Population 21,490 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of Morris Plains: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Morris Plains
Household size in Morris Plains
| Period | Morris Plains | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.57 | 2.79 | 2.77 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.59 | 2.85 | 2.82 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.58 | 2.82 | 2.78 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.57 | 2.79 | 2.76 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.01 | −0.00 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
At 2.57 people per household, Morris Plains sits close to the national average of 2.65. The typical household here is smaller than in the wider New York area, where it has 2.79 people. Households are largest in the northeast and smallest in the center.
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 Morris Plains
| Period | Morris Plains | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 43.1 | 38.0 | 39.1 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 43.1 | 38.7 | 40.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 43.5 | 39.8 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 44.2 | 40.4 | 40.9 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.2 | +2.4 | +1.8 | +2.3 |
Morris Plains skews older: half of its residents are older than 44.2, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 43.1, as it has nationally.
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 Morris Plains
| Period | Morris Plains | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.7% | 13.1% | 11.6% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 4.7% | 12.8% | 11.8% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 4.2% | 11.4% | 10.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.5% | 11.6% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.2 pts | −1.5 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Morris Plains: 3.5% of households, against 11.6% nationally. Of the 415 New Jersey cities with 5,000+ people, only 26 have a lower 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 Morris Plains
Renters in Morris Plains
| Period | Morris Plains | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.4% | 47.1% | 33.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 19.9% | 48.7% | 35.0% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 24.6% | 48.8% | 36.1% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 26.1% | 48.6% | 36.2% | 34.8% |
| Change | +9.7 pts | +1.5 pts | +3.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Morris Plains own their homes; 26.1% rent, below the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 34.6% have no mortgage at all, below the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the south; owners are most common in the northeast. The renter share is up 9.7 points from 2006–10, 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 Morris Plains
| Period | Morris Plains | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.4% | 9.1% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.3% | 9.0% | 9.3% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.2% | 9.1% | 9.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 3.7% | 7.9% | 6.6% | 9.6% |
| Change | −5.7 pts | −1.2 pts | −2.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Only 3.7% of homes in Morris Plains are vacant, far below the national rate of 9.6%, which usually means strong demand for housing. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 5.7 points, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Morris Plains
| Period | Morris Plains | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1971 | 1957 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1972 | 1958 | 1966 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1972 | 1959 | 1967 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1969 | 1962 | 1969 | 1980 |
| Change | −2 | +5 | +5 | +6 |
Morris Plains is a place of older homes: half were built before 1969, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. Locally, though, homes here are newer than in the wider New York area, where the median home dates to 1962. Newer construction is concentrated in the northwest, while the southwest 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 Morris Plains
| Period | Morris Plains | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,757 | $1,268 | $1,246 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,722 | $1,377 | $1,324 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $2,449 | $1,645 | $1,522 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,509 | $2,060 | $1,896 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$751 | +$792 | +$651 | +$606 |
Rent in Morris Plains runs $2,509 a month at the median, utilities included, well above the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $751 a month from 2006–10, a 43% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 27.6% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the southeast; the most affordable are in the north.
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 Morris Plains
Bachelor's degrees in Morris Plains
| Period | Morris Plains | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 54.4% | 35.0% | 34.7% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 59.3% | 36.7% | 36.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 62.0% | 39.9% | 39.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 67.0% | 43.6% | 43.4% | 35.6% |
| Change | +12.6 pts | +8.6 pts | +8.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Morris Plains: 67.0% 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. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 12.6 points, 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 Morris Plains
| Period | Morris Plains | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 93.9% | 83.7% | 87.0% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 95.8% | 84.6% | 88.1% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 95.3% | 86.2% | 89.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 96.1% | 86.9% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.3 pts | +3.3 pts | +3.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Morris Plains: 96.1% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 2.3 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Morris Plains
| Period | Morris Plains | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.5% | 7.9% | 7.9% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.3% | 9.5% | 9.8% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.5% | 5.7% | 5.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.5% | 6.9% | 6.4% | 5.4% |
| Change | +0.0 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.5%, unemployment in Morris Plains is close to the national rate of 5.4%. The rate is lower than in the wider New York area (6.9%). 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).
Morris Plains 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morris Plains | 2.57 | 44.2 | 3.5% | 26.1% | 3.7% | 1969 | $2,509 | 67.0% | 96.1% | 5.5% |
| Mount Tabor | 2.51 | 51.6 | 3.4% | 6.1% | 1.7% | 1955 | $2,071 | 53.4% | 98.1% | 1.7% |
| Cedar Knolls | 2.60 | 45.2 | 3.6% | 38.5% | 3.0% | 1979 | $2,783 | 53.5% | 91.4% | 1.9% |
| Denville | 2.74 | 43.2 | 5.1% | 13.8% | 7.4% | 1967 | $1,947 | 60.4% | 97.2% | 5.1% |
| Morristown | 2.53 | 41.1 | 9.2% | 37.2% | 4.1% | 1972 | $2,544 | 65.3% | 93.7% | 4.5% |
| Whippany | 2.54 | 50.1 | 5.0% | 12.9% | 1.4% | 1974 | $2,656 | 57.6% | 97.3% | 3.3% |
| Victory Gardens | 2.60 | 42.0 | 16.7% | 66.6% | 6.1% | 1972 | $1,518 | 15.1% | 74.5% | 6.7% |
| Parsippany | 2.55 | 44.6 | 3.6% | 47.7% | 3.5% | 1971 | $1,936 | 61.0% | 92.1% | 5.4% |
| Mountain Lakes | 3.23 | 42.8 | 4.6% | 5.5% | 5.4% | 1948 | $3,397 | 83.8% | 99.1% | 2.6% |
| Randolph | 3.00 | 39.8 | 6.9% | 22.3% | 3.8% | 1979 | $1,750 | 68.2% | 95.1% | 4.7% |
| Dover | 2.84 | 39.9 | 10.8% | 47.3% | 3.5% | 1957 | $1,858 | 22.8% | 82.1% | 5.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Rosedale, MD · La Vista, NE · Lackawanna, NY · Lahaina, HI · Lealman, FL · Lino Lakes, MN · Live Oak, FL · Livingston, TX · Lomita, CA · Louisville, OH
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 Morris Plains. 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.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.