New Jersey Population Growth

A number of pieces on the recently released Census population estimates for 2005.

From the Star Ledger:

SMALL-TOWN JERSEY SEES BIGGEST GROWTH

So far this decade, the ranks of New Jerseyans willing to make that trade-off have swelled, according to census data released yesterday.

The new numbers are population estimates for the state's 566 towns, and they show that most of the state's meager population growth occurred in small communities like Hamburg.

In fact, when towns are grouped by size -- from the smallest tenth to the largest tenth -- the fastest-growing segment is those in the third group from the bottom, with populations between 2,771 and 4,287 in 2000.

These 56 towns saw a nearly 9 percent increase in population -- more than twice the rate of the state as a whole. Put another way, this group of small towns, comprising 2 percent of the state's population, has garnered 6 percent of the state's population growth over the last five years.

"This is a reflection of two forces," said James Hughes, dean of the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University. "There's the issue of housing affordability and the receptivity in many of these towns to growth."
...
New Jersey's largest cities, while experiencing a construction boom, are not seeing a population explosion, according to the census figures. Newark is up 3 percent this decade, while Jersey City is down slightly.
...
"And it's only perceived economics that brings people here, not real economics. It requires that you discount the value of your time to nothing, and that you are willing to put up with spending all your free time in traffic," he said.

The rush-hour drive from northern Sussex County to Route 80 can take 45 minutes to an hour -- and that doesn't include the time it would then take to get to the ultimate destination.

From the Star Ledger:

2 counties continue to grow
BY MATTHEW J. DOWLING

Population figures for Somerset and Hunterdon counties continue to show steady growth, particularly in Montgomery Township, where the number of residents has shot up 30 percent over the last five years, according to U.S. Census figures released yesterday.

Montgomery ranks ninth among the state's 566 municipalities for population increases since 2000, with the latest figures showing 22,741 residents.

Lebanon Borough in Hunterdon County ranks second. Population in the tiny hamlet has risen from 1,065 to 1,749 in the past five years fueled by recent housing developments. Only Woolwich Township in Gloucester County ranks higher.

Towns along the eastern border of Somerset County surrounding the New Brunswick area also have shown double-digit growth rates over the past five years.
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Franklin Township, Green Brook and Watchung all rank among the top 40 municipalities for population increases in the state. Watchung's population has shot up 23 percent since 2000 to 6,170 residents, according to the Census figures.

From the Daily Record:

Morris population growth slowing
BY COLLEEN O'DEA

At the midpoint between decennial censuses, new data released today show the Morris County region as a whole growing at a much smaller rate than it did in the previous decade.

The 2005 population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau show that population in the typical town in Morris rose by about 3 percent since Census 2000, or less than a half percent a year. Between 1990 and 2000, population rose by more than twice that on average, or 1.1 percent a year.

But that doesn't mean some places aren't growing.

Already, the bureau estimates, the population in four Morris communities has jumped more than 10 percent in five years. Florham Park has registered the largest increase, of nearly a quarter. Mount Arlington, Pequannock and Rockaway Township all have had double digits population increases.

Between 2004 and 2005, Mount Arlington, Pequannock and Denville saw their populations rise the most, the bureau believes.

"The fastest growers are towns with large condo/(apartment)-style housing -- senior or assisted living," said Christine Marion of the Morris County Planning Department.
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But there are also several municipalities that census officials believe have lost population, either between 2004 and 2005 or in the previous five years.

Chatham, Lincoln Park, Mine Hill, Rockaway, Victory Gardens and Wharton all have smaller population counts in 2005 than they did in 2000, according to the estimates. And Butler, Madison, Mendham Township, Rockaway, Victory Gardens, Wharton, Hopatcong and Stanhope had fewer residents in 2005 than a year earlier.

The Census Dataset by County can be found here:

Census 2005 Population Estimates (Warning: Large CSV File)

Population Estimate Changes (July 2005 - July 2006)

New Jersey 32,759 0.38%
Atlantic 2,704 1.01%
Bergen 816 0.09%
Burlington 2,087 0.47%
Camden 2,629 0.51%
Cape May -1,175 -1.17%
Cumberland 2,232 1.48%
Essex -3,958 -0.50%
Gloucester 4,126 1.51%
Hudson -1,838 -0.30%
Hunterdon 1,086 0.84%
Mercer 1,875 0.51%
Middlesex 5,851 0.75%
Monmounth 890 0.14%
Morris 3,156 0.65%
Ocean 5,248 0.95%
Passaic 121 0.02%
Salem 1,027 1.57%
Somerset 3,677 1.16%
Sussex 1,013 0.67%
Union 611 0.12%
Warren 581 0.53%

Caveat Emptor!
Grim