View source for New Jersey

{{Short description|U.S. state}}
{{About|the U.S. state}}
{{Redirect|NJ}}
{{Pp-vandalism|small=yes}}
{{Pp-move}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date = February 2025}}
{{Infobox U.S. state
| name = New Jersey
| image_flag = Flag of New Jersey.svg
| flag_link = Flag of New Jersey
| flag_alt = The flag shows the state's coat of arms in a yellow background
| image_seal = Seal of New Jersey.svg
| seal_alt = The seal shows a shield with three plows, a gold helmet facing forward, a horse on top looking left, and two female figures, Liberty on the left and Ceres on the right. Liberty is holding a staff with the Phrygian cap on the right hand while Ceres holds a cornucopia overflowing with various fruits with one of the hands of both figures touching the shield. At the bottom, the state's motto, "Liberty and Prosperity" and the year, 1776. Outside of the coat of arms, the words "The Great Seal of the State of New Jersey" is printed circling around a circle border.
| image_map = New Jersey in United States (zoom).svg
| nickname = The Garden State<ref>[https://www.nj.gov/nj/about/facts/nickname The Garden State and Other New Jersey State Nicknames] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190902040902/https://www.nj.gov/nj/about/facts/nickname/ |date=September 2, 2019 }}, Robert Lupp, New Jersey Reference Services, New Jersey State Library, October 12, 1994.</ref>
| motto = Liberty and prosperity
| Former = Province of New Jersey
| seat = [[Trenton, New Jersey|Trenton]]
| LargestCity = [[Newark, New Jersey|Newark]]
| LargestCounty = [[Bergen County, New Jersey|Bergen]]
| LargestMetro = [[New York metropolitan area|New York]]
| Languages = * [[English language|English]] (only) 69.4%
* [[Spanish language|Spanish]] 15.9%
* [[Indo-Aryan languages|Indo-Aryan]] 2.7%
* [[Chinese language|Chinese]] 1.5%
* [[Korean language|Korean]] 1.1%
* [[French language|French]] 0.97%
* [[Tagalog language|Tagalog]] 0.94%
* [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] 0.91%
* [[Italian language|Italian]] 0.83%
* [[Arabic language|Arabic]] 0.76%
* [[Polish language|Polish]] 0.72%
* [[Russian language|Russian]] 0.57%
| population_demonym = New Jerseyan (official),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=2008_style_manual&docid=f:chapter5.pdf|title=GPO Style Manual 2008|access-date=July 25, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110221195708/http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=2008_style_manual&docid=f:chapter5.pdf|archive-date=February 21, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> New Jerseyite<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/new%20jersey|title=New Jersey—Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary|dictionary=Merriam-Webster|access-date=June 3, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130531111839/http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/new%20jersey|archive-date=May 31, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/new+jerseyite|title=Definition of New Jerseyite|publisher=Dictionary.reference.com|access-date=July 25, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130616195320/http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/new+jerseyite|archive-date=June 16, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>
| Governor = [[Mikie Sherrill]] ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]])
| Lieutenant Governor = [[Dale Caldwell]] (D)
| Legislature = [[New Jersey Legislature]]
| Upperhouse = [[New Jersey Senate|Senate]]
| Lowerhouse = [[New Jersey General Assembly|General Assembly]]
| Judiciary = [[Supreme Court of New Jersey]]
| Senators = {{nowrap|[[Cory Booker]] (D)}} <br /> {{nowrap|[[Andy Kim]] (D)}}
| Representative = 9 Democrats <br /> 3 [[Republican Party (United States)|Republicans]]
| postal_code = NJ
| TradAbbreviation = N.J.
| OfficialLang = None
| area_rank = 47th
| area_total_sq_mi = 8,722.58
| area_total_km2 = 22,591.38
| area_land_sq_mi = 7,354.22<ref name="NJCensusfacts">{{cite web |url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/34000.html |title=New Jersey |website=State & County QuickFacts |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=October 30, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131031213659/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/34000.html |archive-date=October 31, 2013 }}</ref>
| area_land_km2 = 19,047.34
| area_water_sq_mi = 1,368.36
| area_water_km2 = 3,544.04
| area_water_percent = 15.7
| population_as_of = 2025<ref name=QuickFactsNJ>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/NJ/PST045223|title=United States Census Bureau QuickFacts New Jersey|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|date=January 27, 2026}}</ref>
| 2020Pop = {{IncreaseNeutral}} 9,548,215
| population_rank = 11th
| population_density_rank = 1st
| 2020Density = auto
| 2020DensityUS = 1291.9
| MedianHouseholdIncome = ${{round|99781|-2}} (2<span>0</span>23)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/2024/demo/acsbr-023.pdf|title=Household Income in States and Metropolitan Areas: 2023|accessdate=January 12, 2025}}</ref>
| IncomeRank = [[List of U.S. states and territories by income#States and territories ranked by median household income|2nd]]
| AdmittanceOrder = 3rd
| AdmittanceDate = December 18, 1787
| timezone1 = [[Eastern Time Zone|Eastern]]
| utc_offset1 = −05:00
| timezone1_DST = [[Eastern Daylight Time|EDT]]
| utc_offset1_DST = −04:00
| Latitude = 38°56′ N to 41°21′ N
| Longitude = 73°54′ W to 75°34′ W
| width_mi = 70
| width_km = 112
| length_mi = 170
| length_km = 273
| elevation_max_point = [[High Point (New Jersey)|High Point]]<ref name="USGSA">{{cite web |url=http://egsc.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html |title=Elevations and Distances in the United States |publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]] |year=2001 |access-date=October 24, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015012701/http://egsc.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html |archive-date=October 15, 2011 }}</ref>{{efn|name=NAVD88|Elevation adjusted to [[North American Vertical Datum of 1988]]}}
| elevation_max_ft = 1,803
| elevation_max_m = 549.6
| elevation_ft = 250
| elevation_m = 80
| elevation_min_point = Atlantic Ocean<ref name="USGSA" />
| elevation_min_ft = 0
| elevation_min_m = 0
| iso_code = US-NJ
| website = https://nj.gov
| Capital = 
| Representatives = 
}}

[[File:Ru-camden-campus.jpg|thumb|Ubiquitous [[garden]]s exemplified by [[landscaping]] at [[Rutgers University-Camden|Rutgers University]]-[[Camden, New Jersey|Camden]] lend New Jersey its eponymous nickname as the Garden State.]]
'''New Jersey''' (sometimes colloquially shortened '''Jersey''') is a [[U.S. state|state]] located in both the [[Mid-Atlantic States|Mid-Atlantic]] and [[Northeastern United States|Northeastern]] regions of the United States. Located  at the geographic hub of the [[urban area|heavily urbanized]] [[Northeast megalopolis]], it is bordered to the northwest, north, and northeast by [[New York (state)|New York State]]; on its east, southeast, and south by the [[Atlantic Ocean]]; on its west by the [[Delaware River]] and [[Pennsylvania]]; and on its southwest by [[Delaware Bay]] and [[Delaware]]. At {{Convert|7,354|sqmi}}, New Jersey is the [[List of U.S. states and territories by area|fifth-smallest state in land area]]. According to a 2025 [[United States Census Bureau|U.S. Census Bureau]] estimate, it is the [[List of U.S. states and territories by population|11th-most populous state]], with over 9.5 million residents, its highest estimated count ever. The state capital is [[Trenton, New Jersey|Trenton]], and the state's most populous city is [[Newark, New Jersey|Newark]]. New Jersey is the only U.S. state in which every [[List of counties in New Jersey|county]] is deemed [[urban area|urban]] by the U.S. Census Bureau. It is the [[List of states and territories of the United States by population density|most densely populated]] U.S. state.

New Jersey was first inhabited by [[Paleo-Indians]] as early as 13,000 BC. The [[Lenape]] were the dominant [[Native Americans in the United States|Indigenous group]] when Europeans arrived in the early 17th century, and they were subdivided into dialectal groups such as the Munsee, in the north, and the Unami and the Unalachtigo, elsewhere.<ref>{{Cite web |title=New Jersey Indian Tribes and Languages |url=https://www.native-languages.org/jersey.htm |access-date=2024-09-04 |website=www.native-languages.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Swanton |first=John Reed |title=The Indian Tribes of North America |pages=48–55}}</ref> [[Dutch Republic|Dutch]] and [[Swedish Empire|Swedish]] colonists founded the first European settlements in the state,<ref>{{cite web |title=NJ History Outline |url=http://www.usgennet.org/usa/nj/state/NJ-History.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100430032638/http://www.usgennet.org/usa/nj/state/NJ-History.htm |archive-date=April 30, 2010 |access-date=July 25, 2010 |publisher=USGenNet }}</ref> with the [[Kingdom of England|British]] later seizing control of the region and establishing the [[Province of New Jersey]], named after the [[Channel Islands|Channel Island]] of [[Jersey]].<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title=New Jersey |url=http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761559873/New_Jersey.html |access-date=July 25, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091029034619/http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761559873/New_Jersey.html |archive-date=October 29, 2009 |encyclopedia=MSN Encarta |via=Webcitation.org |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Encyclopedia—New Jersey History |url=http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/us/A0859954.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110930055543/http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/us/A0859954.html |archive-date=September 30, 2011 |access-date=September 18, 2011 |publisher=2000–2011 Pearson Education, publishing as Infoplease}}</ref> The colony's fertile lands and relative [[toleration|religious tolerance]] drew a large and diverse population. New Jersey was among the [[Thirteen Colonies]] that supported the [[American Revolution]], hosting several [[New Jersey in the American Revolution|pivotal battles and military commands]] in the [[American Revolutionary War]] earning the title "Crossroads of the American Revolution".<ref name=Crossroads>{{cite web|url=https://www.nps.gov/places/crossroads-national-heritage-area.htm|title=Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area|work=National Park Service|access-date=November 21, 2025}}</ref> New Jersey remained in the [[Union (American Civil War)|Union]] during the [[American Civil War]] and [[New Jersey in the American Civil War|provided]] troops, resources, and military leaders in support of the [[Union Army]]. After the war, the state emerged as a major [[manufacturing]] center and a leading destination for immigrants, helping drive the [[Industrial Revolution]] in the U.S. New Jersey was the site of many industrial, technological, and commercial [[innovation]]s.<ref>{{cite web |last=Mansnerus |first=Laura |date=September 26, 1999 |title=New Jersey's Cities: Sad Urban Presence Encircled by Wealth |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/09/26/nyregion/new-jersey-s-cities-sad-urban-presence-encircled-by-wealth.html |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170917065514/http://www.nytimes.com/1999/09/26/nyregion/new-jersey-s-cities-sad-urban-presence-encircled-by-wealth.html |archive-date=September 17, 2017 |access-date=December 21, 2017 |work=The New York Times}}</ref> [[List of people from New Jersey|Many prominent Americans associated with New Jersey]] have proven influential nationally and globally, including in [[academic institutions|academia]], social advocacy, business, entertainment, government, military, [[non-profit organization|non-profit leadership]], and other fields.

New Jersey's central location in the Northeast megalopolis helped fuel its rapid growth and [[suburbanization]] in the second half of the 20th century. Since the beginning of the 21st century, the state's economy has become highly diversified, with major sectors, including New Jersey's role as the world's largest [[pharmaceuticals|pharmaceutical industry]] hub, and is widely known as the "Medicine Chest of the World".<ref name=World'sPharmaMedicineCspital>{{cite web|url=https://www.biopharmaboardroom.com/reports/6/3727/new-jersey-a-leading-life-sciences-manufacturing-hub.html|title=WHY NEW JERSEY Medicine Chest of the World|quote=Often dubbed the “Medicine Chest of the World,” New Jersey has a rich legacy and a dynamic present as a global hub for life sciences. The state is home to 8 of the world’s top 10 pharmaceutical companies and 9 of the top 10 research and development firms, with a diversified cluster spanning pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and medical devices. |publisher=Biopharma Boardroom | access-date=March 28, 2026}}</ref> New Jersey excels in [[biotechnology]], [[information technology]], [[Wall Street West|finance]], [[digital media]], [[filmmaking]], and [[tourism]], and it has become an [[East Coast of the United States|Atlantic seaboard]] epicenter for [[logistics]] and [[distribution (marketing)|distribution]]. New Jersey is a major destination for immigrants and is home to one of the world's most [[Ethnic enclave|multicultural populations]]. Since the onset of the 21st century, re-urbanization is taking place in New Jersey, particularly near [[New Jersey Transit]] [[commuter rail|rail hubs]].<ref name="ReUrbanizationNJ22">{{cite web |author=Sheingold |first=Dave |date=March 24, 2016 |title=Bergen County leads population growth trend, halts flow to other parts of N.J |url=http://www.northjersey.com/news/bergen-county-leads-population-growth-trend-halts-flow-to-other-parts-of-n-j-1.1532063 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160324145941/http://www.northjersey.com/news/bergen-county-leads-population-growth-trend-halts-flow-to-other-parts-of-n-j-1.1532063 |archive-date=March 24, 2016 |access-date=March 24, 2016 |website=northjersey.com}}</ref><ref name="ReUrbanizationNJ3">{{cite web |author=Lynn |first=Kathleen |date=October 25, 2015 |title=What's the future for suburban office space? |url=http://www.northjersey.com/news/business/big-office-buildings-look-to-reinvent-themselves-1.1440856 |url-status= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151026013653/http://www.northjersey.com/news/business/big-office-buildings-look-to-reinvent-themselves-1.1440856 |archive-date=October 26, 2015 |access-date=October 25, 2015 |website=northjersey.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Maag |first=Chrispher |date=April 15, 2016 |title=Population rebounds around train stations in N.J |url=http://www.northjersey.com/news/population-rebounds-around-train-stations-in-n-j-1.1546298 |url-status= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160418205913/http://www.northjersey.com/news/population-rebounds-around-train-stations-in-n-j-1.1546298 |archive-date=April 18, 2016 |access-date=April 15, 2016 |website=northjersey.com}}</ref> New Jersey is the fastest-growing state in the [[U.S. Northeast]] and one of the fastest-growing in the United States overall, attributed to its resilient economy and aggressive [[homebuilding]] policies.<ref name=NewJerseyGastestGrowingNortheastState>{{cite web|url=https://www.nj.gov/labor/lwdhome/press/2025/20250113_population_growth.shtml |title=New Jersey Leads the Northeast in Population Growth|publisher=State of New Jersey|access-date=March 21, 2026}}</ref>

New Jersey is one of the most developed states in the U.S. New Jersey had a [[Median income|median household income]] of $99,781 as of 2023, the second-highest of any U.S. state behind [[Massachusetts]].<ref name=NJWealth>{{cite web|url=https://www.nj.com/data/2023/09/nj-ranks-highest-in-us-for-household-income-see-new-census-list.html|title=N.J. ranks highest in U.S. for household income. See new Census list|author=Katie Kausch|publisher=NJ Advance Media|date=September 14, 2023|access-date=September 14, 2023|archive-date=September 15, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230915014819/https://www.nj.com/data/2023/09/nj-ranks-highest-in-us-for-household-income-see-new-census-list.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Almost one-tenth of all households in the state, or over 323,000, are [[millionaire]]s, the highest representation of millionaires among all states and the highest density per square mile.<ref name="Millionaires2">Burrows, Dan. [https://www.kiplinger.com/slideshow/investing/t006-s001-millionaires-america-all-50-states-ranked/index.html "Millionaires in America 2020: All 50 States Ranked How many millionaires are in America and where do they live? The states with the highest number of millionaire households just might surprise you."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128202009/https://www.kiplinger.com/slideshow/investing/t006-s001-millionaires-america-all-50-states-ranked/index.html|date=January 28, 2021}}, ''[[Kiplinger]]'', May 28, 2020. Retrieved November 23, 2020. "Millionaire households: 323,443 Total households: 3,312,916 Concentration of millionaires: 9.76%... For the second year in a row, New Jersey is the top spot for millionaires per capita in the U.S. Like Connecticut, New Jersey has a high concentration of millionaires largely thanks to its proximity to New York City."</ref> Despite not being a U.S. border state, one-quarter of New Jersey's population is [[foreign born]], the second-highest proportion after [[California]].<ref name=Foreign/> The state ranks near the top on both the [[List of U.S. states by American Human Development Index|American Human Development Index]] and the [[List of U.S. states and territories by Human Development Index|standard Human Development Index]]. New Jersey has been ranked the top U.S. state in physical and [[mental health|emotional wellness]], despite being one of the most expensive states for residents to live in.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/27/doxo-2025-most-least-expensive-us-states-based-monthly-costs.html|title=The most and least expensive U.S. states based on the median monthly costs of essential household bills|work=CNBC|date=May 27, 2025|access-date=November 21, 2025}}</ref>

According to [[climatology]] research by the U.S. [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]], New Jersey has been the fastest-warming state by average [[air temperature]] over a 100-year period beginning in the early 20th century, which has been attributed to significant warming of the [[North Atlantic Ocean]].<ref name=NewJerseyFastestWarmingState>{{cite web|url=https://www.njherald.com/story/news/2021/08/30/nj-weather-tops-list-of-states-global-warming/5615695001/|title=New Jersey tops list of states warming up the fastest|author=Bruce A. Scruton|work=New Jersey Herald|date=August 30, 2021|access-date=March 30, 2023|archive-date=February 4, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204055627/https://www.njherald.com/story/news/2021/08/30/nj-weather-tops-list-of-states-global-warming/5615695001/|url-status=live}}</ref>

==History==
{{Main|History of New Jersey}}

===Prehistoric era===
{{See also|Paleontology in New Jersey}}
The pressure of collision between [[North America]] and [[Africa]] gave rise to the [[Appalachian Mountains]]. Around 18,000 years ago, the [[Wisconsin glaciation|Ice Age]] resulted in [[glacier]]s that reached New Jersey. As glaciers retreated, they left behind [[Lake Passaic]] along with rivers, [[meadow]]s, swamps, and [[gorge]]s.<ref>{{Cite web |title=History of the Great Swamp |url=https://www.greatswamp.org/history-great-swamp/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170911024925/https://www.greatswamp.org/history-great-swamp/ |archive-date=September 11, 2017 |access-date=June 11, 2024 |website=greatswamp.org |publisher=Great Swamp Watershed Association |language=en-US}}</ref>

Since the [[6th millennium BC]], [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] people have inhabited New Jersey, beginning with the [[Lenape|Lenape tribe]]. ''{{lang|unm|Scheyichbi}}'' is the [[Unami language|Lenape]] name for the land that represents present-day New Jersey.<ref>{{cite web |last=Stockton |first=Frank R. |year=1896 |title=The Story of the Discovery of Scheyichbi |url=http://www.getnj.com/storiesofnewjersey/sojpg9a.shtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140104212625/http://www.getnj.com/storiesofnewjersey/sojpg9a.shtml |archive-date=January 4, 2014 |access-date=February 8, 2013 |website=Stories of New Jersey |publisher=GET NJ}}</ref> The Lenape were several [[Autonomy|autonomous]] groups that practiced [[maize]] agriculture in order to supplement their hunting and gathering in the region surrounding the [[Delaware River]], the lower [[Hudson River]], and western [[Long Island Sound]]. The Lenape were divided into [[Matrilineality|matrilineal]] clans that were based upon common female ancestors. Clans were organized into three distinct [[phratry|phratries]] identified by their animal sign: [[Turtle]], [[Turkey (bird)|Turkey]], and [[Wolf]]. They first encountered the [[Dutch colonization of the Americas|Dutch]] in the early 17th century, and their primary relationship with the Dutch and later European settlers was through [[fur trade]].

===Colonial era===
{{Main|Colonial history of New Jersey|New Netherland|New Sweden|Province of New Jersey|East Jersey|West Jersey|Dominion of New England}}

[[File:Nieuw Nederland and Nya Sverige.svg|thumb|upright|A map of [[New Netherland]] and [[New Sweden]] in present-day New Jersey during the [[Colonial history of New Jersey|colonial era]]]]
The [[Netherlands|Dutch]] were the first [[Ethnic groups in Europe|Europeans]] to lay claim to geographic territory in present-day New Jersey. The Dutch colony of [[New Netherland]] consisted of parts of the modern [[Mid-Atlantic (United States)|Mid-Atlantic]] states. Although the European principle of [[land ownership]] was not recognized by the [[Lenape]], [[Dutch West India Company]] policy required its colonists to purchase land that they settled. The first to do so was [[Michiel Reyniersz Pauw|Michiel Pauw]], who established a [[Patroon|patroonship]] called [[Pavonia, New Netherland|Pavonia]] in 1630 along [[North River (Hudson River)|North River]], that eventually became [[Bergen, New Netherland|Bergen]], the first permanent settlement, local civil government and municipality in the state. [[Peter Minuit]]'s purchase of lands along the [[Delaware River]] established the colony of [[New Sweden]], that lasted until the Dutch conquered it in 1655. Then the entire region became a territory of [[Kingdom of England|England]] on June 24, 1664, after an English fleet under command of Colonel [[Richard Nicolls]] sailed into what is now [[New York Harbor]] and took control of [[Fort Amsterdam]], annexing the entire province.

During the [[English Civil War]], the [[Channel Islands|Channel Island]] of [[Jersey]] remained loyal to the [[The Crown|British Crown]] and gave sanctuary to the [[King of England|King]]. In the Royal Square in [[St Helier]], [[Charles II of England]] was proclaimed King in 1649, following the execution of his father, [[Charles I of England|Charles I]]. North American lands were divided by [[Charles II of England|Charles II]], who gave his brother, the Duke of York (later [[James II of England|King James II]]), the region between [[New England]] and [[Maryland]] as a [[proprietary colony]] (as opposed to a [[royal colony]]). James then granted land between the [[Hudson River]] and the [[Delaware River]] (the land that would become New Jersey) to two friends who had remained loyal through the [[English Civil War]]: [[George Carteret|Sir George Carteret]] and [[John Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley of Stratton|Lord Berkeley of Stratton]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mrnussbaum.com/readingcomp/njcolony.htm|title=New Jersey Colony Reading Comprehension|publisher=MrNussbaum.com|access-date=September 10, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024222527/http://www.mrnussbaum.com/readingcomp/njcolony.htm|archive-date=October 24, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> The area was named the [[Province of New Jersey]].

Since its inception, New Jersey has been characterized by [[multiculturalism|ethnic and religious diversity]]. New England [[Congregationalists]] settled alongside [[Scots' Church, Melbourne|Scots Presbyterians]] and [[Dutch Reformed]] migrants. While the majority of residents lived in towns with individual [[landowner|landholdings]] of {{convert|100|acre|ha|0}}, a few rich proprietors owned vast estates. English [[Quakers]] and [[Anglicans]] owned large landholdings. Unlike [[Plymouth Colony]], [[Jamestown, Virginia|Jamestown]] and other colonies, New Jersey was populated by a secondary wave of immigrants who came from other colonies instead of those who migrated directly from Europe. New Jersey remained agrarian and rural throughout the colonial era, and [[commercial agriculture|commercial farming]] developed sporadically. Some townships, such as [[Burlington, New Jersey|Burlington]] on the Delaware River and [[Perth Amboy]], emerged as important ports for shipping to New York City and Philadelphia. The colony's fertile lands and [[toleration|tolerant religious policy]] drew more settlers, and New Jersey's population had increased to 120,000 by 1775.

Settlement for the first ten years of English rule took place along the [[Hackensack River]] and [[Arthur Kill]]. Settlers came primarily from New York and New England. On March 18, 1673, Berkeley sold his half of the colony to [[Religious Society of Friends|Quakers]] in England, who settled the [[Delaware Valley]] region as a Quaker colony, with [[William Penn]] acting as [[trustee]] for the lands for a time. New Jersey was governed as two distinct provinces, [[East Jersey|East]] and [[West Jersey]], for 28 years between 1674 and 1702, which were part of the [[Dominion of New England]] from 1686 to 1689.

In 1702, the two provinces were reunited under a [[Royal Governor of New Jersey|royal governor]] rather than a [[Proprietary governor|proprietary one]]. [[Edward Hyde, 3rd Earl of Clarendon|Edward Hyde]], titled Lord Cornbury, became the first governor of the royal colony. Britain believed that he was an ineffective and corrupt ruler, taking bribes and speculating on land. In 1708, he was recalled to England. New Jersey was then ruled by the governors of New York, but this infuriated the settlers of New Jersey, who accused these governors of favoritism to New York. [[Lewis Morris (governor)|Judge Lewis Morris]] led the case for a separate governor, and was appointed governor by [[George II of Great Britain|King George II]] in 1738.<ref>Streissguth pp. 30–36</ref>

===Revolutionary War era===
{{Main|American Revolutionary War|Northern theater of the American Revolutionary War|New Jersey in the American Revolution|Lee Resolution|United States Declaration of Independence|Philadelphia campaign|Articles of Confederation#Ratification|Treaty of Paris (1783)|Constitutional Convention (United States)|Admission to the Union|List of U.S. states by date of admission to the Union}}

[[File:Washington Crossing the Delaware by Emanuel Leutze, MMA-NYC, 1851.jpg|thumb|''[[Washington Crossing the Delaware (1851 painting)|Washington Crossing the Delaware]]'', an 1851 portrait by [[Emanuel Leutze]] depicting [[George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River|Washington's covert crossing the Delaware River]] from [[Bucks County, Pennsylvania]] to [[Mercer County, New Jersey|Mercer County]] on December 25, 1776, prior to the [[Battle of Trenton]]]]
[[File:Princetonwashington.jpg|thumb|''Washington Rallying the Americans at the Battle of Princeton'', a portrait by [[William Ranney]] depicting [[George Washington]] rallying [[Continental Army]] troops at the [[Battle of Princeton]] in January 1777]]
New Jersey was one of the [[Thirteen Colonies]] that revolted against British rule in the [[American Revolution]]. The [[s:New Jersey Constitution of 1776|New Jersey Constitution of 1776]] was passed July 2, 1776, just two days before the [[Second Continental Congress]] declared American Independence from [[Kingdom of Great Britain|Great Britain]]. It was an act of the [[Provincial Congress of New Jersey|Provincial Congress]], which made itself into the [[New Jersey Legislature|State Legislature]]. To reassure neutrals, it provided that the legislature would disband if New Jersey reached reconciliation with Great Britain. Among the 56 [[Founding Fathers]] who signed the [[United States Declaration of Independence|Declaration of Independence]], five were New Jersey representatives: [[Richard Stockton (Continental Congressman)|Richard Stockton]], [[John Witherspoon]], [[Francis Hopkinson]], [[John Hart (New Jersey politician)|John Hart]], and [[Abraham Clark]].

During the [[American Revolutionary War]], British and American armies crossed New Jersey numerous times with several pivotal battles taking place in the state. In total, there were 296 engagements that occurred within New Jersey, more clashes than occurred in any other of the 13 colonies during the war.<ref name=Crossroads/> Because of this, New Jersey today is sometimes referred to as "The Crossroads of the American Revolution".<ref>{{cite web|title=About Crossroads of the American Revolution|url=http://revolutionarynj.org/about-crossroads-of-the-american-revolution/|publisher=Crossroads of the American Revolution|access-date=November 5, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161104192948/http://revolutionarynj.org/about-crossroads-of-the-american-revolution/|archive-date=November 4, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> The winter quarters of the [[Continental Army]] were established in New Jersey twice by General [[George Washington]] in [[Morristown, New Jersey|Morristown]], which has been called "The Military Capital of the American Revolution."<ref>{{cite web|title=The Military Capital of the American Revolution|url=http://www.visitnj.org/article/military-capital-american-revolution|publisher=New Jersey Tourism|date=February 2014|access-date=November 5, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161105231335/http://www.visitnj.org/article/military-capital-american-revolution|archive-date=November 5, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>

On the night of December 25–26, 1776, the Continental Army under [[Washington's crossing of the Delaware River|George Washington crossed the Delaware River]]. After the crossing, they surprised and defeated the [[Hessian (soldiers)|Hessian troops]] in the [[Battle of Trenton]]. Slightly more than a week after victory at [[Trenton, New Jersey|Trenton]], Continental Army forces gained an important victory by stopping [[Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis|General Cornwallis's]] charges at the [[Second Battle of Trenton]]. Evading Cornwallis's army, the Continental Army launched a surprise attack on [[Princeton, New Jersey|Princeton]] and defeated the British on January 3, 1777. [[Emanuel Leutze]]'s painting of ''[[Washington Crossing the Delaware (1851 painting)|Washington Crossing the Delaware]]'' became an icon of the Revolution.

Continental Army forces under Washington's command met British forces under General [[Henry Clinton (American War of Independence)|Henry Clinton]] at the [[Battle of Monmouth]] in an indecisive engagement in June 1778. Washington's forces attempted to take the British column by surprise. When the British army attempted to flank the Americans, the Continental Army retreated in disorder. Their ranks were later reorganized and withstood British charges.<ref>[http://memory.loc.gov/diglib/legacies/loc.afc.afc-legacies.200003296/ Battle of Monmouth: The Longest Battle of the American Revolution] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230127115945/http://memory.loc.gov/diglib/legacies/loc.afc.afc-legacies.200003296/ |date=January 27, 2023 }}, [[Library of Congress]]. Retrieved July 15, 2022. "Visitors to the Monmouth Battlefield State Park in Freehold, New Jersey, can witness a battle reenactment that recalls the hot summer day of June 28, 1778, when American and British forces clashed under the direction of Continental Army General George Washington and British General Sir Henry Clinton."</ref>

In the summer of 1783, the [[Continental Congress]] met in [[Nassau Hall]] at [[Princeton University]], making [[Princeton, New Jersey|Princeton]] the nation's capital for four months. It was there that the Continental Congress learned of the signing of the [[Treaty of Paris (1783)|Treaty of Paris]], which ended the war.

On December 18, 1787, New Jersey became the third state to ratify the [[United States Constitution]], which was overwhelmingly popular in New Jersey since it prevented New York and Pennsylvania from charging [[tariff]]s on goods imported from Europe. On November 20, 1789, New Jersey became the first in the newly formed Union to ratify the [[United States Bill of Rights|Bill of Rights]].<ref>[https://www.nj.gov/state/archives/docusconstitution.html United States Constitution] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220705183803/https://www.nj.gov/state/archives/docusconstitution.html |date=July 5, 2022 }}, [[New Jersey Department of State]]. Retrieved July 15, 2022. "On December 18, 1787, New Jersey become the third state to ratify the United States Constitution. The minutes of the ratification convention document the quick work of the delegates. The delegates required only six days to establish rules, review the document, and complete their deliberations.... On November 20, 1789, New Jersey became the first state to ratify the Bill of Rights."</ref>

The 1776 [[Constitution of New Jersey|New Jersey State Constitution]] gave the vote to all inhabitants who had a certain level of wealth. This included women and Black people, but not married women because they were not legally permitted to own property separately from their husbands. Both sides, in several elections, claimed that the other side had had unqualified women vote and mocked them for use of petticoat electors, whether entitled to vote or not; on the other hand, both parties passed Voting Rights Acts. In 1807, legislature passed a bill interpreting the constitution to mean universal white male [[suffrage]], excluding paupers; the constitution was itself an act of the legislature and not enshrined as the modern constitution.<ref>Klinghoffer and Elkis ("The Petticoat Electors: Women's Suffrage in New Jersey, 1776–1807", ''Journal of the Early Republic'' 12, no. 2 (1992): 159–193.)</ref>

===19th century===
{{Main|New Jersey in the 19th century|New Jersey in the American Civil War}}

[[File:Line of the Morris Canal, New Jersey, 1827.jpg|thumb|Map of the {{Convert|107|mi|km|-long|adj=mid}} [[Morris Canal]], which crosses the state]]
On February 15, 1804, New Jersey became the last northern state to [[Abolitionism in the United States|abolish]] new [[slavery]] and enacted legislation that slowly phased out existing slavery. This led to a gradual decrease of the slave population. By the [[American Civil War]]'s end, about a dozen African Americans in New Jersey were still held in bondage.<ref>James Gigantino, The Ragged Road to Abolition: Slavery and Freedom in New Jersey, 1775–1865</ref> New Jersey voters eventually ratified the constitutional amendments banning slavery and granting rights to the United States' black population.

Industrialization accelerated in the present-day [[North Jersey]] region of the state following completion of the [[Morris Canal]] in 1831. The canal allowed for [[anthracite|anthracite coal]] to be transported from eastern [[Pennsylvania]]'s [[Lehigh Valley]] to North Jersey's growing industries in [[Paterson, New Jersey|Paterson]], [[Newark, New Jersey|Newark]], and [[Jersey City, New Jersey|Jersey City]].

In 1844, the second [[New Jersey State Constitution|state constitution]] was ratified and brought into effect. Counties thereby became districts for the state senate, and some realignment of boundaries (including the creation of [[Mercer County, New Jersey|Mercer County]]) immediately followed. This provision was retained in the 1947 Constitution, but was overturned by the [[Supreme Court of the United States]] in 1962, by the decision ''[[Baker v. Carr]]''. While the Governorship was stronger than under the 1776 constitution, the 1844 constitution created many offices that were not responsible to the governor or the people. Furthermore, it limited him to a single three-year term.

New Jersey was one of the few Union states (the others being [[Delaware]] and [[Kentucky]]) to select a candidate other than [[Abraham Lincoln]] twice in national elections, and sided with [[Stephen A. Douglas]] (1860) and [[George B. McClellan]] (1864) during their campaigns. McClellan, a native Philadelphian, had New Jersey ties and formally resided in New Jersey at the time; he later became Governor of New Jersey (1878–81). (In New Jersey, the factions of the Democratic party managed an effective coalition in 1860.) During the [[American Civil War]], the state was led first by Republican governor [[Charles Smith Olden]], then by Democrat [[Joel Parker (politician)|Joel Parker]]. During the war, 65,000–80,000 state soldiers enlisted in the Union army; unlike many other states, it saw no battles.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Horowitz|first=Ben|date=June 23, 2015|title=10 facts about New Jersey and the Civil War|url=https://www.nj.com/morris/2015/06/ten_facts_about_new_jersey_and_the_civil_war.html|access-date=February 23, 2021|website=nj|archive-date=April 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210415013550/https://www.nj.com/morris/2015/06/ten_facts_about_new_jersey_and_the_civil_war.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

In the [[Industrial Revolution]], cities like [[Paterson, New Jersey|Paterson]] grew and prospered. Previously, the economy had been largely agrarian, which was problematically subject to crop failures and poor soil. This caused a shift to a more [[industrialization|industrialized]] economy, one based on manufactured commodities such as textiles and silk. [[List of inventors|Inventor]] [[Thomas Edison]] also became an important figure of the Industrial Revolution, having been [[List of Edison patents|granted 1,093 patents]], many of which for inventions he developed while working in New Jersey. Edison's facilities, first at [[Menlo Park, New Jersey|Menlo Park]] and then in [[West Orange, New Jersey|West Orange]], are considered perhaps the first [[research center]]s in the United States. Christie Street in Menlo Park was the first thoroughfare in the world to have electric lighting. Transportation was greatly improved as [[locomotive|locomotion]] and [[steamboat]]s were introduced to New Jersey.

[[Iron ore|Iron]] mining was also a leading industry during the middle to late 19th century. [[Bog iron]] pits in the [[New Jersey Pine Barrens]] were among the first sources of iron for the new nation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.usgennet.org/usa/nj/county/atlantic/Pinelands/BogIron.htm|title=Usgennet.org|publisher=Usgennet.org|access-date=July 25, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514000706/http://www.usgennet.org/usa/nj/county/atlantic/Pinelands/BogIron.htm|archive-date=May 14, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> Mines such as Mt. Hope, Mine Hill, and the Rockaway Valley Mines created a thriving industry. Mining generated the impetus for new towns and was one of the driving forces behind the need for the [[Morris Canal]]. [[Zinc]] mines were also a major industry, especially the [[Sterling Hill Mine]].

===20th century===
{{Main|New Jersey in the 20th century}}

New Jersey prospered through the [[Roaring Twenties]]. The first [[Miss America Pageant]] was held in 1921 in [[Atlantic City]]; the [[Holland Tunnel]] connecting [[Jersey City, New Jersey|Jersey City]] to [[Manhattan]] opened in 1927; and the first [[drive-in movie]] was shown in 1933 in [[Camden, New Jersey|Camden]]. During the [[Great Depression]] of the 1930s, the state offered begging licenses to unemployed residents,<ref>Gerdes, Louise I. ''The 1930s'', Greenhaven Press, Inc., 2000.</ref> the zeppelin airship [[Hindenburg disaster|Hindenburg]] crashed in flames over [[Lakehurst, New Jersey|Lakehurst]], and the [[SS Morro Castle (1930)|SS ''Morro Castle'']] beached itself near [[Asbury Park, New Jersey|Asbury Park]] after going up in flames while at sea.

Through both [[World War]]s, New Jersey was a center for war production, especially naval construction. The [[Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company]] yards in Kearny and Newark and the [[New York Shipbuilding Corporation]] yard in Camden produced [[aircraft carrier]]s, battleships, cruisers, and destroyers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://newyorkship.org/history/|title=History|date=March 23, 2016|website=New York Shipbuilding Corporation|access-date=April 6, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190406193652/https://newyorkship.org/history/|archive-date=April 6, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> New Jersey manufactured 6.8 percent of total United States military armaments produced during [[World War II]], ranking fifth among the 48 states.<ref>[[Whiz Kids (Department of Defense)|Peck, Merton J.]] & [[Frederic M. Scherer|Scherer, Frederic M.]] ''The Weapons Acquisition Process: An Economic Analysis'' (1962) [[Harvard Business School]] p.111</ref> In addition, [[Fort Dix, New Jersey|Fort Dix]] (1917) (originally called "Camp Dix"),<ref name="dixhist">{{cite web |url=http://www.dix.army.mil/history/history.html |at=¶1 |title=Fort Dix History |publisher=U.S. Support Activity—Fort Dix |access-date=January 4, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131227024450/http://www.dix.army.mil/history/history.html |archive-date=December 27, 2013 }}</ref> [[Camp Merritt (New Jersey)|Camp Merritt]] (1917),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://freepages.military.rootsweb.com/~cacunithistories/camp_merritt.htm|title=Camp Merritt|publisher=Freepages.military.rootsweb.com|access-date=July 25, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080704180947/http://freepages.military.rootsweb.com/~cacunithistories/camp_merritt.htm|archive-date=July 4, 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> and [[Camp Kilmer]] (1941){{citation needed|date=December 2022}} were all constructed to house and train American soldiers through both World Wars. New Jersey also became a principal location for defense in the [[Cold War]]. Fourteen [[Project Nike|Nike missile]] stations were constructed for the defense of the New York City and [[Philadelphia]] areas. ''[[Motor Torpedo Boat PT-109|PT-109]]'', a motor torpedo boat commanded by Lt. (j.g.) [[John F. Kennedy]] in World War II, was built at the Elco Boatworks in [[Bayonne, New Jersey|Bayonne]]. The aircraft carrier [[USS Enterprise (CV-6)|USS ''Enterprise'' (CV-6)]] was briefly docked at the Military Ocean Terminal in Bayonne in the 1950s before she was sent to Kearney to be scrapped.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cv6.org/1946/scrap/default.htm|title=CV6.org|publisher=CV6.org|access-date=July 25, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100920184145/http://cv6.org/1946/scrap/default.htm|archive-date=September 20, 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 1962, the world's first nuclear-powered cargo ship, the [[NS Savannah]], was launched at Camden.

In 1951, the [[New Jersey Turnpike]] opened, facilitating efficient travel by car and truck between [[North Jersey]] and the [[New York metropolitan area]], and [[South Jersey]] and the [[Philadelphia metropolitan area]].<ref>[https://www.njta.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220115041611/https://www.njta.com/|date=January 15, 2022}} Accessed September 23, 2021.</ref> Subsequently, in 1957, the [[Garden State Parkway]] was completed, serving as a diagonal counterpart to the Turnpike, and opening up highway travel along New Jersey's coastal flank between [[Bergen County, New Jersey|Bergen County]] in the northeast and the [[Cape May County, New Jersey|Cape May County]] [[Cape May peninsula|peninsula]] at the southeastern tip of New Jersey; in doing so, the [[Jersey Shore]] became readily accessible to millions of residents in the New York metropolitan area. In 1959, Air Defense Command deployed the [[CIM-10 Bomarc]] [[surface-to-air missile]] to [[McGuire Air Force Base]]. On June 7, 1960, an [[BOMARC Missile Accident Site|explosion]] in a CIM-10 Bomarc missile fuel tank caused an accident and subsequent plutonium contamination.<ref>{{cite news |title=Check out the abandoned New Jersey military base where a nuclear missile exploded in 1960 |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/bomarc-nuclear-missile-explosion-mcguire-afb-fort-dix-1960-2017-3 |work=Business Insider |date=March 23, 2017 |access-date=September 3, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190903103416/https://www.businessinsider.com/bomarc-nuclear-missile-explosion-mcguire-afb-fort-dix-1960-2017-3 |archive-date=September 3, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In the 1960s, [[race riot]]s erupted in many of the industrial cities of [[North Jersey]]. The first race riots in New Jersey occurred in Jersey City on August 2, 1964. Several others ensued in 1967, in [[1967 Newark riots|Newark]] and [[1967 Plainfield riots|Plainfield]]. [[King assassination riots|Other riots]] followed the [[assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.]] in April 1968, just as in the rest of the country. A [[Camden Riot of 1971|riot]] occurred in [[Camden, New Jersey|Camden]] in 1971. As a result of an order from the [[New Jersey Supreme Court]] to fund schools equitably, the New Jersey legislature passed an income tax bill in 1976. Prior to this bill, the state had no income tax.<ref name="tws29decf3354">{{cite web | title=Mission & History | publisher=Education Law Center | date=December 29, 2009 | url=http://www.edlawcenter.org/about/mission-history.html | access-date=January 4, 2014 | at=History, ¶3 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140104212737/http://www.edlawcenter.org/about/mission-history.html | archive-date=January 4, 2014 | url-status=dead }}</ref>

===21st century===
{{Main|New Jersey in the 21st century}}

In the early part of the 2000s, two [[light rail]] systems were opened: the [[Hudson–Bergen Light Rail]] (HBLR) in [[Hudson County]] and the [[River Line (NJ Transit)|River Line]] between [[Camden, New Jersey|Camden]] and [[Trenton, New Jersey|Trenton]]. The intent of these projects was to encourage [[transit-oriented development]] in [[North Jersey]] and [[South Jersey]], respectively. The HBLR was credited with a revitalization of [[Hudson County, New Jersey|Hudson County]] and [[Jersey City, New Jersey|Jersey City]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Livability: A Legacy of Northern N.J. Communities |website=Mobility Matters |publisher=New Jersey Regional Planning Association |date=Fall 2010 |url=http://www.njtpa.org/Pub/Report/documents/MM_newsletter_Fall10_000.pdf |access-date=April 9, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927173630/http://www.njtpa.org/Pub/Report/documents/MM_newsletter_Fall10_000.pdf |archive-date=September 27, 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite report |title=Hudson–Bergen Light Rail System and Economic Development on the Waterfront |publisher=[[Booz Allen Hamilton]] |url=http://www.reconnectingamerica.org/assets/Uploads/bestpractice097.pdf |access-date=May 15, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721144109/http://www.reconnectingamerica.org/assets/Uploads/bestpractice097.pdf |archive-date=July 21, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>[http://www.dpz.com/project.aspx?Project_Number=9901&Project_Name=Liberty+Harbor+North Liberty Harbor North] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120206033943/http://www.dpz.com/project.aspx?Project_Number=9901&Project_Name=Liberty+Harbor+North |date=February 6, 2012 }}. Retrieved January 3, 2007.</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Robins |first=Martin E. |author2=Wells, Jan S. |title=Land Development at Selected Hudson-Bergen Light Rail Stations |publisher=Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center at Rutgers University |date=April 2008 |url=http://policy.rutgers.edu/vtc/reports/REPORTS/HBLR%20Final%20Report.pdf |access-date=April 9, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720043043/http://policy.rutgers.edu/vtc/reports/REPORTS/HBLR%20Final%20Report.pdf |archive-date=July 20, 2011 }}</ref> Urban revitalization has continued in North Jersey in the 21st century. In 2014, Jersey City's Census-estimated population was 262,146,<ref name="PopEst">[http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/PEP/2014/PEPANNRES/0400000US34.06100 PEPANNRES—Annual Estimates of the Resident Population: April 1, 2010, to July 1, 2014—2014 Population Estimates for New Jersey municipalities] [[United States Census Bureau]]. Retrieved May 21, 2015.</ref> with the largest population increase of any municipality in New Jersey since 2010,<ref name="JC2014Est">Stirling, Stephen. [http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2015/05/what_are_njs_fastest_growing_and_declining_towns_m.html "What are N.J.'s fastest growing and shrinking towns?"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160113054336/http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2015/05/what_are_njs_fastest_growing_and_declining_towns_m.html |date=January 13, 2016 }}, NJ Advance Media for [[NJ.com]], May 21, 2015. Retrieved June 1, 2015. "Jersey City has gained nearly 15,000 residents since 2010, making it the fastest growing municipality in the state and a symbol of the Garden State's reinvigorated urban core."</ref> representing an increase of 5.9% from the [[2010 United States census|2010 U.S. census]], when the city's population was enumerated at 247,597.<ref name="Census2010">[http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0600000US3401736000 DP-1—Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 for Jersey City city, Hudson County, New Jersey] [[United States Census Bureau]]. Retrieved February 1, 2016.</ref><ref name="LWD2010">[http://lwd.dol.state.nj.us/labor/lpa/census/2010/dp/dp1_hud/jerseycity1.pdf Table DP-1. Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2010 for Jersey City] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160112171718/http://lwd.dol.state.nj.us/labor/lpa/census/2010/dp/dp1_hud/jerseycity1.pdf |date=January 12, 2016 }}, [[New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development]]. Retrieved February 1, 2016.</ref> In 2017, Jersey City's tax base grew by US$136&nbsp;million, giving Jersey City the largest municipal tax base in New Jersey.<ref>[http://www.cityofjerseycity.com/uploadedFiles/2017%20Budget%20Introduction%20Press%20Release%2003%2022%202017.pdf "Mayor Fulop to Introduce 2017 Budget With No Tax Increase; Fourth Consecutive Year With No Municipal Tax Increase as Fulop Administration Brings Long-Term Fiscal Stability to Jersey City"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170628081951/http://cityofjerseycity.com/uploadedFiles/2017%20Budget%20Introduction%20Press%20Release%2003%2022%202017.pdf |date=June 28, 2017 }}, City of Jersey City, March 22, 2017. Accessed May 7, 2025. "In 2017, the tax base, or ratable base, grew in Jersey City by $136 million (~${{Format price|{{Inflation|index=US-GDP|value=136000000|start_year=2017}}}} in {{Inflation/year|US-GDP}}) due to Fulop Administration policies encouraging economic investment throughout the city. In four years, the tax base has grown by $415 million, with Jersey City having the largest municipal tax base in the state."</ref> Between [[2000 United States census|2000]] and [[2010 United States census|2010]] Newark experienced its first population increase since the 1950s, and by [[2020 United States census|2020]] had rebounded to 311,549.{{Infobox region symbols|country=United States
|state = New Jersey
|image_flag = Flag of New Jersey.svg
|image_seal = Seal_of_New_Jersey.svg
|image_arms = Coat of Arms of New Jersey.svg
|mammal = Horse<ref name="NJAnimal">{{cite web|url=http://www.state.nj.us/njfacts/animal.htm|title=New Jersey State Animal|website=The Official Web Site for The State of New Jersey|publisher=The State of New Jersey|access-date=June 5, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130310233855/http://www.state.nj.us/njfacts/animal.htm|archive-date=March 10, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>
|bird = [[American goldfinch|Eastern goldfinch]]<ref name="NJBird">{{cite web|url=http://www.state.nj.us/njfacts/bird.htm|title=New Jersey State Bird|website=The Official Web Site for The State of New Jersey|publisher=The State of New Jersey|access-date=June 5, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130325025523/http://www.state.nj.us/njfacts/bird.htm|archive-date=March 25, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>
|butterfly = [[Papilio polyxenes|Black swallowtail]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.njstatehousetours.org/160/State-Symbols |title=New Jersey State Symbols|website=New Jersey State Symbols|publisher=The State of New Jersey|access-date=April 10, 2025}}</ref> |
|fish = [[Brook trout]]<ref name="NJFish">{{cite web|url=http://www.state.nj.us/njfacts/fish.htm|title=The New Jersey State Fish|website=The Official Web Site for The State of New Jersey|publisher=The State of New Jersey|access-date=June 5, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130809071422/http://www.state.nj.us/njfacts/fish.htm|archive-date=August 9, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>
|flower = ''[[Viola sororia]]''<ref name="NJFlower">{{cite web|url=http://www.state.nj.us/njfacts/flower.htm|title=New Jersey State Flower|website=The Official Web Site for The State of New Jersey|publisher=The State of New Jersey|access-date=June 5, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131111082631/http://www.state.nj.us/njfacts/flower.htm|archive-date=November 11, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|insect = [[Western honey bee]]<ref name="NJInsect">{{cite web|url=http://www.state.nj.us/njfacts/bug.htm|title=New Jersey State Bug|website=The Official Web Site for The State of New Jersey|publisher=The State of New Jersey|access-date=June 5, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130325055842/http://www.state.nj.us/njfacts/bug.htm|archive-date=March 25, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|tree = ''[[Quercus rubra]]'' (northern red oak),<ref name="NJTree">{{cite web|url=http://www.state.nj.us/njfacts/trees.htm|title=The New Jersey State Trees|website=The Official Web Site for The State of New Jersey|publisher=The State of New Jersey|access-date=June 5, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130310232433/http://www.state.nj.us/njfacts/trees.htm|archive-date=March 10, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> [[dogwood]] (memorial tree)<ref name="NJTree"/>
|colors =Buff and blue<br />{{Color box|#F0DC82|border=darkgray}} {{Color box|#0000FF|border=darkgray}}
|dance = 
|folk_dance = [[Square dance]]<ref name="NJDance">{{cite web|url=http://www.state.nj.us/njfacts/dance.htm|title=New Jersey's State Dance|website=The Official Web Site for The State of New Jersey|publisher=The State of New Jersey|access-date=June 5, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130325051042/http://www.state.nj.us/njfacts/dance.htm|archive-date=March 25, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|food = [[Northern highbush blueberry]] (state fruit)<ref name="NJBerry">{{cite web|url=http://www.state.nj.us/njfacts/shell.htm|title=New Jersey's State Fruit|website=The Official Web Site for The State of New Jersey|publisher=The State of New Jersey|access-date=June 5, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130310221500/http://www.state.nj.us/njfacts/shell.htm|archive-date=March 10, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>
|fossil = [[Hadrosaurus foulkii]]<ref name="NJDino">{{cite web|url=http://www.levins.com/state.shtml|title=Hadrosaurus foulkii Becomes Official State Dinosaur, June, 1991|author=Levins, Hoag|access-date=June 5, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130609020727/http://www.levins.com/state.shtml|archive-date=June 9, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|image_quarter = 1999 NJ Proof.png
|quarter_release_date = 1999
|image_route = Ellipse sign 47.svg
|soil = [[downer (soil)|Downer]]<ref name="NJSoil">{{cite web | url=https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/nj/soils/?cid=nrcs141p2_018866 | title=New Jersey State Soil—Downer | website=[[Natural Resources Conservation Service]] | publisher=[[United States Department of Agriculture]] | access-date=August 17, 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819083804/http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/nj/soils/?cid=nrcs141p2_018866 | archive-date=August 19, 2014 | url-status=dead }}</ref>
|song = 
}}

==Geography==
{{maplink|frame=yes|zoom=6|id=Q1408|type=shape|text=Interactive map of New Jersey}}{{Main|Geography of New Jersey|Climate of New Jersey}}

{{See also|List of counties in New Jersey|Metropolitan Statistical Areas of New Jersey}}
{{multiple image
 | align     = right
 | direction = vertical
 | image1    = Spring Lake, New Jersey Beach at Sunrise.jpg|
 | width1    = 300
 | caption1  =
 | alt1      =
 | image2    = Cape may.jpg
 | width2    = 300
 | caption2  = Sunrise on the [[Jersey Shore]] at [[Spring Lake, New Jersey|Spring Lake]] in [[Monmouth County, New Jersey|Monmouth County]] (top) and sunset at [[Sunset Beach, New Jersey|Sunset Beach]] in [[Cape May County, New Jersey|Cape May County]] (bottom)
 | alt2      =
}}

New Jersey is at the center of the [[Northeast megalopolis]], the most populated American [[urban agglomeration]]. It is bordered on the north and northeast by [[New York (state)|New York]] (parts of which are across the [[Hudson River]], [[Upper New York Bay]], the [[Kill Van Kull]], [[Newark Bay]], and the [[Arthur Kill]]); on the east by the Atlantic Ocean; on the southwest by [[Delaware]] across [[Delaware Bay]]; and on the west by [[Pennsylvania]] across the [[Delaware River]].

New Jersey is broadly divided into the [[North Jersey|North]], [[Central Jersey|Central]], and [[South Jersey]] geographic regions, although some residents do not consider Central Jersey a region in its own right. Across the regions are five distinct areas divided by natural geography and population concentration. Northeastern New Jersey, often referred to as the [[Gateway Region]], lies closest to [[Manhattan]] in New York City, and up to a million residents commute daily into the city for work, many via public transportation.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wagner.nyu.edu/files/rudincenter/dynamic_pop_manhattan.pdf|title=The Dynamic Population of Manhattan|author1=Mitchell L. Moss|author2=Carson Qing|name-list-style=amp|publisher=Rudin Center for Transportation Policy and Management, Wagner School of Public Service, New York University|date=March 2012|access-date=April 16, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160314141540/https://wagner.nyu.edu/files/rudincenter/dynamic_pop_manhattan.pdf|archive-date=March 14, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Jersey Shore]], along the Atlantic Coast in Central and South Jersey, has its own unique natural, residential, and cultural characteristics owing to its location by the ocean. South Jersey represents the southernmost geographical region of the [[northeastern United States]]. The [[Philadelphia metropolitan area]] includes the southwestern counties of the state, which reside within the Delaware Valley surrounding [[Philadelphia]].

Despite the state's heavily urban character and a long history of [[industrialization]], forests cover roughly 45 percent of New Jersey's land area, or approximately {{Convert|2.1|e6acre}}, [[Forest cover by state and territory in the United States|ranking 31st]] among the 50 U.S. states and six territories.<ref>{{cite web|title=Trends in New Jersey Forests|url=http://www.fs.fed.us/ne/newtown_square/publications/brochures/pdfs/state_forests/nj_forest.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170511092612/https://www.fs.fed.us/ne/newtown_square/publications/brochures/pdfs/state_forests/nj_forest.pdf|archive-date=May 11, 2017|access-date=March 13, 2015|publisher=Department of Environmental Protection, N.J. Forestry Services and United States Department of Agriculture}}</ref> Northwestern New Jersey, often referred to as the [[Skylands Region]], is more wooded, rural, and mountainous. The chief tree of the northern forests is the [[oak]]. The [[New Jersey Pine Barrens]] is situated in the southern interior of New Jersey and covered extensively by mixed [[pine]] and [[oak]] forest; its population density is lower than most of the state.

[[High Point (New Jersey)|High Point]] in [[Montague Township, New Jersey|Montague Township]], [[Sussex County, New Jersey|Sussex County]] is the state's highest elevation at {{convert|1803|ft|m}} above sea level. The state's highest [[prominence (mountains)|prominence]] is [[Kitty Ann Mountain]] in [[Morris County, New Jersey|Morris County]], rising {{Convert|892|ft}}. The [[The Palisades (Hudson River)|Palisades]] are a line of steep cliffs on the west side of the [[Hudson River]] in [[Bergen County, New Jersey|Bergen]] and [[Hudson County, New Jersey|Hudson Counties]]. Major [[List of New Jersey rivers|New Jersey rivers]] include the [[Hudson River|Hudson]], [[Delaware River|Delaware]], [[Raritan River|Raritan]], [[Passaic River|Passaic]], [[Hackensack River|Hackensack]], [[Rahway River|Rahway]], [[Musconetcong River|Musconetcong]], [[Mullica River|Mullica]], [[Rancocas River|Rancocas]], [[Manasquan River|Manasquan]], [[Maurice River|Maurice]], and [[Toms River|Toms]] rivers. Due to New Jersey's [[peninsula]]r geography, both sunrise and sunset are visible over water from different points on the Jersey Shore.

===Prominent geographic features===
* [[Delaware Water Gap]]
* [[Great Bay (New Jersey)|Great Bay]]
* [[Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge]]
* [[New York–New Jersey Highlands|Highlands]]
* [[Hudson Palisades]]
* [[Jersey Shore]]
** On the shore, New Jersey hosts the [[List of boardwalks in the United States#New Jersey|highest concentration of oceanside boardwalks in the world]].
* [[New Jersey Meadowlands|Meadowlands]]
* [[New Jersey Pine Barrens]]
* [[Ramapo Mountains]]
* [[Watchung Mountains]]

<gallery widths=250 heights=250>
File:Rockefeller Overlook, Palisades Interstate Parkway, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey - 20200907 - 02.jpg|Atop the [[Hudson Palisades]] in [[Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey|Englewood Cliffs]], [[Bergen County, New Jersey|Bergen County]], overlooking the [[Hudson River]], the [[George Washington Bridge]], and the [[skyscraper]]s of [[Midtown Manhattan|Midtown]] [[Manhattan]], [[New York City]]
File:Delaware Water Gap.jpg|[[Delaware Water Gap]] is shared between [[Warren County, New Jersey|Warren County]] and neighboring [[Pennsylvania]].
File:Clinton NJ Easter 2014.jpg|At {{convert|69.6|mi|abbr=on}} in length, [[Raritan River]] is the longest river entirely within New Jersey, flowing from [[Raritan Valley]] near [[Clinton, New Jersey|Clinton]] (above), eastward to [[Raritan Bay]] and the [[Atlantic Ocean]].
File:A beautiful Autumn day in Paterson, NJ (6326116759).jpg|[[Great Falls (Passaic River)|Great Falls]] of the [[Passaic River]] in [[Paterson, New Jersey|Paterson]] was designated a [[National Historic Site (United States)|U.S. National Historical Park]] in 2009.
File:Belmont Court, Monroe, NJ 08831.jpg|New Jersey [[suburbia]] in [[Monroe Township, Middlesex County, New Jersey|Monroe Township]], [[Middlesex County, New Jersey|Middlesex County]]. Despite being the [[population density|most densely populated]] [[U.S. state]], New Jersey is mostly suburban.
File:ManaInlet II.JPG|The [[Jersey Shore]] extends inland from the [[Atlantic Ocean]] into its many [[inlet]]s, including [[Manasquan Inlet]], looking westward at [[sunset]] from the [[jetty]] at [[Manasquan, New Jersey|Manasquan]].
</gallery>

=== Climate ===
{{Main|Climate of New Jersey}}

The state consists of two climate zones; most of the state has a [[humid subtropical climate]] (Cfa), while the northwest has a [[humid continental climate]] (Dfa).<ref name="Koppen">{{cite journal |last1=Beck |first1=Hylke E. |last2=McVicar |first2=Tim R. |last3=Vergopolan |first3=Noemi |display-authors=etal|title=High-resolution (1 km) Köppen-Geiger maps for 1901–2099 based on constrained CMIP6 projections |journal=Scientific Data |date=October 23, 2023 |volume=10 |issue=1 |article-number=724 (2023)  |doi=10.1038/s41597-023-02549-6 |pmid=37872197 |language=En |issn=2052-4463|pmc=10593765 |bibcode=2023NatSD..10..724B }}</ref> New Jersey receives between 2,400 and 2,800 hours of [[sunshine]] annually.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://maps.howstuffworks.com/united-states-annual-sunshine-map.htm |title=united states annual sunshine map |publisher=HowStuffWorks, Inc |access-date=March 14, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110429042722/http://maps.howstuffworks.com/united-states-annual-sunshine-map.htm |archive-date=April 29, 2011 }}</ref>

Summers are typically hot and humid, with statewide average high temperatures of {{convert|82|-|87|F}} and lows of {{convert|60|-|69|F}}; however, temperatures exceed {{convert|90|°F|0}} on average 25 days each summer, exceeding {{convert|100|°F|0}} in some years. Winters are usually cold, with average high temperatures of {{convert|34|-|43|F|C}} and lows of {{convert|16|to|28|F}} for most of the state, but temperatures can, for brief periods, fall below {{convert|10|°F|0}} and sometimes rise above {{convert|50|°F}}. Northwestern parts of the state have significantly colder winters with sub-{{convert|0|°F|0}} being an almost annual occurrence. Spring and autumn may feature wide temperature variations, with lower humidity than summer. The [[Hardiness zone|USDA Plant Hardiness Zone]] classification ranges from{{nbsp}}6 in the northwest of the state, to 7B near Cape May.<ref>[http://www.arborday.org/treeinfo/zonelookup.cfm Hardiness Zone Lookup at] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130324213157/http://www.arborday.org/treeinfo/zonelookup.cfm |date=March 24, 2013 }}. Arborday.org. Retrieved July 12, 2013.</ref> All-time temperature extremes recorded in New Jersey include {{Convert|110|F}} on July 10, 1936, in [[Runyon, New Jersey|Runyon]], Middlesex County and {{Convert|−34|F}} on January 5, 1904, in [[River Vale, New Jersey|River Vale]], Bergen County.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/extremes/scec/records|title=State Climate Extremes Committee (SCEC)|author=National Climatic Data Center|access-date=April 3, 2015|author-link=National Climatic Data Center|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130117082655/http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/extremes/scec/records|archive-date=January 17, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>

Average annual precipitation ranges from {{convert|43|to|51|in|mm}}, spread uniformly throughout the year. Average snowfall per winter season ranges from {{convert|10|-|15|in|cm}} in the south and near the seacoast, {{convert|15|-|30|in|cm}} in the northeast and central part of the state, to about {{convert|40|-|50|in|m}} in the northwestern highlands, but this often varies considerably from year to year. Precipitation falls on an average of 120 days a year, with 25 to 30 thunderstorms, most of which occur during the summer.

During winter and early spring, New Jersey can experience [[nor'easter]]s, which are capable of causing [[blizzards]] or flooding throughout the northeastern United States. [[Hurricane]]s and [[tropical storm]]s, [[tornado]]es, and earthquakes are rare; the state was impacted by a hurricane in [[1903 New Jersey hurricane|1903]], Tropical Storm [[Hurricane Floyd|Floyd]] in [[1999 Atlantic hurricane season|1999]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Hurricane Floyd Impacts |url=http://www.erh.noaa.gov/mhx/Floyd/Impacts.php |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100603022704/http://www.erh.noaa.gov/mhx/Floyd/Impacts.php |archive-date=June 3, 2010 |access-date=June 5, 2011 |publisher=National Weather Service}}</ref> and [[Hurricane Sandy]] in [[2012 Atlantic hurricane season|2012]], which made landfall in the state with top winds of {{convert|90|mph|0|abbr=on}}.

==== Climate change ====
[[Climate change in New Jersey|Climate change is affecting New Jersey]] faster than much of the rest of the United States. [[Climatologist]]s at the U.S. [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]] have concluded that New Jersey has been the fastest-warming state by average air temperature over a 100-year period beginning in the early 20th century.<ref name=NewJerseyFastestWarmingState/>

{| class="wikitable"
| colspan="13" |Average high and low temperatures in various cities of New Jersey '''°C''' (°F)[[#cite note-NOAA PHL-60|<sup>[1]</sup>]][[#cite note-NOAA NYC-61|<sup>[2]</sup>]][[#cite note-62|<sup>[3]</sup>]]
|-
|'''City'''
|'''Jan'''
|'''Feb'''
|'''Mar'''
|'''Apr'''
|'''May'''
|'''Jun'''
|'''Jul'''
|'''Aug'''
|'''Sep'''
|'''Oct'''
|'''Nov'''
|'''Dec'''
|-
|[[Sussex, New Jersey|'''Sussex''']]
|'''1'''/'''−9''' (34/16)
|'''3'''/'''−8''' (38/18)
|'''8'''/'''−4''' (47/26)
|'''15'''/'''2''' (59/36)
|'''21'''/'''7''' (70/45)
|'''25'''/'''12''' (78/55)
|'''28'''/'''16''' (82/60)
|'''27'''/'''14''' (81/58)
|'''23'''/'''10''' (73/50)
|'''17'''/'''4''' (62/38)
|'''11'''/'''−1''' (51/31)
|'''4'''/'''−6''' (39/22)
|-
|[[Newark, New Jersey|'''Newark''']]
|'''4'''/'''−4''' (39/24)
|'''6'''/'''−3''' (42/27)
|'''10'''/'''1''' (51/34)
|'''17'''/'''7''' (62/44)
|'''22'''/'''12''' (72/53)
|'''28'''/'''17''' (82/63)
|'''30'''/'''20''' (86/69)
|'''29'''/'''20''' (84/68)
|'''25'''/'''15''' (77/60)
|'''18'''/'''9''' (65/48)
|'''13'''/'''4''' (55/39)
|'''6'''/'''−1''' (44/30)
|-
|[[Atlantic City, New Jersey|'''Atlantic City''']]
|'''5'''/'''−2''' (42/29)
|'''6'''/'''−1''' (44/31)
|'''10'''/'''3''' (50/37)
|'''14'''/'''8''' (58/46)
|'''19'''/'''13''' (67/55)
|'''24'''/'''18''' (76/64)
|'''27'''/'''21''' (81/70)
|'''27'''/'''21''' (80/70)
|'''24'''/'''18''' (75/64)
|'''18'''/'''11''' (65/53)
|'''13'''/'''6''' (56/43)
|'''8'''/'''1''' (46/34)
|-
|[[Cape May, New Jersey|'''Cape May''']]
|'''6'''/'''−2''' (42/28)
|'''7'''/'''−2''' (44/29)
|'''11'''/'''2''' (51/35)
|'''16'''/'''7''' (61/44)
|'''21'''/'''12''' (70/53)
|'''26'''/'''17''' (79/63)
|'''29'''/'''20''' (85/68)
|'''29'''/'''19''' (83/67)
|'''25'''/'''16''' (78/61)
|'''19'''/'''9''' (67/50)
|'''14'''/'''4''' (57/41)
| '''8'''/'''0''' (47/32)
|}

===Administrative divisions===
{{See also|List of counties in New Jersey|List of municipalities in New Jersey}}The [[United States Census Bureau]] divides New Jersey's 21 counties into seven [[Metropolitan Statistical Areas of New Jersey|metropolitan statistical areas]], with 20 counties included in either the New York City or Philadelphia [[Combined Statistical Area]]. [[Warren County, New Jersey|Warren County]] is part of the [[Lehigh Valley]] metropolitan area based in eastern [[Pennsylvania]].

==== Counties ====
[[File:New Jersey Counties.svg|thumb|upright|Map of New Jersey counties]]
The 21 counties in New Jersey, ranked by population in the [[2020 United States census]], are:<ref>[https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/tables/2020-2021/counties/totals/co-est2021-pop-34.xlsx Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties in New Jersey: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2021] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231215213029/https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/tables/2020-2021/counties/totals/co-est2021-pop-34.xlsx |date=December 15, 2023 }}, [[United States Census Bureau]], updated March 2022. Retrieved October 1, 2023.</ref>
# [[Bergen County, New Jersey|Bergen County]]: 955,732
# [[Essex County, New Jersey|Essex County]]: 863,728
# [[Middlesex County, New Jersey|Middlesex County]]: 863,162
# [[Hudson County, New Jersey|Hudson County]]: 724,854
# [[Monmouth County, New Jersey|Monmouth County]]: 643,615
# [[Ocean County, New Jersey|Ocean County]]: 637,229
# [[Union County, New Jersey|Union County]]: 575,345
# [[Passaic County, New Jersey|Passaic County]]: 524,118
# [[Camden County, New Jersey|Camden County]]: 523,485
# [[Morris County, New Jersey|Morris County]]: 509,285
# [[Burlington County, New Jersey|Burlington County]]: 461,860
# [[Mercer County, New Jersey|Mercer County]]: 387,340
# [[Somerset County, New Jersey|Somerset County]]: 345,361
# [[Gloucester County, New Jersey|Gloucester County]]: 302,294
# [[Atlantic County, New Jersey|Atlantic County]]: 274,534
# [[Cumberland County, New Jersey|Cumberland County]]: 154,152
# [[Sussex County, New Jersey|Sussex County]]: 144,221
# [[Hunterdon County, New Jersey|Hunterdon County]]: 128,947
# [[Warren County, New Jersey|Warren County]]: 109,632
# [[Cape May County, New Jersey|Cape May County]]: 95,263
# [[Salem County, New Jersey|Salem County]]: 64,837

==== Municipalities ====
For its overall population and nation-leading population density, New Jersey is primarily [[suburban]] and has a relative paucity of classically large cities. This [[paradox]] is most pronounced in [[Bergen County, New Jersey|Bergen County]], the state's most populous county, whose 955,732 residents at the 2020 census inhabited 70 municipalities, of which the most populous is [[Hackensack, New Jersey|Hackensack]], with 46,030 residents. Many urban areas extend far beyond the limits of a single large city, as New Jersey municipalities tend to be geographically small; three of the four largest cities in New Jersey by population have under {{convert|20|sqmi}} of land area, and eight of the top ten, including all the top five, have a land area under {{convert|30|sqmi}}. {{As of|2010|alt=As of the [[2010 United States census]]}}, only four municipalities had over 100,000 residents (although Edison and Woodbridge Township came very close); this number increased to seven by the 2020 census.
{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible"
|+Largest municipalities in New Jersey by area
! Rank !! Name !! Area (sq.mi.) !! Area (km<sup>2</sup>) !! County
|-
| style="text-align:right;" |1 || [[Galloway Township, New Jersey|Galloway Township]]
| {{convert|115.2|sqmi|disp=table}} 
| [[Atlantic County, New Jersey|Atlantic County]]
|-
| style="text-align:right;" |2 || [[Hamilton Township, Atlantic County, New Jersey|Hamilton Township]]
| {{convert|113.0|sqmi|disp=table}} 
| [[Atlantic County, New Jersey|Atlantic County]]
|-
| style="text-align:right;" |3 || [[Washington Township, Burlington County, New Jersey|Washington Township]]
| {{convert|102.9|sqmi|disp=table}} 
| [[Burlington County, New Jersey|Burlington County]]
|-
| style="text-align:right;" |4 || [[Jackson Township, New Jersey|Jackson Township]]
| {{convert|100.1|sqmi|disp=table}} 
| [[Ocean County, New Jersey|Ocean County]]
|-
| style="text-align:right;" |5 || [[Lacey Township, New Jersey|Lacey Township]]
| {{convert|98.5|sqmi|disp=table}} 
| [[Ocean County, New Jersey|Ocean County]]
|-
| style="text-align:right;" |6 || [[Woodland Township, New Jersey|Woodland Township]]
| {{convert|96.4|sqmi|disp=table}} 
| [[Burlington County, New Jersey|Burlington County]]
|-
| style="text-align:right;" |7 || [[Maurice River Township, New Jersey|Maurice River Township]]
| {{convert|95.7|sqmi|disp=table}} 
| [[Cumberland County, New Jersey|Cumberland County]]
|-
| style="text-align:right;" |8 || [[Middle Township, New Jersey|Middle Township]]
| {{convert|83.1|sqmi|disp=table}} 
| [[Cape May County, New Jersey|Cape May County]]
|-
| style="text-align:right;" |9 || [[Manchester Township, New Jersey|Manchester Township]]
| {{convert|82.9|sqmi|disp=table}} 
| [[Ocean County, New Jersey|Ocean County]]
|-
| style="text-align:right;" |10 || [[West Milford, New Jersey|West Milford]]
| {{convert|80.4|sqmi|disp=table}} 
| [[Passaic County, New Jersey|Passaic County]]
|-
| style="text-align:right;" |11 || [[Bass River Township, New Jersey|Bass River Township]]
| {{convert|78.2|sqmi|disp=table}} 
| [[Burlington County, New Jersey|Burlington County]]
|-
| style="text-align:right;" |12 || [[Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey|Egg Harbor Township]]
| {{convert|75.0|sqmi|disp=table}} 
| [[Atlantic County, New Jersey|Atlantic County]]
|-
| style="text-align:right;" |13 || [[Little Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey|Little Egg Harbor Township]]
| {{convert|73.2|sqmi|disp=table}} 
| [[Ocean County, New Jersey|Ocean County]]
|-
| style="text-align:right;" |14 || [[Lower Alloways Creek Township, New Jersey|Lower Alloways Creek Township]]
| {{convert|72.6|sqmi|disp=table}} 
| [[Salem County, New Jersey|Salem County]]
|-
| style="text-align:right;" |15 || [[Vernon Township, New Jersey|Vernon Township]]
| {{convert|70.5|sqmi|disp=table}} 
| [[Sussex County, New Jersey|Sussex County]]
|-
| style="text-align:right;" |16 || [[Upper Township, New Jersey|Upper Township]]
| {{convert|68.5|sqmi|disp=table}} 
| [[Cape May County, New Jersey|Cape May County]]
|-
| style="text-align:right;" |17 || [[Wantage Township, New Jersey|Wantage Township]]
| {{convert|67.5|sqmi|disp=table}} 
| [[Sussex County, New Jersey|Sussex County]]
|-
| style="text-align:right;" |18 || [[Dennis Township, New Jersey|Dennis Township]]
| {{convert|64.3|sqmi|disp=table}} 
| [[Cape May County, New Jersey|Cape May County]]
|-
| style="text-align:right;" |19 || [[Pemberton Township, New Jersey|Pemberton Township]]
| {{convert|62.5|sqmi|disp=table}} 
| [[Burlington County, New Jersey|Burlington County]]
|-
| style="text-align:right;" |20 || [[Howell Township, New Jersey|Howell Township]]
| {{convert|61.0|sqmi|disp=table}} 
| [[Monmouth County, New Jersey|Monmouth County]]
|-
| style="text-align:right;" |21 || [[Middletown Township, New Jersey|Middletown Township]]
| {{convert|59.3|sqmi|disp=table}} 
| [[Monmouth County, New Jersey|Monmouth County]]
|-
| style="text-align:right;" |22 || [[Hopewell Township, Mercer County, New Jersey|Hopewell Township]]
| {{convert|58.7|sqmi|disp=table}} 
| [[Mercer County, New Jersey|Mercer County]]
|-
| style="text-align:right;" |23 || [[Winslow Township, Camden County, New Jersey|Winslow Township]]
| {{convert|58.1|sqmi|disp=table}} 
| [[Camden County, New Jersey|Camden County]]
|-
| style="text-align:right;" |24 || [[Mullica Township, New Jersey|Mullica Township]]
| {{convert|56.9|sqmi|disp=table}} 
| [[Atlantic County, New Jersey|Atlantic County]]
|-
| style="text-align:right;" |25 || [[Berkeley Township, New Jersey|Berkeley Township]]
| {{convert|55.8|sqmi|disp=table}} 
| [[Ocean County, New Jersey|Ocean County]]
|-
| style="text-align:right;" |26 || [[Hillsborough Township, New Jersey|Hillsborough Township]]
| {{convert|54.8|sqmi|disp=table}} 
| [[Somerset County, New Jersey|Somerset County]]
|-
| style="text-align:right;" |26 || [[Stafford Township, New Jersey|Stafford Township]]
| {{convert|54.8|sqmi|disp=table}} 
| [[Ocean County, New Jersey|Ocean County]]
|}
{{Largest cities
| country = New Jersey
| stat_ref = Source:<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.biggestuscities.com/nj|title=Biggest Cities in New Jersey &#124; 2020 Population Data|access-date=February 28, 2020|archive-date=February 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200228024456/https://www.biggestuscities.com/nj|url-status=live}}</ref>
| list_by_pop =
| div_name =
| div_link = List of counties in New Jersey{{!}}County
| city_1 = Newark, New Jersey{{!}}Newark
| div_1 = Essex County, New Jersey{{!}}Essex
| pop_1 = 311,549
| city_2 = Jersey City, New Jersey{{!}}Jersey City
| div_2 = Hudson County, New Jersey{{!}}Hudson
| pop_2 = 292,449
| city_3 = Paterson, New Jersey{{!}}Paterson
| div_3 = Passaic County, New Jersey{{!}}Passaic
| pop_3 = 159,732
| city_4 = Elizabeth, New Jersey{{!}}Elizabeth
| div_4 = Union County, New Jersey{{!}}Union
| pop_4 = 137,298
| city_5 = Lakewood Township, New Jersey{{!}}Lakewood Township
| div_5 = Ocean County, New Jersey{{!}}Ocean
| pop_5 = 135,158
| city_6 = Edison, New Jersey{{!}}Edison 
| div_6 = Middlesex County, New Jersey{{!}}Middlesex
| pop_6 = 107,588
| city_7 = Woodbridge Township, New Jersey{{!}}Woodbridge Township
| div_7 = Middlesex County, New Jersey{{!}}Middlesex
| pop_7 = 103,639
| city_8 = Toms River, New Jersey{{!}}Toms River
| div_8 = Ocean County, New Jersey{{!}}Ocean
| pop_8 = 95,438
| city_9 = Hamilton Township, Mercer County, New Jersey{{!}}Hamilton Township
| div_9 = Mercer County, New Jersey{{!}}Mercer
| pop_9 = 92,297
| city_10 = Clifton, New Jersey{{!}}Clifton
| div_10 = Passaic County, New Jersey{{!}}Passaic
| pop_10 = 90,296
}}

== Demographics ==
===Population===
{{US Census population
| 1790 = 184139
| 1800 = 211149
| 1810 = 245562
| 1820 = 277575
| 1830 = 320823
| 1840 = 373306
| 1850 = 489555
| 1860 = 672035
| 1870 = 906096
| 1880 = 1131116
| 1890 = 1444933
| 1900 = 1883669
| 1910 = 2537167
| 1920 = 3155900
| 1930 = 4041334
| 1940 = 4160165
| 1950 = 4835329
| 1960 = 6066782
| 1970 = 7168164
| 1980 = 7364823
| 1990 = 7730188
| 2000 = 8414350
| 2010 = 8791894
| 2020 = 9288994
| estimate = 9548215
| estyear = 2025
| footnote = Sources:<ref name=QuickFactsNJ/><ref>{{cite web |title=Historical Population Change Data (1910–2020) |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/dec/popchange-data-text.html |website=Census.gov |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=May 1, 2021 |archive-date=April 29, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210429012609/https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/dec/popchange-data-text.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>
}}

Residents of New Jersey are most commonly referred to as New Jerseyans or, less commonly, as New Jerseyites. According to the [[2020 United States census|2020 U.S. census]], the state had a population of 9,288,994, a 5.7% increase since the [[2010 United States census|2010 U.S. census]], which counted 8,791,894 residents.<ref name=QuickFactsNJ/> The state ranked eleventh in the country by total population and first in population density, with 1,185 residents per square mile (458 per km<sup>2</sup>). Historically, New Jersey has experienced one of the fastest growth rates in the country, with its population increasing by double digits almost every decade until 1980; growth has since slowed but remained relatively robust until recently. In 2022, the Census Bureau estimated there were 6,262 fewer residents than in 2020, a decline of 0.3% from 2020, related to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref name="quickfacts">{{Cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/NJ |title=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: New Jersey |publisher=[[Census Bureau]] |access-date=August 22, 2021 |archive-date=July 18, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210718114426/https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/NJ |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2024, the Census Bureau reported that the state population rebounded by 2.3% or 211,837 residents from April 2020. New Jersey lead the [[Northeastern United States|Northeast]] with a 1.3% growth rate or 121,209 residents from 2023 placing it among the top ten states nationwide for population growth.<ref name=Growth>{{cite web|url=https://www.roi-nj.com/2025/02/18/politics/n-j-tops-9-5-million-in-population-and-other-key-stats-about-states-growth/|title=N.J. tops 9.5 million in population – and other key stats about state's growth|website=roi-nj.com|date=February 18, 2025|access-date=May 7, 2025}}</ref>

New Jersey is the only state where every county is deemed [[urban area|urban]] as defined by the [[United States Census Bureau|Census Bureau]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Metropolitan Areas and Components, 1999, with FIPS codes |url=https://www.census.gov/population/estimates/metro-city/99mfips.txt |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090510103542/https://www.census.gov/population/estimates/metro-city/99mfips.txt |archive-date=May 10, 2009 |access-date=July 25, 2010}}</ref> Most residents live in the counties surrounding [[New York City]], the nation's largest city, [[Philadelphia]], the nation's sixth-largest city, or along the eastern [[Jersey Shore]]; the extreme southern and northwestern counties are relatively less dense overall. Since the 2000 census, the [[United States Census Bureau]] calculated that New Jersey's [[center of population]] was located in [[East Brunswick, New Jersey|East Brunswick]].<ref>Sweilem, Amira. [https://www.nj.com/data/2022/11/njs-population-center-still-tilts-north-this-town-considers-it-a-badge-of-honor.html "N.J.'s population center still tilts north. This town considers it a badge of honor."], NJ Advance Media for [[NJ.com]], November 27, 2022. Retrieved March 10, 2024. "Answer time: East Brunswick has held the statistical center of population title since the 2010 Census.... The U.S. Census runs the calculation every 10 years and it has wobbled around Middlesex County since 1880, straying just once since that time into Somerset County (Warren Township) in 1890. East Brunswick just barely held onto the population center in the 2020 Census calculations.... The new spot is on Hawk Court just off Milltown Road between the NJ Turnpike and Ryders Lane."</ref><ref>Stirling, Stephen. [http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/03/us_census_shows_nj_turnpike_in.html "U.S. Census shows East Brunswick as statistical center of N.J."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612191013/http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/03/us_census_shows_nj_turnpike_in.html |date=June 12, 2018 }}, ''[[The Star-Ledger]]'', March 31, 2011. Retrieved March 10, 2024. "For any of you who have ever lain awake at night asking: Where, oh where is the statistical center of New Jersey, there really is an answer. Nenninger Lane, East Brunswick. A few hundred feet into the woods along tiny Nenninger, a dead-end road beside the New Jersey Turnpike, sits the heart of the Garden State in terms of population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau."</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20121104035710/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-72330691.html "East Brunswick, N.J., Represents State's Population Center."], ''[[The Star-Ledger]]'', March 27, 2001. Retrieved March 10, 2024. "And the center of New Jersey, according to 2000 census data, is a litter-strewn patch of woods on Milltown Road in East Brunswick. Demographers call it the 'center of population,' the place that would require the least amount of travel if all the state's 8.4 million residents were to converge on one spot.</ref> The state is located in the middle of the [[Northeast megalopolis]], which has more than 50 million residents.

As of 2023, New Jersey had a [[Median income|median household income]] of $99,781, the [[List of U.S. states and territories by income|second-highest]] of any U.S. state behind [[Massachusetts]].<ref name="NJMedianIncome">{{cite web |date=September 2018 |title=Household Income: 2017 |url=https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2018/acs/acsbr17-01.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181119023522/https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2018/acs/acsbr17-01.pdf |archive-date=November 19, 2018 |access-date=February 5, 2019 |publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]}}</ref><ref name="QF_table">{{Cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/NJ,US/PST045221 |title=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: New Jersey |access-date=August 8, 2022 |archive-date=October 7, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221007211542/http://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/NJ,US/PST045221 |url-status=live }}</ref> Conversely, New Jersey's poverty rate of 9.4% was slightly lower than the national average of 11.4%,<ref name="QF_table" /> and the [[List of U.S. states and territories by poverty rate|sixth lowest of the fifty states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico]]. This is attributed to several factors, including the state's proximity to the major economic centers of New York City and [[Philadelphia]], its hosting the highest number of [[millionaire]]s both per capita and per square mile in the U.S., and the fact that it has the most [[scientist]]s and [[engineer]]s per square mile in the world.<ref name=NewJerseyHighestScientistsEngineersWorld>{{cite web |title=New Jersey |url=http://www.njss.org/about/nj.php |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131019090041/http://www.njss.org/about/nj.php |archive-date=October 19, 2013 |access-date=October 19, 2013 |publisher=New Jersey State Society}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Nature Jobs |title=Delaware / Hudson Valley Hot Spot for biotechnology |url=http://www.nature.com/naturejobs/2001/010712/full/nj0021.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101204220354/http://www.nature.com/naturejobs/2001/010712/full/nj0021.html |archive-date=December 4, 2010 |access-date=July 25, 2010 |work=Nature (journal)}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=September 6, 2012 |title=New Jersey leads world in number of scientists, engineers per square mile |url=http://www.politifact.com/new-jersey/statements/2012/sep/06/choose-new-jersey/new-jersey-leads-world-number-scientists-engineers/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106040552/http://www.politifact.com/new-jersey/statements/2012/sep/06/choose-new-jersey/new-jersey-leads-world-number-scientists-engineers/ |archive-date=January 6, 2014 |access-date=January 5, 2014 |publisher=PolitiFact}}</ref>

According to the [[United States Department of Housing and Urban Development|U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development]]'s 2022 [[Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress|Annual Homeless Assessment Report]], there were an estimated 8,752 [[Homelessness|homeless]] people in New Jersey.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 2022 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress |url=https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/2022-AHAR-Part-1.pdf |access-date=March 13, 2023 |archive-date=March 11, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230311234217/https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/2022-AHAR-Part-1.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> The top countries of origin for New Jersey's immigrants in 2018 were India, [[Dominican Republic]], [[Mexico]], [[Ecuador]], and the [[Filipinos in New Jersey|Philippines]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/sites/default/files/research/immigrants_in_new_jersey.pdf|title=Immigrants in New Jersey|access-date=May 10, 2024|archive-date=August 18, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230818073217/https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/sites/default/files/research/immigrants_in_new_jersey.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

<gallery widths=250 heights=250>
File:New Jersey population density 2020.png|New Jersey population density as of 2020
File:New Jersey population pyramid.webp|New Jersey [[population pyramid]]
</gallery>

=== Race and ethnicity ===
[[File:Ethnic Origins in New Jersey.png|thumb|Ethnic origins in New Jersey]]
[[File:Ethnic_origins_in_New_Jersey_(2020).jpg|thumb|upright|Largest alone or in any combination ethnic origin by county in New Jersey, per the 2020 census]]
[[File:Largest Ethnicity in New Jersey (2020 Census).jpg|thumb|upright|Largest ethnicity by municipality based on 2020 census]]

New Jersey is one of the most ethnically diverse states in the United States: as of 2022, over one-fifth (21.5%) of its residents are Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% are Black, and one-tenth are Asian. One in four New Jerseyans were born abroad and more than one million (12.1%) are not fully fluent in English. {{As of|2024|alt=As of the 2024 census estimate,}} the White non-Hispanic population of the state was less than 50%, making it a [[majority minority in the United States|majority-minority]] state.<ref name=CensusACS2024/> Compared to the U.S. as a whole, the state is more racially and ethnically diverse and has a higher proportion of immigrants.<ref>{{Cite web |title=NJSHAD – Complete Health Indicator Report – Population Demographics |url=https://www-doh.state.nj.us/doh-shad/indicator/complete_profile/Demographics.html |access-date=February 13, 2023 |website=www-doh.state.nj.us |archive-date=February 13, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230213222905/https://www-doh.state.nj.us/doh-shad/indicator/complete_profile/Demographics.html |url-status=live }}</ref> 

{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible"; text-align:right; font-size:80%;"
|+ style="font-size:90%" |Ethnic composition as of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]]
|-
! Race and ethnicity<ref name="Race and Ethnicity 2010-2020">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/interactive/race-and-ethnicity-in-the-united-state-2010-and-2020-census.html |title=Race and Ethnicity in the United States: 2010 Census and 2020 Census |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=August 12, 2021 |website=census.gov |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=September 26, 2021 |archive-date=August 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815165418/https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/interactive/race-and-ethnicity-in-the-united-state-2010-and-2020-census.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
! colspan="2" data-sort-type=number |Alone
! colspan="2" data-sort-type=number |Total
|-
| [[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White (non-Hispanic)]]
|align=right| {{bartable|51.9|%|2||background:gray}}
|align=right| {{bartable|54.5|%|2||background:gray}}
|-
| [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]]{{efn|Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin are not distinguished between total and partial ancestry.}}
|align=right| {{bartable}}
|align=right| {{bartable|21.6|%|2||background:green}}
|-
| [[African Americans|African American (non-Hispanic)]]
|align=right| {{bartable|12.4|%|2||background:mediumblue}}
|align=right| {{bartable|13.6|%|2||background:mediumblue}}
|-
| [[Asian Americans|Asian]]
|align=right| {{bartable|10.2|%|2||background:purple}}
|align=right| {{bartable|11.0|%|2||background:purple}}
|-
| [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]]
|align=right| {{bartable|0.1|%|2||background:gold}}
|align=right| {{bartable|0.7|%|2||background:gold}}
|-
| [[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]]
|align=right| {{bartable|0.02|%|2||background:pink}}
|align=right| {{bartable|0.1|%|2||background:pink}}
|-
| Other
|align=right| {{bartable|0.8|%|2||background:brown}}
|align=right| {{bartable|1.8|%|2||background:brown}}
|}
[[File:New jersey counties by race.svg|thumb|upright|Map of counties in New Jersey by racial plurality, per the 2020 census{{Collapsible list
| title = Legend|{{col-begin}}{{col-2}}

'''Non-Hispanic White'''

{{legend|#e6b8af|30–40%}}

{{legend|#dd7e6b|40–50%}}

{{legend|#cc4125|50–60%}}

{{legend|#a61c00|60–70%}}

{{legend|#85200c|70–80%}}

{{legend|#5b0f00|80–90%}}

{{col-2}}

'''Black or African American'''

{{legend|#ffe599|40–50%}}

'''Hispanic or Latino'''

{{legend|#a2c4c9|40–50%}}

{{col-end}}
}}]]

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"
|+'''New Jersey – Racial and ethnic composition'''<br /><small>{{nobold|''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.''}}</small>
!Race / Ethnicity <small>(''NH = Non-Hispanic'')</small>
!Pop 1960<ref name=HistCensusNJ>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0056/twps0056.html |title=Historical Census Statistics on Population Totals By Race, 1790 to 1990, and By Hispanic Origin, 1970 to 1990, For The United States, Regions, Divisions, and States |date=December 24, 2014 |access-date=March 12, 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141224151538/http://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0056/twps0056.html |archive-date=December 24, 2014 }}</ref>
!Pop 1970<ref name=HistCensusNJ/>
!Pop 1980<ref name=1980Census>{{Cite web|title=1980 Census of Population - General Social and Economic Characteristics - New Jersey- Table 16 - Total Persons and Spanish Origin Persons by Type of Spanish Origin and Race |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1980/volume-1/new-jersey/1980a_njab-03.pdf|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]|page=32/26-32/34}}</ref>
!Pop 1990<ref>{{Cite web |title=1990 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - New Jersey: Table 4, Table 5, Table 6 - Race and Hispanic Origin |website=[[United States Census Bureau]]|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1990/cp-1/cp-1-32-1.pdf|access-date=|page=22-97}}</ref>
!Pop 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>{{Cite web|title=P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – New Jersey|url=https://data.census.gov/table?g=050XX00US39007&tid=DECENNIALSF12000.P004|website=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date= }}</ref>
!Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – New Jersey|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=050XX00US39007&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2|website=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date= }}</ref>
!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" | Pop 2020<ref name=2020CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – New Jersey|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=050XX00US39007&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|website=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date= }}</ref>
!% 1960
!% 1970
!% 1980
!% 1990
!% 2000
!% 2010
!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" |% 2020
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] alone (NH)
|6,066,782
|6,349,908
|5,825,538
|5,718,966
|5,557,209
|5,214,878
|style='background: #ffffe6; |4,816,381
|91.30%
|88.58%
|79.10%
|73.98%
|66.04%
|59.31%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |51.85%
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] alone (NH)
|514,875
|770,292
|907,554
|984,845
|1,096,171
|1,125,401
|style='background: #ffffe6; |1,154,142
|8.49%
|10.75%
|12.32%
|12.74%
|13.03%
|12.80%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |12.42%
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] alone (NH)
|1,699
|4,706
|8,394
|12,490
|11,338
|12,227
|style='background: #ffffe6; |11,206
|0.03%
|0.07%
|0.11%
|0.16%
|0.13%
|0.14%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.12%
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] alone (NH)
|8,778
|23,333
|103,848
|264,341
|477,012
|719,827
|style='background: #ffffe6; |942,921
|0.14%
|0.33%
|1.41%
|3.42%
|5.67%
|8.19%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |10.15%
|-
|[[Native Hawaiian]] or [[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]] alone (NH)
|x <ref>included in the Asian category in the 1960 Census</ref>
|x <ref>included in the Asian category in the 1970 Census</ref>
|x <ref>included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census</ref>
|x <ref>included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census</ref>
|2,175
|1,963
|style='background: #ffffe6; |1,944
|x
|x
|x
|x
|0.03%
|0.02%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.02%
|-
|[[Race and ethnicity in the United States census|Other race]] alone (NH)
|2,427
|19,925
|27,606
|9,685
|19,565
|27,610
|style='background: #ffffe6; |70,354
|0.04%
|0.28%
|0.37%
|0.13%
|0.23%
|0.31%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.76%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed race or multiracial]] (NH)
|x <ref>not an option in the 1960 Census</ref>
|x <ref>not an option in the 1970 Census</ref>
|x <ref>not an option in the 1980 Census</ref>
|x <ref>not an option in the 1990 Census</ref>
|133,689
|134,844
|style='background: #ffffe6; |289,471
|x
|x
|x
|x
|1.59%
|1.53%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |3.12%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] (any race)
|x <ref>not an option in the 1960 Census</ref>
|x <ref>not an option in the 1970 Census</ref>
|491,883
|739,861
|1,117,191
|1,555,144
|style='background: #ffffe6; |2,002,575
|x
|x
|6.68%
|9.57%
|13.28%
|17.69%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |21.56%
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''6,066,782'''
|'''7,168,164'''
|'''7,364,823'''
|'''7,730,188'''
|'''8,414,350'''
|'''8,791,894'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''9,288,994 '''
|'''100.00%'''
|'''100.00%'''
|'''100.00%'''
|'''100.00%'''
|'''100.00%'''
|'''100.00%'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''100.00%'''
|} 

====2024 American Community Survey one-year estimates====
{| class="cx-linter-tag"
| valign="top" |
{{Pie chart
 | thumb   = left
 | caption = Racial makeup of New Jersey (2024)<ref name=CensusACS2024>{{cite web|url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=B03002&g=040XX00US34&tid=ACSDT1Y2024.B03002|title=B03002 Hispanic or Latino Origin by Race - New Jersey - 2024 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates|date=July 1, 2024 |publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]] |access-date=September 23, 2025}}</ref>
 | label1 = White alone
 | value1 = 52.34| color2=#36A
 | label2 = Black alone
 | value2 = 12.90| color1=#6A5
 | label3 = Native American alone
 | value3 = 0.71| color3=#FF33AC
 | label4 = Asian alone
 | value4 = 10.67| color4=#1A9
 | label5 = Pacific Islander alone
 | value5 = 0.04| color5=#E17720
 | label6 = Some other race alone
 | value6 = 11.28| color6=#F0FF00
 | label7 = Two or more races 
 | value7 = 12.07| color7=#64ECDF
 }}
| valign="top" |
{{Pie chart
 | thumb   = left
 | caption = Racial/Ethnic makeup of New Jersey excluding Hispanics from racial categories (2024)<ref name=CensusACS2024 /><br />''NH=Non-Hispanic''
 | label1 = White NH
 | value1 = 49.49 | color2=#36A
 | label2 = Black NH
 | value2 = 12.17 | color1=#6A5
 | label3 = Native American NH
 | value3 = 0.07 | color3=#FF33AC
 | label4 = Asian NH
 | value4 = 10.54 | color4=#1A9
 | label5 = Pacific Islander NH
 | value5 = 0.03 color5=#E17720
 | label6 = Some other race NH
 | value6 = 0.71 | color6=#F0FF00
 | label7 = Two or more races NH
 | value7 = 3.52 | color7=#64ECDF
 | label8 = Hispanic any race
 | value8 = 23.47 | color8=#9400D3
 }}
| valign="top" |
{{Pie chart
 | thumb   = left
 | caption = Racial makeup of Hispanics in New Jersey (2024)<ref name=CensusACS2024 />
 | label1 = White alone
 | value1 = 12.11| color2=#36A
 | label2 = Black alone
 | value2 = 3.11| color1=#6A5
 | label3 = Native American alone
 | value3 = 2.73| color3=#FF33AC
 | label4 = Asian alone
 | value4 = 0.53| color4=#1A9
 | label5 = Pacific Islander alone
 | value5 = 0.04| color5=#E17720
 | label6 = Some other race alone
 | value6 = 45.06 | color6=#F0FF00
 | label7 = Two or more races 
 | value7 = 36.43 | color7=#64ECDF
 }}
|}

[[File:New Jersey Counties by metro area labeled.svg|thumb|upright|[[Metropolitan Statistical Areas of New Jersey|Metropolitan statistical areas and divisions of New Jersey]]; those shaded in blue are part of the [[New York City Metropolitan Area]], including [[Mercer County, New Jersey|Mercer]] and [[Warren County, New Jersey|Warren]] counties. Counties shaded in green, including [[Atlantic County, New Jersey|Atlantic]], [[Cape May County, New Jersey|Cape May]], and [[Cumberland County, New Jersey|Cumberland]] counties, belong to the [[Philadelphia Metropolitan Area]].{{Clarify|reason=Warren Mercer, Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland have colors that need explaining in the caption. "Warren County constitutes part of the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metropolitan statistical area," according to it's lead section. Why is this not accounted for?|date=July 2024}}]]

<gallery heights=200 widths=250>
File:India Square JC jeh.JPG|[[India Square]] in the [[Marion Section]] of [[Jersey City, New Jersey|Jersey City]] is home to the highest concentration of [[Indians in the New York City metropolitan area|Asian Indians]] in the [[Western Hemisphere]].<ref name="Kiniry, Laura 2006. pg. 3422">Kiniry, Laura. ''Moon Handbooks New Jersey''. Avalon Travel Publishing, 2006. p. 34 {{ISBN|1-56691-949-5}}. Retrieved April 10, 2015.</ref>
File:BroadAveColumbiaKoreatownPalisadesPk.png|[[Bergen County, New Jersey#Korean American|Koreatown, Bergen County]], across the [[George Washington Bridge]] from [[New York City]]
</gallery>

New Jersey is home to roughly half a million [[Illegal immigration to the United States|undocumented immigrants]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nieto-Munoz |first=Sophie |date=March 8, 2022 |title=Murphy proposes $53M fund to aid undocumented immigrants |url=https://newjerseymonitor.com/2022/03/08/murphy-proposes-another-potential-fund-for-undocumented-immigrants/ |access-date=February 13, 2023 |website=New Jersey Monitor |language=en-US |archive-date=February 13, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230213222907/https://newjerseymonitor.com/2022/03/08/murphy-proposes-another-potential-fund-for-undocumented-immigrants/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=February 2, 2011 |title=N.J. illegal immigration level holds steady |url=http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/02/nj_illegal_immigration_level_h.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170525203810/http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/02/nj_illegal_immigration_level_h.html |archive-date=May 25, 2017 |access-date=March 12, 2017}}</ref> comprising an estimated 6.2% of the population, which in 2018 was the fifth-highest percentage of any U.S. state.<ref>{{cite web |date=February 2011 |title=Pew Research Center |url=http://www.pewhispanic.org/2011/02/01/iv-state-settlement-patterns/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518094322/http://www.pewhispanic.org/2011/02/01/iv-state-settlement-patterns/ |archive-date=May 18, 2015 |access-date=May 17, 2015}}</ref> The municipalities of Camden, Jersey City, and Newark are considered [[Sanctuary city|sanctuary cities]] for illegal immigrants.<ref>{{cite web |date=February 1, 2017 |title=What towns in New Jersey are considered sanctuary cities? |url=http://nj1015.com/what-towns-in-new-jersey-are-considered-sanctuary-cities/?trackback=tsmclip |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190416142829/https://nj1015.com/what-towns-in-new-jersey-are-considered-sanctuary-cities/?trackback=tsmclip |archive-date=April 16, 2019 |access-date=September 3, 2019 |website=New Jersey 101.5—New Jersey News Radio}}</ref>

For further information on various ethnoracial groups and neighborhoods prominently featured within New Jersey, see the following articles:
* [[History of the Jews in New Jersey]]
* [[Hispanics and Latinos in New Jersey]]
* [[Indians in the New York City metropolitan region]]
* [[Chinese in the New York City metropolitan region]]
* [[List of U.S. cities with significant Korean American populations#Top ten municipalities as ranked by Korean-American percentage of overall population in 2010|List of U.S. cities with significant Korean American populations]]
* [[Filipinos in the New York City metropolitan region]]
* [[Filipinos in New Jersey]]
* [[Russians in the New York City metropolitan region]]
* [[Bergen County#Community diversity|Bergen County]]
* [[Jersey City#Race and ethnicity|Jersey City]]
* [[India Square]] in Jersey City, home to the highest concentration of [[Asian Indian]]s in the [[Western Hemisphere]]
* [[Ironbound]], a [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]] and [[Brazilian people|Brazilian]] enclave in [[Newark, New Jersey|Newark]]
* [[Five Corners, Jersey City|Five Corners]], a [[Filipinos in the New York City metropolitan region|Filipino]] enclave in Jersey City
* [[Havana on the Hudson]], a [[Cuban people|Cuban]] enclave in [[Hudson County, New Jersey|Hudson County]]
* [[Koreatown, Fort Lee]], a [[Korean diaspora|Korean]] enclave in southeast Bergen County
* [[Koreatown, Palisades Park]], also a Korean enclave in southeast Bergen County
* [[Bangladeshi American#Demographics|Little Bangladesh]], a [[Bangladeshi American|Bangladeshi]] enclave in [[Paterson, New Jersey|Paterson]]
* [[Little India (Middlesex County, New Jersey)|Little India (Edison/Iselin)]], the largest and most diverse [[South Asia]]n hub in the United States
* [[Little Istanbul]], also known as [[Ramallah|Little Ramallah]], a Middle Eastern enclave in Paterson
* [[Little Lima]], a [[Peruvian American|Peruvian]] enclave in Paterson

New Jersey is one of the most ethnically and religiously [[Polyethnicity|diverse]] states in the United States. As of 2024, a quarter of New Jerseyans (25%) were [[foreign born]], the second most after [[California]], compared to the national average of 14.8%.<ref name=Foreign>{{cite web|url=https://usafacts.org/answers/how-many-immigrants-are-in-the-us/country/united-states/|title=How many immigrants are in the United States?|work=USA Facts|access-date=December 5, 2025}}</ref> As of 2011, 56.4% of New Jersey's children under the age of one belonged to racial or ethnic minority groups, meaning that they had at least one parent who was not non-Hispanic white.<ref>{{cite news |last=Exner |first=Rich |date=June 3, 2012 |title=Americans under age 1 now mostly minorities, but not in Ohio: Statistical Snapshot |work=[[The Plain Dealer]] |url=http://www.cleveland.com/datacentral/index.ssf/2012/06/americas_under_age_1_populatio.html |url-status=live |access-date=August 5, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160714084214/http://www.cleveland.com/datacentral/index.ssf/2012/06/americas_under_age_1_populatio.html |archive-date=July 14, 2016}}</ref> The 2019 Vintage Year Census estimated that the state's ethnic makeup was as follows: 71.9% White alone, 15.1% Black or African American alone, 10.0% Asian alone, 0.6% American Indian and Alaska Native alone, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, and 2.3% Two or more races. Hispanic or Latino accounted for 20.9%, while White alone (non-Hispanic or Latino) accounted for 54.6% of the population.<ref name="quickfacts" /> Many of the municipalities in [[Bergen County, New Jersey]], the state's largest county, have a sizeable minority population of Hispanics and Asians.<ref>Koloff, Abbott; and Sheingold, Dave. [https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/new-jersey/2016/12/08/census-data-show-growing-diversity-north-jersey/95113992/ "Census data show growing diversity in North Jersey"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231004145650/https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/new-jersey/2016/12/08/census-data-show-growing-diversity-north-jersey/95113992/ |date=October 4, 2023 }}, ''[[The Record (North Jersey)|The Record]]'', December 8, 2016. Retrieved October 4, 2023. "North Jersey continues to grow more racially and ethnically diverse with a rise in residents of Asian and Hispanic heritage, bringing the region closer to a point where whites may no longer be a majority of the population. A dozen municipalities in Bergen County saw their Hispanic populations more than double in the first half of this decade while Asian populations in several other towns grew similarly, according to U.S. Census Bureau survey information made public Thursday."</ref> There are also three [[State-recognized tribes in the United States|state-recognized tribes]], and in 2020, 51,186 identified as being Native American alone, while 96,691 did in combination with one or more other races.<ref name="Race and Ethnicity 2010-2020" />

New Jersey hosts some of the nation's largest communities of religious and ethnic minorities in proportional or absolute terms. It has the second-largest [[Jewish American|Jewish]] population by percentage (after New York);<ref>[https://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/religious-tradition/jewish/ Religious Landscape Study: Jews] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190408175102/https://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/religious-tradition/jewish/|date=April 8, 2019}}, [[Pew Research Center]]. Retrieved January 25, 2022.</ref> the largest [[Hindu]] and [[Islam in the United States|Muslim]] populations by percentage;<ref name="Muslims by state">{{cite web |title=Muslims By State |url=https://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/religious-tradition/muslim/ |publisher=[[Pew Research Center]] |access-date=January 25, 2022 |archive-date=January 25, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220125192549/https://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/religious-tradition/muslim/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> the largest population of [[Peruvian American|Peruvians]] in the U.S.; the largest population of [[Cuban Americans|Cubans]] outside [[Florida]]; the third-highest [[Asia]]n population by percentage; and the second-highest [[Italian Americans in New York City|Italian]] population,<ref name="Italians">[https://www.niaf.org/culture/statistics/states-with-the-highest-population-of-italian-americans/] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190502012855/http://www.niaf.org/culture/statistics/states-with-the-highest-population-of-italian-americans/|date=May 2, 2019}} Accessed April 29, 2019.</ref> according to the [[2000 United States census|2000 census]]. African Americans, [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanics]] ([[Puerto Rican American|Puerto Ricans]] and [[Dominican American|Dominicans]]), [[West Indian Americans|West Indians]], [[Arab American|Arabs]], and [[Brazilian people|Brazilian]] and [[Portuguese Americans]] are also high in number. New Jersey also has the fourth-largest [[Filipino American|Filipino]] population, and fourth-largest [[Chinese American|Chinese]] population, per the 2010 U.S. Census.

New Jersey has the-third highest [[Indian American#List of U.S. States by population of Asian Indians|Indian]] population of any state by absolute numbers and the [[Indians in the New York metropolitan area|highest by percentage]],<ref>[http://www.migrationinformation.org/USfocus/display.cfm?ID=185 The Foreign Born from India in the United States] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060426225326/http://www.migrationinformation.org/USfocus/display.cfm?id=185|date=April 26, 2006}}, dated December 1, 2003</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Census 2000 PHC-T-6. Population by Race and Hispanic or Latino Origin for the United States, Regions, Divisions, States, Puerto Rico, and Places of 100,000 or More Population: Table 2. Percent of Population by Race and Hispanic or Latino Origin, for the United States, Regions, Divisions, and States, and for Puerto Rico: 2000 |url=https://www.census.gov/population/cen2000/phc-t6/tab02.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100223205154/http://www.census.gov/population/cen2000/phc-t6/tab02.pdf |archive-date=February 23, 2010 |access-date=July 25, 2010}}</ref><ref>[https://www.census.gov/population/cen2000/atlas/divers.xls Mapping Census 2000: The Geography of U.S. Diversity] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170120144920/http://www.census.gov/population/cen2000/atlas/divers.xls|date=January 20, 2017}} (Microsoft Excel)</ref><ref name="censusbrief">{{cite web |date=June 2004 |title=Ancestry: 2000—Census 2000 Brief |url=https://www.census.gov/prod/2004pubs/c2kbr-35.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040920132346/http://www.census.gov/prod/2004pubs/c2kbr-35.pdf |archive-date=September 20, 2004 |access-date=June 19, 2013 |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau}}</ref> with [[India Square]] in [[Jersey City, New Jersey|Jersey City]], [[Hudson County, New Jersey|Hudson County]]<ref name="Kiniry, Laura 2006. pg. 3422"/> hosting the highest concentration of Asian Indians in the [[Western Hemisphere]].<ref name="Laryssa Wirstiuk22">{{cite news |author=Laryssa Wirstiuk |date=April 21, 2014 |title=Neighborhood Spotlight: Journal Square |work=Jersey City Independent |url=http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/2014/04/neighborhood-spotlight-journal-square/ |url-status=dead |access-date=April 27, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180630085618/http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/2014/04/neighborhood-spotlight-journal-square/ |archive-date=June 30, 2018 }}</ref> A study by the [[Pew Research Center]] found that in 2013, New Jersey was the only U.S. state in which immigrants born in [[India]] constituted the largest [[foreign born|foreign-born]] nationality, representing roughly 10% of all foreign-born residents in the state.<ref name="IndiaNewJersey">{{cite web |author=Erin O'Neill |date=October 19, 2015 |title=What's the top country of birth for immigrants in N.J.? |url=http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2015/10/whats_the_top_country_of_birth_for_immigrants_in_nj.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151020140441/http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2015/10/whats_the_top_country_of_birth_for_immigrants_in_nj.html |archive-date=October 20, 2015 |access-date=October 19, 2015 |publisher=New Jersey On-Line LLC}}</ref> [[Central New Jersey]], particularly [[Edison Township, New Jersey|Edison]] and surrounding [[Middlesex County, New Jersey|Middlesex County]], has the highest concentration of Indians, at nearly 20% in 2020; [[Little India (Edison/Iselin)|Little India]] is the largest and most diverse [[South Asian]] cultural hub in the United States.<ref>{{cite news |author=Joseph Berger |date=April 27, 2008 |title=A Place Where Indians, Now New Jerseyans, Thrive |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/27/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/27indianj.html |url-status=live |access-date=August 22, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160621041522/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/27/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/27indianj.html |archive-date=June 21, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=King |first=Kate |date=September 25, 2017 |title='Little India' Thrives in Central New Jersey |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/little-india-thrives-in-central-new-jersey-1506340801 |url-status=live |access-date=April 27, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412142632/https://www.wsj.com/articles/little-india-thrives-in-central-new-jersey-1506340801 |archive-date=April 12, 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Genovese |first=Peter |date=November 16, 2012 |title=Big business in Little India: Commerce flourishes in vibrant ethnic neighborhood |url=https://www.nj.com/news/2012/11/big_business_in_little_india_c.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190413205752/https://www.nj.com/news/2012/11/big_business_in_little_india_c.html |archive-date=April 13, 2019 |access-date=April 27, 2019 |website=The Star-Ledger}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=March 31, 2011 |title=Eat Street: Oak Tree Road, Iselin, N.J. |url=https://www.saveur.com/article/Travels/Oak-Tree-Road-Iselin-NJ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140208170118/http://www.saveur.com/article/Travels/Oak-Tree-Road-Iselin-NJ |archive-date=February 8, 2014 |access-date=April 27, 2019 |website=SAVEUR}}</ref> The area includes a sprawling [[Chinese in New York City|Chinatown]] and [[Korean Americans in New York City|Koreatown]] running along [[New Jersey Route 27]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Shaftel |first=David |date=March 9, 2017 |title=Indo-Chinese Food Is Hard to Find, Except in New Jersey |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/09/travel/indo-chinese-restaurants-edison-new-jersey.html |url-status=live |access-date=April 27, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190418122336/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/09/travel/indo-chinese-restaurants-edison-new-jersey.html |archive-date=April 18, 2019}}</ref> [[Monroe Township, Middlesex County, New Jersey|Monroe Township]] in Middlesex County has experienced a particularly rapid growth rate in its [[Indians in the New York City metropolitan region|Indian American]] population with an estimated 5,943 (13.6%) as of 2017,<ref name="IndiansMonroe">[https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/17_5YR/DP05/0600000US3402347280 DP05: ACS DEMOGRAPHIC AND HOUSING ESTIMATES from the 2013–2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates for Monroe township, Middlesex County, New Jersey] [[United States Census Bureau]]. Retrieved February 11, 2019.</ref> which was 23 times the 256 (0.9%) counted at the 2000 Census; [[Diwali]] is celebrated by the township as a [[Hinduism|Hindu]] holiday. In Middlesex County, election [[ballot]]s are printed in English, [[Spanish language|Spanish]], [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]], [[Hindi]], and [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]].<ref>{{cite web |title=State of New Jersey Department of State |url=http://www.nj.gov/state/elections/voting-information-vote-by-mail.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170525113011/http://www.nj.gov/state/elections/voting-information-vote-by-mail.html |archive-date=May 25, 2017 |access-date=May 29, 2017 |publisher=State of New Jersey}}</ref> [[Robbinsville, New Jersey|Robbinsville]], in neighboring Mercer County, hosts [[Swaminarayan Akshardham (North America)|the world's largest]] [[Hindu temple]] outside Asia.<ref name="World'sLargestHinduTempleNJ"/> [[Carteret, New Jersey|Carteret]]'s [[Punjabi people|Punjabi]] [[Sikh]] community, variously estimated at upwards of 3,000, is the largest concentration of Sikhs in the state.<ref>{{cite news |author=Kevin Coyne |date=June 15, 2008 |title=Turbans Make Targets, Some Sikhs Find |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/15/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/15colnj.html |url-status=live |access-date=April 28, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181211141425/https://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/15/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/15colnj.html |archive-date=December 11, 2018}}</ref> [[Bergen County, New Jersey|Bergen County]] is home to America's largest [[Malayali]] community.<ref>[http://40days.homestead.com/Day_22_-_People.pdf] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304073622/http://40days.homestead.com/Day_22_-_People.pdf|date=March 4, 2016}}. Retrieved January 16, 2016.</ref>

New Jersey also has the third-largest [[Korean American|Korean]] population, with Bergen County home to the highest Korean concentration per capita of any U.S. county<ref name="Richard Newman">{{cite web |author=Richard Newman |date=August 30, 2012 |title=Korean company to buy Fort Lee bank |url=http://www.northjersey.com/news/business/167951555_Korean_company_to_buy_Fort_Lee_bank_buying_local_lender.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131014140239/http://www.northjersey.com/news/business/167951555_Korean_company_to_buy_Fort_Lee_bank_buying_local_lender.html |archive-date=October 14, 2013 |access-date=January 16, 2016}}</ref> (6.9% in 2011). It is a growing hub and home to [[List of U.S. cities with significant Korean-American populations#Top ten municipalities as ranked by Korean-American percentage of overall population in 2010|all of the nation's top ten municipalities by percentage of Korean population]],<ref name="BergenCountyKoreanPercentage">{{cite news |author=James O'Neill |date=February 22, 2015 |title=Mahwah library hosts Korean tea ceremony to celebrate new year |newspaper=Northjersey.com |url=http://www.northjersey.com/news/mahwah-library-hosts-korean-tea-ceremony-to-celebrate-new-year-1.1275756 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150222201039/http://www.northjersey.com/news/mahwah-library-hosts-korean-tea-ceremony-to-celebrate-new-year-1.1275756 |archive-date=February 22, 2015 |access-date=February 22, 2015 }}</ref> led by [[Koreatown, Palisades Park|Palisades Park (벼랑 공원)]],<ref name="books.google.com">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5PSYZMs8TzEC&q=fort+lee+koreatown+pyong+min&pg=PA237 |title=Asian Americans: Contemporary Trends and Issues Second Edition, Edited by Pyong Gap Min |publisher=Pine Forge Press – An Imprint of Sage Publications, Inc |year=2006 |isbn=9781412905565 |access-date=July 11, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210527181032/https://books.google.com/books?id=5PSYZMs8TzEC&q=fort+lee+koreatown+pyong+min&pg=PA237 |archive-date=May 27, 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> the municipality with the highest [[List of U.S. cities with significant Korean-American populations#Municipalities with density of at least 500 Korean Americans per square mile in 2010|density]] of ethnic [[Koreans]] in the [[Western Hemisphere]]. Displaying ubiquitous [[Hangul|Hangul (한글)]] signage and known as the ''Korean village'',<ref name="Palisades Park Municipal Court">{{cite web |title=Palisades Park Municipal Court |url=http://www.town-court.com/getTownCourt.php?courtID=1071 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141028004824/http://www.town-court.com/getTownCourt.php?courtID=1071 |archive-date=October 28, 2014 |access-date=August 26, 2014 |publisher=SpinJ Corporation}}</ref> Palisades Park uniquely comprises a Korean majority (52% in 2010) of its population,<ref>{{cite web |title=Palisades Park borough, New Jersey QuickLinks |url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/34/3455770lk.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140513134539/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/34/3455770lk.html |archive-date=May 13, 2014 |access-date=July 11, 2014 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=Kirk Semple |date=May 18, 2012 |title=In New Jersey, Memorial for 'Comfort Women' Deepens Old Animosity |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/19/nyregion/monument-in-palisades-park-nj-irritates-japanese-officials.html |url-status=live |access-date=July 11, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190529231015/https://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/19/nyregion/monument-in-palisades-park-nj-irritates-japanese-officials.html |archive-date=May 29, 2019}}</ref> with both the [[List of U.S. cities with significant Korean-American populations#Municipalities with density of at least 500 Korean Americans per square mile in 2010|highest Korean-American density and percentage]] of any municipality in the United States.

====Birth data====
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable collapsible collapsed" style="text-align:left;"
|+ style="font-size:90%" | {{no wrap|Live births by single race/ethnicity of mother}}
|-
! [[Race and ethnicity in the United States Census|Race]]
! 2014<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr64/nvsr64_12.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=June 9, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170214040341/https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr64/nvsr64_12.pdf |archive-date=February 14, 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref>
! 2015<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr66/nvsr66_01.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=June 9, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170831155911/https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr66/nvsr66_01.pdf |archive-date=August 31, 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref>
! 2016<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr67/nvsr67_01.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=May 5, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180603002249/https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr67/nvsr67_01.pdf |archive-date=June 3, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref>
! 2017<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr67/nvsr67_08-508.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=February 21, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190201210916/https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr67/nvsr67_08-508.pdf |archive-date=February 1, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>
! 2018<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr68/nvsr68_13-508.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=November 30, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191128161211/https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr68/nvsr68_13-508.pdf |archive-date=November 28, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>
! 2019<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr70/nvsr70-02-508.pdf |title=Data |publisher=Centres for Disease Control and Prevention |access-date=April 1, 2021 |archive-date=June 23, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210623200707/https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr70/nvsr70-02-508.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>
! 2020<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr70/nvsr70-17.pdf |title=Data |publisher=Centres for Disease Control and Prevention |access-date=February 20, 2022 |archive-date=February 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220210175206/https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr70/NVSR70-17.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>
! 2021<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr72/nvsr72-01.pdf |title=Data |publisher=Centres for Disease Control and Prevention |access-date=February 3, 2022 |archive-date=February 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230201003942/https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr72/nvsr72-01.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>
! 2022<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr73/nvsr73-02.pdf |title=Data |publisher=Centres for Disease Control and Prevention |access-date=April 5, 2024 |archive-date=April 4, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240404230758/https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr73/nvsr73-02.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>
! 2023<ref>
{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr74/nvsr74-1.pdf |title=Data |website=www.cdc.gov |access-date=2025-04-12}}</ref>
|-
| [[Non-Hispanic whites|White]]
| 48,196 (46.6%)
| 47,425 (46.0%)
| 46,076 (44.9%)
| 45,825 (45.3%)
| 45,500 (44.9%)
| 45,368 (45.6%)
| 44,709 (45.6%)
| 47,318 (46.6%)
| 47,356 (46.0%)
| 46,205 (45.7%)
|-
| [[African Americans|Black]]
| 20,102 (19.4%)
| 18,363 (17.8%)
| 13,870 (13.5%)
| 13,684 (13.5%)
| 13,886 (13.7%)
| 13,394 (13.4%)
| 12,951 (13.2%)
| 12,822 (12.6%)
| 12,911 (12.5%)
| 12,030 (11.9%)
|-
| [[Asian Americans|Asian]]
| 11,977 (11.6%)
| 12,192 (11.8%)
| 12,053 (11.7%)
| 11,691 (11.5%)
| 11,452 (11.3%)
| 11,112 (11.2%)
| 10,451 (10.7%)
| 10,281 (10.1%)
| 10,561 (10.3%)
| 9,983 (9.9%)
|-
| [[Native Americans in the United States|American Indian]]
| 193 (0.2%)
| 172 (0.2%)
| 62 (0.0%)
| 72 (0.1%)
| 67 (0.1%)
| 94 (0.1%)
| 41 (>0.1%)
| 45 (>0.1%)
| 34 (>0.1%)
| 45 (>0.1%)
|-
| ''[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic]]'' (any race)
| ''27,267'' (26.4%)
| ''27,919'' (27.1%)
| ''28,083'' (27.3%)
| ''27,354'' (27.0%)
| ''27,597'' (27.3%)
| ''27,443'' (27.6%)
| ''27,205'' (27.8%)
| ''28,143'' (27.7%)
| ''29,931'' (29.1%)
| ''30,238'' (29.9%)
|-
| '''Total'''
| '''103,305''' (100%)
| '''103,127''' (100%)
| '''102,647''' (100%)
| '''101,250''' (100%)
| '''101,223''' (100%)
| '''99,585''' (100%)
| '''97,954''' (100%)
| '''101,497''' (100%)
| '''102,893''' (100%)
| '''101,001''' (100%)
|}

===Languages===

{|id="gujjuinjersey" class="wikitable sortable" style="margin-left:1em; float:center"
|+Most common non-English languages spoken in New Jersey
|-
! Language !! Percentage of population<br /><small>(as of 2010)</small><ref name="MLA Data"/>
|-
| [[Spanish language|Spanish]] || 14.59%
|-
|[[Chinese language|Chinese]] (including [[Cantonese language|Cantonese]] and [[Standard Chinese|Mandarin]]) || 1.23%
|-
| [[Italian language|Italian]] || 1.06%
|-
| [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] || 1.06%
|-
| [[Filipino language|Filipino]] || 0.96%
|-
| [[Korean language|Korean]] || 0.89%
|-
| [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]] || 0.83%
|-
| [[Polish language|Polish]] || 0.79%
|-
| [[Hindi language|Hindi]] || 0.71%
|-
| [[Arabic language|Arabic]] || 0.62%
|-
| [[Russian language|Russian]] || 0.56%
|}

As of 2010, 71.31% (5,830,812) of New Jersey residents age{{nbsp}}5 and older spoke English at home as a [[primary language]], while 14.59% (1,193,261) spoke Spanish, 1.23% (100,217) Chinese (which includes [[Cantonese]] and [[Standard Chinese|Mandarin]]), 1.06% (86,849) Italian, 1.06% (86,486) [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]], 0.96% (78,627) [[Tagalog language|Tagalog]], and [[Korean language|Korean]] was spoken as a [[main language]] by 0.89% (73,057) of the population over the age of five. In total, 28.69% (2,345,644) of New Jersey's population age{{nbsp}}5 and older spoke a [[mother language]] other than English.<ref name="MLA Data">{{cite web|url=http://www.mla.org/map_data|title=New Jersey|publisher=[[Modern Language Association]]|access-date=August 19, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071201170638/http://www.mla.org/map_data|archive-date=December 1, 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref>

A diverse collection of languages has since evolved amongst the state's population, given that New Jersey has become [[multiculturalism|cosmopolitan]] and is home to [[ethnic enclave]]s of non-English-speaking communities:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dhs.gov/yearbook-immigration-statistics-2012-legal-permanent-residents|title=Yearbook of Immigration Statistics: 2012 Supplemental Table 1|publisher=U.S. Department of Homeland Security|access-date=June 19, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130403073333/http://www.dhs.gov/yearbook-immigration-statistics-2012-legal-permanent-residents|archive-date=April 3, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dhs.gov/files/statistics/publications/LPR11.shtm|title=Yearbook of Immigration Statistics: 2011 Supplemental Table 1|publisher=U.S. Department of Homeland Security|access-date=June 19, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120808080130/http://www.dhs.gov/files/statistics/publications/LPR11.shtm|archive-date=August 8, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dhs.gov/files/statistics/publications/LPR10.shtm|title=Yearbook of Immigration Statistics: 2010 Supplemental Table 1|publisher=U.S. Department of Homeland Security|access-date=June 19, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120712200141/https://www.dhs.gov/files/statistics/publications/LPR10.shtm|archive-date=July 12, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dhs.gov/files/statistics/publications/LPR09.shtm|title=Yearbook of Immigration Statistics: 2009 Supplemental Table 1|publisher=U.S. Department of Homeland Security|access-date=June 19, 2013|archive-date=August 8, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120808080125/http://www.dhs.gov/files/statistics/publications/LPR09.shtm|url-status=live}}</ref>
{{div col}}
* [[Albanian language|Albanian]] – [[Paterson, New Jersey|Paterson]], [[Garfield, New Jersey|Garfield]]
* [[Arabic language|Arabic]] – [[Bayonne, New Jersey|Bayonne]], Paterson, [[Jersey City, New Jersey|Jersey City]]
* [[Armenian language|Armenian]] – [[Bergen County, New Jersey|Bergen County]]
* [[Bengali language|Bengali]] – Paterson
* [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]] and [[Hindi]] – Jersey City, all of Middlesex County, Cherry Hill, [[Parsippany, New Jersey|Parsippany]], [[Princeton, New Jersey|Princeton]]
* [[Indonesian language|Indonesian]] – [[Gloucester City, New Jersey|Gloucester City]], [[Middlesex County, New Jersey|Middlesex]], [[Somerset County, New Jersey|Somerset]], and [[Union County, New Jersey|Union]] counties
* Japanese – [[Edgewater, New Jersey|Edgewater]] and [[Fort Lee, New Jersey|Fort Lee]] [[borough (New Jersey)|boroughs]] in Bergen County
* [[Korean language|Korean]] – [[Bergen County, New Jersey#Korean American|Bergen County (numerous municipalities)]]; [[Edison, New Jersey|Edison]]; and [[Cherry Hill, New Jersey#Demographics|Cherry Hill]]
* [[Macedonian language|Macedonian]] – Bergen County
* [[Malayalam]] – Bergen County
* [[Polish language|Polish]] – Bergen County ([[Garfield, New Jersey|Garfield]], [[Wallington, New Jersey|Wallington]]); Mercer County ([[Top Road, Trenton, New Jersey|Top Road]], [[Lawrence Township, Mercer County, New Jersey|Lawrence Township]], [[Hopewell, New Jersey|Hopewell]]); [[Linden, New Jersey|Linden]]
* [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] – [[Ironbound]] section of [[Newark, New Jersey|Newark]]; [[Elizabeth, New Jersey|Elizabeth]]
* Russian – [[Fair Lawn, New Jersey|Fair Lawn]] borough of Bergen County, Princeton area and Mercer County
* [[Tamil language|Tamil]] and [[Telugu language|Telugu]] – [[Edison, New Jersey|Edison]], [[Monroe Township, Middlesex County, New Jersey|Monroe Township]] (''Edison-South''), and all of Middlesex County; Fair Lawn, Parsippany
* [[Turkish language|Turkish]] – [[Little Istanbul]] section of Paterson, [[Mount Ephraim, New Jersey|Mount Ephraim]], Delran, Cherry Hill
* [[Urdu]] – Mount Ephraim has a significant number of residents of Pakistani origin.
* [[Vietnamese language|Vietnamese]] – [[Atlantic City, New Jersey|Atlantic City]],<ref name=VietnameseNewYearAtlanticCity>{{cite web|url=https://www.acnj.gov/News/View/417/city-of-atlantic-city-celebrates-vietnamese-new-year|title=City of Atlantic City Celebrates Vietnamese New Year|publisher=City of Atlantic City|date=January 30, 2023|access-date=July 4, 2023|archive-date=July 5, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230705034234/https://www.acnj.gov/News/View/417/city-of-atlantic-city-celebrates-vietnamese-new-year|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Little Saigon, Philadelphia|Camden/Cherry Hill]], [[Edison Township, New Jersey|Edison Township]], [[Jersey City]], [[Woodlynne, New Jersey|Woodlynne]]<ref name=HighestVietnamesePercentageNewJersey>{{cite web|url=http://www.usa.com/rank/new-jersey-state--vietnamese-population-percentage--city-rank.htm|title=New Jersey Vietnamese Population Percentage City Rank Based on US Census 2010 data|publisher=World Media Group|access-date=July 4, 2023|archive-date=July 5, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230705001036/http://www.usa.com/rank/new-jersey-state--vietnamese-population-percentage--city-rank.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Yiddish language|Yiddish]] – [[Lakewood Township, New Jersey|Lakewood Township]], [[Ocean County, New Jersey|Ocean County]], [[Jackson Township, New Jersey|Jackson]]
{{div col end}}
<gallery mode="packed" heights="160">
File:Constitution Park Fort Lee New Jersey.JPG|High-rise residential complexes in the borough of [[Fort Lee, New Jersey|Fort Lee]]
File:Downtown-paterson-nj2.jpg|[[Paterson, New Jersey|Paterson]], sometimes known as Silk City,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.patersonnj.gov/|title=City of Paterson—Silk City|access-date=April 2, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131109161822/http://www.patersonnj.gov/|archive-date=November 9, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> has become a prime destination for an internationally diverse pool of immigrants,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://yumimmigrantcity.com/restaurants/machu-picchu/a-brief-history-of-peruvian-immigration-to-the-united-states/|title=A Brief History of Peruvian Immigration to the United States|publisher=yumimmigrantcity.com|access-date=April 2, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130731004838/http://yumimmigrantcity.com/restaurants/machu-picchu/a-brief-history-of-peruvian-immigration-to-the-united-states/|archive-date=July 31, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://thealternativepress.com/articles/patersons-bengali-community-takes-pride-in-akhta|title=Paterson's Bengali Community Takes Pride in Akhtaruzzaman's Upset Victory|author1=Joe Malinconico|author2=Charlie Kratovil|name-list-style=amp|magazine=The Alternative Press|date=May 9, 2012|access-date=April 2, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130514190904/http://thealternativepress.com/articles/patersons-bengali-community-takes-pride-in-akhta|archive-date=May 14, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> with at least 52 distinct ethnic groups.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.northjersey.com/news/political-battle-brewing-over-paterson-s-plans-for-hispanic-heritage-month-event-1.1096285|title=Political battle brewing over Paterson's plans for Hispanic Heritage Month event|author=Joe Malinconico|newspaper=Northjersey.com |date=September 25, 2014|access-date=September 27, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140926133042/http://www.northjersey.com/news/political-battle-brewing-over-paterson-s-plans-for-hispanic-heritage-month-event-1.1096285|archive-date=September 26, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>
File:Jersey City Skyline 2023 150 cropped.jpg|Skyscrapers in [[Jersey City, New Jersey|Jersey City]], one of the most [[ethnic diversity|ethnically diverse]] cities in the world<ref name=DiverseJC1>{{cite news|url=http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2015/02/jersey_city_named_most_ethnically_linguistically_d.html|title=Jersey City named most diverse city in America: report|author=Summer Dawn Hortillosa|work=The Jersey Journal|date=February 17, 2015|access-date=May 16, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518105950/http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2015/02/jersey_city_named_most_ethnically_linguistically_d.html|archive-date=May 18, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=DiverseJC2>{{cite web|url=http://www.movoto.com/jersey-city-nj/jersey-city-facts/|title=53 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Jersey City|author=Spencer McKee|date=July 2, 2014 |publisher=Movoto|access-date=May 16, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518094715/http://www.movoto.com/jersey-city-nj/jersey-city-facts/|archive-date=May 18, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>
File:CamdenNJ FedCourt.jpg|Federal Courthouse in [[Camden, New Jersey|Camden]], which is connected to [[Philadelphia]] via the [[Benjamin Franklin Bridge]] in the background
</gallery>

===Sexual orientation and gender identity===
{{further|LGBT culture in New York City|LGBT culture in Philadelphia}}
New Jersey is widely regarded as an [[gay-friendly|LGBTQ+ friendly]] state and is now home to more [[List of gay villages#United States|gay villages]] per square mile than any other U.S. state. [[Same-sex marriage in New Jersey]] has been legally recognized since October 21, 2013, the effective date of a trial court ruling invalidating New Jersey's restriction of [[marriage]] to persons of different sexes at the time. In September 2013, Mary C. Jacobson, Assignment Judge of the [[Mercer County, New Jersey|Mercer Vicinage]] of the [[New Jersey Superior Court|Superior Court]], ruled that as a result of the [[Supreme Court of the United States|U.S. Supreme Court]]'s June 2013 decision in ''[[United States v. Windsor]]'', the [[Constitution of New Jersey]] requires the state to recognize [[same-sex marriage]]s.<ref>{{cite news|last=Zernike|first=Kate|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/22/nyregion/christie-withdraws-appeal-of-same-sex-marriage-ruling-in-new-jersey.html|title=As Gays Wed in New Jersey, Christie Ends Court Fight|newspaper=The New York Times|date=October 21, 2013|access-date=October 22, 2013|archive-date=October 22, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131022205118/http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/22/nyregion/christie-withdraws-appeal-of-same-sex-marriage-ruling-in-new-jersey.html?_r=0|url-status=live}}</ref>

Numerous [[gayborhood]]s have emerged in New Jersey, most prominently in [[Jersey City]],<ref name=NJGayVillages>{{cite web|url=https://www.nj.com/entertainment/2016/11/where_are_the_most_lgbt-friendly_towns_in_nj.html|title=Where are the most LGBT-friendly towns in N.J.?|date=November 2, 2016|access-date=May 19, 2023|archive-date=October 29, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211029172650/https://www.nj.com/entertainment/2016/11/where_are_the_most_lgbt-friendly_towns_in_nj.html|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Asbury Park, New Jersey|Asbury Park]], [[Maplewood, New Jersey|Maplewood]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://patch.com/new-jersey/maplewood/where-the-gays-are-2|title=Where the Gays Are – Are Maplewood and South Orange the gay-family Mecca of the tri-state area? Maplewood, NJ|first=Deborah|last=Goldstein|publisher=Maplewood Patch|date=July 27, 2010|access-date=September 14, 2016|archive-date=June 2, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160602053503/http://patch.com/new-jersey/maplewood/where-the-gays-are-2|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Montclair, New Jersey|Montclair]], and [[Lambertville, New Jersey|Lambertville]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/16/travel/queer-travel-new-hope-lgbtq-friendly.html|title=Searching for a Gay Getaway (Not Fire Island)|last=Piepenburg|first=Erik|date=June 16, 2022|website=The New York Times|access-date=October 6, 2023|archive-date=October 7, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231007170549/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/16/travel/queer-travel-new-hope-lgbtq-friendly.html|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Trenton, New Jersey|Trenton]], the [[List of U.S. state capitals|state capital]] of New Jersey, elected [[Reed Gusciora]], its first openly gay mayor, in 2018,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2018/07/i_am_honored_trenton_swears_in_reed_gusciora_as_ci.html|title='I am honored': Trenton swears in Reed Gusciora as city's new mayor|first=Paige|last=Gross|work=The Star-Ledger|date=July 1, 2018|access-date=July 1, 2018|archive-date=July 1, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180701203915/https://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2018/07/i_am_honored_trenton_swears_in_reed_gusciora_as_ci.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and Jennifer Williams, New Jersey's first openly [[transgender]] city councilmember, in 2022.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nj.com/mercer/2022/12/one-vote-makes-the-difference-and-nj-has-its-first-transgender-council-member.html|title=One vote makes the difference, and N.J. has its first transgender council member|author=Richard Cowen|publisher=NJ Advance Media|date=December 30, 2022|access-date=December 30, 2022|archive-date=December 30, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221230235137/https://www.nj.com/mercer/2022/12/one-vote-makes-the-difference-and-nj-has-its-first-transgender-council-member.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In June 2018, Maplewood, [[Essex County, New Jersey|Essex County]] unveiled permanent [[rainbow crossing|rainbow-colored crosswalks]] to celebrate LGBTQ pride.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nj.com/essex/index.ssf/2018/06/maplewood_rainbow_crosswalk.html|title=Town permanently painted crosswalk rainbow, because LGBT pride never goes away|first=Delaney|last=Dryfoos|work=The Star-Ledger|date=June 7, 2018|access-date=June 27, 2018|archive-date=June 14, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180614034102/http://www.nj.com/essex/index.ssf/2018/06/maplewood_rainbow_crosswalk.html|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Rahway, New Jersey|Rahway]], [[Union County, New Jersey|Union County]], also unveiled its own rainbow-colored crosswalks in June 2019.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nj.com/news/2019/06/facebook-troll-tried-to-take-down-nj-towns-rainbow-crosswalks-it-didnt-work.html|title=Facebook troll tried to take down N.J. town's rainbow crosswalks. It didn't work|first=Cassidy|last=Grom|publisher=New Jersey On-Line LLC|date=June 12, 2019|access-date=June 12, 2019|archive-date=June 12, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190612222000/https://www.nj.com/news/2019/06/facebook-troll-tried-to-take-down-nj-towns-rainbow-crosswalks-it-didnt-work.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In January 2019, [[Governor of New Jersey|New Jersey Governor]] [[Phil Murphy]] signed legislation mandating LGBTQ+ inclusive [[curriculum|educational curriculum]] in schools.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/new-jersey-schools-lgbtq-curriculum_us_5c539cf7e4b01d3c1f11f2c5|title=New Jersey Governor Signs Bill Requiring LGBTQ-Inclusive Curriculum In Schools. Gov. Phil Murphy was "honored" to sign the bill, an aide said|first=Nick|last=Visser|publisher=Huffpost|date=January 31, 2019|access-date=February 1, 2019|archive-date=February 1, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190201035507/https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/new-jersey-schools-lgbtq-curriculum_us_5c539cf7e4b01d3c1f11f2c5|url-status=live}}</ref> In February 2019, New Jersey began allowing a [[gender neutrality|neutral or non-binary gender]] choice on [[birth certificate]]s.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://transequality.org/documents/state/new-jersey|title=New Jersey Birth Certificate Laws|publisher=National Center for Transgender Equality – New Jersey|access-date=February 1, 2019|archive-date=January 31, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190131185440/https://transequality.org/documents/state/new-jersey|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Religion===
{{bar box
|title=Religion in New Jersey (2014)<ref name="pew2014">{{cite web|url=http://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/state/new-jersey/|title=Religious Landscape Study|date=May 11, 2015|website=PewForum.org|access-date=December 21, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180105211425/http://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/state/new-jersey/|archive-date=January 5, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>
|titlebar=
|left1=Religion
|right1=Percent
|float=right
|bars=
{{bar percent|[[Catholic]]|DarkOrchid|34}}
{{bar percent|[[Protestant]]|Blue|31}}
{{bar percent|Unaffiliated|Grey|18}}
{{bar percent|[[Jewish]]|yellow|6}}
{{bar percent|[[Hindu]]|cyan|3}}
{{bar percent|[[Muslim]]|green|3}}
{{bar percent|[[Mormon]]|red|1}}
{{bar percent|[[Eastern Orthodox]]|brown|1}}
{{bar percent|[[Jehovah's Witness]]|violet|1}}
{{bar percent|Buddhist or other faith|grey|2}}
{{bar percent|Don't know|pink|1}}
}}
{{Category see also|Religion in New Jersey}}
By number of adherents, the largest religious traditions in New Jersey, according to the 2010 [[Association of Religion Data Archives]], were the [[Roman Catholic Church]] with 3,235,290; [[Islam]] with 160,666; and the [[United Methodist Church]] with 138,052.<ref name="www.thearda.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.thearda.com/rcms2010/r/s/34/rcms2010_34_state_adh_2010.asp|title=State Membership Report|publisher=The Association of Religion Data Archives|access-date=December 16, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131217004456/http://www.thearda.com/rcms2010/r/s/34/rcms2010_34_state_adh_2010.asp|archive-date=December 17, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> The world's [[List of largest Hindu temples|largest Hindu temple outside Asia]] is in [[Robbinsville, New Jersey|Robbinsville]], [[Mercer County, New Jersey|Mercer County]].<ref name="World'sLargestHinduTempleNJ">{{cite news|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/world/hindu-temple-largest-outside-india-modern-new-jersey-8954200/lite/|title=World's largest Hindu temple outside India in modern era to be inaugurated on October 8 in New Jersey|newspaper=The Indian Express|date=September 25, 2023|access-date=October 1, 2023|archive-date=October 3, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231003015530/https://indianexpress.com/article/world/hindu-temple-largest-outside-india-modern-new-jersey-8954200/lite/|url-status=live}}</ref> In September 2021, the State of New Jersey aligned with the World Hindu Council to declare October [[Hinduism|Hindu]] Heritage Month. In January 2018, [[Gurbir Grewal]] became the first [[Sikh American]] to serve as [[state attorney general]] in the United States.<ref name=GurbirGrewalNJ61stAttorneyGeneral>{{cite web|url=https://nj.gov/oag/newsreleases18/pr20180116a.html|title=Gurbir S. Grewal Confirmed as 61st New Jersey Attorney General|publisher=State of New Jersey|date=January 16, 2018|access-date=September 15, 2018|quote=Gurbir S. Grewal became the 61st Attorney General of the State of New Jersey following the inauguration of Governor Phil Murphy today, January 16, 2018.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180915122025/https://nj.gov/oag/newsreleases18/pr20180116a.html|archive-date=September 15, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> In January 2019, [[Sadaf Jaffer]] of [[Montgomery, New Jersey|Montgomery]] became the first female [[Muslim American]] mayor, first female [[South Asian]] mayor, and first female [[Pakistani-American]] mayor in the U.S.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nj.com/news/2019/05/first-female-muslim-mayor-in-the-us-calls-this-nj-town-home.html|title=First female Muslim mayor in the U.S. calls this N.J. town home|author=Olivia Rizzo|publisher=New Jersey On-Line LLC|date=May 21, 2019|access-date=May 21, 2019|quote=She is now the first female South Asian mayor of a New Jersey municipality and the first female Muslim mayor in the state. She is also believed to be the first female Muslim mayor, female Pakistani-American mayor and first female South Asian-American mayor first in the nation, according to Religionnews.com.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190524015524/https://www.nj.com/news/2019/05/first-female-muslim-mayor-in-the-us-calls-this-nj-town-home.html|archive-date=May 24, 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref> Large numbers of Orthodox Jews are now migrating to New Jersey from New York, due to the latter's higher cost of living.<ref name=NYLargestOrthodoxJewishCommunities>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/02/nyregion/ultra-orthodox-jews-hasidim-new-jersey.html|title=An Uneasy Welcome as Ultra-Orthodox Jews Extend Beyond New York|author=Joseph Berger|newspaper=The New York Times|date=August 2, 2017|access-date=October 29, 2022|archive-date=October 28, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221028083532/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/02/nyregion/ultra-orthodox-jews-hasidim-new-jersey.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The world's largest gathering of rabbis outside of Israel occurred in [[Edison, New Jersey|Edison]] on December 1, 2024.<ref name=LargestJewishgatheringWorldCentralNewJersey>{{cite web|url=https://www.tapinto.net/towns/edison/sections/religions-and-spirituality/articles/edison-expo-hall-hosts-world-s-largest-confab-of-rabbis-jewish-leaders-2|title=Edison Expo Hall Hosts 'World's Largest' Confab of Rabbis, Jewish Leaders|author=Tony Gallotto|publisher=[[TAPinto]] Edison|date=December 1, 2024|access-date=December 1, 2024}}</ref>

<gallery mode="packed" heights="160">
File:Facade of Sacred Heart Cathedral, Newark.jpg|[[Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart (Newark)|Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart]] in [[Newark, New Jersey|Newark]], the fifth-largest cathedral in North America, is the seat of the city's [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark|Roman Catholic archdiocese]].
File:The old Beis Madrash Building of BMG.jpg|[[Beth Medrash Govoha]] ([[Hebrew language|Hebrew]]: בית מדרש גבוה), in [[Lakewood Township, New Jersey|Lakewood]], [[Ocean County, New Jersey|Ocean County]], the world's largest [[Judaism|Jewish]] [[yeshiva]] outside Israel. New Jersey is home to the second-highest [[American Jews#Demographics|Jewish American]] population per capita, after [[New York (state)|New York]], and the fastest-growing [[Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox Jewish]] population.<ref name=LargestYeshivaOutsideIsrael>{{cite web|url=https://www.nj.com/news/2019/04/lakewood-yeshiva-looks-to-use-old-golf-course-for-new-campus.html|title=Lakewood yeshiva looks to use old golf course for new campus|author=Steve Strunsky|publisher=New Jersey On-Line LLC|date=April 16, 2019|access-date=February 24, 2023|quote=Beth Medrash Gohova is said to be the world's largest Jewish-affiliated university outside of Israel.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190416231806/https://www.nj.com/news/2019/04/lakewood-yeshiva-looks-to-use-old-golf-course-for-new-campus.html|archive-date=April 16, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=LargestYeshivaNorthAmerica>{{cite web|url=https://www.nj.com/ocean/2017/08/11_ways_lakewood_is_like_nowhere_else_in_nj.html|title=10 ways Lakewood is unlike anywhere else in N.J.|author=Stephen Stirling|date=August 3, 2017|publisher=NJ Advance Media|access-date=February 24, 2023|quote=The sea change can be pinned to one event: The founding of the Beth Medrash Govoha yeshiva in the mid-20th century. The Orthodox Jewish community has set down roots en masse around the religious school, which is now the largest yeshiva in North America.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190416233313/https://www.nj.com/ocean/2017/08/11_ways_lakewood_is_like_nowhere_else_in_nj.html|archive-date=April 16, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>
File:BAPS Robbinsville Mandir - carving 4.jpg|[[Akshardam New Jersey]] in [[Robbinsville, New Jersey|Robbinsville]], [[Mercer County, New Jersey|Mercer County]], the world's second-largest [[Hindu temple]] and the [[List of largest Hindu temples|largest in the]] [[Western Hemisphere]]. New Jersey is home to the highest [[Hinduism|Hindu]] population per capita in the U.S.
File:ICPCNJ.png|[[Islamic Center of Passaic County]], [[Paterson, New Jersey|Paterson]], [[Passaic County, New Jersey|Passaic County]], was founded in 1990. New Jersey is home to one of the highest Muslim population concentrations in the [[Western Hemisphere]] (3.5%), and Paterson, which houses the Islamic Center of Passaic County, is the epicenter of New Jersey's Muslim community, leading [[South Paterson]] to be nicknamed ''Little [[Istanbul]]'' and ''Little [[Ramallah]]''.<ref name="Muslims by state" />
File:SoShimSaBuddhaHall.jpg|[[So Shim Sa Zen Center]] in [[Middlesex County, New Jersey|Middlesex County]], serving New Jersey's Buddhist community
</gallery>

==Education==
{{See also|New Jersey Department of Education|Post-secondary education in New Jersey|List of high schools in New Jersey|List of school districts in New Jersey}}
[[File:Old Queens, New Brunswick, NJ - looking north, 2014.jpg|alt=|thumb|[[Old Queens]] at [[Rutgers University]], the largest state university system in New Jersey]]
[[File:Cleveland Tower, Princeton University Graduate College, NJ - pinnacles.jpg|alt=|thumb|[[Cleveland Tower]] at [[Princeton University]], an [[Ivy League]] university and one of the world's most prominent research institutions, served briefly as the U.S. Capitol in the 18th century.]]
As of the 2020–2021 school year, there were 686 operating [[List of school districts in New Jersey|districts in the state]]. Of these, 599 were [[Education in the United States|traditional public school]] districts and 87 were [[Charter schools in the United States|charter school]] districts.<ref>{{Cite web |title=All school districts in New Jersey, NJ |url=https://www.greatschools.org/schools/districts/New_Jersey/NJ/ |access-date=June 8, 2022 |website=greatschools.org |archive-date=August 11, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811045635/https://www.greatschools.org/schools/districts/New_Jersey/NJ/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=New Jersey Public Schools Fact Sheet |url=https://www.nj.gov/education/doedata/fact.shtml |access-date=June 8, 2022 |website=nj.gov |archive-date=June 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210617212430/https://www.nj.gov/education/doedata/fact.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[New Jersey Department of Education|NJDOE]] reported a total district enrollment of 1,362,400 students, the lowest total enrollment since the early 2000s, though these figures do not consider [[Homeschooling|homeschooled]] students or those attending [[Boarding school|out-of-state schools]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Fall Enrollment Reports|url=https://www.nj.gov/education/doedata/enr/index.shtml|access-date=June 8, 2022|website=nj.gov|archive-date=June 17, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210617201137/https://www.nj.gov/education/doedata/enr/index.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref> New Jersey public schools emphasize [[STEM]] subjects, and New Jersey is home to more scientists and engineers per square mile than anywhere else in the world.<ref name=NewJerseyHighestScientistsEngineersWorld/><ref name=NewJerseyHighestDensityScientistsEngineers>{{cite web|url=https://nj.gov/nj/about/facts/timeline/ |title=New Jersey is home to more scientists and engineers per square mile than anywhere else in the world.|publisher=State of New Jersey|access-date=May 19, 2023|archive-date=May 20, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230520051234/https://nj.gov/nj/about/facts/timeline/|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Educational standards===
New Jersey is known for the high quality of its education.{{Citation needed|date=April 2026}} In 2024, New Jersey spent the second-most per public school student among all states, behind [[New York (state)|New York]], amounting to $26,600 spent per pupil.<ref name=NJHighEducationExpenditurePerPupil>{{cite web|url=https://educationdata.org/public-education-spending-statistics|title=Public K-12 Spending Per Student|author=Melanie Hanson|publisher=Education Data Initiative|date=July 14, 2024|access-date=August 7, 2024}}</ref> In 2018, over 50% of the expenditure was allocated to student instruction.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.governing.com/gov-data/education-data/state-education-spending-per-pupil-data.html|title=Education Spending Per Student by State|publisher=GOVERNING—e.Republic|access-date=March 4, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180702004654/http://www.governing.com/gov-data/education-data/state-education-spending-per-pupil-data.html|archive-date=July 2, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>

New Jersey is home to several prestigious private universities, including [[Princeton University]], one of the world's most prominent [[research university|research universities]], which was ranked first for the tenth consecutive year among all national universities by ''[[U.S. News & World Report]]'' in 2025 and has ranked first in comparable lists published by ''[[Forbes]]'' and  ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'',<ref name=PrincetonTopUniversityUSNews>{{cite web|url=https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities?myCollege=national-universities&_sort=myCollege&_sortDirection=asc|title=Best National University Rankings|work=U.S. News & World Report|access-date=September 28, 2025}}</ref><ref name=ForbesPrincetonTopUniversity>{{cite web|url=https://poetsandquants.com/2024/09/07/ranking-the-forbes-2024-2025-top-colleges-in-america/ |title=Ranking: The Forbes 2024-2025 Top Colleges in America|author-first1=Kristy|author-last1=Bleizeffer|publisher=Poets&Quants|date=September 7, 2024|access-date=September 20, 2024|quote=For the second straight year, [[Princeton University]] tops the list in Forbes’ "America’s Top Colleges" ranking.}}</ref><ref name=WSJPrincetonTopUniversity>{{cite web|url=https://poetsandquantsforundergrads.com/news/wall-street-journals-2025-best-colleges-in-america/|title=Wall Street Journal's 2025 Best Colleges In America|author-first1=Kristy|author-last1=Bleizeffer|publisher=Poets&Quants|date=September 5, 2024|access-date=September 20, 2024|quote=Another U.S. college ranking, another first for [[Princeton University]].  Princeton topped Wall Street Journal/College Pulse’s 2025 Best Colleges in the U.S ranking, released today (September 5). It’s the second straight year Princeton has been WSJ’s top school — and it continues an impressive winning streak for the private Ivy in New Jersey.}}</ref> and public universities such as [[Rutgers University]], headquartered in [[New Brunswick, New Jersey|New Brunswick]], [[Middlesex County, New Jersey|Middlesex County]], the state's flagship institution of higher education.<ref name="RutgersRef">{{cite web|url=http://www.northjersey.com/news/education/A_new_Rutgers_debuts_after_official_merger.html |title=Rutgers a 'world-class university', school president says at merger ceremony |author=Patricia Alex |date=July 2, 2013 |access-date=July 2, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130901190055/http://www.northjersey.com/news/education/A_new_Rutgers_debuts_after_official_merger.html |archive-date=September 1, 2013 }}</ref>

In 2019, 2020, and 2021, ''Education Week'' also ranked New Jersey public schools the best of all U.S. states.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/map-a-f-grades-rankings-for-states-on-school-quality/2021/09|title=Map: A-F Grades, Rankings for States on School Quality|newspaper=Education Week|date=September 1, 2021|access-date=August 7, 2024}}</ref><ref name="KellyHeyboer20202">{{cite web |author=Heyboer |first=Kelly |date=September 2, 2020 |title=N.J. has the best public schools in the nation – again, ranking says |url=https://www.nj.com/education/2020/09/nj-has-the-best-public-schools-in-the-nation-again-ranking-says.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200903020644/https://www.nj.com/education/2020/09/nj-has-the-best-public-schools-in-the-nation-again-ranking-says.html |archive-date=September 3, 2020 |access-date=September 2, 2020 |publisher=New Jersey On-Line LLC}}</ref>

In 2016, nine New Jersey-based [[Secondary education in the United States|high schools]] were ranked among the top 25 in the nation, more than any other state, in "America's Top High Schools 2016", published by ''[[Newsweek]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newsweek.com/high-schools/americas-top-high-schools-2016|title=America's Top High Schools 2016|work=[[Newsweek]]|year=2016|access-date=August 12, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161223235147/http://www.newsweek.com/high-schools/americas-top-high-schools-2016|archive-date=December 23, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>

In November 2023, New Jersey Governor [[Phil Murphy]] signed into law legislation eliminating testing for prospective teachers in reading, writing, and math, replacing it with an alternative certification process.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://13wham.com/news/nation-world/new-jersey-drops-basic-skills-requirement-for-new-teachers-caved-to-teacher-union-demands-education-association-reading-writing-math-proficiency-phil-murphy-crisis-in-the-classroom | title=New Jersey drops basic skills requirement for new teachers: 'Caved to ... union demands' | author=Watrobski, Kristina | publisher=[[WHAM-TV]] | accessdate=December 3, 2023 | date=November 29, 2023 | quote=Gov. Phil Murphy signed into law Monday the elimination of the state's basic skills test requirement. Passing the exam was previously required for teachers to become certified if they did not score in the top one-third percentile of the SAT, ACT or GRE. Under the new law, teachers can now skip the exam and instead receive an alternate teaching certificate. | archive-date=December 3, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231203000626/https://13wham.com/news/nation-world/new-jersey-drops-basic-skills-requirement-for-new-teachers-caved-to-teacher-union-demands-education-association-reading-writing-math-proficiency-phil-murphy-crisis-in-the-classroom | url-status=live }}</ref>

==Economy==
{{See also|New Jersey locations by per capita income}}

According to the [[U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis]], in 2025, New Jersey's [[gross state product]] was $887.1 billion and the state's per capita personal income was $88,223.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://apps.bea.gov/itable/?ReqID=70&step=1&_gl=1*1lzir47*_ga*MzgyODMwNDMuMTc3ODg2ODk4Nw..*_ga_J4698JNNFT*czE3Nzg4Njg5ODckbzEkZzEkdDE3Nzg4Njg5OTMkajU0JGwwJGgw#eyJhcHBpZCI6NzAsInN0ZXBzIjpbMSwyOSwyNSwzMSwyNiwyNywzMF0sImRhdGEiOltbIlRhYmxlSWQiLCI2MDAiXSxbIk1ham9yX0FyZWEiLCIwIl0sWyJTdGF0ZSIsWyIwIl1dLFsiQXJlYSIsWyIzNDAwMCJdXSxbIlN0YXRpc3RpYyIsWyItMSJdXSxbIlVuaXRfb2ZfbWVhc3VyZSIsIkxldmVscyJdLFsiWWVhciIsWyIyMDI1Il1dLFsiWWVhckJlZ2luIiwiLTEiXSxbIlllYXJfRW5kIiwiLTEiXV19 |title=SASUMMARY State annual summary statistics: personal income, GDP, consumer spending, price indexes, and employment |publisher=[[U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis]] |access-date=May 15, 2026}}</ref>

===Affluence===
[[File:Map of Income by Location in New Jersey.png|thumb|A heat map showing median income distribution in New Jersey by county]]
New Jersey's [[List of U.S. states by GDP per capita (nominal)|per capita gross state product]] routinely ranks among the highest in the nation. In 2020, New Jersey had more [[millionaire]]s both per capita and per square mile, representing roughly 9.76% of all New Jersey household, than any state in the nation.<ref name="Millionaires2"/>

The state is ranked second in the nation by the number of places with per capita incomes exceeding the national average with 76.4%. Three of New Jersey's counties are among the 20 highest income U.S. counties in the nation as of 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Depietro |first=Andrew |date=2023-01-31 |title=Richest and Poorest Counties in the U.S. |url=https://www.creditkarma.com/insights/i/richest-and-poorest-counties-in-us |access-date=2024-06-27 |website=Intuit Credit Karma |language=en-US}}</ref>

As of May 2025, the state's [[unemployment]] rate was 4.8%.<ref>{{Cite web |last=staff |first=CNBC com |date=2025-07-10 |title=30. New Jersey |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2025/07/10/new-jersey-top-states-for-business-ranking.html |access-date=2026-01-14 |website=CNBC |language=en}}</ref> 

===Fiscal policy===
New Jersey has seven [[tax bracket]]s that determine [[state income tax]] rates, which range from 1.4% (for income below $20,000) to 10.75% (for income above $1,000,000).<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.nj.gov/treasury/taxation/pdf/current/njtaxratesch.pdf | title = New Jersey Tax Rate Schedules 2020 | publisher = [[New Jersey Department of Treasury]] | accessdate = 2025-07-25}}</ref>

The standard [[sales tax]] rate as of January 1, 2018, is 6.625%, applicable to all retail sales unless specifically exempt by law. This rate, which is comparably lower than that of New York City, often attracts numerous shoppers from New York City, often to suburban [[Paramus]], New Jersey, which has five malls, one of which (the [[Garden State Plaza]]) has over {{Convert | 2 | e6ft2 | sigfig = 1 }} of retail space. [[Tax exemption]]s include most food items for at-home preparation, medications, most clothing, footwear and disposable paper products for use in the home.<ref>[http://www.state.nj.us/treasury/taxation/pdf/pubs/sales/su4.pdf New Jersey Sales Tax Guide] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180222042908/http://www.state.nj.us/treasury/taxation/pdf/pubs/sales/su4.pdf |date=February 22, 2018 }}, [[New Jersey Department of Treasury]]. Retrieved February 26, 2018.</ref> There are 27 [[Urban Enterprise Zone]] statewide, including sections of [[Paterson, New Jersey|Paterson]], [[Elizabeth, New Jersey|Elizabeth]], and [[Jersey City, New Jersey|Jersey City]]. In addition to other benefits to encourage employment within the zone, shoppers can take advantage of a reduced 3.3125% [[sales tax]] rate (half the rate charged statewide) at eligible merchants.<ref>[http://www.nj.gov/njbusiness/financing/uez/ Urban Enterprise Zone Program] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180314041128/http://www.nj.gov/njbusiness/financing/uez/ |date=March 14, 2018 }}, State of New Jersey. Retrieved January 8, 2018.</ref><ref>[http://www.nj.gov/dca/affiliates/uez/publications/pdf/NJUEZ_Locations.pdf New Jersey Urban Enterprise Zone Locations] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181119223540/https://www.nj.gov/dca/affiliates/uez/publications/pdf/NJUEZ_Locations.pdf |date=November 19, 2018 }}, [[New Jersey Department of Community Affairs]], locations as of January 1, 2017. Retrieved January 8, 2018.</ref><ref>[http://www.state.nj.us/treasury/news/2017/p12272017a.pdf "NJ Division of Taxation Reminds Consumers & Business Owners That Sales Tax Rate Will Change to 6.625% in the New Year"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180205011020/http://www.state.nj.us/treasury/news/2017/p12272017a.pdf|date=February 5, 2018 }}, [[New Jersey Department of Treasury]], press release dated December 27, 2017. Retrieved January 8, 2018. "The New Jersey Division of Taxation is reminding business owners that the State Sales and Use Tax rate will be reduced to 6.625% on Jan. 1, 2018.{{nbsp}}... Rates for State Sales Tax in Urban Enterprise Zones also will change on Jan. 1, 2018. The rate in a designated UEZ will be 50 percent of the Sales Tax rate, or 3.3125 percent. The previous UEZ rate was 3.4375 percent."</ref>

New Jersey has the highest cumulative tax rate of all 50 states with residents paying a total of $68&nbsp;billion in state and local taxes annually with a per capita burden of $7,816 at a rate of 12.9% of income.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://247wallst.com/2011/07/21/108558/3/|title=States Where People Pay The Most (And Least) In Taxes|publisher=24/7 Wall St.|date=July 21, 2011|access-date=May 17, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120517160818/http://247wallst.com/2011/07/21/108558/3/|archive-date=May 17, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> All [[real property]] located in the state is subject to [[property tax]] unless specifically exempted by statute. New Jersey does not assess an intangible personal property tax or an [[Estate tax in the United States|estate tax]], but it does impose an [[inheritance tax]] (which is levied only on heirs who are not direct descendants).<ref>{{Cite web|title=Beware the New Jersey Inheritance Tax — February 13, 2019|date=February 13, 2019|url=https://www.lindabury.com/firm/insights/beware-the-new-jersey-inheritance-tax.html|access-date=September 4, 2021|archive-date=September 4, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210904000751/https://www.lindabury.com/firm/insights/beware-the-new-jersey-inheritance-tax.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2023, Governor [[Phil Murphy]] signed into law a new tax-relief program known as StayNJ that will provide for an annual property-tax cut of 50% for those aged 65 and over with incomes below $500,000; the cut will go into effect in January 2026 and be capped at $6,500, but with this cap rising as indexed to the increase in New Jersey's overall property taxes.<ref name=StayNJ50%PropertyTaxCutSeniorCitizens>{{cite web|url=https://nj.gov/governor/news/news/562023/approved/20230630f.shtml|title=Governor Murphy Signs Fiscal Year 2024 Budget into Law|publisher=State of New Jersey|date=June 30, 2023|access-date=July 4, 2023|quote=The StayNJ senior property tax credit affordability program expands income limits and modifies ownership requirements with the aim of cutting property taxes in half for many eligible New Jersey seniors by providing a direct credit of up to $6,500 on property tax bills when fully implemented.|archive-date=July 4, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230704060514/https://nj.gov/governor/news/news/562023/approved/20230630f.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>Han, Daniel. [https://www.politico.com/news/2023/07/01/murphy-signs-54-billion-budget-staynj-00104514 "New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signs $54B budget along with 'StayNJ{{'"}}], ''[[Politico]]'', July 1, 2023. Retrieved July 7, 2023. "Key to the budget negotiations was the creation of the new property tax relief program for seniors, dubbed StayNJ. The plan will provide tax credits worth half a senior's property tax bill up to $6,500 for incomes up to $500,000. Benefits for the program do not go out until January 2026." {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230707162827/https://www.politico.com/news/2023/07/01/murphy-signs-54-billion-budget-staynj-00104514 |date=July 7, 2023 }}.</ref>

===Federal taxation disparity===
New Jersey consistently ranks as having one of the highest proportional levels of disparity of any state in the U.S., based upon what it receives from the [[Federal government of the United States|federal government]] relative to what it pays. In 2015, [[WalletHub]] ranked New Jersey the state that was least dependent on federal government aid overall and the state with the fourth-lowest return on taxpayer investment from the federal government, at 48 cents per dollar.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wallethub.com/edu/states-most-least-dependent-on-the-federal-government/2700/%23main-findings|title=2015's States Most & Least Dependent on the Federal Government|website=WalletHub |publisher=Evolution Finance |first1=John S |last1=Kiernan |access-date=April 26, 2015 }}{{dead link|date=March 2026}}</ref> In 2023, New Jersey sent approximately $183 billion to [[Washington, D.C.]] in taxes but only received approximately $113 billion in federal investment resulting in each state resident sending the federal government approximately $7,500 more than they get back. In 2025, WalletHub again ranked New Jersey as the least dependent on federal government aid overall with now the second-lowest return on taxpayer spending from the federal government, at 48 cents per dollar.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/2025/07/28/nj-least-dependent-on-federal-money-what-that-means-and-why/85403986007/|title=Is NJ a dependent or donor state? New Jersey least dependent on federal funds|work=northjersey.com|date=July 28, 2025|access-date=November 19, 2025}}</ref>

New Jersey has one of the highest tax burdens of any state the nation.<ref name=taxfoundation>{{cite web | url=http://taxfoundation.org/state-tax-climate/new-jersey | title=New Jersey | at=New Jersey's State and Local Tax Burden Above National Average | publisher=[[Tax Foundation]] | access-date=January 4, 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140104205615/http://taxfoundation.org/state-tax-climate/new-jersey | archive-date=January 4, 2014 | url-status=dead }}</ref> Factors for this include the large federal tax liability, which is not adjusted for New Jersey's higher cost of living and [[Medicaid]] funding formulas.{{Citation needed|date=April 2026}}

===Industries===
{{further|Biotech and pharmaceutical companies in New Jersey}}
[[File:Cranberrys beim Ernten.jpeg|thumb|[[Cranberry]] harvest]]
New Jersey's economy is multifaceted, featuring high levels of both [[productivity]] and [[retail|retail consumption]]; the Garden State's economy comprises the [[pharmaceutical industry]], [[biotechnology]], [[information technology]], the [[financial industry]], [[tourism]], [[filmmaking]], [[telecommunications]], [[gambling]], food processing, electrical equipment manufacturing, printing, and publishing. New Jersey's agricultural outputs are nursery stock, horses, vegetables, fruits and nuts, seafood, and dairy products.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.njbiz.com/article/20170613/NJBIZ01/170619950/maersk-aims-to-shore-up-nj-shipping-industry-with-direct-financing-service.|title=Maersk aims to shore up N.J. shipping industry with direct financing service—NJBIZ|date=June 13, 2017|access-date=June 23, 2017|archive-date=August 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804090212/http://www.njbiz.com/article/20170613/NJBIZ01/170619950/maersk-aims-to-shore-up-nj-shipping-industry-with-direct-financing-service.|url-status=live}}</ref> New Jersey ranks second among states in [[blueberry]] production, third in [[cranberry|cranberries]] and [[spinach]], and fourth in [[bell peppers]], [[peach]]es, and [[lettuce|head lettuce]].<ref>{{cite news|author=Judith H. Dobrzynski|title=A Garden Crawl Through the Garden State|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/25/garden/25garden.html|work=The New York Times|date=June 24, 2010|access-date=June 25, 2010|author-link=Judith H. Dobrzynski|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100627041310/http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/25/garden/25garden.html|archive-date=June 27, 2010|url-status=live}}</ref> The state harvests the fourth-largest number of acres planted with [[asparagus]].<ref>{{cite news|title=It's No Tomato, but a Stalk Gets Some Respect|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/06/nyregion/in-new-jersey-asparagus-takes-its-place-at-the-table.html#h|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=May 4, 2012|access-date=May 7, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120508154350/http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/06/nyregion/in-new-jersey-asparagus-takes-its-place-at-the-table.html#h|archive-date=May 8, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> [[South Jersey]] has become an [[East Coast of the United States|East Coast epicenter]] for [[logistics]] and [[warehouse]] construction.<ref name=SouthJerseyEastCoastLogisticsEpicenter>{{cite web|url=https://www.njspotlightnews.org/2021/05/warehouses-sprawl-northern-nj-central-nj-newmark-reports-greenfields/amp/|title=Report details surge in warehouse construction...|author=Jon Hurdle|publisher=NJ Spotlight News|date=May 13, 2021|access-date=January 3, 2023|quote=In South Jersey, the area has become the "epicenter" of warehouse construction in the greater Philadelphia region.|archive-date=July 9, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230709172509/https://www.njspotlightnews.org/2021/05/warehouses-sprawl-northern-nj-central-nj-newmark-reports-greenfields/amp/|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2025, 99.7% of businesses in New Jersey were [[Small business|small businesses]], employing 48.8% of the state's workforce.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2025 Small Business Profile - New Jersey |url=https://advocacy.sba.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/New_Jersey_2025-State-Profile.pdf |access-date=February 26, 2026 |website=U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy}}</ref>

====Scientific economy====
New Jersey has a strong [[scientist|scientific economy]] and is home to major pharmaceutical and telecommunications firms, drawing on the state's large and well-educated labor pool, including one of the highest concentrations of [[engineer]]s and other scientists in the world. There is also a robust service economy in retail sales, education, and real estate, serving residents who work in New York City or Philadelphia. [[Thomas Edison]] invented the first [[electric light bulb]] at his home in [[Menlo Park, New Jersey|Menlo Park, Edison]] in 1879. New Jersey is also a key participant in the [[wind industry|renewable wind industry]]. New Jersey has more scientists and engineers per square mile than anywhere in the world,<ref>{{Cite web |title=New Jersey leads world in number of scientists, engineers per square mile |url=https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2012/sep/06/choose-new-jersey/new-jersey-leads-world-number-scientists-engineers/ |access-date=March 18, 2022 |website=@politifact |language=en-US |archive-date=March 18, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220318225324/https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2012/sep/06/choose-new-jersey/new-jersey-leads-world-number-scientists-engineers/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and is a global leader in [[pharmaceuticals]], [[biotechnology]], [[life sciences]], and [[technology]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Business.NJ.gov {{!}} What are New Jersey's principal industries? |url=https://business.nj.gov/faqs/what-are-new-jerseys-principal-industries |access-date=March 18, 2022 |website=business.nj.gov |archive-date=March 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220319081949/https://business.nj.gov/faqs/what-are-new-jerseys-principal-industries |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=New Jersey's Economy: The Top Industries Driving GDP Growth |url=https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/011316/new-jerseys-economy-9-industries-driving-gdp-growth.asp |access-date=March 18, 2022 |website=Investopedia |language=en |archive-date=March 18, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220318225325/https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/011316/new-jerseys-economy-9-industries-driving-gdp-growth.asp |url-status=live }}</ref>

====Corporate and retail====
New Jersey hosts numerous business headquarters, including twenty-four [[Fortune 500]] companies.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2007/states/NJ.html|title=Fortune 500 2007—States: New Jersey|date=March 30, 2007|access-date=May 30, 2007|publisher=CNN|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070609221731/http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2007/states/NJ.html|archive-date=June 9, 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Paramus, New Jersey|Paramus]] in [[Bergen County, New Jersey|Bergen County]] has become the top retail [[ZIP code]] (07652) in the United States, with the municipality generating over US$6&nbsp;billion in annual retail sales.<ref name=ParamusNumberOneRetailZipCode>{{cite web|url=https://www.nj.com/bergen/2019/03/more-shopping-money-is-spent-in-this-nj-town-than-on-rodeo-drive-take-that-cali.html|title=Inside the N.J. town where retail spending beats Hollywood and tourism rivals Disney|author=Allison Pries|publisher=New Jersey On-Line LLC|date=March 10, 2019|access-date=May 5, 2019|quote=The former farming community already sees more retail sales than any other zip code in the country{{nbsp}}... More than $6 billion in retail sales happen in Paramus each year.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191030055322/https://www.nj.com/bergen/2019/03/more-shopping-money-is-spent-in-this-nj-town-than-on-rodeo-drive-take-that-cali.html|archive-date=October 30, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> Several New Jersey counties, including [[Somerset County, New Jersey|Somerset]] (7), [[Morris County, New Jersey|Morris]] (10), [[Hunterdon County, New Jersey|Hunterdon]] (13), Bergen (21), and [[Monmouth County, New Jersey|Monmouth]] (42), have been ranked among the [[highest-income counties in the United States]].

====Shipping, manufacturing, and logistics====
[[File:PortNewarkNJTurnpike.jpg|thumb|The [[Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal]] was the world's first [[container port|container seaport]] and remains one of the world's largest and busiest.]]
Shipping is a key industry in New Jersey because of the state's strategic geographic location, the [[Port of New York and New Jersey]] being the busiest [[seaport]] on the [[U.S. East Coast]]. The [[Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal]] was the world's first [[container port]] and today is one of the world's largest and busiest. New Jersey's location at the center of the [[Eastern North America]]n population belt has made the state a prime hub for the logistics, warehousing, and [[supply chain]] management industries. The [[manufacturing]] economy in New Jersey had declined for several decades in the post-[[Industrial Revolution]] era but has since resumed growth.

====Tourism====
[[File:A sunset view of the beach in Atlantic City, NJ.jpg|thumb|[[Sunset]] on the beach at [[Atlantic City, New Jersey|Atlantic City]], an [[seaside resort|oceanfront resort]] and the nexus of New Jersey's [[casino|gambling industry]]]]
New Jersey's location at the center of the [[Northeast megalopolis]] and its extensive transportation system have put over one-third of all United States residents and many Canadian residents within overnight distance by land. This accessibility to consumer revenue has enabled [[seaside resort]]s such as [[Atlantic City, New Jersey|Atlantic City]] and the remainder of the [[Jersey Shore]], as well as the state's other natural and cultural attractions, to contribute significantly to the record 111&nbsp;million tourist visits to New Jersey in 2018, providing US$44.7&nbsp;billion in tourism revenue, directly supporting 333,860 jobs, sustaining more than 531,000 jobs overall including peripheral impacts, and generating US$5&nbsp;billion in state and local tax revenue.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nj.com/business/2019/05/tourism-spending-is-up-in-nj-and-itll-be-even-better-when-american-dream-is-built-murphy-says.html|title=Tourism spending is up in N.J., and it'll be even better when American Dream is built, Murphy says|author=Bill Duhart|publisher=New Jersey On-Line LLC|date=May 9, 2019|access-date=May 9, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190510001420/https://www.nj.com/business/2019/05/tourism-spending-is-up-in-nj-and-itll-be-even-better-when-american-dream-is-built-murphy-says.html|archive-date=May 10, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

====Gambling====
{{Main|Gambling in New Jersey}}

In 1976, a [[referendum]] by Jersey voters approved [[casino]] gambling in Atlantic City, where the first legalized casino opened in 1978.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://njmonthly.com/articles/towns_and_schools/history/30-and-counting-legalized-gambling.html|title=30 and Counting: Legalized Gambling|author=Brett Avery|website=New Jersey Monthly|date=February 5, 2008|access-date=October 24, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131030001609/http://njmonthly.com/articles/towns_and_schools/history/30-and-counting-legalized-gambling.html|archive-date=October 30, 2013}}</ref> At that time, [[Las Vegas Valley|Las Vegas]] was the only other casino resort in the country.<ref>{{cite news |title=Gambling Becomes Legal in New Jersey |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ejEeAAAAIBAJ&pg=4008,3062175&dq=gambling+in+new+jersey&hl=en |quote=The nation's only legal gambling casino outside Nevada won state approval Thursday night and planned Friday morning opening{{nbsp}}... |agency=Associated Press |date=May 26, 1978 |access-date=November 4, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713173036/http://www.newsweek.com/feature/2011/americas-best-high-schools.html |archive-date=July 13, 2011 }}</ref> Today, several casinos lie along the [[Atlantic City Boardwalk]], the oldest and longest boardwalk in the world, at {{Convert|5+1/2|mi}} in length.<ref name=Oyster2015>{{cite web |last1=Fazzalaro |first1=Kristinna |title=The 9 Best Boardwalks in the USA |url=https://www.oyster.com/articles/the-9-best-boardwalks-in-the-u-s/ |website=Oyster |date=April 10, 2015 |access-date=January 25, 2022 |archive-date=January 25, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220125155933/https://www.oyster.com/articles/the-9-best-boardwalks-in-the-u-s/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Atlantic City experienced a dramatic contraction in its stature as a gambling destination after 2010, including the closure of multiple casinos since 2014, spurred by competition from the advent of legalized gambling in other northeastern U.S. states.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://philly.curbed.com/2016/8/4/12376514/trump-taj-mahal-closed-atlantic-city-casinos|title=The Shuttered Casinos of Atlantic City|author=Melissa Romero|work=Curbed Philly |date=August 4, 2016|access-date=December 3, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220150814/http://philly.curbed.com/2016/8/4/12376514/trump-taj-mahal-closed-atlantic-city-casinos|archive-date=December 20, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.northjersey.com/news/revel-had-wanted-to-shut-down-casino-on-monday-1.1068856|title=Revel had wanted to shut down casino on Monday|author=Wayne Parry, Associated Press|newspaper=Northjersey.com |date=August 17, 2014|access-date=August 18, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140903180728/http://www.northjersey.com/news/revel-had-wanted-to-shut-down-casino-on-monday-1.1068856|archive-date=September 3, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>

On February 26, 2013, Governor Chris Christie signed [[online gambling]] into law.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/02/gov_christie_signs_internet_ga.html|title=Gov. Christie signs internet gambling into law|author=Ryan Hutchins|date=February 27, 2013|work=[[The Star (Christchurch)|The Star]]-Ledger|access-date=April 2, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130306012127/http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/02/gov_christie_signs_internet_ga.html|archive-date=March 6, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Sports betting]] has become a growing source of gambling revenue in New Jersey, with sportsbooks bringing in almost $12 billion in bets, making over $1 billion in revenue in 2023. Since being legalized across the nation by the [[U.S. Supreme Court]] on May 14, 2018, New Jersey led all states in sports betting handle until New York passed them.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/14/politics/sports-betting-ncaa-supreme-court/index.html|title=Supreme Court lets states legalize sports gambling|author=Ariane de Vogue and Maegan Vazquez|publisher=[[CNN]]|date=May 14, 2018|access-date=May 9, 2019|quote=The 6–3 ruling is a victory for New Jersey and other states who have considered allowing sports gambling as a way to encourage tourism and tax revenue.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190514002620/https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/14/politics/sports-betting-ncaa-supreme-court/index.html|archive-date=May 14, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.si.com/betting/2022/07/01/sportsbook-handle-revenue-may-2022-new-york-leads-states|title=New York Leads States in May Sportsbook Handle|author=Frankie Tadded|magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]]|date=July 1, 2022|access-date=February 18, 2023|quote=New York posted the highest sportsbook handle for May, followed by New Jersey, Nevada and Pennsylvania.|archive-date=February 18, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230218082411/https://www.si.com/betting/2022/07/01/sportsbook-handle-revenue-may-2022-new-york-leads-states|url-status=live}}</ref> In September 2022, the lifetime revenue from [[online casinos]] operating in New Jersey for the nine years since the industry's launch had surpassed $5 billion.<ref>{{Cite web|title=US Online Gambling is Poised for Expansion|url=https://apnews.com/article/sports-new-jersey-illinois-atlantic-city-2287780f1d9aa12f59cf0ced1f25fca2|date=September 23, 2022|access-date=January 23, 2023|website=APNews|language=en-US|archive-date=January 23, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230123141339/https://apnews.com/article/sports-new-jersey-illinois-atlantic-city-2287780f1d9aa12f59cf0ced1f25fca2|url-status=live}}</ref>

====Media====
[[File:USA telephone area code map - New Jersey.svg|thumb|upright|New Jersey's telephone [[Telephone numbering plan|area codes]]]]

=====Television and film production=====
{{Main|Television and film of New Jersey}}

New Jersey is a growing center for [[filmmaking]] and [[television production]],<ref name=NewJerseyFilmTelevsionProductionHub1>{{cite web|url=https://njmonthly.com/articles/arts-entertainment/hollywood-east-inside-new-jerseys-thriving-film-and-tv-industries/|title=Hollywood East: Inside New Jersey's Thriving Film and TV Industries|author=Jacqueline Mroz|publisher=New Jersey Monthly|date=November 18, 2022|access-date=February 28, 2023|archive-date=February 28, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230228180613/https://njmonthly.com/articles/arts-entertainment/hollywood-east-inside-new-jerseys-thriving-film-and-tv-industries/|url-status=live}}</ref> with [[digital media|media companies]], enticed by its proximity to [[Manhattan]], in conjunction with [[tax incentive]]s, collectively spending billions of dollars to develop large new [[film studio|studio facilities]] and [[sound stage]] complexes.<ref name=NewJerseyFilmTelevisionProductionHub2>{{cite web|url=https://jerseydigs.com/netflix-studio-new-jersey/|title=Netflix Bets Big on New Jersey, Unveils $900M Mega-Studio|author=Chris Fry|publisher=Jersey Digs|date=February 28, 2023|access-date=February 28, 2023|archive-date=February 28, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230228183713/https://jerseydigs.com/netflix-studio-new-jersey/|url-status=live}}</ref> Motion picture technology was developed by [[Thomas Edison]], with much of his early work done at his [[West Orange, New Jersey|West Orange]] laboratory. [[Edison's Black Maria]] was the first motion picture studio. [[America's first motion picture industry]] started in 1907 in [[Fort Lee, New Jersey|Fort Lee]] and the first studio was constructed there in 1909.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fortleefilm.org/|title=Fort Lee Film Commission &#124; Fort Lee, NJ|publisher=Fortleefilm.org|access-date=May 17, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120420104317/http://www.fortleefilm.org/|archive-date=April 20, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> [[DuMont Laboratories]] in [[Passaic, New Jersey|Passaic]] developed early sets and made the first broadcast to the private home.

A number of television shows and films have been filmed in New Jersey. Since 1978, the state has maintained a Motion Picture and Television Commission to encourage filming in-state.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.njfilm.org/|title=NJ Motion Picture & Television Commission|publisher=Njfilm.org|access-date=May 17, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120510000920/http://www.njfilm.org/|archive-date=May 10, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> New Jersey has long offered tax credits to television producers. Governor Chris Christie suspended the credits in 2010, but the [[New Jersey State Legislature]] in 2011 approved the restoration and expansion of the tax credit program. Under bills passed by both the state Senate and Assembly, the program offers 20 percent tax credits (22% in [[urban enterprise zone]]s) to television and film productions that shoot in the state and meet set standards for hiring and local spending.<ref name=crewsback>{{cite news|last=Wright|first=E. Assata|title=Getting the film crews back to NJ Gov. to decide future of tax credit that benefited Hudson County|work=Hudson Reporter|date=February 20, 2011|url=http://www.hudsonreporter.com/view/full_story/11505447/article-Getting-the-film-crews-back-to-NJ-Gov--to-decide-future-of-tax-credit-that-benefited-Hudson-County-?|access-date=February 21, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110712230629/http://www.hudsonreporter.com/view/full_story/11505447/article-Getting-the-film-crews-back-to-NJ-Gov--to-decide-future-of-tax-credit-that-benefited-Hudson-County-|archive-date=July 12, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> When Governor Phil Murphy took office, he instated the New Jersey Film & Digital Media Tax Credit Program in 2018 and expanded it in 2020. The benefits include a 30% tax credit on film projects and a 40% subsidy for studio developments.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bergeron |first1=Tom |title=Every state is looking to take business from Georgia — here's why N.J. has legitimate chance to do so |url=https://www.roi-nj.com/2021/04/05/opinion/editors-desk/every-state-is-looking-to-take-business-from-georgia-heres-why-n-j-has-legitimate-chance-to-do-so/ |access-date=April 7, 2021 |work=ROI NJ |archive-date=April 5, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210405185516/https://www.roi-nj.com/2021/04/05/opinion/editors-desk/every-state-is-looking-to-take-business-from-georgia-heres-why-n-j-has-legitimate-chance-to-do-so/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

=====Newspapers=====
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
* ''[[Asbury Park Press]]''
* ''[[Burlington County Times]]''
* ''[[Courier News]]''
* ''[[Courier-Post]]''
* ''[[Daily Record (Morristown)|Daily Record]]'' (Morristown)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nj.com/mediakit/ |title=New Jersey Advertising |work=The Star-Ledger |access-date=July 25, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20080919141432/http://www.nj.com/mediakit/ |archive-date=September 19, 2008 }}</ref>
* ''[[The Express-Times]]''
* ''[[Gloucester County Times]]''
* ''[[Herald News]]''
* ''[[Home News Tribune]]''
* ''[[Hunterdon County Democrat]]''
* ''[[Jersey Journal]]''
* ''[[New Jersey Herald]]''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.njherald.com|title=The New Jersey Herald: Top Stories|publisher=Njherald.com|access-date=July 25, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100721213410/http://www.njherald.com/|archive-date=July 21, 2010|url-status=live}}</ref>
* ''[[The News of Cumberland County]]''
* ''[[The Press of Atlantic City]]''
* ''[[The Record (North Jersey)|The Record]]''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.northjersey.com|title=providing local news, sports & classifieds for Northern New Jersey!|publisher=NorthJersey.com|access-date=July 25, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100724182047/http://www.northjersey.com/|archive-date=July 24, 2010|url-status=live}}</ref>
*''[[South Jersey Times]]''
* ''[[The Star-Ledger]]''
* [[The Times (Trenton)|''The Times'' (Trenton)]]
* ''[[Today's Sunbeam]]''
* ''[[Trentonian]]'' (Mercer)
{{div col end}}

=====Radio stations=====
{{main|List of radio stations in New Jersey}}

=====Television stations=====
New Jersey has several [[PBS]] member stations: [[WNET]] (13) in [[Newark, New Jersey|Newark]], [[WNJN (TV)|WNJN]] (50) in [[Montclair, New Jersey|Montclair]], WNJB (58) in [[New Brunswick, NJ|New Brunswick]], WNJS (23) in [[Camden, New Jersey|Camden]] and WNJT (52) in [[Trenton, NJ|Trenton]].

There are no standard commercial [[network affiliate]]s in the state. [[WMGM-TV]] ([[Wildwood, New Jersey|Wildwood]]) lost its affiliation with [[NBC]] in 2014. Viewers in northern New Jersey receive [[Media in New York City#Television|New York City market]] stations over cable or over the air; southern New Jersey viewers receive [[Media in Philadelphia#Television stations|Philadelphia market]] stations over cable or over the air.

WMGM now affiliates with the [[True Crime Network]]. [[WJLP]] ([[Middletown, New Jersey|Middletown]]) affiliates with the retro network [[MeTV]]. There are [[Telemundo]] affiliates in Fort Lee, Linden and Mount Laurel, and [[Univision]] affiliates in Paterson and Vineland.

====Finance as Wall Street West====
[[Image:Jersey City Skyline sunset (cropped).jpg|thumb|The developing waterfront skyline of [[Downtown Jersey City]], dubbed [[Wall Street West]]<ref name=JerseyCityWaterfrontWallStreetWest/>]]
[[Jersey City]]'s [[Downtown Jersey City|Hudson River waterfront]], from [[Exchange Place (Jersey City)|Exchange Place]] to [[Newport, Jersey City|Newport]], is known as [[Wall Street West]]<ref name=JerseyCityWaterfrontWallStreetWest>[https://cms.dot.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/docs/NJ%20Jersey%20City.pdf A Vision for Smart Transit in Jersey City] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161226215056/https://cms.dot.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/docs/NJ%20Jersey%20City.pdf |date=December 26, 2016 }}, [[United States Department of Transportation]], February 4, 2016. Retrieved July 18, 2017. "Development along the Hudson River waterfront led to the development of the 'Wall Street West' financial district, one of the largest centers of banking and finance in the nation."</ref> and has over 13&nbsp;million square feet of [[Class A office|Class A office space]]. One third of the [[private sector]] jobs in the city are in the [[finance|financial services]] sector: more than 60% are in the [[Security (finance)|securities industry]], 20% are in banking and 8% in [[insurance]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Your Gateway to Opportunity, Enterprise Zone Five Year Strategic Plan 2010|url=http://www.jcedc.org/Pages/JerseyCity%20UEZ_Economics.pdf|publisher=Jersey City Economic Development Corporation|access-date=May 23, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131028234728/http://www.jcedc.org/Pages/JerseyCity%20UEZ_Economics.pdf|archive-date=October 28, 2013}}</ref> Jersey City is home to the headquarters of [[Verisk Analytics]] and [[Lord Abbett]],<ref name=StarLedger>Todd, Susan. [http://www.nj.com/business/index.ssf/2009/10/verisk_analytics_sells_8525_mi.html "Verisk Analytics of Jersey City raises $1.9B in stock offering"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190214175447/https://www.nj.com/business/index.ssf/2009/10/verisk_analytics_sells_8525_mi.html |date=February 14, 2019 }}, ''[[The Star-Ledger]]'', October 8, 2009. Retrieved October 8, 2009.</ref> a privately held money management firm.<ref>[http://www.lordabbett.com/us/la2/contact_us Lord Abbett: Contact Us] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111225202053/http://www.lordabbett.com/us/la2/contact_us |date=December 25, 2011 }}. Retrieved April 2, 2011.</ref> Companies such as [[Computershare]], [[Automatic Data Processing|ADP]], [[IPC Systems]], and [[Fidelity Investments]] also conduct operations in the city.<ref>[http://www.hudsonedc.org/hudson-employers.pdf Major Employer's List] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718191705/http://www.hudsonedc.org/hudson-employers.pdf |date=July 18, 2011 }}, Hudson County Economic Development Corporation. Retrieved March 18, 2011.</ref> In 2014, ''[[Forbes]]'' magazine moved its headquarters to the district, having been awarded a $27&nbsp;million tax grant in exchange for bringing 350 jobs to the city over a ten-year period.<ref>Staff. [http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2014/12/forbes_moving_to_new_jersey_city_offices_monday_report_says.html 'Forbes moving into Jersey City offices on Monday, report says"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180915084634/https://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2014/12/forbes_moving_to_new_jersey_city_offices_monday_report_says.html |date=September 15, 2018 }}, ''[[The Jersey Journal]]'', December 12, 2014. Retrieved June 1, 2015. "Forbes has committed to spending 10 years in Jersey City, for which it will receive a $27 million Grow New Jersey tax grant because of its pledge to bring at least 350 jobs to the state."</ref> By the early 2020s, the construction of residential [[skyscraper]]s Downtown made median rental rates in Jersey City amongst the highest of any city in the United States.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://nypost.com/2022/07/29/jersey-city-is-now-americas-most-expensive-city-to-live-in/|title=This New Jersey city is now America's most expensive to live in|author=Mary K. Jacob|newspaper=New York Post|date=July 29, 2022|access-date=March 1, 2023|archive-date=January 30, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230130223949/https://nypost.com/2022/07/29/jersey-city-is-now-americas-most-expensive-city-to-live-in/amp/|url-status=live}}</ref>

====Natural resources and energy====
{{See also|List of power stations in New Jersey}}
Limited mining activity of [[zinc]], iron, and [[manganese]] still takes place in the area in and around the [[Franklin Furnace]] in [[Sussex County, New Jersey|Sussex County]].

Although New Jersey is home to many energy-intensive industries, its energy consumption is only 2.7% of the U.S. total, and its [[carbon dioxide emissions]] are 0.8% of the U.S. total. New Jersey's electricity comes primarily from natural gas and nuclear power.<ref>{{Cite web|title=New Jersey – State Energy Profile Overview|url=https://www.eia.gov/state/?sid=NJ|access-date=January 9, 2022|website=U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)|archive-date=January 9, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220109060908/https://www.eia.gov/state/?sid=NJ|url-status=live}}</ref> New Jersey is seventh in the nation in [[Solar power in New Jersey|solar power]] installations,<ref>{{Cite web|title=New Jersey Solar|url=https://www.seia.org/state-solar-policy/new-jersey-solar|access-date=January 9, 2022|website=SEIA|language=en|archive-date=January 9, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220109060220/https://www.seia.org/state-solar-policy/new-jersey-solar|url-status=live}}</ref> enabled by one of the country's most favorable [[net metering]] policies and [[Renewable portfolio standards in the United States|renewable portfolio standard]]. The state has more than 140,000 solar installations.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Solar Activity Reports {{!}} NJ OCE Web Site|url=https://njcleanenergy.com/renewable-energy/project-activity-reports/project-activity-reports|access-date=January 9, 2022|website=njcleanenergy.com|archive-date=January 20, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220120175005/https://njcleanenergy.com/renewable-energy/project-activity-reports/project-activity-reports|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Environment==
Due to past industrial activity, New Jersey has more [[Superfund]] toxic waste sites than any other state in the union despite its small geographic size. By 2024, only 35 of New Jersey's Superfund sites (out of about 150 that have been on the EPA's list since the Superfund law was passed in 1980) have been cleaned up.<ref name=NPL2024>[https://www.epa.gov/superfund/superfund-national-priorities-list-npl Superfund: National Priorities List (NPL) ] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180211110856/https://www.epa.gov/superfund/superfund-national-priorities-list-npl |date=February 11, 2018 }} on the website of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).</ref>

In late 2023, a concern became public about [[Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances|PFA]]s (so-called "forever chemicals") existing in the state's water supplies.<ref name=PFAS>[https://www.njspotlightnews.org/2023/09/epa-finds-more-forever-chemicals-in-new-jersey-water-systems/ EPA finds more 'forever chemicals' in New Jersey water systems] by Jon Hurdle on NJ Spotlight News, Sept. 1, 2023.  Last access 9/4/2023.</ref>

==Transportation==
{{Main|Transportation in New Jersey}}

New Jersey's population density and location at the geographic center of the [[Northeast Megalopolis]] have rendered it a vital transportation for hub for both passengers and industry.

===Roadways===
{{See also|State highways in New Jersey}}
[[File:Map of New Jersey NA.png|thumb|Map of New Jersey's major transportation networks and cities]]
[[File:George Washington Bridge from New Jersey-edit.jpg|thumb|The [[George Washington Bridge]], connecting [[Fort Lee, New Jersey|Fort Lee]] (foreground) in [[Bergen County, New Jersey|Bergen County]] across the [[Hudson River]] to [[New York City]] (background), is the world's busiest motor vehicle bridge.<ref name="panynj.gov">{{cite web|url=http://www.panynj.gov/bridges-tunnels/george-washington-bridge.html|access-date=March 10, 2014|title=Port Authority of New York and New Jersey—George Washington Bridge|publisher=The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130920192211/http://www.panynj.gov/bridges-tunnels/george-washington-bridge.html|archive-date=September 20, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=abcgwb>{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/george-washington-bridge-painters-dangerous-job-top-worlds/story?id=17771877|title=GW Bridge Painters: Dangerous Job on Top of the World's Busiest Bridge|author1=Bod Woodruff|author2=Lana Zak|author3=Stephanie Wash|name-list-style=amp|publisher=ABC News|date=November 20, 2012|access-date=March 10, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130928002159/http://abcnews.go.com/US/george-washington-bridge-painters-dangerous-job-top-worlds/story?id=17771877|archive-date=September 28, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>]]

The [[New Jersey Turnpike]] is one of the most prominent and heavily trafficked roadways in the United States. This [[toll road]], which overlaps with [[Interstate 95 in New Jersey|Interstate 95]] for much of its length, carries traffic between [[Delaware]] and New York, and up and down the [[East Coast of the United States|East Coast]] in general. Commonly referred to as simply "the Turnpike", it is known for its numerous [[rest area]]s named after prominent New Jerseyans.

The [[Garden State Parkway]], or simply "the Parkway", carries relatively more in-state traffic than interstate traffic and runs from New Jersey's northern border to its southernmost tip at [[Cape May, New Jersey|Cape May]]. It is the main route that connects the [[New York metropolitan area]] to the [[Jersey Shore]]. With a total of fifteen travel and six shoulder lanes, the [[Driscoll Bridge]] on the Parkway, spanning the [[Raritan River]] in [[Middlesex County, New Jersey|Middlesex County]], is the widest motor vehicle bridge in the world by number of lanes as well as one of the busiest.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tollroadsnews.com/node/1492|title=Garden State Parkway opens world's widest bridge—15 lanes|author=Peter Samuel|date=April 11, 2006|publisher=TOLLROADSnews|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120323215304/https://www.tollroadsnews.com/node/1492|archive-date=March 23, 2012|url-status=dead|access-date=June 6, 2011}}</ref>

New Jersey is connected to New York City via various key bridges and tunnels. The double-decked [[George Washington Bridge]] carries the heaviest load of motor vehicle traffic of any bridge in the world, at 102&nbsp;million vehicles per year, across fourteen lanes.<ref name="panynj.gov"/><ref name=abcgwb/> It connects [[Fort Lee, New Jersey]] to the [[Washington Heights, Manhattan|Washington Heights]] neighborhood of [[Upper Manhattan]], and carries [[Interstate 95]] and [[U.S. Route 1/9]] across the [[Hudson River]]. The [[Lincoln Tunnel]] connects to [[Midtown Manhattan]] carrying [[New Jersey Route 495]], and the [[Holland Tunnel]] connects to [[Lower Manhattan]] carrying [[Interstate 78 in New Jersey|Interstate 78]]. New Jersey is also connected to [[Staten Island]] by three bridges—from north to south, the [[Bayonne Bridge]], the [[Goethals Bridge]], and the [[Outerbridge Crossing]].

New Jersey has [[interstate compact]]s with all three of its neighboring states. The [[Port Authority of New York and New Jersey]], the [[Delaware River Port Authority]] (with [[Pennsylvania]]), the [[Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission]] (with Pennsylvania), and the [[Delaware River and Bay Authority]] (with [[Delaware]]) operate most of the major transportation routes in and out of the state. Bridge tolls are collected only from traffic exiting the state, with the exception of the private [[Dingman's Ferry Bridge]] over the Delaware River, which charges a toll in both directions.

It is unlawful for a customer to serve themselves gasoline in New Jersey. It became the last remaining U.S. state where all [[Filling station|gas stations]] are required to sell full-service gasoline to customers at all times in 2016, after [[Oregon]]'s introduction of restricted self-service gasoline availability took effect.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hoodrivernews.com/news/2016/jan/06/self-serve-gas-legal-rural-oregon/|author=Patrick Mulvihill|title=Self-serve gas legal in rural Oregon|publisher=Eagle Newspapers, Inc|date=January 5, 2016|access-date=April 24, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160513020831/http://www.hoodrivernews.com/news/2016/jan/06/self-serve-gas-legal-rural-oregon/|archive-date=May 13, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Airports===
[[Newark Liberty International Airport]] (EWR) is one of the [[List of the busiest airports in the United States|busiest airports]] in the United States. Operated by the [[Port Authority of New York and New Jersey]], it is one of the three main airports serving the [[New York metropolitan area]], along with [[John F. Kennedy International Airport]] and [[LaGuardia Airport]], which are both in Queens, New York. [[United Airlines]] is the airport's largest tenant, operating an entire terminal (Terminal C) there, which it uses as one of its primary [[Airline hub|hubs]]. [[FedEx Express]] operates a large [[cargo terminal]] at EWR as well. The adjacent [[Newark Liberty International Airport (NJT station)|Newark Airport railroad station]] provides access to [[Amtrak]] and [[NJ Transit]] trains along the [[Northeast Corridor Line]].

Two smaller commercial airports, [[Atlantic City International Airport]] and rapidly growing [[Trenton-Mercer Airport]], also operate in other parts of the state. [[Teterboro Airport]] in [[Bergen County, New Jersey|Bergen County]] and [[Millville Municipal Airport]] in [[Cumberland County, New Jersey|Cumberland County]] are [[general aviation]] airports popular with [[private aviation|private]] and [[corporate aviation|corporate aircraft]] due to their proximity to New York City and the [[Jersey Shore]], respectively.

===Rail and bus===
{{Main|NJ Transit}}

{{Further|New Jersey Transit Bus Operations|New Jersey Transit Rail Operations|Port Authority Trans-Hudson|PATCO Speedline|List of New Jersey railroads}}
[[File:Hudson bergen exchange place.jpg|thumb|Two [[Hudson–Bergen Light Rail]] trains in [[Jersey City, New Jersey|Jersey City]]]]
[[File:NEC train 3967 passing through Rahway station, June 2007.jpg|thumb|A [[NJ Transit]] train on the [[Northeast Corridor]] in [[Rahway, New Jersey|Rahway]]]]
[[NJ Transit]] operates extensive rail and bus service throughout the state. A state-run corporation, it began with the consolidation of several private bus companies in [[North Jersey]] in 1979. In the early 1980s, it acquired [[Conrail]]'s commuter train operations that connected suburban towns to New York City. NJ Transit has [[NJ Transit Rail Operations|12 rail lines]] that run through different parts of the state and 165 stations statewide.<ref>{{Cite web |title=NJT Facts at a Glance |url=https://www.njtransit.com/about/facts-glance |access-date=December 18, 2023 |archive-date=May 16, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200516055259/https://www.njtransit.com/about/facts-glance |url-status=live }}</ref> Most of the lines end at either [[New York Penn Station]] in [[Midtown Manhattan]] or [[Hoboken Terminal]] in [[Hoboken, New Jersey|Hoboken]], although some lines provide service to both terminal stations. The [[Atlantic City Line]] provides service between [[Atlantic City, New Jersey|Atlantic City]] and [[Philadelphia]].<ref>[https://content.njtransit.com/sites/default/files/pdfs/maps/NJT%20System%20Map%20April%202023.pdf Rail System Map], [[NJ Transit]], April 2023. Accessed December 1, 2025.</ref>

NJ Transit also operates three [[light rail]] systems in the state. The [[Hudson-Bergen Light Rail]] connects [[Bayonne, New Jersey|Bayonne]] to [[North Bergen, New Jersey|North Bergen]], through [[Hoboken, New Jersey|Hoboken]] and [[Jersey City, New Jersey|Jersey City]].<ref>[https://content.njtransit.com/sites/default/files/pdfs/maps/HBLR_RSM_080522_low.pdf Syste Map], [[Hudson-Bergen Light Rail]], August 2022. Accessed December 8, 2025.</ref> The [[Newark Light Rail]] is partially underground, and connects downtown [[Newark, New Jersey|Newark]] with other parts of the city and its suburbs, [[Belleville, New Jersey|Belleville]] and [[Bloomfield, New Jersey|Bloomfield]]. The [[River Line (New Jersey Transit)|River Line]] connects [[Trenton, New Jersey|Trenton]] and [[Camden, New Jersey|Camden]].

The [[Port Authority Trans-Hudson|PATH]] is a [[rapid transit]] system consisting of four lines operated by the [[Port Authority of New York and New Jersey]]. It links [[Hoboken, New Jersey|Hoboken]], [[Jersey City, New Jersey|Jersey City]], [[Harrison, New Jersey|Harrison]], and [[Newark, New Jersey|Newark]] with New York City. The [[PATCO Speedline]] is a rapid transit system that links [[Camden County, New Jersey|Camden County]] to Philadelphia. Both the PATCO and the PATH are two of only five rapid transit systems in the United States to operate 24 hours a day.

[[Amtrak]] operates numerous long-distance passenger trains in New Jersey, both to and from neighboring states and around the country. In addition to the Newark Airport connection, other major Amtrak railway stations include [[Trenton (Amtrak station)|Trenton Transit Center]], [[Metropark (NJT station)|Metropark]], and the historic [[Newark Penn Station]].

The [[SEPTA|Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority]], or SEPTA, has two commuter rail lines that operate into New Jersey. The [[Trenton Line]] terminates at the [[Trenton Transit Center]], and the [[West Trenton Line (SEPTA)|West Trenton Line]] terminates at the [[West Trenton Rail Station]] in [[Ewing, New Jersey|Ewing]].

[[AirTrain Newark]] is a [[monorail]] connecting the Amtrak/NJ Transit station on the Northeast Corridor to the airport's terminals and parking lots.

Some private bus carriers still remain in New Jersey. Most of these carriers operate with state funding to offset losses and state owned buses are provided to these carriers, of which [[Coach USA]] companies make up the bulk. Other carriers include private charter and tour bus operators that take gamblers from other parts of New Jersey, New York City, Philadelphia, and [[Delaware]] to the casino resorts of Atlantic City.

===Ferries===
[[File:MVCapeHenlopen.jpg|thumb|[[Cape May–Lewes Ferry]] connects New Jersey and [[Delaware]] across [[Delaware Bay]].]]
[[NY Waterway|New York Waterway]] has ferry terminals at [[Belford, New Jersey|Belford]], [[Jersey City]], Hoboken, [[Weehawken]], and [[Edgewater, New Jersey|Edgewater]], with service to different parts of Manhattan. [[Liberty Water Taxi]] in [[Jersey City]] has ferries from [[Paulus Hook]] and [[Liberty State Park]] to [[Battery Park City]] in Manhattan. [[Statue Cruises]] offers service from Liberty State Park to the [[Statue of Liberty National Monument]], including [[Ellis Island]]. [[SeaStreak]] offers services from the [[Raritan Bayshore]] to Manhattan, [[Martha's Vineyard]], and [[Nantucket]].

The [[Delaware River and Bay Authority]] operates the [[Cape May–Lewes Ferry]] on [[Delaware Bay]], carrying both passengers and vehicles between New Jersey and Delaware as part of [[U.S. Route 9|US 9]]. The agency also operates the [[Forts Ferry Crossing]] for passengers across the [[Delaware River]]. The [[Delaware River Port Authority]] operates the [[RiverLink Ferry]] between the [[Camden, New Jersey|Camden]] waterfront and [[Penn's Landing]] in Philadelphia.

==Culture==
[[File:GatewayVueNB.jpg|thumb|upright|[[New Brunswick, New Jersey|New Brunswick]], nicknamed the ''Hub city'' and the ''Healthcare City'', is a focus city for academia, [[healthcare]], and culture in New Jersey, and has many [[tower block|high-rise]] buildings.]]
[[File:A 50's Style Diner.jpg|thumb|A 1950s-style [[diner]] in [[Orange, New Jersey|Orange]]]]

===General===
New Jersey has continued to play a prominent role as a U.S. cultural nexus. The state has its own [[Cuisine of New Jersey|cuisines]], religious communities, [[List of museums in New Jersey|museums]], and [[:Category:Halls of fame in New Jersey|halls of fame]].

New Jersey is the birthplace of many modern inventions, including [[FM radio]], the motion picture camera, the [[lithium battery]], the [[light bulb]], [[transistor]]s, and the electric train. Other New Jersey creations include: the drive-in movie, the cultivated [[blueberry]], [[cranberry sauce]], the [[boardwalk]], the [[zipper]], the [[phonograph]], [[saltwater taffy]], the [[dirigible]], the [[watermelon|seedless watermelon]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.njinvent.njit.edu/1992/pioneer_inductees_1992/andrews.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060901073622/http://www.njinvent.njit.edu/1992/pioneer_inductees_1992/andrews.html |archive-date=September 1, 2006 |title=New Jersey Inventors Hall of Fame |publisher=Njinvent.njit.edu |access-date=July 25, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> the [[David Bushnell (inventor)|first use]] of a [[submarine]] in warfare, and the [[ice cream cone]].<ref>{{cite news|title=His Cones 'Original'|volume=20|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1798&dat=19711019&id=EPgeAAAAIBAJ&pg=6103,3154999|access-date=June 11, 2014|issue=130|work=Sarasota Journal|date=November 19, 1971|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160101085836/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1798&dat=19711019&id=EPgeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=HY0EAAAAIBAJ&pg=6103,3154999|archive-date=January 1, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Diner]]s are iconic to New Jersey. The state is home to many diner manufacturers and has over 600 diners, more than any other place in the world.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.50states.com/facts/newjerse.htm|title=New Jersey Facts and Trivia|publisher=50states.com|access-date=July 25, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101130164102/http://www.50states.com/facts/newjerse.htm|archive-date=November 30, 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref>

New Jersey is the only state to have never had a [[List of U.S. state songs|state song]];<ref>Walker, Tamara. [https://www.app.com/story/news/local/2023/04/03/here-are-some-of-njs-weirdest-official-state-symbols/70046650007/ "State microbe? Here are some of NJ's most bizarre official state symbols"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230715014108/https://www.app.com/story/news/local/2023/04/03/here-are-some-of-njs-weirdest-official-state-symbols/70046650007/ |date=July 15, 2023 }}, ''[[Asbury Park Press]]'', April 3, 2023. Retrieved April 27, 2023. "There are more symbols but one New Jersey lacks is more surprising. New Jersey is the only state without a state song."</ref> as of 2021, it is one of only two states (the other being [[Maryland]]<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.wjla.com/news/local/on-bill-signing-day-hogan-officially-legalizes-sports-betting-repeals-state-song |title=On bill-signing day, Hogan officially legalizes sports betting, repeals state song |date=May 18, 2021 |publisher=[[WJLA-TV]] |agency=Associated Press |access-date=September 24, 2023 |archive-date=November 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221127184036/https://wjla.com/news/local/on-bill-signing-day-hogan-officially-legalizes-sports-betting-repeals-state-song |url-status=live }}</ref>) that are currently without a state song. "I'm From New Jersey" is incorrectly listed on many websites as being the New Jersey state song, but it was not even a contender when the New Jersey Arts Council submitted state song suggestions to the [[New Jersey Legislature]] in 1996.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aboutnewjersey.com/editorials/stateSong_3_15_04.php|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070811193314/http://www.aboutnewjersey.com/editorials/stateSong_3_15_04.php|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 11, 2007|title=The History of the New Jersey State Song?|publisher=Aboutnewjersey.com|access-date=July 25, 2010}}</ref>

New Jersey is frequently the target of jokes in American culture,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/why-does-new-jersey-get-no-respect/|title=Why does New Jersey get no respect?|author=<!--Staff-->|publisher=[[CBS News]]|date=January 16, 2011|access-date=April 12, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160417151930/http://www.cbsnews.com/news/why-does-new-jersey-get-no-respect/|archive-date=April 17, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> especially from New York City-based television shows, such as ''[[Saturday Night Live]]''.<ref name="Rockland">{{cite book |last1=Rockland |first1=Michael Aaron |author1-link=Michael Aaron Rockland |editor1-last=Lurie |editor1-first=Maxine N. |editor2-last=Mappen |editor2-first=Marc |title=Encyclopedia of New Jersey |publisher=Rutgers University Press |location=New Brunswick |isbn=9780813533254 |pages=401–402 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_r9Ni6_u0JEC&pg=PA402 |chapter=Image |year=2004 |access-date=March 19, 2023 |archive-date=April 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230405185916/https://books.google.com/books?id=_r9Ni6_u0JEC&pg=PA402 |url-status=live }}</ref> Academic [[Michael Aaron Rockland]] attributes this to New Yorkers' view that New Jersey is the beginning of [[Middle America (United States)|Middle America]]. The [[New Jersey Turnpike]], which runs between two major East Coast cities, New York City and Philadelphia, is also cited as a reason, as people who traverse through the state may only see its industrial zones.<ref name=sjt>{{cite news|url=http://www.nj.com/washington-township-times/index.ssf/2014/07/the_jersey_joke_rutgers_profes.html|title=The Jersey Joke: Rutgers professor recounts long history of New Jersey as a punchline|last=Caffrey|first=Michelle|work=[[South Jersey Times]]|date=July 8, 2014|access-date=April 12, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160424205702/http://www.nj.com/washington-township-times/index.ssf/2014/07/the_jersey_joke_rutgers_profes.html|archive-date=April 24, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> Reality television shows like ''[[Jersey Shore (TV series)|Jersey Shore]]'' and ''[[The Real Housewives of New Jersey]]'' have reinforced stereotypical views of New Jersey culture,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://articles.philly.com/2010-07-27/news/24969876_1_real-housewives-new-jersey-turnpike-new-jerseyans|title='Jersey Doesn't Stink' website defends state|last=Whelan|first=Aubrey|website=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]|date=July 27, 2010|access-date=April 12, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160422174238/http://articles.philly.com/2010-07-27/news/24969876_1_real-housewives-new-jersey-turnpike-new-jerseyans|archive-date=April 22, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> but Rockland cited ''[[The Sopranos]]'' and the music of [[Bruce Springsteen]] as exporting a more positive image.<ref name=sjt/>

The "New" in "New Jersey" is often omitted in casual conversation.<ref>{{cite news|first=William|last=Safire|author-link=William Safire|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/07/30/magazine/on-language-jersey-s-vanishing-new.html|title=ON LANGUAGE; Jersey's Vanishing 'New'|work=[[The New York Times Magazine]]|date=July 30, 1995|access-date=June 8, 2024}}</ref>

===Cuisine===
{{main|Cuisine of New Jersey}}

New Jersey is known for several foods developed within the region, including [[Taylor Pork Roll|Taylor Ham]] (also known as [[pork roll]]), [[Sloppy joe (New Jersey)|sloppy joe sandwiches]], [[Trenton tomato pie|tomato pie]]s, [[Taffy (candy)|salt water taffy]], and [[Chili dog|Texas wieners]]. Just as [[Cuisine of New York City|New York City's cuisine]] has an influence on [[North Jersey]], [[Cuisine of Philadelphia|Philadelphia's cuisine]] influences [[South Jersey]].

New Jersey's third-largest industry is food and agriculture just behind pharmaceuticals and tourism. New Jersey is one of the top 10 producers of [[Blueberry|blueberries]], [[Cranberry|cranberries]], [[peach]]es, [[tomato]]es, [[bell pepper]]s, [[eggplant]], [[cucumber]]s, [[apple]]s, [[spinach]], [[Squash (plant)|squash]], and [[asparagus]] in the United States. Many restaurants in the state offer locally grown ingredients because of this.<ref>{{cite web |title=Department of Agriculture |url=https://www.nj.gov/agriculture/about/overview.html |website=NJ.GOV |access-date=January 25, 2022 |archive-date=January 13, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220113141649/https://www.nj.gov/agriculture/about/overview.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Campbell's Soup Company]] has been headquartered in [[Camden, New Jersey|Camden]] since 1869.<ref name="campbellsoupcompany.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.campbellsoupcompany.com/about-campbell/|title=About Us|website=Campbellsoupcompany.com|access-date=October 14, 2017|archive-date=March 1, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210301192232/https://www.campbellsoupcompany.com/about-campbell/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Goya Foods]], the largest [[Hispanic]]-owned food company in the United States, operates a corporate headquarters in [[Jersey City, New Jersey|Jersey City]].<ref>{{cite press release|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/goya-foods-opens-largest-corporate-headquarters-in-company-history-to-support-global-expansion-300068190.html|title=Goya Foods Opens Largest Corporate Headquarters in Company History to Support Global Expansion|access-date=October 14, 2017|archive-date=January 25, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220125155935/https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/goya-foods-opens-largest-corporate-headquarters-in-company-history-to-support-global-expansion-300068190.html|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Wrigley Company|Mars Wrigley Confectionery]]'s US headquarters has been based in [[Hackettstown, New Jersey|Hackettstown]] and [[Newark, New Jersey|Newark]] since 2007.<ref>{{Cite web |date=December 5, 2007 |title=Mars Wrigley to base U.S. Headquarters in Hackettstown & Newark, New Jersey; Global Headquarters Remain in Chicago |url=https://www.mars.com/news-and-stories/press-releases/hackettstown-us-base |website=Mars.com |access-date=February 4, 2023 |archive-date=February 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204121059/https://www.mars.com/news-and-stories/press-releases/hackettstown-us-base |url-status=live }}</ref>

Several states with substantial Italian American populations take credit for the development of [[submarine sandwich]]es, including New Jersey.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.verbatimmag.com/28_3.pdf|title=Vol. 28/3|access-date=November 9, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140123095147/http://www.verbatimmag.com/28_3.pdf|archive-date=January 23, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Music===
{{Main|Music of New Jersey}}

New Jersey has long been an important origin for both [[rock and roll|rock]] and [[hip hop music|rap]] music. Prominent musicians from or with significant connections to New Jersey include:
* Singer [[Frank Sinatra]] was born in [[Hoboken, New Jersey|Hoboken]]. He sang with a neighborhood vocal group, the Hoboken Four, and appeared in neighborhood theater amateur shows before he became an [[Academy Awards|Academy Award]]-winning actor.
* Singer [[Whitney Houston]] was born in [[Newark, New Jersey]]. Houston began singing at [[New Hope Baptist Church (Newark)|New Hope Baptist Church]] in Newark as a child and became a background vocalist while in high school. She then became the [[List of best-selling music artists|best-selling New Jersey musician ever]], having sold over 220 million records worldwide.
* [[Bruce Springsteen]], who has sung of New Jersey life on most of his albums, is from [[Freehold Borough, New Jersey|Freehold]]. Some of his songs that represent New Jersey life are "[[Born to Run (song)|Born to Run]]", "Spirit in the Night", "[[Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)]]", "[[Thunder Road (song)|Thunder Road]]", "[[Atlantic City (song)|Atlantic City]]", and "[[Jungleland]]".
* [[Irvington, New Jersey|Irvington]]'s [[Queen Latifah]] was one of the first female rappers to succeed in music, film, and television.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tAM5n9JVhYwC&q=queen+latifah+irvington&pg=PA34|title=Queen Latifah|last=Ruth|first=Amy|date=2001|publisher=Twenty-First Century Books|isbn=9780822549888|access-date=November 18, 2020|archive-date=February 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210220154024/https://books.google.com/books?id=tAM5n9JVhYwC&q=queen+latifah+irvington&pg=PA34|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Southside Johnny]], eponymous leader of Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes was raised in [[Ocean Grove, NJ|Ocean Grove]]. He is considered the "Grandfather of the New Jersey Sound"<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.whatsupmag.com/2018/12/03/184732/southside-johnny|title=Southside Johnny {{!}} What's Up Magazine|website=www.whatsupmag.com|date=December 2, 2018|access-date=December 13, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181215225051/http://www.whatsupmag.com/2018/12/03/184732/southside-johnny|archive-date=December 15, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> and is cited by Jersey-born [[Jon Bon Jovi]] as his reason for singing.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/2018/04/13/602128269/jon-bon-jovi-reflects-on-a-music-career-that-surpassed-his-wildest-dreams|title=Jon Bon Jovi Reflects On A Music Career That Surpassed His 'Wildest Dreams'|website=NPR.org|access-date=December 13, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180917183223/https://www.npr.org/2018/04/13/602128269/jon-bon-jovi-reflects-on-a-music-career-that-surpassed-his-wildest-dreams|archive-date=September 17, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Jon Bon Jovi]], from [[Sayreville, New Jersey|Sayreville]], reached fame in the 1980s with hard rock outfit [[Bon Jovi]]. The band has also written many songs about life in New Jersey, including "Livin' On A Prayer",<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/entertainment/music/2014/06/20/story-behind-song-livin-prayer/11103409/|title=Story Behind the Song: 'Livin on a Prayer'|website=The Tennessean|access-date=January 11, 2019|archive-date=February 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210220153322/https://www.tennessean.com/story/entertainment/music/2014/06/20/story-behind-song-livin-prayer/11103409/|url-status=live}}</ref> and named [[New Jersey (album)|one of their albums]] after the state.
* Grammy-winning jazz vocalist [[Sarah Vaughan]] was born and raised in [[Newark, New Jersey|Newark]]. After singing in her church's choir as a child, she was sneaking into Newark nightclubs to sing and play piano by the time she was a teenager.<ref>{{cite book|last=Gourse|first=Leslie |title=Sassy: The Life Of Sarah Vaughan|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kvImwPArpeYC|date=August 5, 2009|publisher=Da Capo Press |isbn=978-0-7867-5114-3}}</ref>
* In 1964, [[the Isley Brothers]] founded the record label [[T-Neck Records]], named after [[Teaneck, New Jersey|Teaneck]], their home at the time.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-FOSAgAAQBAJ&q=T-Neck&pg=PA1053|title=Encyclopedia of Recorded Sound|last=Hoffmann|first=Frank|date=November 12, 2004|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781135949501|access-date=November 18, 2020|archive-date=February 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210220154023/https://books.google.com/books?id=-FOSAgAAQBAJ&q=T-Neck&pg=PA1053|url-status=live}}</ref>
* The Broadway musical ''[[Jersey Boys]]'' is based on the lives of the members of the [[The Four Seasons (group)|Four Seasons]], three of whose members were born in New Jersey ([[Tommy DeVito (musician)|Tommy DeVito]], [[Frankie Valli]], and [[Nick Massi]]) while a fourth, [[Bob Gaudio]], was born in [[the Bronx]] but raised in [[Bergenfield, New Jersey|Bergenfield]].<ref>{{cite web |title=An original 'Jersey Boy' returns to Bergenfield |url=http://bergenfieldalumni.com/news-archive/Gaudio.shtml |first1=Eunnie |last1=Park |date=March 31, 2007 |website=Bergenfield HS Alumni |access-date=January 26, 2022 |archive-date=January 26, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220126145033/http://bergenfieldalumni.com/news-archive/Gaudio.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Sports==
{{main|Sports in New Jersey}}

[[File:New Meadowlands Stadium Mezz Corner.jpg|thumb|[[MetLife Stadium]] in [[East Rutherford, New Jersey|East Rutherford]], one of only two [[National Football League|NFL]] stadiums shared by two teams, is home to the [[New York Giants]] and [[New York Jets]].]]

New Jersey currently has six teams from [[major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada|major professional sports leagues]] playing in the state with only one team identifying themselves as solely being from New Jersey. The remaining five teams identify themselves as being from the [[New York metropolitan area]] with the [[National Women's Soccer League]] team having a team name that represents both New Jersey and New York. The National Hockey League and [[National Basketball Association]] teams representing [[Philadelphia]] have their training facilities in [[South Jersey]].

===Professional sports===
[[File:Pudcentnewarkjeh.JPG|thumb|[[Prudential Center]] in [[Newark, New Jersey|Newark]], home of the [[National Hockey League|NHL]]'s [[New Jersey Devils]]]]
The [[National Hockey League]]'s [[New Jersey Devils]], based in [[Newark, New Jersey|Newark]] at the [[Prudential Center]], is the only major league [[sports franchise]] to bear the state's name. Founded in 1974 in [[Kansas City, Missouri]], as the [[Kansas City Scouts]], the team played in [[Denver, Colorado]], as the [[Colorado Rockies (NHL)|Colorado Rockies]] from 1976 until the spring of 1982 when naval architect, businessman, and [[Jersey City]] native [[John J. McMullen]] purchased, renamed, and moved the franchise to [[Brendan Byrne Arena]] in [[East Rutherford, New Jersey|East Rutherford's]] [[Meadowlands Sports Complex]]. While the team was poor to mediocre in Kansas City, Denver, and its first years in New Jersey, qualifying for the playoffs once in the 13 seasons from 1974 to 1987, the Devils ultimately established themselves in late 1980s and early 1990s during the tenure of Hall of Fame president and general manager [[Lou Lamoriello]]. As of 2023, the Devils have appeared in 23 postseasons in 40 seasons in New Jersey, reaching five [[Stanley Cup]] Finals (most recently in [[2012 Stanley Cup playoffs|2012]]) and winning it in [[1995 Stanley Cup playoffs|1995]], [[2000 Stanley Cup playoffs|2000]], and [[2003 Stanley Cup playoffs|2003]]. The organization is the youngest of the nine "Big Four" major league teams based in New York metropolitan area, ultimately establishing its core following throughout the northern and central portions of the state and carving a place in a media market once dominated by the [[New York Rangers]] and [[New York Islanders|Islanders]] which has the distinction of being the only metropolitan area in the country with three major league professional sports teams participating in the same sport.

In 2018, the [[Philadelphia Flyers]] renovated and expanded their training facility, the Virtua Center Flyers Skate Zone, in [[Voorhees Township, New Jersey|Voorhees Township]] in the southern portion of the state.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/news/2018/02/22/virtua-flyers-training-facility-voorhees-remodeled.html |url-access=subscription |first1=John |last1=George |title=Check out the Flyers renovated & expanded South Jersey training facility|work=Philadelphia Business Journal|date=February 22, 2018|access-date=April 3, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180225053737/https://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/news/2018/02/22/virtua-flyers-training-facility-voorhees-remodeled.html|archive-date=February 25, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2024, the [[New York Sirens]] of the [[Professional Women's Hockey League]] (PWHL) made the Prudential Center their home rink and moved their practice facility to the [[Richard J. Codey Arena]] in [[West Orange, New Jersey|West Orange]], the former Devil's practice facility from 1986 to 2007.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.roi-nj.com/2024/09/13/lifestyle/prudential-center-set-to-be-new-home-of-pwhls-new-york-sirens-for-24-25-season/|title=Prudential Center set to be new home of PWHL's New York Sirens for '24-25 season|website=ROI-NJ.com|date=September 13, 2024|accessdate=December 18, 2025}}</ref>

The [[New York metropolitan area]]'s two [[National Football League]] teams, the [[New York Giants]] and the [[New York Jets]], play at [[MetLife Stadium]] in [[East Rutherford, New Jersey|East Rutherford's]] [[Meadowlands Sports Complex]].<ref name="newmeadowlandsstadium.com">{{Cite web |title=Official Website of MetLife Stadium, Home of Super Bowl 48, New York Giants and New York Jets |url=http://www.newmeadowlandsstadium.com/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131221032534/http://www.newmeadowlandsstadium.com/ |archive-date=December 21, 2013 |access-date=June 14, 2010 |website=newmeadowlandsstadium.com }}</ref> Built for about $1.6&nbsp;billion,<ref name="Belson">{{cite news|first=Ken|last=Belson|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/09/sports/football/09stadium.html |url-access=subscription |work=The New York Times|title=New Stadium, a Football Palace, Opens Saturday With Lacrosse|date=April 8, 2010|access-date=March 21, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100413043347/http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/09/sports/football/09stadium.html|archive-date=April 13, 2010|url-status=live}}</ref> the venue is one of the most expensive stadiums ever built.<ref name="Esteban">{{cite web|url=http://www.totalprosports.com/2011/10/27/11-most-expensive-stadiums-in-the-world/|title=11 Most Expensive Stadiums In The World|publisher=Total Pro Sports|author=Esteban|date=October 27, 2011|access-date=September 2, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120827201315/http://www.totalprosports.com/2011/10/27/11-most-expensive-stadiums-in-the-world/|archive-date=August 27, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> On February 2, 2014, MetLife Stadium hosted [[Super Bowl XLVIII]].

The [[New York Red Bulls]] of [[Major League Soccer]] play in [[Sports Illustrated Stadium]], a soccer-specific stadium in [[Harrison, New Jersey|Harrison]] across the [[Passaic River]] from downtown [[Newark, New Jersey|Newark]]. On July 27, 2011, Red Bull Arena hosted the [[2011 MLS All-Star Game]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Manchester United's 4–0 Romp Over MLS All-Stars More Proof U.S. Pro Soccer Not Up to Snuff|first=Filip|last=Bondy|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more_sports/2011/07/28/2011-07-28_results_show_mls_lacks_solid_footing.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103072107/http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more-sports/manchester-united-4-0-romp-mls-all-stars-proof-u-s-pro-soccer-snuff-article-1.161815 |url-status=dead|archive-date=November 3, 2012|work=Daily News|location=New York|date=July 28, 2011|access-date=December 26, 2017}}</ref> [[Gotham FC]] of the [[National Women's Soccer League]] (NWSL), founded in 2008 as Sky Blue FC, moved its home field from [[Yurcak Field]] at [[Rutgers University]] to Sports Illustrated Stadium in 2020.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nj.com/sports/2019/11/sky-blue-gov-murphys-soccer-team-is-moving-to-red-bull-arena.html|title=Sky Blue, Gov. Murphy's soccer team, is moving -- to Red Bull Arena|work=NJ Advance Media|date=November 18, 2019|access-date=December 18, 2025}}</ref>

New Jersey hosted matches during the [[1994 FIFA World Cup]] at [[Giants Stadium]] and will be one of 16 cities to host matches during the [[2026 FIFA World Cup]], at [[MetLife Stadium]], which will also host the [[2026 FIFA World Cup final|tournament final]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Sobko |first=Katie |date=February 6, 2024 |title=World Cup 2026: Murphy estimates $2B impact for NJ as funding questions linger |url=https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/new-jersey/2024/02/06/world-cup-2026-nj-financial-impact-gov-phil-murphy/72486312007/ |work=NorthJersey.com |accessdate=February 14, 2024 |archive-date=February 13, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240213101720/https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/new-jersey/2024/02/06/world-cup-2026-nj-financial-impact-gov-phil-murphy/72486312007/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

From 1977 to 2012, New Jersey had a [[National Basketball Association]] team, the [[New Jersey Nets]].<ref>{{cite book |last= Jozsa Jr.|first=Frank P. |author-link= |date= October 2014|title= National Basketball Association Strategies: Business Expansions, Relocations, and Mergers |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=H02qBAAAQBAJ |location= |publisher= [[Springer International Publishing]]|pages= 54–55|isbn= 9783319100586}}</ref> [[WNBA]]'s [[New York Liberty]] played in New Jersey from 2011 to 2013 while their primary home arena, [[Madison Square Garden]] was undergoing renovations.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://nypost.com/2018/02/09/liberty-leaving-madison-square-garden-re-sign-two-free-agents/ |title=Liberty leaving Madison Square Garden, re-sign two free agents |website=New York Post |access-date=December 25, 2019 |date=February 10, 2018 |archive-date=December 25, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191225121037/https://nypost.com/2018/02/09/liberty-leaving-madison-square-garden-re-sign-two-free-agents/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2016, the [[Philadelphia 76ers]] of the NBA opened their new headquarters and training facility, the Philadelphia 76ers Training Complex, in [[Camden, New Jersey|Camden]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Seltzer|first1=Brian|title=On the Beat: New Training Complex Brings Modern Feel, Promise|url=http://www.nba.com/sixers/beat-new-training-complex-brings-modern-feel-promise|publisher=National Basketball Association|access-date=January 31, 2018|date=September 23, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171119061947/http://www.nba.com/sixers/beat-new-training-complex-brings-modern-feel-promise/|archive-date=November 19, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

The Meadowlands Sports Complex is home to the [[Meadowlands Racetrack]], the major [[harness racing]] track in the state. [[Monmouth Park Racetrack]] in Oceanport is a popular spot for [[thoroughbred racing]] in New Jersey and the northeast. It hosted the [[Breeders' Cup]] in 2007, and its turf course was renovated in preparation.

===Major league sports===
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! Club !! Sport !! League !! Stadium (capacity) !! Established !! Titles
|-
| '''[[New Jersey Devils]]''' || rowspan="2" | Ice hockey || [[National Hockey League|NHL]] || rowspan="2" | [[Prudential Center]] (16,514) || 1974 || 3
|-
| '''[[New York Sirens]]''' || [[Professional Women's Hockey League|PWHL]] || 2023 || 0
|-
| '''[[New York Red Bulls]]''' || rowspan="2" | Soccer || [[Major League Soccer|MLS]] || rowspan="2" | [[Sports Illustrated Stadium]] (25,000) || 1994 || 0
|-
| '''[[Gotham FC]]'''  || [[National Women's Soccer League|NWSL]] || 2007 || 2
|-
| '''[[New York Giants]]''' || rowspan="2" | Football || rowspan="2" | [[National Football League|NFL]] || rowspan="2" | [[MetLife Stadium]] (82,500) || 1925 || 8
|-
| '''[[New York Jets]]''' || 1959 || 1
|}

===Minor league sports===
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
! Club !! Sport !! League !! Stadium (capacity) !! Established !! Titles
|-
| '''[[Somerset Patriots]]''' || rowspan="5" | Baseball || [[Minor League Baseball|MiLB]] ([[Eastern League (1938–present)|Eastern League]]) || [[TD Bank Ballpark]] (6,100) || 1997 || 7
|-
| '''[[Jersey Shore BlueClaws]]''' || [[Minor League Baseball|MiLB]] ([[South Atlantic League]]) || [[ShoreTown Ballpark]] (6,588 ) || 1987 || 3
|-
| '''[[Trenton Thunder]]''' || [[MLB Draft League]] || [[Trenton Thunder Ballpark]] (6,440) || 1980 || 5
|-
| '''[[New Jersey Jackals]]''' || rowspan="2" |[[Frontier League]]||[[Hinchliffe Stadium]] (10,000) || 1998 || 6
|-
| '''[[Sussex County Miners]]''' ||[[Skylands Stadium]] (4,200) || 2015 || 1
|-
| '''[[New York Red Bulls II]]''' || Soccer || [[MLS Next Pro]] || [[MSU Soccer Park at Pittser Field]] (5,000) || 2015 || 2
|}

===College sports===
{{See also|List of college athletic programs in New Jersey}}

====Major schools====
New Jerseyans' collegiate allegiances are predominantly split among the three major [[NCAA Division I]] programs in the state: the [[Rutgers University–New Brunswick|Rutgers University]] (New Jersey's flagship state university) [[Rutgers Scarlet Knights|Scarlet Knights]], members of the [[Big Ten Conference]]; the [[Seton Hall University]] (the state's largest [[Catholic Church in the United States|Catholic]] university) [[Seton Hall Pirates|Pirates]], members of the [[Big East Conference]]; and the [[Princeton University]] (the state's [[Ivy League]] university) [[Princeton Tigers|Tigers]].

The intense rivalry between Rutgers and Princeton athletics began with the [[1869 college football season|first intercollegiate football game]] in 1869. The schools have not met on the football field since 1980, but they continue to play each other annually in all other sports offered by the two universities.

Rutgers, which fields 24 teams in various sports, is nationally known for its football program, with a 6–4 all-time [[bowl game|bowl]] record; and its women's basketball programs, which appeared in a [[2007 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament|National Final]] in 2007. In 2008 and 2009, Rutgers expanded their football home, [[SHI Stadium|Rutgers Stadium]], now called SHI Stadium, on the [[Busch Campus of Rutgers University|Busch Campus]]. The basketball teams play at the [[Rutgers Athletic Center]] on [[Livingston Campus (Rutgers University)|Livingston Campus]]. Both venues and campuses are in [[Piscataway Township, New Jersey|Piscataway]], across the [[Raritan River]] from [[New Brunswick, New Jersey|New Brunswick]]. The university also fields men's basketball and baseball programs. Rutgers' fans live mostly in the western parts of the state and [[Middlesex County, New Jersey|Middlesex County]]; its alumni base is the largest in the state.

Rutgers' satellite campuses in Camden and Newark each field their own athletic programs—the [[Rutgers–Camden Scarlet Raptors]] and the [[Rutgers–Newark Scarlet Raiders]]—which both compete in NCAA [[Division III (NCAA)|Division III]].

Seton Hall fields no football team, but its men's basketball team is one of the [[Big East Conference|Big East]]'s storied programs. No New Jersey team has won more games in the [[NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament]], and it is the state's only men's basketball program to reach a modern [[1989 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|National Final]]. The Pirates play their home games at [[Prudential Center]] in downtown [[Newark, New Jersey|Newark]], about {{Convert | 4 | mi | 0}} from the university's [[South Orange, New Jersey|South Orange]] campus. Their fans hail largely from the predominantly Roman Catholic areas of the northern part of the state and the [[Jersey Shore]]. The annual inter-conference rivalry game between Seton Hall and Rutgers, whose venue alternates between Newark and Piscataway, the Garden State Hardwood Classic, is planned through 2026.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.app.com/story/sports/college/2018/04/30/rutgers-seton-hall-basketball-garden-state-hardwood-classic/563768002/ |title=Rutgers vs. Seton Hall basketball series formally extended |work=Ashbury Park Press |last=Carino |first=Jerry |date=April 30, 2018 |access-date=August 5, 2021 |archive-date=January 29, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220129233047/https://www.app.com/story/sports/college/2018/04/30/rutgers-seton-hall-basketball-garden-state-hardwood-classic/563768002/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

====Other schools====
The state's other Division I schools include the [[Monmouth Hawks|Monmouth University Hawks]] (West Long Branch), the [[NJIT Mens Soccer|New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) Highlanders]] (Newark), the [[Rider University#Athletics|Rider University Broncs]] (Lawrenceville), and the [[Saint Peter's College, New Jersey#Athletics|Saint Peter's University Peacocks]] (Jersey City).

[[Fairleigh Dickinson Knights|Fairleigh Dickinson University]] competes in both Division I and Division III. It has two campuses, each with its own sports teams. The teams at the Metropolitan Campus are known as the FDU Knights, and compete in the [[Northeast Conference]] and NCAA Division I. The college at Florham (FDU-Florham) teams are known as the FDU-Florham Devils and compete in the [[Middle Atlantic Conferences#Freedom Conference|Middle Atlantic Conferences' Freedom Conference]] and NCAA Division III.

Among the various Division III schools in the state, the [[Stevens Tech Ducks football|Stevens Institute of Technology]] Ducks have fielded the longest continuously running collegiate men's lacrosse program in the country. 2009 marked the 125th season.

===High school===
New Jersey high schools are divided into divisions under the [[New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association]] (NJSIAA).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.njsiaa.org/|title=NJSIAA—New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association—NJSIAA|access-date=March 12, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170525203826/http://www.njsiaa.org/|archive-date=May 25, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>'<ref>[http://www.ihigh.com/NJ/ New Jersey High School News and Sports] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090418224118/http://www.ihigh.com/NJ/ |date=April 18, 2009 }}. iHigh.com, Inc—The High School Internet Network. Retrieved January 26, 2011.</ref>

==Stadiums and arenas==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Venue !! City !! Capacity !! Type !! Tenants !! Opened
|-
| [[SHI Stadium]] || [[Piscataway, New Jersey|Piscataway]] || 52,454 || [[Stadium]] || [[Rutgers Scarlet Knights]] || 1994
|- 
| [[Jadwin Gymnasium]] || [[Princeton, New Jersey|Princeton]] || 6,854 || [[Arena]] || [[Princeton Tigers]] || 1969
|-
| [[Rutgers Athletic Center]] || Piscataway || 8,000 || Arena || Rutgers Scarlet Knights || 1977
|-
| [[MetLife Stadium]] || [[East Rutherford, New Jersey|East Rutherford]] || 82,500 || Stadium || [[New York Giants]], [[New York Jets]] || 2010
|-
| [[Princeton Stadium]] || Princeton || 27,800 || Stadium || Princeton Tigers || 1998
|-
| [[Prudential Center]] || [[Newark, New Jersey|Newark]] || 18,711 || Arena || [[New Jersey Devils]], [[New York Sirens]], [[Seton Hall Pirates]] || 2007
|-
| [[Sports Illustrated Stadium]] || [[Harrison, New Jersey|Harrison]] || 25,000 || Stadium || [[New York Red Bulls]], [[Gotham FC]] || 2010
|-
|}

===Other notable sports venues===
* [[Old Bridge Township Raceway Park]]
* [[Trenton Speedway]]
* [[Atlantic City Race Course]]
* [[Freehold Raceway]]
* [[Garden State Park Racetrack]]
* [[Monmouth Park Racetrack]]
* [[Meadowlands Sports Complex]]
** [[Meadowlands Arena]]
** [[Meadowlands Racetrack]]
** [[Meadowlands Grand Prix]]

==Government and politics==
{{main|Government of New Jersey}}

===Executive===
{{Further|Governor of New Jersey|Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey}}
{{multiple image
| align             = right
| direction         = horizontal
| caption_align     = center
| image1            = Gov. Mikie Sherril.jpg
| width1            = 175
| caption1          = [[Mikie Sherrill]] [[Democratic Party (United States)|(D)]]<br /><small>[[List of Governors of New Jersey|57th]] [[Governor of New Jersey|Governor]]<br />since January 20, 2026</small>
| image2            = Lt. Governor Dr. Dale G. Caldwell.jpg
| width2            = 175
| caption2          = [[Dale Caldwell]] (D)<br /><small>[[List of Lieutenant Governors of New Jersey|4th]] [[Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey|Lt. Governor]]<br />since January 20, 2026 </small>
}}

The position of Governor of New Jersey is one of the most powerful in the nation. The governor is elected on a ticket with their lieutenant governor as the only statewide elected executive officials in the state; the governor appoints the entire executive cabinet and judges of the Supreme and Superior Courts. Mikie Sherrill (D) is the governor. The governor's mansion is [[Drumthwacket]], located in [[Princeton, New Jersey|Princeton]], [[Mercer County, New Jersey|Mercer County]].

Before 2010, New Jersey was one of the few states without a [[Lieutenant governor (United States)|lieutenant governor]]. [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] [[Kim Guadagno]] was elected the first [[Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey|lieutenant governor of New Jersey]] on the Republican ticket with Governor [[Chris Christie]] and took office on January 19, 2010. The position was created as the result of a [[Constitutional amendment]] to the [[New Jersey State Constitution]] passed by the voters in 2005. Previously a gubernatorial vacancy would be filled by the president of the [[New Jersey State Senate]] as acting governor, thus directing half of the legislative and all of the executive process. The current lieutenant governor is Dale Caldwell (D).

===Legislative===
{{Main|New Jersey Legislature}}

[[File:NJ Capitol.JPG|thumb|The design of the golden-domed [[New Jersey State House]] in [[Trenton, New Jersey|Trenton]] differs from most other U.S. state houses in not resembling the [[United States Capitol|U.S. Capitol]].]]
The current version of the [[New Jersey State Constitution]] was adopted in 1947. It provides for a [[bicameral]] [[New Jersey Legislature]], consisting of an [[upper house]] [[New Jersey Senate|Senate]] of 40 members and a [[lower house]] [[New Jersey General Assembly|General Assembly]] of 80 members. Each of the 40 legislative districts elects one state senator and two Assembly members. Assembly members are elected for a two-year term in all odd-numbered years; state senators are elected in years ending in 1, 3, and{{nbsp}}7 and thus serve either four- or two-year terms.

New Jersey is one of only five states that elects its state officials in odd-numbered years (the others are [[Kentucky]], [[Louisiana]], [[Mississippi]], and [[Virginia]]). New Jersey holds elections for these offices every four years, in the year following each federal Presidential election year.

===Judicial===
{{main|Judiciary of New Jersey}}

The [[New Jersey Supreme Court]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/supreme/index.htm|title=Supreme Court of New Jersey|publisher=Judiciary.state.nj.us|access-date=July 25, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081216011351/http://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/supreme/index.htm|archive-date=December 16, 2008}}</ref> consists of a chief justice and six associate justices. All are appointed by the governor with the [[advice and consent]] of a majority of the membership of the state senate. Justices serve an initial seven-year term, after which they can be reappointed to serve until age 70.

Most of the day-to-day work in the New Jersey courts is carried out in the Municipal Court, where simple traffic tickets, minor criminal offenses, and small civil matters are heard.

More serious criminal and civil cases are handled by the [[New Jersey Superior Court|Superior Court]] for each county. All Superior Court judges are appointed by the governor with the [[advice and consent]] of a majority of the membership of the state senate. Each judge serves an initial seven-year term and can be reappointed to serve until age 70. New Jersey's judiciary is unusual in that it still has separate courts of law and [[equity (law)|equity]], like its neighbor [[Delaware]] but unlike most other U.S. states. The [[New Jersey Superior Court]] is divided into Law and Chancery Divisions at the trial level; the Law Division hears both criminal cases and civil lawsuits where the plaintiff's primary remedy is [[damages]], while the Chancery Division hears family cases, civil suits where the plaintiff's primary remedy is equitable relief, and probate trials.

The Superior Court also has an [[New Jersey Superior Court, Appellate Division|Appellate Division]], which functions as the state's intermediate [[appellate court]]. Superior Court judges are assigned to the Appellate Division by the Chief Justice.

There is also a Tax Court, which is a court of limited jurisdiction. Tax Court judges hear appeals of tax decisions made by County Boards of Taxation. They also hear appeals on decisions made by the director of the Division of Taxation on such matters as state income, sales and business taxes, and homestead rebates. Appeals from Tax Court decisions are heard in the Appellate Division of Superior Court. Tax Court judges are appointed by the governor for initial terms of seven years, and upon reappointment are granted tenure until they reach the mandatory retirement age of 70. There are 12 Tax Court judgeships.

===Counties===
{{Further|List of New Jersey counties}}

New Jersey is divided into 21 counties; 13 date from the colonial era. New Jersey was completely divided into counties by 1692; the present counties were created by dividing the existing ones; most recently [[Union County, New Jersey|Union County]] in 1857.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kent |first1=Spencer |title=How NJ's 21 counties got their names |url=https://www.nj.com/expo/news/g66l-2019/02/4a5f4485007948/how-njs-21-counties-got-their-names.html |website=The Star-Ledger |date=February 14, 2019 |access-date=February 14, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190214233929/https://www.nj.com/expo/news/g66l-2019/02/4a5f4485007948/how-njs-21-counties-got-their-names.html |archive-date=February 14, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> New Jersey was formerly the only state in the nation where elected county officials were called freeholders. Elected county officials are now called county commissioners as of bill S855 signed by Governor Murphy on August 8, 2020. The county commissioners govern each county as part of its own [[Board of County Commissioners (New Jersey)|Board of Chosen County Commissioners]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=Office of the Governor {{!}} Governor Murphy Signs Legislation to Eliminate the Title of "Freeholder" from Public Office|url=https://www.nj.gov/governor/news/news/562020/20200821b.shtml|access-date=December 21, 2021|website=www.nj.gov|archive-date=December 21, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211221021006/https://www.nj.gov/governor/news/news/562020/20200821b.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref> The number of county commissioners in each county is determined by referendum, and must consist of three, five, seven or nine members.

Depending on the county, the executive and [[legislative]] functions may be performed by the [[Board of County Commissioners (New Jersey)|Board of County Commissioners]] or split into separate branches of government. In 16 counties, the County Commissioners perform both legislative and executive functions on a commission basis, with each commissioner assigned responsibility for a department or group of departments. In the other five counties ([[Atlantic County, New Jersey|Atlantic]], [[Bergen County, New Jersey|Bergen]], [[Essex County, New Jersey|Essex]], [[Hudson County, New Jersey|Hudson]] and [[Mercer County, New Jersey|Mercer]]), there is a directly elected [[County Executive]] who performs the executive functions while the commissioners retain a legislative and oversight role. In counties without an Executive, a County Administrator (or County Manager) may be hired to perform day-to-day administration of county functions.<ref>Hill, Michael. [https://www.njspotlightnews.org/video/the-structure-and-role-of-county-government-in-new-jersey/ "The structure and role of county government in New Jersey"], NJ Spotlight News, February 25, 2019. Retrieved July 15, 2022. "Atlantic, Bergen, Essex, Hudson and Mercer Counties have the freeholder-executive form. Union County's freeholders select a manager who can veto some of their actions. The other 15 counties have freeholders — 3 to 9 members depending on population. They appoint a chair or president, and the freeholders themselves take on the executive branch duties, such as running different departments." {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230715014157/https://www.njspotlightnews.org/video/the-structure-and-role-of-county-government-in-new-jersey/ |date=July 15, 2023 }}.</ref>

===Municipalities===
{{Further|List of municipalities in New Jersey}}
New Jersey currently has 564 municipalities; the most recent dissolution of a municipality was when [[Pine Valley, New Jersey|Pine Valley]] merged into [[Pine Hill, New Jersey|Pine Hill]] on January 1, 2022. Unlike other states, all New Jersey land is part of a municipality. In 2008, Governor [[Jon Corzine]] proposed cutting state aid to all towns under 10,000 people, to encourage mergers to reduce administrative costs.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90090911|title=Small Towns in N.J. Told to Merge or Face Cuts|newspaper=NPR.org|publisher=NPR|access-date=July 25, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100127122835/http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90090911|archive-date=January 27, 2010|url-status=live}}</ref> In May 2009, the Local Unit Alignment Reorganization and Consolidation Commission began a study of about 40 small communities in South Jersey to decide which ones might be good candidates for consolidation.<ref>[http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/20090529_N_J__town_mergers_could_start_in_18_months.html "N.J. town mergers could start in 18 months"] by Jan Hefler, ''[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]'', May 29, 2009. Retrieved May 29, 2009 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090614182032/http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/20090529_N_J__town_mergers_could_start_in_18_months.html |date=June 14, 2009 }}</ref>

====Forms of municipal government====
{{NJmunigov}}

Starting in the 20th century, largely driven by reform-minded goals, a series of six modern forms of government was implemented. This began with the [[Walsh Act (New Jersey)|Walsh Act]], enacted in 1911 by the [[New Jersey Legislature]], which provided for a three- or five-member commission elected on a non-partisan basis. This was followed by the [[1923 Municipal Manager Law]], which offered a non-partisan council, provided for a weak mayor elected by and from the members of the council, and introduced a [[Council-manager government]] structure with an appointed manager responsible for the day-to-day administration of municipal affairs.

The [[Faulkner Act (New Jersey)|Faulkner Act]], originally enacted in 1950 and substantially amended in 1981, offers four basic plans: [[Faulkner Act (Mayor-Council)|Mayor-Council]], [[Faulkner Act (Council-Manager)|Council-Manager]], [[Faulkner Act (Small Municipality)|Small Municipality]], and [[Faulkner Act (Mayor-Council-Administrator)|Mayor-Council-Administrator]]. The act provides many choices for communities with a preference for a strong executive and professional management of municipal affairs and offers great flexibility in allowing municipalities to select the characteristics of its government: the number of seats on the council; seats selected at-large, by wards, or through a combination of both; staggered or concurrent terms of office; and a mayor chosen by the council or elected directly by voters. Most large municipalities and a majority of New Jersey's residents are governed by municipalities with Faulkner Act charters. Municipalities can also formulate their own unique form of government and operate under a [[Special Charter (New Jersey)|Special Charter]] with the approval of the [[New Jersey Legislature]].<ref>Cerra, Michael F. [https://www.njlm.org/809/3982/Forms-of-Govt-Magazine-Article "Forms of Government: Everything You've Always Wanted to Know, But Were Afraid to Ask"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220716084544/https://www.njlm.org/809/3982/Forms-of-Govt-Magazine-Article |date=July 16, 2022 }}, [[New Jersey State League of Municipalities]], March 2007. Retrieved July 15, 2022.</ref>

While municipalities retain their names derived from types of government, they may have changed to one of the modern forms of government, or further in the past to one of the other traditional forms, leading to municipalities with formal names quite baffling to the general public. For example, though there are four municipalities that are officially of the village type, none use the village form of government. [[Loch Arbour, New Jersey|Loch Arbour]] and [[Ridgefield Park, New Jersey|Ridgefield Park]] (now with a Walsh Act form), [[Ridgewood, New Jersey|Ridgewood]] (now with a Faulkner Act Council-Manager charter) and [[South Orange, New Jersey|South Orange]] (now operates under a [[Special Charter (New Jersey)|Special Charter]]) all migrated to other non-village forms.<ref>Liberman, Si. [https://www.nytimes.com/1993/10/10/nyregion/loch-arbour-journal-to-educate-its-children-a-village-pays-and-pays.html "Loch Arbour Journal; To Educate Its Children, a Village Pays and Pays"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220715155014/https://www.nytimes.com/1993/10/10/nyregion/loch-arbour-journal-to-educate-its-children-a-village-pays-and-pays.html |date=July 15, 2022 }}, ''[[The New York Times]]'', October 10, 1993. Retrieved July 15, 2022. "These concerns led to approval of a referendum that created what today is New Jersey's only municipality organized as a village. (South Orange, Ridgewood and Ridgefield Park call themselves villages, but have different municipal governments.)"</ref><ref>Shields, Nancy. [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98717297/loch-arbour-changes-from-village-form/ "Loch Arbour to change government; staying village for now; Will switch from five-member board of trustees to three-member board of commissioners"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230208010738/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98717297/loch-arbour-changes-from-village-form/ |date=February 8, 2023 }}, ''[[Asbury Park Press]]'', December 21, 2011. Retrieved February 7, 2023, via [[Newspapers.com]]. "Village residents Tuesday voted 51–35 to change its form of government from a five-member board of trustees to a three-member board of commissioners. The vote in the special election means that Loch Arbour is still a village, at least for now, but the town will have three commissioners elected at the same time every four years.... The special election to change the form of government under the Walsh Act is part of a number of steps being taken in search of an answer to a very high school-tax bill, which residents were forced to take on after the state in 2008 ended a special financial deal the village worked out with Ocean Township a decade ago to keep school taxes low."</ref>

===Politics===
{{Main|Politics of New Jersey}}

====Social attitudes and issues====
{{See also|LGBT rights in New Jersey|Gun laws in New Jersey}}
Socially, New Jersey is considered one of the more liberal states in the nation. Polls indicate that 60% of the population are self-described as [[pro-choice]], although a majority are opposed to late trimester and [[intact dilation and extraction]] and public funding of abortion.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/17086/poll-says-majority-of-americans-opposed-to-abortion-funding-in-health-care-bill|title=Poll says majority of Americans opposed to abortion funding in health care bill :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)|agency=Catholic News Agency|access-date=July 25, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.surveyusa.com/50State2005/50StateAbortion0805SortedbyState.htm|title=SurveyUSA Pro-Life vs. Pro Choice Sorted by State|publisher=Surveyusa.com|access-date=July 25, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110106172717/http://www.surveyusa.com/50State2005/50StateAbortion0805SortedbyState.htm|archive-date=January 6, 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> As of 2022, all aspects of reproductive choice (including abortion) are protected by law.<ref name=Repro>[https://pub.njleg.state.nj.us/Bills/2020/AL21/375_.PDF Text of the reproductive choice law passed by NJ in 2022] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221217182445/https://pub.njleg.state.nj.us/Bills/2020/AL21/375_.PDF |date=December 17, 2022 }}, from the state of NJ website, last access September 12, 2022</ref>

In a 2009 [[Quinnipiac University Polling Institute]] poll, a plurality supported [[same-sex marriage in New Jersey|same-sex marriage]] 49% to 43% opposed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/local&id=6776022&rss=rss-wpvi-article-6776022|title=Poll: NJ voters support gay marriage|publisher=Abclocal.go.com|date=April 23, 2009|access-date=January 23, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604043330/http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news%2Flocal&id=6776022&rss=rss-wpvi-article-6776022|archive-date=June 4, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> On October 18, 2013, the [[New Jersey Supreme Court]] rendered a provisional, unanimous (7–0) order authorizing same-sex marriage in the state, pending a legal appeal by Governor Chris Christie,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/10/nj_supreme_court_gay_marriage_christie.html|title=Same-sex weddings can begin pending appeal, N.J. Supreme Court rules|author=Salvador Rizzo|publisher=New Jersey On-Line LLC|date=October 18, 2013|access-date=October 19, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131018204614/http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/10/nj_supreme_court_gay_marriage_christie.html|archive-date=October 18, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> who then withdrew this appeal hours after the inaugural same-sex marriages took place on October 21, 2013.<ref name="DroppedAppeal">{{cite web |author1=Melissa Hayes |author2=Kibret Markos |author3=Chris Harris |author4=Scott Fallon |date=October 21, 2013 |title=Christie drops appeal of ruling allowing gay marriage in NJ |url=http://www.northjersey.com/news/state/Christie_administration_withdraws_appeal_of_ruling_allowing_gay_marriage_in_NJ.html?page=all |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140209185716/http://www.northjersey.com/news/state/Christie_administration_withdraws_appeal_of_ruling_allowing_gay_marriage_in_NJ.html?page=all |archive-date=February 9, 2014 |access-date=October 21, 2013}}</ref>

New Jersey also has some of the most stringent [[gun control]] laws in the U.S. These include bans on [[assault weapon|assault firearms]], hollow-nose bullets and slingshots. No gun offense in New Jersey is graded less than a felony. [[BB guns]] and black-powder guns are all treated as modern firearms. New Jersey does not recognize out-of-state gun licenses and aggressively enforces its own gun laws.<ref>[http://www.nraila.org/statelawpdfs/NJSL.pdf NRAILA.org] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111210170131/http://www.nraila.org/statelawpdfs/NJSL.pdf |date=December 10, 2011 }}</ref>

In 2020, the state's voting population passed a public question<ref name=MJ>[https://ballotpedia.org/New_Jersey_Public_Question_1,_Marijuana_Legalization_Amendment_(2020) New Jersey Public Question 1, Marijuana Legalization Amendment (2020)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240227153849/https://ballotpedia.org/New_Jersey_Public_Question_1,_Marijuana_Legalization_Amendment_(2020) |date=February 27, 2024 }} on Ballotpedia.org, last access February 26, 2024.</ref> that amended the state constitution to legalize [[marijuana]] and erase past legal convictions for possession. The measure passed by a two-thirds vote. At the time the measure was enacted, about a dozen other U.S. states had also legalized the sale and possession of marijuana. As of 2024, local governments and municipalities are still in the process of regulating marijuana-related businesses within their jurisdictions.

====Elections====
{{Main|Elections in New Jersey}}

{{See also|Political party strength in New Jersey}}{{multiple image
| align             = right
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| caption_align     = center
| image1            = Cory Booker, official portrait, 114th Congress.jpg
| width1            = 150
| caption1          = [[Cory Booker]] [[Democratic Party (United States)|(D)]]<br /><small>Senior [[U.S. Senator]]</small>
| image2            = Congressman Andy Kim (NJ-03) Headshot Photo (cropped).jpg
| width2            = 150
| caption2          = [[Andy Kim (politician)|Andy Kim]] (D)<br /><small>Junior U.S. Senator</small>
}}

New Jersey is a [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] stronghold. [[New Jersey Democratic State Committee|New Jersey Democrats]] have majority control of both houses of the [[New Jersey Legislature]] (Senate, 24–16, and Assembly, 46–34), 9–3 split of the state's twelve seats in the [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. House of Representatives]], and both [[United States Senate|U.S. Senate]] seats. There have been recent Republican governors, however: [[Christine Todd Whitman]] won election in 1993 and 1997 and [[Chris Christie]] in 2009 and 2013.

In federal elections, the state leans heavily towards the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]], having last voted for a Republican for president in 1988. New Jersey was a crucial [[swing state]] in the elections of [[1960 United States presidential election|1960]], [[1968 United States presidential election|1968]], and [[1992 United States presidential election|1992]]. The last elected Republican to hold a Senate seat from New Jersey was [[Clifford P. Case]] in 1979. Newark Mayor [[Cory Booker]] was elected in October 2013 to join [[Bob Menendez|Robert Menendez]] to make New Jersey the first state with concurrently serving black and Latino U.S. senators.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/10/booker_and_menendez_form_historic_duo_as_first_black_and_latino_senators_from_the_same_state.html|title=Booker and Menendez form historic duo as first black and Latino senators from the same state|author=David Giambusso|newspaper=The Star-Ledger|date=October 20, 2013|access-date=October 20, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021101504/http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/10/booker_and_menendez_form_historic_duo_as_first_black_and_latino_senators_from_the_same_state.html|archive-date=October 21, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:New Jersey Presidential Election Results 2024.svg|thumb|upright|[[2024 United States presidential election in New Jersey|2024 U.S. presidential election results]] by county in New Jersey {{leftlegend|#4389E3|Democratic}}{{leftlegend|#AA0000|Republican}}]]

The state's Democratic strongholds include [[Camden County, New Jersey|Camden County]], [[Essex County, New Jersey|Essex County]] (the state's most Democratic county—it includes [[Newark, New Jersey|Newark]], the state's largest city), [[Hudson County, New Jersey|Hudson County]] (the second-strongest Democratic county, including [[Jersey City, New Jersey|Jersey City]], the state's second-largest city); [[Mercer County, New Jersey|Mercer County]] (especially around [[Trenton, New Jersey|Trenton]] and [[Princeton, New Jersey|Princeton]]), [[Middlesex County, New Jersey|Middlesex County]], and [[Union County, New Jersey|Union County]] (including [[Elizabeth, New Jersey|Elizabeth]], the state's fourth-largest city).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/05/republican_vs_democratic_which_political_party_dom.html|title=Your neighbors lean red or blue? How many Republicans and Democrats are in all 21 counties|date=May 28, 2017|access-date=May 28, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170528133622/http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/05/republican_vs_democratic_which_political_party_dom.html|archive-date=May 28, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> Other suburban counties, especially [[Bergen County, New Jersey|Bergen County]] and [[Burlington County, New Jersey|Burlington County]], had the majority of votes go to the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]].

The northwestern and southeastern counties of the state are reliably Republican: Republicans have support along the coast in [[Ocean County, New Jersey|Ocean County]] and [[Cape May County, New Jersey|Cape May County]] as well as in the mountainous northwestern part of the state, especially in [[Hunterdon County, New Jersey|Hunterdon County]], [[Sussex County, New Jersey|Sussex County]], and [[Warren County, New Jersey|Warren County]].

To be eligible to vote in a U.S. election, all New Jerseyans are required to start their residency in the state 30 days prior to an election and register 21 days prior to election day.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.njelections.org/voting-information.html|title=New Jersey Department of State—Division of Elections|access-date=March 12, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170326035037/http://www.njelections.org/voting-information.html|archive-date=March 26, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

====Capital punishment====
{{Main|Capital punishment in New Jersey}}

On December 17, 2007, Governor Jon Corzine signed into law a bill that would eliminate the death penalty in New Jersey. New Jersey was the first state to pass such legislation since [[Iowa]] and [[West Virginia]] eliminated executions in 1965.<ref>Hester Jr., Tom (2007), [https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna22296966 "N.J. Bans Death Penalty"], Associated Press</ref> Corzine also signed a bill that would downgrade the Death Row prisoners' sentences from "Death" to "Life in Prison with No Parole".<ref>Peters, Jeremy W. "[https://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/18/nyregion/18death.html?pagewanted=print Corzine Signs Bill Ending Executions, Then Commutes Sentences of Eight]".{{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170701054225/http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/18/nyregion/18death.html?pagewanted=print |date=July 1, 2017 }} ''[[The New York Times]]''. December 18, 2007. Retrieved December 25, 2009.</ref>

==Points of interest==
===Boardwalks===
[[File:Atlantic City Boardwalk view north from Caesars Atlantic City by Silveira Neto June 24 2012.jpg|thumb|The [[Atlantic City Boardwalk]] seen from [[Caesars Atlantic City]], which opened in 1870 as the world's first [[boardwalk (entertainment district)|boardwalk]]<ref name="AtlanticCityBoardwalkWorld'sLongestBusiestOldest1">{{cite web|url=https://visitnj.org/atlantic-city-boardwalk|title=Atlantic City Boardwalk|date=January 31, 2014 |publisher=State of New Jersey|access-date=August 18, 2023}}</ref> At {{Convert|5+1/2|mi|km}} long, it is also the world's longest and busiest boardwalk.<ref name="AtlanticCityBoardwalkWorld'sLongestBusiestOldest2">{{cite web|url=https://www.nj.com/politics/2023/08/nj-s-aging-boardwalks-to-get-a-100m-facelift.html|title=N.J.'s aging boardwalks to get a $100M facelift|author=Derek Hall|publisher=NJ Advance Media|date=August 15, 2023|access-date=August 15, 2023}}</ref> New Jersey is home to the world's highest concentration of boardwalks.|alt=People walking along a wide pathway near the ocean on a sunny day]]

Many communities along the [[Jersey Shore]] have a boardwalk with various attractions, entertainment, shopping, dining, arcades, water parks, and amusement parks. The [[Atlantic City Boardwalk]], opened in 1870, as the world's first [[boardwalk (entertainment district)|boardwalk]].<ref name="AtlanticCityBoardwalkWorld'sLongestBusiestOldest1"/> At {{Convert|5+1/2|mi|km}} long, it is also the world's longest and busiest boardwalk.<ref name=Oyster2015/><ref name="AtlanticCityBoardwalkWorld'sLongestBusiestOldest2"/> 
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Venue
!Amusement Park
!Location
!Year opened
|-
|[[List of boardwalks in the United States|Asbury Park Boardwalk]]
|[[Asbury Splash Park]]
|[[Asbury Park, New Jersey|Asbury Park]]
|1871
|-
|[[Atlantic City Boardwalk]]
|[[Steel Pier]]
|[[Atlantic City, New Jersey|Atlantic City]]
|1870
|-
|[[List of boardwalks in the United States|Jenkinson's Boardwalk]]
|[[Jenkinson's Amusement Park]]
|[[Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey|Point Pleasant Beach]]
|1928
|-
|[[Ocean City Boardwalk (New Jersey)|Ocean City Boardwalk]]
|[[Playland's Castaway Cove]]
|[[Ocean City, New Jersey|Ocean City]]
|1929
|-
|[[Pier Village]]
|None
|[[Long Branch, New Jersey|Long Branch]]
|2005
|-
|[[List of boardwalks in the United States|Seaside Heights Boardwalk]]
|[[Casino Pier]]
|[[Seaside Heights, New Jersey|Seaside Heights]]
|1932
|-
|[[List of boardwalks in the United States|Wildwood Boardwalk]]
|[[Morey's Piers]]
|[[The Wildwoods]]
|1969
|}

===Museums===
{{See also|List of museums in New Jersey}}
{|class="wikitable"
|-
!Museum
!Location
!Year opened
!Type
|-
|[[New Jersey State Museum]]
|[[Trenton, New Jersey|Trenton]]
|1895
|General education
|-
|[[Franklin Mineral Museum]]
|[[Franklin, New Jersey|Franklin]], [[Sussex County, New Jersey|Sussex County]]
|1964
|Mineral museum
|-
|[[Liberty Science Center]]
|[[Liberty State Park]], [[Jersey City]]
|1993
|[[Science museum]]
|-
|[[Maywood Station Museum]]
|[[Maywood, New Jersey|Maywood]]
|2004
|Railroad museum
|-
|[[Montclair Art Museum]]
|[[Montclair, New Jersey|Montclair]]
|1914
|[[Art museum]]
|-
|[[Newark Museum]]
|[[Newark, New Jersey|Newark]]
|1909
|Natural science and art museum
|-
|[[Princeton University Art Museum]]
|[[Princeton, New Jersey|Princeton]]
|1884
|Art museum
|-
|[[Thomas Alva Edison Memorial Tower and Museum|Thomas Edison Center]]
|[[Menlo Park, New Jersey|Menlo Park]]
|1938
|[[Thomas Edison]] museum
|}

===National Park Service areas===
{{See also|List of National Historic Landmarks in New Jersey|List of New Jersey state parks}}
* [[Appalachian Trail|Appalachian National Scenic Trail]]
* [[Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area|Crossroads of the American Revolution]]
* [[Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area]]
* [[Gateway National Recreation Area]]
* [[Great Egg Harbor River|Great Egg Harbor National Scenic and Recreational River]]
* [[Morristown National Historical Park]]
* [[Pinelands National Reserve|New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve]]
* [[Great Falls (Passaic River)|Patterson Great Falls National Historical Park]]
* [[Statue of Liberty National Monument]] (with [[Ellis Island]])
* [[Thomas Edison National Historical Park]]
* [[Washington–Rochambeau Revolutionary Route|Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nps.gov/state/nj/list.htm|title=New Jersey—List View|author=National Park Service|access-date=March 23, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190323112854/https://www.nps.gov/state/nj/list.htm|archive-date=March 23, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Entertainment and concert venues===
Visitors and residents take advantage of and contribute to performances at the numerous music, theater, and dance companies and venues located throughout the state, including:
{|class="wikitable"
|-
!Venue
!Type
!Location
!Year opened
|-
|[[Prudential Center]]
|[[Arena]]
|[[Newark, New Jersey|Newark]]
|2007
|-
|[[New Brunswick Performing Arts Center]]
|Regional Theater
|[[New Brunswick, New Jersey|New Brunswick]]
|2019
|-
|[[PNC Bank Arts Center]]
|[[Amphitheater]]
|[[Holmdel Township, New Jersey|Holmdel]]
|1977
|-
|[[New Jersey Performing Arts Center]]
|[[List of concert halls|Concert Hall]]
|[[Newark, New Jersey|Newark]]
|1997
|-
|[[Paper Mill Playhouse]]
|Regional Theater
|[[Millburn, New Jersey|Millburn]]
|1968
|-
|[[State Theater (New Brunswick, New Jersey)|State Theater]]
|Regional Theater
|[[New Brunswick, New Jersey|New Brunswick]]
|1921
|-
|[[Boardwalk Hall]]
|[[Arena]]
|[[Atlantic City, New Jersey|Atlantic City]]
|1926
|-
|[[Freedom Mortgage Pavilion]]
|[[Amphitheater]]
|[[Camden, New Jersey|Camden]]
|1995
|-
|[[CURE Insurance Arena]]
|[[Arena]]
|[[Trenton, New Jersey|Trenton]]
|1999
|}

===Theme parks===
{|class="wikitable"
|-
!Main park
!Other parks
!Location
!Year opened
|-
|[[Clementon Amusement Park]]
|Splash World
|[[Clementon, New Jersey|Clementon]]
|1907
|-
|[[Diggerland]]
|
|[[West Berlin, New Jersey|West Berlin]]
|2014
|-
|[[DreamWorks Water Park|DreamWorks Waterpark]]
|
|[[East Rutherford, New Jersey|East Rutherford]]
|2020<ref>{{Cite web|first=Allison|last=Pries|date=September 3, 2020|title=American Dream announces reopening date, but it's far away.|url=https://www.nj.com/news/2020/09/american-dream-announces-reopening-date-but-its-far-away.html|access-date=September 8, 2020|website=The Star-Ledger|archive-date=September 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200904034901/https://www.nj.com/news/2020/09/american-dream-announces-reopening-date-but-its-far-away.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
|Fantasy Island
|Thundering Surf Water Park
|[[Beach Haven, New Jersey|Beach Haven]]
|1985
|-
|The Funplex (Mount Laurel)
|The Funplex ([[East Hanover Township, New Jersey|East Hanover]])
|[[Mount Laurel, New Jersey|Mount Laurel]]
|
|-
|[[iPlay America]]
|
|[[Freehold Township, New Jersey|Freehold]]
|2011
|-
|Keansburg Amusement Park
|Runaway Rapids
|[[Keansburg, New Jersey|Keansburg]]
|1904
|-
|[[Land of Make Believe (amusement park)|Land of Make Believe]]
|Pirate's Cove
|[[Hope Township, New Jersey|Hope]]
|1954
|-
|[[Mountain Creek Waterpark]]
|
|[[Vernon Township, New Jersey|Vernon]]
|1998
|-
|[[Nickelodeon Universe]]
|
|[[East Rutherford, New Jersey|East Rutherford]]
|2019<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pries |first=Allison |date=October 17, 2019 |title=Nickelodeon Universe opens next week at American Dream. Here's what it'll cost to go. |url=https://www.nj.com/bergen/2019/10/nickelodeon-theme-park-opens-next-week-at-american-dream-heres-what-itll-cost-to-go.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921041229/https://www.nj.com/bergen/2019/10/nickelodeon-theme-park-opens-next-week-at-american-dream-heres-what-itll-cost-to-go.html |archive-date=September 21, 2020 |access-date=September 22, 2020 |website=The Star-Ledger}}</ref>
|-
|[[Six Flags Great Adventure]]
|[[Six Flags Hurricane Harbor]]
|[[Jackson, New Jersey|Jackson]]
|1974
|-
|[[Storybook Land]]
|
|[[Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey|Egg Harbor Township]]
|1955
|-
|[[Wild West City]]
|
|[[Stanhope, New Jersey|Stanhope]]
|1957
|}
{{Wide image|SFGadv Skyline.jpg|1200px|The skyline of [[Six Flags Great Adventure]] in [[Jackson Township, New Jersey|Jackson Township]] in [[Ocean County, New Jersey|Ocean County]], the world's largest [[Amusement park|theme park]] as of 2013<ref>{{cite web|url=http://njtoday.net/2012/08/30/six-flags-great-adventure-to-become-the-worlds-largest-theme-park-in-2013|publisher=2012 njtoday.net—Everything New Jersey. All Rights Reserved|access-date=September 2, 2012|date=August 30, 2012|title=Six Flags Great Adventure To Become The World's Largest Theme Park in 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130117072847/http://njtoday.net/2012/08/30/six-flags-great-adventure-to-become-the-worlds-largest-theme-park-in-2013/|archive-date=January 17, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> To the far left is [[Kingda Ka]], the world's tallest [[roller coaster]] until its closure in 2024.<ref>{{cite web |last=Williams |first=Damon C. |date=November 12, 2024 |title=Did Six Flags Great Adventure shut down Kingda Ka? |url=https://www.app.com/story/news/2024/11/12/did-six-flags-great-adventure-shut-down-kingda-ka-rollerscoaster/76216416007/ |access-date=November 17, 2024 |website=Asbury Park Press NJ}}</ref><ref name="NBC New York 2024">{{Cite news |date=2024-11-14 |title=Six Flags Great Adventure announces end of Kingda Ka to make way for new 'record-breaking' coaster |work=NBC New York |url=https://www.nbcnewyork.com/new-jersey/six-flags-great-adventure-kingda-ka-twister-green-lantern/5984538/ |access-date=2024-11-14}}</ref>|center}}

==See also==
{{portal|New Jersey|United States}}
* [[Index of New Jersey–related articles]]
* [[List of people from New Jersey]]
* [[Outline of New Jersey]]
* [[COVID-19 pandemic in New Jersey]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Sister project links|voy=New Jersey}}

===State government===
* [https://www.nj.gov/ Official New Jersey state web site] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210218230349/https://www.nj.gov/ |date=February 18, 2021 }}
* [https://visitnj.org/ New Jersey travel and tourism] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191206014617/https://www.visitnj.org/ |date=December 6, 2019 }} information from the New Jersey Department of State, Division of Travel and Tourism
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080515221624/http://wikis.ala.org/godort/index.php/New_Jersey New Jersey State Databases]—annotated list of searchable databases produced by New Jersey state agencies and compiled by the Government Documents Roundtable of the American Library Association
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110114163158/http://www.njslom.org/types.html Descriptions of NJ forms of government] (township, borough, etc.) from State League of Municipalities

===U.S. government===
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080507034707/http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state/state_energy_profiles.cfm?sid=NJ Energy Data & Statistics for New Jersey]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070821165759/https://www.usgs.gov/state/state.asp?State=NJ USGS real-time, geographic, and other scientific resources of New Jersey]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20131031213659/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/34000.html US Census Bureau]
* [http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/state-fact-sheets/state-data.aspx?StateFIPS=34&StateName=New%20Jersey USDA New Jersey State Facts] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140810153742/http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/state-fact-sheets/state-data.aspx?StateFIPS=34&StateName=New%20Jersey |date=August 10, 2014 }}

===Other===
* [https://www.njdigitalhighway.org/ The New Jersey Digital Highway, the statewide cultural heritage portal to digital collections from the state's archives, libraries and museums] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210213192039/https://njdigitalhighway.org/ |date=February 13, 2021 }}
* {{OSM relation|224951}}
* [https://guides.loc.gov/new-jersey-state-guide New Jersey: State Resource Guide, from the Library of Congress] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211213180155/https://guides.loc.gov/new-jersey-state-guide |date=December 13, 2021 }}

{{New Jersey|expanded}}
{{Northeast US}}
{{Thirteen Colonies}}
{{United States political divisions}}

{{Authority control}}
{{coord|40.0|-74.5|dim:200000_region:US-NJ_type:adm1st|name=State of New Jersey|display=title}}

[[Category:New Jersey| ]]
[[Category:1787 establishments in New Jersey]]
[[Category:Mid-Atlantic states]]
[[Category:Northeastern United States]]
[[Category:States and territories established in 1787]]
[[Category:States of the East Coast of the United States]]
[[Category:States of the United States]]
[[Category:Contiguous United States]]