Essex County, New Jersey
Essex County | |
|---|---|
Newark Penn Station in Newark at dusk in June 2015 | |
Location within the U.S. state of New Jersey | |
New Jersey's location within the U.S. | |
| Coordinates: 40°47′N 74°15′W / 40.79°N 74.25°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New Jersey |
| Founded | March 7, 1683 |
| Named after | Essex, England |
| Seat | Newark |
| Largest city | Newark (population and area) |
| Government | |
| • County executive | Joseph N. DiVincenzo Jr. (D, term ends December 31, 2026) |
| Area | |
• Total | 129.42 sq mi (335.2 km2) |
| • Land | 126.09 sq mi (326.6 km2) |
| • Water | 3.34 sq mi (8.7 km2) 2.6% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 863,728 |
• Estimate (2024) | 881,527 |
| • Density | 6,843.5/sq mi (2,642.3/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional districts | 8th, 10th, 11th |
| Website | essexcountynj |
Essex County is located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of New Jersey, and is one of the centrally located counties in the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the county was the state's second-most populous county, with a population of 863,728, its highest decennial count since the 1970 census and an increase of 79,759 (+10.2%) from the 2010 census count of 783,969. The county is part of the North Jersey region of the state.
The United States Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program estimated a 2024 population of 881,527 for Essex County, an increase of 17,799 (+2.1%) from the 2020 decennial census, which was ranked third-largest among New Jersey's 21 counties behind Bergen County (which had a population of 978,641) and Middlesex County (with 890,119). Its county seat is Newark, the state's most populous city with a 2020 census population of 311,549.
In 2015, the county had a per capita personal income of $60,030, the eighth-highest in New Jersey and 153rd highest of 3,113 counties in the U.S. The Bureau of Economic Analysis ranked the county as having the 94th-highest per capita income of all 3,113 counties in the U.S. and seventh-highest in New Jersey in 2009.