Somerset County, New Jersey Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Somerset 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 3 healthiest counties in New Jersey
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A+
Income Top gradeAmong the top 3 wealthiest counties in New Jersey
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A+
Education Top gradeBest educated county in New Jersey
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Somerset County | New Jersey Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 349,714 | 9,334,304 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 1147.7 | 1071.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.67% | 0.59% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.3 | 40.2 | 37.3 |
| Households | 130,736 | 3,503,323 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Somerset County grew by 8.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 349,714 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Somerset County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 24.0% of residents. That is 2.5 points above New Jersey as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 67,881 19.4% -0.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 74,034 21.2% -0.6 pts
- Gen X 45–60 83,809 24.0% +2.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 57,006 16.3% -0.5 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 50.7% of the people living in Somerset County and men 49.3%.
- Women 50.7% New Jersey 50.9%
- Men 49.3% New Jersey 49.1%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Somerset County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Somerset County has a the economy index of A+, which means it is exceptionally prosperous.
| Metric | Somerset County | New Jersey Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $140,426 | $103,817 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.93% | 4.37% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.7% | 6.3% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Somerset County is about 35% higher than in New Jersey.
Housing
| Metric | Somerset County | New Jersey Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $304,018 | $352,792 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $2,033 | $1,719 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 74.3% | 63.8% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Somerset County is about 12.5 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $2,033 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Somerset County spend about 54 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 224 hours, about 9.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Somerset County | New Jersey Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 26.9 | 26.2 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 53.8 | 52.4 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 224 | 218 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,948 | $6,764 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 22.7% | 16.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 16,937 | 14,317 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,242 | 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 Somerset 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
Somerset County has a education index of A+, which means it is exceptionally educated.
| Metric | Somerset County | New Jersey Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 53.9% | 39.6% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.64 | 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
Somerset County has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | Somerset County | New Jersey Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 81.8 | 79.4 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 9.5% | 12.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 10.4% | 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).
Somerset County, NJ Compared With Nearby Counties
Somerset County, NJ is the 5th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 349,714 residents against a local median of 514,287. Where Somerset County, NJ breaks from the counties next to it is median household income, sitting 25% above the local median of $112,064 at $140,426. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread $41,670 on median household income, so Somerset County, NJ sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Somerset County, NJ has the 2nd highest median household income of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Somerset County, NJ | 349,714 | $140,426 #2/6 | $304,018 #3/6 | 26.9 min #5/6 |
| Middlesex County, NJ | 870,701 | $112,064 | $279,129 | 26.6 min |
| Mercer County, NJ | 385,681 | $100,788 | $246,616 | 21.7 min |
| Hunterdon County, NJ | 130,145 | $142,458 | $292,762 | 31.0 min |
| Morris County, NJ | 514,287 | $137,937 | $539,796 | 25.8 min |
| Union County, NJ | 578,268 | $104,008 | $435,289 | 26.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Somerset County, New Jersey.
What is the population of Somerset County, New Jersey?
About 349,714 people live in Somerset County, New Jersey, in 130,736 households of 2.6 people on average. The median age is 43.3, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
Is Somerset County, New Jersey urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Somerset County, New Jersey has 1,148 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 13 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Somerset County, New Jersey?
The median home costs 2.2 times the median household income ($304,018 against $140,426), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $2,033 a month takes about 17% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Somerset County, New Jersey have a college degree?
53.9% of adults in Somerset County, New Jersey hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 5 in 10), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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