Population and Social Characteristics
Thousands of New Immigrants Are Settling in This Democrat-Leaning State
Published:
24/7 Wall St. Insights
- Every year, millions of immigrants move to the United States.
- Of the 2.1 million people who moved to the U.S. from abroad in 2022, tens of thousands now live in New Jersey — a state with a relatively large foreign-born population.
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Election Day is only weeks away, and U.S. immigration policy is top of mind for millions of Americans. A recent survey from the Pew Research Center found that 61% of registered voters consider immigration a very important issue in the 2024 presidential race.
As with nearly every major issue in today’s political climate, opinions about immigration are starkly divided along party lines. According to the same Pew study, only 39% of respondents who support Kamala Harris, a Democrat, see immigration policy as very important, compared to 82% of Republicans who support Donald Trump.
Currently, there are nearly 45.3 million immigrants living in the United States, or about 13.8% of the total U.S. population, according to 1-year estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. Of America’s foreign-born residents, 23.7 million are naturalized U.S. citizens, 21.6 million are foreign nationals, and more than 2.1 million of all immigrants in the U.S. came in 2022, the most recent year of available data.
Places with large, well-established communities of immigrants are often popular destinations for new international migrants. There are currently 2,144,084 people living in New Jersey who were born in a foreign country, more than in all but four other states. While every state brought in new residents from abroad in 2022, New Jersey was, perhaps not surprisingly, an especially popular destination.
According to 5-year ACS estimates, approximately 64,100 people moved to New Jersey from a different country or U.S. territory in 2022. The largest share of new residents from abroad in New Jersey came from Asia, a region that accounted for about 34.7% of all international migration to the state in 2022. Immigrants from South America and the Caribbean were also relatively common, accounting for about 19.7% and 12.2% of all inbound migration, respectively. (Here is a look at the countries most immigrants in the U.S. come from.)
For any number of reasons, some parts of New Jersey are demonstrably more attractive for international migrants than others. Whether for social factors, such as the presence of large international communities, or for economic conditions, like affordable housing or the availability of well-paying jobs, 15 of the 21 counties in New Jersey with available data brought in more than 500 people from abroad in 2022 alone. (These immigrant populations have made it big in the U.S.)
These are the counties in New Jersey where the most immigrants are moving. All county-level data on migration, income, and home values in this story are 5-year average estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau’s ACS. Supplemental data on the average unemployment rate in 2023 are from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It is important to note that international migration totals include individuals who moved from Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories, like the Virgin Islands and American Samoa, as well as foreign countries.
Why It Matters
The United States has long been a leading destination for international migrants globally. However, fueled in part by a surge in illegal crossings along the southern border, U.S. immigration policy has emerged as one of the most contentious and polarizing issues in American politics. More than 2.1 million people migrated to the U.S. from abroad in 2022 alone, and of them, about 3.7% reside in New Jersey, according to 1-year ACS estimates.
15. Gloucester County
- New residents who moved from abroad in 2022: 600 (0.2% of current population)
- Top feeder regions in 2022: Asia: 203 migrants; Europe: 165 migrants; Puerto Rico: 76 migrants
- Citizenship and nativity demographics of county: 94.1% native-born; 3.8% foreign-born naturalized citizen; 2.1% foreign-born non-citizen
- 2023 annual unemployment rate: 4.3% (0.1 ppt. lower than statewide rate)
- Median home value: $265,200 ($136,200 lower than statewide median)
- Median household income: $99,668 ($2,542 higher than statewide median)
- Total population: 300,028
14. Ocean County
- New residents who moved from abroad in 2022: 1,236 (0.2% of current population)
- Top feeder regions in 2022: Asia: 394 migrants; Europe: 280 migrants; South America: 162 migrants
- Citizenship and nativity demographics of county: 92.1% native-born; 5.1% foreign-born naturalized citizen; 2.8% foreign-born non-citizen
- 2023 annual unemployment rate: 4.2% (0.2 ppt. lower than statewide rate)
- Median home value: $343,500 ($57,900 lower than statewide median)
- Median household income: $82,379 ($14,747 lower than statewide median)
- Total population: 629,808
13. Atlantic County
- New residents who moved from abroad in 2022: 1,260 (0.5% of current population)
- Top feeder regions in 2022: Asia: 532 migrants; Caribbean: 200 migrants; Europe: 153 migrants
- Citizenship and nativity demographics of county: 84.1% native-born; 9.1% foreign-born naturalized citizen; 6.8% foreign-born non-citizen
- 2023 annual unemployment rate: 5.9% (1.5 ppt. higher than statewide rate)
- Median home value: $254,100 ($147,300 lower than statewide median)
- Median household income: $73,113 ($24,013 lower than statewide median)
- Total population: 271,454
12. Somerset County
- New residents who moved from abroad in 2022: 2,121 (0.6% of current population)
- Top feeder regions in 2022: Asia: 1,038 migrants; South America: 356 migrants; Europe: 200 migrants
- Citizenship and nativity demographics of county: 72.9% native-born; 16.5% foreign-born naturalized citizen; 10.6% foreign-born non-citizen
- 2023 annual unemployment rate: 3.8% (0.6 ppt. lower than statewide rate)
- Median home value: $489,500 ($88,100 higher than statewide median)
- Median household income: $131,948 ($34,822 higher than statewide median)
- Total population: 341,624
11. Passaic County
- New residents who moved from abroad in 2022: 2,736 (0.5% of current population)
- Top feeder regions in 2022: Caribbean: 901 migrants; Asia: 731 migrants; Central America: 371 migrants
- Citizenship and nativity demographics of county: 67.2% native-born; 18.2% foreign-born naturalized citizen; 14.7% foreign-born non-citizen
- 2023 annual unemployment rate: 5.5% (1.1 ppt. higher than statewide rate)
- Median home value: $413,500 ($12,100 higher than statewide median)
- Median household income: $84,465 ($12,661 lower than statewide median)
- Total population: 514,035
10. Monmouth County
- New residents who moved from abroad in 2022: 2,817 (0.4% of current population)
- Top feeder regions in 2022: South America: 1,133 migrants; Asia: 737 migrants; Europe: 350 migrants
- Citizenship and nativity demographics of county: 86.7% native-born; 9.0% foreign-born naturalized citizen; 4.3% foreign-born non-citizen
- 2023 annual unemployment rate: 3.8% (0.6 ppt. lower than statewide rate)
- Median home value: $519,300 ($117,900 higher than statewide median)
- Median household income: $118,527 ($21,401 higher than statewide median)
- Total population: 637,538
9. Mercer County
- New residents who moved from abroad in 2022: 2,892 (0.8% of current population)
- Top feeder regions in 2022: Asia: 1,153 migrants; Europe: 472 migrants; South America: 447 migrants
- Citizenship and nativity demographics of county: 75.2% native-born; 12.2% foreign-born naturalized citizen; 12.6% foreign-born non-citizen
- 2023 annual unemployment rate: 3.9% (0.5 ppt. lower than statewide rate)
- Median home value: $327,600 ($73,800 lower than statewide median)
- Median household income: $92,697 ($4,429 lower than statewide median)
- Total population: 380,134
8. Camden County
- New residents who moved from abroad in 2022: 2,980 (0.6% of current population)
- Top feeder regions in 2022: Asia: 874 migrants; Puerto Rico: 782 migrants; Caribbean: 610 migrants
- Citizenship and nativity demographics of county: 88.1% native-born; 6.9% foreign-born naturalized citizen; 5.1% foreign-born non-citizen
- 2023 annual unemployment rate: 4.8% (0.4 ppt. higher than statewide rate)
- Median home value: $241,300 ($160,100 lower than statewide median)
- Median household income: $82,005 ($15,121 lower than statewide median)
- Total population: 516,806
7. Burlington County
- New residents who moved from abroad in 2022: 3,306 (0.7% of current population)
- Top feeder regions in 2022: Asia: 1,067 migrants; Puerto Rico: 658 migrants; Europe: 549 migrants
- Citizenship and nativity demographics of county: 89.2% native-born; 7.2% foreign-born naturalized citizen; 3.6% foreign-born non-citizen
- 2023 annual unemployment rate: 3.9% (0.5 ppt. lower than statewide rate)
- Median home value: $304,600 ($96,800 lower than statewide median)
- Median household income: $102,615 ($5,489 higher than statewide median)
- Total population: 458,046
6. Morris County
- New residents who moved from abroad in 2022: 3,571 (0.7% of current population)
- Top feeder regions in 2022: Asia: 1,302 migrants; South America: 736 migrants; Europe: 554 migrants
- Citizenship and nativity demographics of county: 80.5% native-born; 11.9% foreign-born naturalized citizen; 7.6% foreign-born non-citizen
- 2023 annual unemployment rate: 3.7% (0.7 ppt. lower than statewide rate)
- Median home value: $531,800 ($130,400 higher than statewide median)
- Median household income: $130,808 ($33,682 higher than statewide median)
- Total population: 504,402
5. Union County
- New residents who moved from abroad in 2022: 5,498 (1.0% of current population)
- Top feeder regions in 2022: South America: 1,858 migrants; Central America: 1,056 migrants; Caribbean: 649 migrants
- Citizenship and nativity demographics of county: 68.1% native-born; 16.7% foreign-born naturalized citizen; 15.2% foreign-born non-citizen
- 2023 annual unemployment rate: 4.7% (0.3 ppt. higher than statewide rate)
- Median home value: $458,000 ($56,600 higher than statewide median)
- Median household income: $95,000 ($2,126 lower than statewide median)
- Total population: 566,163
4. Bergen County
- New residents who moved from abroad in 2022: 8,016 (0.8% of current population)
- Top feeder regions in 2022: Asia: 3,194 migrants; South America: 1,614 migrants; Caribbean: 1,227 migrants
- Citizenship and nativity demographics of county: 68.3% native-born; 20.9% foreign-born naturalized citizen; 10.8% foreign-born non-citizen
- 2023 annual unemployment rate: 3.9% (0.5 ppt. lower than statewide rate)
- Median home value: $561,500 ($160,100 higher than statewide median)
- Median household income: $118,714 ($21,588 higher than statewide median)
- Total population: 945,037
3. Essex County
- New residents who moved from abroad in 2022: 8,125 (1.0% of current population)
- Top feeder regions in 2022: South America: 2,550 migrants; Asia: 1,384 migrants; Africa: 1,375 migrants
- Citizenship and nativity demographics of county: 70.7% native-born; 15.7% foreign-born naturalized citizen; 13.6% foreign-born non-citizen
- 2023 annual unemployment rate: 5.5% (1.1 ppt. higher than statewide rate)
- Median home value: $466,500 ($65,100 higher than statewide median)
- Median household income: $73,785 ($23,341 lower than statewide median)
- Total population: 843,962
2. Middlesex County
- New residents who moved from abroad in 2022: 8,174 (1.0% of current population)
- Top feeder regions in 2022: Asia: 4,535 migrants; Caribbean: 1,294 migrants; South America: 603 migrants
- Citizenship and nativity demographics of county: 65.6% native-born; 20.4% foreign-born naturalized citizen; 14.0% foreign-born non-citizen
- 2023 annual unemployment rate: 4.1% (0.3 ppt. lower than statewide rate)
- Median home value: $411,900 ($10,500 higher than statewide median)
- Median household income: $105,206 ($8,080 higher than statewide median)
- Total population: 851,731
1. Hudson County
- New residents who moved from abroad in 2022: 9,079 (1.3% of current population)
- Top feeder regions in 2022: Asia: 4,240 migrants; South America: 1,882 migrants; Europe: 983 migrants
- Citizenship and nativity demographics of county: 56.8% native-born; 22.2% foreign-born naturalized citizen; 21.0% foreign-born non-citizen
- 2023 annual unemployment rate: 4.4% (in line with statewide rate)
- Median home value: $486,900 ($85,500 higher than statewide median)
- Median household income: $86,854 ($10,272 lower than statewide median)
- Total population: 703,204
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