Middlesex County, New Jersey Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Middlesex County, 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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A
Health Above averageAmong the top 5 healthiest counties in New Jersey
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B
Income Around average
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A
Education Above averageBetter educated than 70% of counties in New Jersey
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Middlesex County | New Jersey Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 870,701 | 9,334,304 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 2698.7 | 1071.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.58% | 0.59% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.2 | 40.2 | 37.3 |
| Households | 307,386 | 3,503,323 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Middlesex County grew by 11.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 870,701 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Middlesex County is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 22.5% of residents. That is 0.7 points above New Jersey as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 184,753 21.2% +1.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 196,080 22.5% +0.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 186,902 21.5% on par
- Boomers 61–79 136,162 15.6% -1.2 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 50.3% of the people living in Middlesex County and men 49.7%.
- Women 50.3% New Jersey 50.9%
- Men 49.7% New Jersey 49.1%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Middlesex County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Middlesex County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Middlesex County | New Jersey Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $112,064 | $103,817 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.19% | 4.37% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.7% | 6.3% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Middlesex County is about 8% higher than in New Jersey.
Housing
| Metric | Middlesex County | New Jersey Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $279,129 | $352,792 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,871 | $1,719 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 63.7% | 63.8% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Middlesex County is about 12.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,871 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Middlesex County spend about 53 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 222 hours, about 9.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Middlesex County | New Jersey Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 26.6 | 26.2 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 53.2 | 52.4 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 222 | 218 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,868 | $6,764 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 18.1% | 16.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 18,599 | 14,317 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,743 | 2,109 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
New Jersey:
Cape May County (18.1 min), Cumberland County (21.2 min), Atlantic County (21.6 min).
Slowest:
Hudson County (32.7 min), Sussex County (32.6 min), Hunterdon County (31.0 min).
The average commute time in Middlesex County is 27 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
Middlesex County has a education index of A, which means it is very educated.
| Metric | Middlesex County | New Jersey Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 41.5% | 39.6% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.75 | 2.61 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
New Jersey:
Somerset County (0.4), Morris County (0.4), Hunterdon County (0.4).
Lowest:
Cumberland County (0.2), Salem County (0.2), Passaic County (0.3).
Health
Middlesex County has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | Middlesex County | New Jersey Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.7 | 79.4 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 11.0% | 12.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 11.8% | 14.2% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
New Jersey:
Morris County (0.8), Hunterdon County (0.8), Somerset County (0.8).
Lowest:
Cumberland County (0.8), Salem County (0.8), Passaic County (0.8).
Middlesex County, NJ Compared With Nearby Counties
Middlesex County, NJ is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 870,701 residents against a local median of 494,794. The measure that sets Middlesex County, NJ apart most is median home price: $279,129, 36% below the local median of $433,523.
The counties themselves spread $305,638 on median home price, so Middlesex County, NJ sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Middlesex County, NJ has the 5th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middlesex County, NJ | 870,701 | $112,064 #3/6 | $279,129 #5/6 | 26.6 min #4/6 |
| Somerset County, NJ | 349,714 | $140,426 | $304,018 | 26.9 min |
| Union County, NJ | 578,268 | $104,008 | $435,289 | 26.1 min |
| Monmouth County, NJ | 645,196 | $124,868 | $433,523 | 25.7 min |
| Richmond County, NY | 494,794 | $98,311 | $552,254 | 35.5 min |
| Mercer County, NJ | 385,681 | $100,788 | $246,616 | 21.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Middlesex County, New Jersey.
How big is Middlesex County, New Jersey by population?
About 870,701 people live in Middlesex County, New Jersey, in 307,386 households of 2.7 people on average. The median age is 38.2, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Middlesex County, New Jersey urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Middlesex County, New Jersey has 2,699 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 31 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Middlesex County, New Jersey?
The median home costs 2.5 times the median household income ($279,129 against $112,064), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,871 a month takes about 20% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Middlesex County, New Jersey?
Unemployment in Middlesex County, New Jersey is 6.7%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How educated are people in Middlesex County, New Jersey?
41.5% of adults in Middlesex County, New Jersey hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 2), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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