Population 18,597 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Colonia
Household size in Colonia
| Period | Colonia | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.92 | 2.79 | 2.77 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.00 | 2.85 | 2.82 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.97 | 2.82 | 2.78 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.07 | 2.79 | 2.76 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.15 | −0.00 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Colonia is a place of big households: 3.07 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids. Household size has climbed from 2.92 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell. Of the 415 New Jersey cities with 5,000+ people, only 38 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 Colonia
| Period | Colonia | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.0 | 38.0 | 39.1 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.1 | 38.7 | 40.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 43.0 | 39.8 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 43.1 | 40.4 | 40.9 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.2 | +2.4 | +1.8 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Colonia is 43.1 years old, older than the national median of 40.1. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 41.0, mirroring the country. Residents skew youngest in the northwest and oldest in the southeast.
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 Colonia
| Period | Colonia | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.0% | 13.1% | 11.6% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 6.4% | 12.8% | 11.8% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 6.3% | 11.4% | 10.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.4% | 11.6% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.6 pts | −1.5 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 6.4% of households in Colonia, well below the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share has edged down 0.6 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 Colonia
Renters in Colonia
| Period | Colonia | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.9% | 47.1% | 33.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.8% | 48.7% | 35.0% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 12.1% | 48.8% | 36.1% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 11.2% | 48.6% | 36.2% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.3 pts | +1.5 pts | +3.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 11.2% of households in Colonia rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Among homeowners, 39.3% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally. Rentals cluster in the southeast; owners are most common in the west. The renter share has risen 2.3 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Colonia
| Period | Colonia | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.5% | 9.1% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 5.0% | 9.0% | 9.3% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.6% | 9.1% | 9.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 0.8% | 7.9% | 6.6% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.7 pts | −1.2 pts | −2.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Only 0.8% of homes in Colonia are vacant, far below the national rate of 9.6%, which usually means strong demand for housing. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 1.7 points, as it has nationally. Colonia has the lowest vacancy rate of any New Jersey city with 5,000+ people.
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 Colonia
| Period | Colonia | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1958 | 1957 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1958 | 1958 | 1966 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1957 | 1959 | 1967 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1960 | 1962 | 1969 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +5 | +5 | +6 |
Colonia is a place of older homes: half were built before 1960, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. The picture is much the same across the New York area.
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 Colonia
| Period | Colonia | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,116 | $1,268 | $1,246 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,323 | $1,377 | $1,324 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,751 | $1,645 | $1,522 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,048 | $2,060 | $1,896 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$932 | +$792 | +$651 | +$606 |
Rent in Colonia runs $2,048 a month at the median, utilities included, well above the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $932 a month from 2006–10, an 83% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 40.0% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the southeast; the highest are in the center.
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 Colonia
Bachelor's degrees in Colonia
| Period | Colonia | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 32.7% | 35.0% | 34.7% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 33.2% | 36.7% | 36.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 40.6% | 39.9% | 39.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 49.4% | 43.6% | 43.4% | 35.6% |
| Change | +16.7 pts | +8.6 pts | +8.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
Colonia is highly educated: about half of adults 25 and older (49.4%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, far above the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree has risen 16.7 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the west and least in the southeast.
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 Colonia
| Period | Colonia | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 91.3% | 83.7% | 87.0% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 92.1% | 84.6% | 88.1% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 93.4% | 86.2% | 89.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.8% | 86.9% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +0.5 pts | +3.3 pts | +3.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Colonia is a bit above the national rate: 91.8% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 0.5 points from 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. Compared with other New Jersey cities, though, Colonia has a lower share of high school graduates than most.
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 Colonia
| Period | Colonia | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.2% | 7.9% | 7.9% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.1% | 9.5% | 9.8% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.4% | 5.7% | 5.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.6% | 6.9% | 6.4% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.6 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little easier to find in Colonia than nationally: unemployment was 4.6%, against 5.4%. Unemployment has fallen 1.6 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current 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).
Colonia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colonia | 3.07 | 43.1 | 6.4% | 11.2% | 0.8% | 1960 | $2,048 | 49.4% | 91.8% | 4.6% |
| Iselin | 3.05 | 41.0 | 13.5% | 34.7% | 5.1% | 1962 | $2,357 | 53.2% | 90.0% | 3.8% |
| Clark | 2.63 | 45.0 | 5.2% | 25.2% | 3.2% | 1962 | $1,641 | 47.2% | 94.4% | 4.2% |
| Rahway | 2.61 | 41.0 | 15.4% | 47.7% | 5.9% | 1969 | $2,014 | 34.6% | 90.3% | 7.3% |
| Avenel | 2.66 | 39.7 | 11.5% | 53.9% | 3.9% | 1978 | $1,822 | 36.6% | 87.5% | 4.9% |
| Woodbridge | 2.64 | 41.2 | 12.1% | 39.1% | 6.8% | 1964 | $1,904 | 36.9% | 92.4% | 5.3% |
| Fords | 2.85 | 42.3 | 7.1% | 33.5% | 2.7% | 1960 | $1,844 | 38.6% | 91.0% | 5.3% |
| Sewaren | 2.78 | 41.8 | 7.7% | 25.7% | 3.2% | 1957 | $1,132 | 29.8% | 92.6% | 8.8% |
| Port Reading | 2.76 | 40.7 | 10.7% | 26.2% | 5.4% | 1967 | $1,945 | 34.1% | 95.4% | 2.7% |
| Garwood | 2.34 | 42.8 | 4.9% | 43.4% | 3.4% | 1950 | $1,676 | 45.2% | 96.5% | 6.2% |
| Metuchen | 2.87 | 41.1 | 5.8% | 24.4% | 5.4% | 1962 | $2,175 | 61.0% | 95.2% | 5.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Morton, IL · New Richmond, WI · New Haven, IN · Nevada City, CA · Walnut Grove, WA · Murphy, NC · Mukwonago, WI · Mount Morris, MI · Mount Joy, PA · Newberry, SC
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 Colonia. 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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