County-by-county look shows where population growth in N.J. is — and isn’t

Apparently, all those multifamily housing starts that have been going up like wild in Jersey City and Newark the past few years are very much needed.

The state’s overall population grew 5.7%, to 9,288,994 people, in the past decade — and much of that growth can be traced to increases in Hudson and Essex counties, according to U.S. Census data released Thursday.

The population in Hudson County grew a whopping 14.3%, to 724,854 people, and the population in Essex County grew 10.2%, to 863,728. And a lot of the gains can be traced to Newark and Jersey City, which added nearly 80,000 residents between them.

Newark, the state’s biggest city, increased by 34,409 people (12.4%), to 311,549. Jersey City increased by 44,852 (18.1%), to 292,449 residents overall.

The two counties were among three that saw a double-digit percentage increase in population. Ocean County increased 10.5%, to 637,229 people. This jump was due in large part to Lakewood, which increased by 42,315 (an incredible 45.6%), to 135,158 residents, making it the state’s fifth-biggest city.

And, while the state grew as a whole, it did not grow everywhere.

In South Jersey, three of the seven counties shrunk in population (Cape May, Cumberland and Salem), two grew slightly (Camden and Burlington) and one was flat (Atlantic). Only Gloucester, with a 4.9% increase, had solid growth.

The same was true in what some call West Jersey. Sussex County had the biggest percentage drop in the state (3.3%), while Hunterdon and Warren were both up by less than a percentage point.

Here’s a county-by-county look at the state:

• Atlantic: 274,534 (0% growth)
• Bergen: 955,732 (+5.6%)
• Burlington: 461,860 (+2.9%)
• Camden: 523,485 (+1.9%)
• Cape May: 95,263 (-2.1%)
• Cumberland: 154,152 (-1.7%)
• Essex: 863,728 (+10.2%)
• Gloucester: 302,294 (+4.9%)
• Hudson: 724,854 (+14.3%)
• Hunterdon: 128,947 (+0.5%)
• Mercer: 387,340 (+5.7%)
• Middlesex: 863,162 (+6.6%)
• Monmouth: 643,615 (+2.1%)
• Morris: 509,285 (+3.5%)
• Ocean: 637,229 (+10.5%)
• Passaic: 524,118 (+4.5%)
• Salem: 64,837 (-1.9%)
• Somerset: 345,361 (+6.8%)
• Sussex: 144,221 (-3.3%)
• Union: 575,345 (+7.3%)
• Warren: 109,632 (+0.9%)

Here’s a look at the Top 10 cities:

1. Newark: 311,549 (+4%)
2. Jersey City: 292,449 (+1%)
3. Paterson: 159,732 (+3%)
4. Elizabeth: 137,298 (+9%)
5. Lakewood: 135,158 (+6%)
6. Edison: 107,588 (+6%)
7. Woodbridge: 103,639 (+1%)
8. Toms River: 95,438 (+6%)
9. Hamilton: 92,297 (+3%)
10. Trenton: 90,871 (+0%)