Population 8,476 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Watchung
Household size in Watchung
| Period | Watchung | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.72 | 2.79 | 2.77 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.78 | 2.85 | 2.82 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.91 | 2.82 | 2.78 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.63 | 2.79 | 2.76 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.09 | −0.00 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
At 2.63 people per household, Watchung sits close to the national average of 2.65. The typical household here is smaller than in the New York area overall, where it has 2.79 people. Household size has dropped from 2.72 in 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Watchung
| Period | Watchung | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 42.8 | 38.0 | 39.1 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 45.9 | 38.7 | 40.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 43.6 | 39.8 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 45.6 | 40.4 | 40.9 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.8 | +2.4 | +1.8 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 45.6, Watchung is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. The median age has climbed from 42.8 in 2006–10, 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 Watchung
| Period | Watchung | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.6% | 13.1% | 11.6% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 6.0% | 12.8% | 11.8% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 5.8% | 11.4% | 10.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.6% | 11.6% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +4.0 pts | −1.5 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are just as common in Watchung as they are nationally: 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has risen 4.0 points, 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 Watchung
Renters in Watchung
| Period | Watchung | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.9% | 47.1% | 33.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 20.1% | 48.7% | 35.0% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 23.3% | 48.8% | 36.1% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 24.9% | 48.6% | 36.2% | 34.8% |
| Change | +4.0 pts | +1.5 pts | +3.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
About a quarter of households in Watchung rent their homes (24.9%), below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Just over half of owners (52.2%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the south and least common in the north. The renter share has risen 4.0 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 Watchung
| Period | Watchung | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.5% | 9.1% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.1% | 9.0% | 9.3% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 11.8% | 9.1% | 9.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 5.9% | 7.9% | 6.6% | 9.6% |
| Change | −7.5 pts | −1.2 pts | −2.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Watchung: 5.9% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. Vacancy has fallen 7.5 points since 2006–10, 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 Watchung
| Period | Watchung | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1971 | 1957 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1973 | 1958 | 1966 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1974 | 1959 | 1967 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1976 | 1962 | 1969 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +5 | +5 | +6 |
Homes in Watchung are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1976, versus 1980 nationally. Homes here are newer than in the wider New York area, where the median home dates to 1962. The median year built has moved up from 1971 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the east, the oldest in the north.
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 Watchung
| Period | Watchung | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,811 | $1,268 | $1,246 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,663 | $1,377 | $1,324 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,862 | $1,645 | $1,522 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,544 | $2,060 | $1,896 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$733 | +$792 | +$651 | +$606 |
Rent in Watchung runs $2,544 a month at the median, utilities included, well above the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $733 a month from 2006–10, a 40% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 38.7% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
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 Watchung
Bachelor's degrees in Watchung
| Period | Watchung | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 54.0% | 35.0% | 34.7% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 56.6% | 36.7% | 36.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 53.9% | 39.9% | 39.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 59.6% | 43.6% | 43.4% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.6 pts | +8.6 pts | +8.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
Watchung is highly educated: about six in ten adults 25 and older (59.6%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, far above the national share of 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 5.6 points, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the northeast and least in the south.
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 Watchung
| Period | Watchung | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 94.5% | 83.7% | 87.0% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 91.8% | 84.6% | 88.1% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 96.9% | 86.2% | 89.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 94.7% | 86.9% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +0.2 pts | +3.3 pts | +3.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Watchung: 94.7% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma has barely moved since 2006–10, while the national rate rose.
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 Watchung
| Period | Watchung | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.1% | 7.9% | 7.9% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 3.4% | 9.5% | 9.8% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.4% | 5.7% | 5.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.7% | 6.9% | 6.4% | 5.4% |
| Change | +2.6 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little harder to find in Watchung than nationally: unemployment was 6.7%, against 5.4%. Unemployment has risen 2.6 points since 2006–10, even as the national rate fell. 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).
Watchung 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Watchung | 2.63 | 45.6 | 11.6% | 24.9% | 5.9% | 1976 | $2,544 | 59.6% | 94.7% | 6.7% |
| North Plainfield | 3.27 | 36.7 | 12.8% | 40.2% | 2.9% | 1949 | $1,901 | 23.0% | 78.9% | 8.2% |
| Plainfield | 3.52 | 33.0 | 27.8% | 54.8% | 6.8% | 1953 | $1,822 | 20.6% | 70.6% | 8.8% |
| Berkeley Heights | 2.80 | 46.1 | 3.8% | 8.9% | 3.6% | 1968 | $2,243 | 76.4% | 98.6% | 3.1% |
| Gillette | 2.90 | 38.7 | 1.6% | 4.8% | 6.7% | 1974 | $2,650 | 68.6% | 95.6% | 7.1% |
| Fanwood | 2.88 | 42.6 | 7.5% | 15.1% | 2.8% | 1952 | $2,518 | 74.3% | 97.6% | 2.6% |
| Dunellen | 2.90 | 44.4 | 11.6% | 31.2% | 6.0% | 1968 | $1,968 | 42.0% | 86.3% | 6.5% |
| Stirling | 3.01 | 38.5 | 4.5% | 14.9% | 3.4% | 1972 | $2,007 | 61.2% | 95.7% | 7.1% |
| Scotch Plains | 2.98 | 42.6 | 7.5% | 19.6% | 5.0% | 1961 | $2,106 | 66.2% | 97.1% | 3.2% |
| Warren | 2.98 | 45.2 | 5.7% | 12.6% | 4.1% | 1984 | $2,071 | 67.9% | 97.0% | 3.6% |
| Millington | 3.10 | 48.8 | 2.3% | 12.9% | 3.3% | 1967 | $1,933 | 69.4% | 96.3% | 3.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Sutton, MA · Crockett, TX · Temple, PA · Tecumseh, OK · Tea, SD · Tazewell, TN · Talent, OR · Syracuse, IN · Swissvale, PA · Tenino, 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 Watchung. 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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