Population 2,402 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Essex Fells
Household size in Essex Fells
| Period | Essex Fells | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.06 | 2.79 | 2.77 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.97 | 2.85 | 2.82 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.77 | 2.82 | 2.78 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.13 | 2.79 | 2.76 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.07 | −0.00 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Essex Fells are large by national standards, averaging 3.13 people against 2.65 for the U.S. That usually means more families with children at home.
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 Essex Fells
| Period | Essex Fells | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.6 | 38.0 | 39.1 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 43.2 | 38.7 | 40.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 46.7 | 39.8 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 44.0 | 40.4 | 40.9 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.5 | +2.4 | +1.8 | +2.3 |
Essex Fells skews older than the country: its median age is 44.0, against 40.1 nationally. The median age has climbed from 41.6 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 Essex Fells
| Period | Essex Fells | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.1% | 13.1% | 11.6% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 3.2% | 12.8% | 11.8% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 2.6% | 11.4% | 10.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.0% | 11.6% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −2.1 pts | −1.5 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 4.0% of households in Essex Fells, well below the national share of 11.6%.
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 Essex Fells
Renters in Essex Fells
| Period | Essex Fells | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.5% | 47.1% | 33.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 6.0% | 48.7% | 35.0% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 6.1% | 48.8% | 36.1% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 3.6% | 48.6% | 36.2% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.9 pts | +1.5 pts | +3.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 3.6% of households in Essex Fells rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. More than a quarter of owners (26.8%) have paid off their mortgages, well below the national share of 39.8%.
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 Essex Fells
| Period | Essex Fells | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.2% | 9.1% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.1% | 9.0% | 9.3% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 12.7% | 9.1% | 9.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.5% | 7.9% | 6.6% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.3 pts | −1.2 pts | −2.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Essex Fells as nationally: 8.5%, against 9.6%.
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 Essex Fells
| Period | Essex Fells | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1948 | 1957 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1947 | 1958 | 1966 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1945 | 1959 | 1967 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1953 | 1962 | 1969 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +5 | +5 | +6 |
The housing in Essex Fells is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1953, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates.
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 Essex Fells
| Period | Essex Fells | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,610 | $1,268 | $1,246 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,934 | $1,377 | $1,324 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $2,188 | $1,645 | $1,522 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $3,497 | $2,060 | $1,896 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,887 | +$792 | +$651 | +$606 |
The median renter in Essex Fells pays $3,497 a month for rent and utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 31.5% of the typical renter's income, just over 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 Essex Fells
Bachelor's degrees in Essex Fells
| Period | Essex Fells | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 70.8% | 35.0% | 34.7% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 74.0% | 36.7% | 36.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 79.3% | 39.9% | 39.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 82.0% | 43.6% | 43.4% | 35.6% |
| Change | +11.2 pts | +8.6 pts | +8.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Essex Fells: 82.0% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 35.6% nationally. Education tends to track local incomes and the kinds of jobs nearby.
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 Essex Fells
| Period | Essex Fells | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 98.8% | 83.7% | 87.0% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 99.8% | 84.6% | 88.1% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 98.6% | 86.2% | 89.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 97.9% | 86.9% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | −0.9 pts | +3.3 pts | +3.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Essex Fells: 97.9% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%.
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 Essex Fells
| Period | Essex Fells | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.1% | 7.9% | 7.9% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.7% | 9.5% | 9.8% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.2% | 5.7% | 5.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.0% | 6.9% | 6.4% | 5.4% |
| Change | +0.8 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Essex Fells is close to the national rate: 5.0% of the labor force, against 5.4%. The rate is lower than in the New York area as a whole (6.9%). 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).
Essex Fells 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essex Fells | 3.13 | 44.0 | 4.0% | 3.6% | 8.5% | 1953 | $3,497 | 82.0% | 97.9% | 5.0% |
| Caldwell | 2.45 | 41.2 | 5.6% | 35.8% | 3.9% | 1959 | $2,033 | 59.4% | 93.9% | 4.4% |
| Roseland | 2.62 | 47.6 | 6.5% | 17.0% | 4.8% | 1968 | $3,235 | 71.7% | 97.3% | 4.5% |
| Verona | 2.58 | 46.8 | 5.2% | 20.5% | 4.7% | 1953 | $2,115 | 70.0% | 98.7% | 4.6% |
| North Caldwell | 3.08 | 43.7 | 3.7% | 2.1% | 4.7% | 1968 | $3,300 | 80.5% | 96.6% | 6.0% |
| West Orange | 2.91 | 41.5 | 12.1% | 30.0% | 5.3% | 1957 | $2,134 | 52.1% | 90.6% | 5.9% |
| Cedar Grove | 2.59 | 44.7 | 3.4% | 16.3% | 5.0% | 1962 | $2,010 | 61.8% | 95.4% | 7.6% |
| Montclair | 2.53 | 38.7 | 11.7% | 53.1% | 5.5% | 1947 | $2,133 | 69.0% | 96.2% | 4.3% |
| Livingston | 3.03 | 44.5 | 5.5% | 11.6% | 3.4% | 1966 | $2,897 | 74.2% | 96.6% | 4.0% |
| Fairfield | 2.69 | 48.4 | 8.4% | 21.5% | 4.3% | 1974 | $2,652 | 50.9% | 97.1% | 11.6% |
| Upper Montclair | 3.11 | 42.1 | 5.9% | 14.2% | 7.9% | 1941 | $2,133 | 85.3% | 99.1% | 4.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Akron, CO · Wittenberg, WI · Wellington, NV · Warren, MN · Verona, MO · Tullytown, PA · Troy, NH · Thompsonville, IL · South China, ME · Silverlake, WA
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 Essex Fells. 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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