Essex County, New Jersey
Among the top 16% of US counties for getting around.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade F, better than 1% of US counties
WeatherWeather: grade D, better than 16% of US counties
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade C, better than 30% of US counties
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade B+, better than 84% of US counties
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade B+, better than 71% of US counties
- top 1% for airport distance
- top 1% for walkability
- bottom 1% for estimated total tax burden
Essex County is a county in New Jersey with about 853,000 residents. It grades B+ for getting around and F for affordability. Standout strengths include airport distance, walkability, and school quality. It rates lower on monthly owner costs and estimated total tax burden.
Official websiteessex-countynj.org (opens in new tab)
Climate
Warm summers · Cold winters · Moderate rain · Snowy
very cold
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warm
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cold
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60%49%clearovercast
Precipitation 4.7 in3.7 in
humid 98%dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$74k81st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$58kbetter than 7% of US counties
Home Value$467k97th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$1kbetter than 6% of US counties
Monthly Owner Costs$3kbetter than 1% of US counties
Property Tax Rate2.14%better than 3% of US counties
Income Tax10.70%better than 4% of US counties
Sales Tax6.60%better than 72% of US counties
Estimated total tax burden26.43%better than 1% of US counties
Unemployment8.5%better than 9% of US counties
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)32°F44th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)77°F51st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation49.7 in72nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall27.5 inbetter than 31% of US counties
Sunny Days193 daysbetter than 12% of US counties
Summer Humidity63°Fbetter than 61% of US counties
Comfortable Days81 daysbetter than 54% of US counties
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk97.7better than 2% of US counties
School Quality100.0better than 96% of US counties
Violent Crime1023/100kbetter than 34% of US counties
Property Crime1635/100kbetter than 22% of US counties
Community
Population853,37498th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age37.619th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.7199th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio0.9514th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningD+561st percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)28.5%6th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)36.7%94th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)24.0%87th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)5.7%96th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)5.2%80th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time34 minbetter than 6% of US counties
Walkability13.3/20better than 99% of US counties
Airport Distance8 mibetter than 99% of US counties
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access85.9%better than 67% of US counties
Amenities Nearby7.30better than 78% of US counties
Park & Nature AccessModeratebetter than 43% of US counties
Frequently asked questions
- Is Essex County an affordable place to live?
- Essex County is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $58k, better than 7% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Essex County?
- The median home value in Essex County is $467k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Essex County?
- Median household income in Essex County is $74k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Essex County?
- Median gross rent in Essex County is $1k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Essex County safe?
- Essex County is higher-crime than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 1023/100k (better than 34%). Property crime is 1635/100k.
- What is the weather like in Essex County?
- Essex County averages 77°F in July and 32°F in January, with 49.7 in of annual precipitation and about 193 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Essex County?
- Public-school quality in Essex County is above average, scoring better than 96% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Essex County?
- The average one-way commute in Essex County is 34 min.
Other counties in New Jersey
Explore New Jersey
Data sources
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)