The richest and poorest counties in New Jersey, ranked

💵 Personal incomes in New Jersey grew by 7.7% in 2021, according to federal data.

📈 Statewide per capita income in New Jersey last year was $77,016. In 2020, it was $71,505.

💲 New Jersey's income growth last year narrowed the gap slightly but remained behind Massachusetts and Connecticut, each with per capita incomes over $83,000.

New Jersey’s income growth seems to be continuing, though moderating, this year. In earlier reports, the Bureau of Economic Analysis said personal income in the state grew at an annual rate of 5.3% in the January-to-March quarter and 5.6% in the April-to-June quarter.

Next month, the BEA will issue a report on what it calls real personal income, which adjusts the data using regional price differences and inflation to better compare the buying power of those incomes.

Richest and poorest NJ counties

Every county made gains in 2021 but the growth was uneven.

Somerset County remained the state’s wealthiest county for the sixth year in a row, with a per capita income that approached $114,000. Three counties were over $100,000. There are so well-to-do that they push the statewide per capita to a level where 14 of 21 counties are below average.

Hudson County grew the most between 2020 and 2021, a 10% gain between 2020 and 2021.

The four counties with the slowest-growing incomes were all in South Jersey: Cape May, Atlantic, Burlington and Gloucester. But the two poorest counties in that region and the state, Cumberland and Salem, ranked in the top six for the growth rate of the incomes.

Here are the details on a county-by-county basis. They’re listed alphabetically, with details about rankings for their per-capita income and yearly growth – including their national ranking.

Atlantic County

2021 per capita personal income: $58,310
Compared with NJ average: -24%
New Jersey rank: 19
National rank: 774

2020 per capita personal income: $55,273
Growth from 2020 to 2021: 5.5%
New Jersey rank: 20

Bergen County

2021 per capita personal income: $97,343
Compared with NJ average: +26%

2020 per capita personal income: $90,759
Growth from 2020 to 2021: 7.3%
New Jersey rank: 11

Burlington County

2021 per capita personal income: $69,496
Compared with NJ average: -10%
New Jersey rank: 13
National rank: 285

2020 per capita personal income: $65,654
Growth from 2020 to 2021: 5.9%
New Jersey rank: 19

Camden County

2021 per capita personal income: $61,642
Compared with NJ average: -20%
New Jersey rank: 16
National rank: 555

2020 per capita personal income: $57,483
Growth from 2020 to 2021: 7.2%
New Jersey rank: 12

Cape May County

2021 per capita personal income: $72,010
Compared with NJ average: +6% 
New Jersey rank: 10
National rank: 231

2020 per capita personal income: $68,326
Growth from 2020 to 2021: 5.4%
New Jersey rank: 21

Cumberland County

2021 per capita personal income: $47,559
Compared with NJ average: -38%
New Jersey rank: 21
National rank: 1,947

2020 per capita personal income: $43,844
Growth from 2020 to 2021: 8.5%
New Jersey rank: 6

Essex County

2021 per capita personal income: $74,310
Compared with NJ average: -4%
New Jersey rank: 8
National rank: 185

2020 per capita personal income: $68,192
Growth from 2020 to 2021: 9.0%
New Jersey rank: 3

Gloucester County

2021 per capita personal income: $62,553
Compared with NJ average: -19%
New Jersey rank: 15
National rank: 510

2020 per capita personal income: $58,909
Growth from 2020 to 2021: 6.2%
New Jersey rank: 18

Hudson County

2021 per capita personal income: $72,046
Compared with NJ average: -6%
New Jersey rank: 9
National rank: 229

2020 per capita personal income: $65,509
Growth from 2020 to 2021: 10.0%
New Jersey rank: 1

Hunterdon County

2021 per capita personal income: $100,288
Compared with NJ average: +30%
New Jersey rank: 3
National rank: 37

2020 per capita personal income: $93,279
Growth from 2020 to 2021: 7.5%
New Jersey rank: 9

Mercer County

2021 per capita personal income: $77,911
Compared with NJ average: +1%
New Jersey rank: 6
National rank: 138

2020 per capita personal income: $71,990
Growth from 2020 to 2021: 8.2%
New Jersey rank: 7

Middlesex County

2021 per capita personal income: $70,221
Compared with NJ average: -9%
New Jersey rank: 12
National rank: 266

2020 per capita personal income: $64,920
Growth from 2020 to 2021: 8.2%
New Jersey rank: 8

Monmouth County

2021 per capita personal income: $92,119
Compared with NJ average: +20%
New Jersey rank: 5
National rank: 60

2020 per capita personal income: $86,029
Growth from 2020 to 2021: 7.1%
New Jersey rank: 14

Morris County

2021 per capita personal income: $107,767
Compared with NJ average: +40%
New Jersey rank: 2
National rank: 26

2020 per capita personal income: $100,617
Growth from 2020 to 2021: 7.1%
New Jersey rank: 13

Ocean County

2021 per capita personal income: $60,823
Compared with NJ average: -21%
New Jersey rank: 17
National rank: 599

2020 per capita personal income: $56,831
Growth from 2020 to 2021: 7.0%
New Jersey rank: 15

Passaic County

2021 per capita personal income: $59,559
Compared with NJ average: -23%
New Jersey rank: 18
National rank: 674

2020 per capita personal income: $54,514
Growth from 2020 to 2021: 9.3%
New Jersey rank: 2

Salem County

2021 per capita personal income: $57,547
Compared with NJ average: -25%
New Jersey rank: 20
National rank: 837

2020 per capita personal income: $52,936
Growth from 2020 to 2021: 8.7%
New Jersey rank: 4

Somerset County

2021 per capita personal income: $113,975
Compared with NJ average: +48%
New Jersey rank: 1
National rank: 19

2020 per capita personal income: $106,558
Growth from 2020 to 2021: 7.0%
New Jersey rank: 17

Sussex County

2021 per capita personal income: $71,059
Compared with NJ average: -8%
New Jersey rank: 11
National rank: 249

2020 per capita personal income: $66,431
Growth from 2020 to 2021: 7.0%
New Jersey rank: 16

Union County

2021 per capita personal income: $77,007
Compared with NJ average: Equal (technically, -0.01%)
New Jersey rank: 7
National rank: 148

2020 per capita personal income: $70,955
Growth from 2020 to 2021: 8.5%
New Jersey rank: 5

Warren County

2021 per capita personal income: $63,041
Compared with NJ average: -18%
New Jersey rank: 14
National rank: 489

2020 per capita personal income: $58,755
Growth from 2020 to 2021: 7.3%
New Jersey rank: 10

Get our free mobile app

Michael Symons is the Statehouse bureau chief for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at michael.symons@townsquaremedia.com

Click here to contact an editor about feedback or a correction for this story.