State Ledger
State profile

New Jersey FIPS 34

Population
9,234,024
Median household income
$89,703
Nonfarm employment
4,356,400
Business establishments
237,968

State Highlights

Largest employer sector
Health care and social assistance
635,422 employees
Business concentration
16.1%
of private employment in Health care and social assistance
Home prices, 1 year
+5.5%
FHFA
Federal outlays per capita
$8,369.12
USASpending.gov

Economy & Labor

Total nonfarm employment

BLS Current Employment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted · persons · 20 months available · latest observation: August 2026
Employment ratio
48.4%
employed ÷ population
Unemployed population (ACS)
304,973
Vs. July
▼ 28,300
Business density
26.4 per 1,000
establishments per capita

Leading Industries

Leading industries by employment

Ranked by private-sector employment, same measure as the Business & Industry tab · see the full breakdown there
1 Health care and social assistance 635,422 employees
2 Retail trade 465,759 employees
3 Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 395,891 employees
4 Professional, scientific, and technical services 342,794 employees
5 Accommodation and food services 339,307 employees

Leading Public Companies

Top 5 by latest reported revenue

SEC EDGAR / XBRL Company Facts · see the full listing on the Public Companies tab
$94.19B
Pharmaceutical Preparations
$65.01B
Pharmaceutical Preparations
$60.77B
Life Insurance
$48.19B
Pharmaceutical Preparations
$29.33B
Petroleum Refining

Population & People

Homeownership rate
63.8%
2.17M of 3.40M occupied homes are owner-occupied

Population by age

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year estimate (table B01001) · reconciles to total population
0–17
2.04M · 22.1%
18–24
782.0K · 8.5%
25–34
1.18M · 12.8%
35–44
1.20M · 13.0%
45–54
1.27M · 13.7%
55–64
1.28M · 13.8%
65–74
866.9K · 9.4%
75+
627.6K · 6.8%

Housing & Real Estate

Median home value
$355,700
Median gross rent
$1,436 / month
Vacancy rate
9.1%
Total housing units
3.74M
Owner-occupied homes
2.17M
Renter-occupied homes
1.23M
Home prices, 1 year
+5.5%
Home prices, 5 years
+58.3%
Latest FHFA period
2026 Q2

ACS: 2021 ACS 5-year · FHFA: 2026 Q2

ACS housing estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau — median home value reflects owner-reported value, not a current sale price. House-price changes are from the FHFA All-Transactions House Price Index, a measure of price appreciation over time, not a home-value estimate.

Federal Spending

Total federal outlays
$75.37B
Outlays per capita
$8,369.12
Total prime award value
$89.10B

Source: USASpending.gov · specific reporting period not published in this dataset