Population 871,290 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Middlesex County
Household size in Middlesex County
| Period | Middlesex County | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.86 | 2.79 | 2.77 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.90 | 2.85 | 2.82 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.86 | 2.82 | 2.78 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.87 | 2.79 | 2.76 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.02 | −0.00 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Middlesex County average 2.87 people, above the national 2.65, so families with children are more common here. Middlesex County has larger households than the great majority of New Jersey counties.
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 Middlesex County
| Period | Middlesex County | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.2 | 38.0 | 39.1 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.1 | 38.7 | 40.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 40.2 | 39.8 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.6 | 40.4 | 40.9 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.4 | +2.4 | +1.8 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Middlesex County are younger than 40.6 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 38.2, mirroring the country.
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 Middlesex County
| Period | Middlesex County | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.2% | 13.1% | 11.6% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.4% | 12.8% | 11.8% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.6% | 11.4% | 10.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.7% | 11.6% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.6 pts | −1.5 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head just over one in ten households in Middlesex County (10.7%), close to the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is up 0.6 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell.
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 Middlesex County
Renters in Middlesex County
| Period | Middlesex County | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.0% | 47.1% | 33.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 34.8% | 48.7% | 35.0% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 36.5% | 48.8% | 36.1% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 36.4% | 48.6% | 36.2% | 34.8% |
| Change | +3.3 pts | +1.5 pts | +3.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting in Middlesex County is about as common as it is nationally: 36.4% of households rent, against 34.8%. Renters make up a smaller share here than in the New York area overall (48.6%). Nearly four in ten owners (38.3%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. The renter share has risen 3.3 points since 2006–10, as it has 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 Middlesex County
| Period | Middlesex County | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.5% | 9.1% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 6.2% | 9.0% | 9.3% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.7% | 9.1% | 9.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 4.7% | 7.9% | 6.6% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.8 pts | −1.2 pts | −2.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in Middlesex County: just 4.7% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 1.8 points, as it has nationally. Middlesex County has a lower vacancy rate than the great majority of New Jersey counties.
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 Middlesex County
| Period | Middlesex County | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1969 | 1957 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1970 | 1958 | 1966 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1971 | 1959 | 1967 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1972 | 1962 | 1969 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +5 | +5 | +6 |
Housing in Middlesex County leans older: the median home dates to 1972, against 1980 nationally. Still, homes here are newer than in the New York area overall, where the median home dates to 1962. The median year built has moved up from 1969 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the southwest, while the east has the oldest housing.
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 Middlesex County
| Period | Middlesex County | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,267 | $1,268 | $1,246 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,382 | $1,377 | $1,324 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,602 | $1,645 | $1,522 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,956 | $2,060 | $1,896 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$689 | +$792 | +$651 | +$606 |
The median renter in Middlesex County pays $1,956 a month for rent and utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Still, rents here are lower than in the wider New York area ($2,060). Rents are up $689 a month from 2006–10, a 54% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 31.5% of household income on rent, 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 Middlesex County
Bachelor's degrees in Middlesex County
| Period | Middlesex County | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.3% | 35.0% | 34.7% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 41.4% | 36.7% | 36.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 44.2% | 39.9% | 39.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 46.3% | 43.6% | 43.4% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.9 pts | +8.6 pts | +8.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Middlesex County: 46.3% 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. The share with a degree has risen 6.9 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 Middlesex County
| Period | Middlesex County | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 87.9% | 83.7% | 87.0% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 88.4% | 84.6% | 88.1% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 89.4% | 86.2% | 89.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 88.6% | 86.9% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +0.7 pts | +3.3 pts | +3.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
About as many adults in Middlesex County have finished high school as nationally: 88.6%, against 89.3%. The rate is higher than in the New York area as a whole (86.9%). The share with a diploma has edged up 0.7 points since 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally.
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 Middlesex County
| Period | Middlesex County | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.1% | 7.9% | 7.9% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.4% | 9.5% | 9.8% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.0% | 5.7% | 5.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.6% | 6.9% | 6.4% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.5 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment runs a little high in Middlesex County: 6.6% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Since 2006–10, unemployment has edged down 0.5 points, a smaller shift than 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).
Middlesex County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middlesex County | 2.87 | 40.6 | 10.7% | 36.4% | 4.7% | 1972 | $1,956 | 46.3% | 88.6% | 6.6% |
| Somerset County | 2.75 | 42.5 | 8.4% | 25.7% | 3.4% | 1978 | $2,235 | 57.0% | 93.5% | 4.8% |
| Richmond County | 2.96 | 41.0 | 11.7% | 32.3% | 8.6% | 1971 | $1,856 | 35.5% | 88.0% | 5.5% |
| Hunterdon County | 2.56 | 45.9 | 5.6% | 14.9% | 3.5% | 1977 | $1,839 | 57.0% | 96.1% | 4.6% |
| Lehigh County | 2.63 | 40.5 | 13.3% | 34.4% | 5.7% | 1968 | $1,516 | 33.8% | 89.9% | 6.0% |
| Berks County | 2.64 | 40.8 | 13.2% | 28.7% | 5.9% | 1967 | $1,310 | 26.6% | 87.4% | 6.0% |
| Lebanon County | 2.53 | 41.5 | 10.0% | 28.7% | 6.6% | 1971 | $1,242 | 24.6% | 88.2% | 4.2% |
| Dauphin County | 2.43 | 39.7 | 12.3% | 36.9% | 6.2% | 1971 | $1,286 | 33.6% | 90.5% | 5.0% |
| Perry County | 2.54 | 43.6 | 9.4% | 18.2% | 8.8% | 1974 | $898 | 19.6% | 89.1% | 3.2% |
| Juniata County | 2.60 | 43.2 | 6.9% | 26.2% | 13.3% | 1972 | $763 | 14.8% | 83.5% | 2.1% |
| Huntingdon County | 2.38 | 44.7 | 7.5% | 20.8% | 21.6% | 1969 | $859 | 20.7% | 91.9% | 4.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Kern County, CA · Macomb County, MI · Worcester County, MA · Baltimore County, MD · Ventura County, CA · Snohomish County, WA · Shelby County, TN · San Francisco County, CA · Pinellas County, FL · Pierce County, 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 Middlesex County. 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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