Population 25,496 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Carteret
Household size in Carteret
| Period | Carteret | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.90 | 2.79 | 2.77 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.09 | 2.85 | 2.82 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.97 | 2.82 | 2.78 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.18 | 2.79 | 2.76 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.28 | −0.00 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Carteret are large by national standards, averaging 3.18 people against 2.65 for the U.S. That usually means more families with children at home. Household size has climbed from 2.90 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell. Only 16 of the 415 New Jersey cities with 5,000+ people have larger households.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Carteret
| Period | Carteret | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.8 | 38.0 | 39.1 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 36.4 | 38.7 | 40.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 37.8 | 39.8 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 38.6 | 40.4 | 40.9 | 40.1 |
| Change | −0.1 | +2.4 | +1.8 | +2.3 |
At 38.6, the median age in Carteret is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. The population here is younger than in the New York area overall, where the median age is 40.4. The youngest areas are in the northeast, the oldest in the northwest.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Carteret
| Period | Carteret | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.6% | 13.1% | 11.6% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 15.1% | 12.8% | 11.8% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.4% | 11.4% | 10.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 19.0% | 11.6% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +5.4 pts | −1.5 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head nearly one in five households in Carteret (19.0%), well above the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is up 5.4 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell. Of the 415 New Jersey cities with 5,000+ people, only 21 have a higher share of single-parent households.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Carteret
Renters in Carteret
| Period | Carteret | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.2% | 47.1% | 33.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 40.6% | 48.7% | 35.0% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 40.4% | 48.8% | 36.1% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 45.3% | 48.6% | 36.2% | 34.8% |
| Change | +14.2 pts | +1.5 pts | +3.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is far more common in Carteret than nationally: 45.3% of households rent their homes, against 34.8%. Locally, though, renters make up a smaller share here than in the wider New York area (48.6%). Among owners, 45.9% have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 14.2 points, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Carteret
| Period | Carteret | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.3% | 9.1% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 6.7% | 9.0% | 9.3% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.8% | 9.1% | 9.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 6.3% | 7.9% | 6.6% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.0 pts | −1.2 pts | −2.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in Carteret than nationally: 6.3%, against 9.6% for the U.S. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 2.0 points, mirroring the country.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Carteret
| Period | Carteret | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1959 | 1957 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1962 | 1958 | 1966 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1964 | 1959 | 1967 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1962 | 1962 | 1969 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +5 | +5 | +6 |
Carteret is a place of older homes: half were built before 1962, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. The median year built has moved up from 1959 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Carteret
| Period | Carteret | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,037 | $1,268 | $1,246 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,174 | $1,377 | $1,324 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,500 | $1,645 | $1,522 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,025 | $2,060 | $1,896 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$988 | +$792 | +$651 | +$606 |
The median renter in Carteret pays $2,025 a month for rent and utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $988 a month since 2006–10, up 95%, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 25.5% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Carteret
Bachelor's degrees in Carteret
| Period | Carteret | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.4% | 35.0% | 34.7% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 22.4% | 36.7% | 36.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 23.1% | 39.9% | 39.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 29.8% | 43.6% | 43.4% | 35.6% |
| Change | +10.4 pts | +8.6 pts | +8.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
About three in ten adults 25 and older in Carteret (29.8%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, a little below the national share of 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 10.4 points, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the north and least in the east.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Carteret
| Period | Carteret | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 80.3% | 83.7% | 87.0% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 83.1% | 84.6% | 88.1% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 85.9% | 86.2% | 89.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 85.6% | 86.9% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +5.3 pts | +3.3 pts | +3.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in seven adults in Carteret never finished high school, more than nationally: 85.6% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. The share with a diploma has risen 5.3 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. Of the 415 New Jersey cities with 5,000+ people, only 34 have a lower share of high school graduates.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Carteret
| Period | Carteret | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.5% | 7.9% | 7.9% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 13.0% | 9.5% | 9.8% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.3% | 5.7% | 5.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.2% | 6.9% | 6.4% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.3 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Carteret runs well above the national rate: 9.2% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. Only 29 of the 415 New Jersey cities with 5,000+ people have higher unemployment. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Carteret compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carteret | 3.18 | 38.6 | 19.0% | 45.3% | 6.3% | 1962 | $2,025 | 29.8% | 85.6% | 9.2% |
| Port Reading | 2.76 | 40.7 | 10.7% | 26.2% | 5.4% | 1967 | $1,945 | 34.1% | 95.4% | 2.7% |
| Sewaren | 2.78 | 41.8 | 7.7% | 25.7% | 3.2% | 1957 | $1,132 | 29.8% | 92.6% | 8.8% |
| Avenel | 2.66 | 39.7 | 11.5% | 53.9% | 3.9% | 1978 | $1,822 | 36.6% | 87.5% | 4.9% |
| Rahway | 2.61 | 41.0 | 15.4% | 47.7% | 5.9% | 1969 | $2,014 | 34.6% | 90.3% | 7.3% |
| Woodbridge | 2.64 | 41.2 | 12.1% | 39.1% | 6.8% | 1964 | $1,904 | 36.9% | 92.4% | 5.3% |
| Linden | 2.93 | 39.8 | 14.6% | 42.1% | 6.0% | 1958 | $1,783 | 24.5% | 86.0% | 10.0% |
| Iselin | 3.05 | 41.0 | 13.5% | 34.7% | 5.1% | 1962 | $2,357 | 53.2% | 90.0% | 3.8% |
| Colonia | 3.07 | 43.1 | 6.4% | 11.2% | 0.8% | 1960 | $2,048 | 49.4% | 91.8% | 4.6% |
| Staten Island | 2.96 | 41.0 | 11.7% | 32.3% | 8.6% | 1971 | $1,856 | 35.5% | 88.0% | 5.5% |
| Perth Amboy | 3.01 | 37.5 | 22.7% | 62.6% | 3.9% | 1961 | $1,676 | 16.6% | 67.8% | 13.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Allendale, MI · Alton, IL · Yorkville, IL · Ashland, CA · Johnston, IA · Sidney, OH · Shirley, NY · Homer Glen, IL · Selden, NY · Seal Beach, CA
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Carteret. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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