min |
| Rahway, NJ | 29,932 | $87,597 | $433,807 | 26.8 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Carteret, New Jersey.
How big is Carteret, New Jersey by population?
About 25,402 people live in Carteret, New Jersey, in 8,190 households of 3.1 people on average. The median age is 35.5, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 2 years.
Is Carteret, New Jersey mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Carteret, New Jersey has 5,151 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 60 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Carteret, New Jersey?
The median home costs 2.3 times the median household income ($225,000 against $96,231), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $2,032 a month takes about 25% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Carteret, New Jersey?
Unemployment in Carteret, New Jersey is 10.2%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
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