For 2022, the Population Estimates Program calculated a population of 849,477, which was ranked third-largest among New Jersey's 21 counties behind Bergen and Middlesex Counties.[6] Its county seat is Newark,[3] the state's most populous city with a 2020 census population of 311,549.[8][7]
In 2015, the county had a per capita personal income of $60,030, the eighth-highest in New Jersey and 153rd highest of 3,113 counties in the U.S.[13][14] The Bureau of Economic Analysis ranked the county as having the 94th-highest per capita income of all 3,113 counties in the U.S. and seventh-highest in New Jersey in 2009.[15]
Essex was originally formed as one of four administrative districts within Province of East Jersey in 1675, together with Bergen, Middlesex and Monmouth districts. Essex County was formed within East Jersey on March 7, 1683.[2] The county was named after the English county of Essex. When the provinces of East Jersey and West Jersey were combined in 1702, the county boundaries were retained. Portions of Essex were taken in 1741 and transferred to Somerset County. In 1837, Passaic County was formed from portions of Essex and Bergen counties. In 1857, Union County was created from parts of Essex County.[2]
Secession
The municipalities of western Essex County have discussed secession from the county, to create a new county or be annexed to Morris County, spurred mainly by a belief that tax policy benefits the poorer, urban, eastern portions of the county at the expense of the wealthier, more suburban municipalities in the west of the county. From 2001 to 2003, Millburn, Montclair and Roseland all held nonbinding ballot referendums on the issue. Then-Montclair mayor Robert J. Russo gave a statement in 2003 about secession, "I've watched Essex County burden our people, with very little to show for it. We're fiscally conservative here and socially progressive – and we're finally rebelling."[17]
Essex Troop, New Jersey National GuardEssex County Hall of RecordsThomas Edison Laboratory
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of the 2020 Census, the county had a total area of 129.42 square miles (335.2 km2), of which 126.09 square miles (326.6 km2) was land (97.4%) and 3.34 square miles (8.7 km2) was water (2.6%).[4]
The county rises from generally flat in the east to the twin ridges of the Watchung Mountains in the western half, beyond which the land lowers again into the Passaic River valley.
The highest elevation is found at four areas scattered between Verona, North Caldwell, and Cedar Grove, reaching 660 feet (200 m) above sea level.[18] The lowest point is sea level, at Newark Bay.
Climate
All of Essex County has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) if the -3 °C isotherm is used. If the 0 °C isotherm is used, Cfa only exists in eastern Newark and the rest of the county has a hot-summer humid continental climate (Dfa). However temperatures do vary in various locations. In Newark, Eastern Essex County, and Southern/Southeastern Essex County, temperatures are relatively cool to hot, even in the winter months. Western Essex County has similar temperatures to Eastern Essex, but the elevation increase within the Watchung Mountains allows for some minor differences. An example would be that in January on Interstate 280 it could be raining in East Orange. Heading west on 280 there is a large hill that elevates from 150 to 650 feet (46 to 198 m), a 500 feet (150 m) difference. At the top of the hill it could be snowing because of the 3 to 4 degree temperature differences.
In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Newark have ranged from a low of 24 °F (−4 °C) in January to a high of 86 °F (30 °C) in July, although a record low of −14 °F (−26 °C) was recorded in February 1934 and a record high of 108 °F (42 °C) was recorded in July 22, 2011, which is the highest temperature ever recorded in the state.[20] Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.99 inches (76 mm) in February to 4.76 inches (121 mm) in July.[19] In Roseland, average monthly temperatures range from 29.2 °F (−1.6 °C) in January to 74.6 °F (23.7 °C) in July.[21]
Historical sources: 1790–1990[22] 1970–2010[23] 2000[11][24] 2010[9] 2020[5][8] * = Lost territory in previous decade.[2]
Based on data from the 2010 census, Essex County is the 14th-most densely populated county in the United States, and was ranked New Jersey's second-most densely populated after Hudson County, which ranked sixth most-densely populated in the nation at 13,731.4 per square mile as of 2010.[25]Newark, with a population density of 11,458.3 people per square mile, is the largest municipality in the county both in terms of land area (24.19 square miles) and population (277,140), while Caldwell is the smallest in terms of land area (1.17 square miles) and Essex Fells has the smallest population (2,113).[26] Many of the county's smallest municipalities have population densities that are comparable to those of many big cities, and are well above the state's average which in turn is the highest in the nation.
Like many of the counties of Northern New Jersey near New York City, which tend to have sharp divides between relatively rich suburban neighborhoods and less wealthy, more densely populated cities nearby, the eastern region of Essex County tends to be poorer and more urbanized, while the western parts tend to be more affluent and suburban. The wide area of Eastern Essex has significant pockets of high population, high building density, high poverty, and high crime rates. Within this general area, however, are numerous areas composed of safe, mixed and middle-income neighborhoods of diverse populations. For example, north and west sides of Newark have well-kept suburban areas such as Vailsburg and Forest Hill. The east side of Newark is the Ironbound, a working-class Brazilian and Portuguese community. East Orange is home to the Presidential Estate neighborhood, a well-kept area of large, pre-war, single-family homes. Belleville and Bloomfield are suburbs with historic Italian communities that, in spite of retaining a core Italian-American population, now have many immigrants from Latin America and Asia. As of the 2000 Census, 36% of Nutley residents indicated that they were of Italian ancestry, the 12th-highest of any municipality in the nation and third-highest in New Jersey.[27]
Beginning at about the turn of the 20th century, Essex County led the state in the rebuilding and rehab of its housing stock. In the 2000s, Newark led the state in the issuance of building permits. Many reasons were cited: citywide incentives to encourage construction development, an improving local economy, the rising demand of low-cost housing so close to Manhattan. Newark has since then become one of the fastest-growing cities in the entire Northeast,[28][29] and reported a gain in median income and drop in poverty rate.[30] This is a turnaround from the deterioration and abandonment experienced in the post-riot 1970s, 1980s and early part of the 1990s.
Crime in this part of the county has traditionally been among the highest in the state and the country as well, but recently has also seen significant declines, mirroring its large neighbor to the east, New York City.[31] By 2006, crime in Newark had fallen 60% over the previous decade to its lowest levels in 40 years.[32][33] Neighboring East Orange has also experienced a decline in crimes, dropping 50% in the three years (2005 to 2007).[34] While crime rates have fallen significantly in these cities in recent years, they nonetheless remain high here compared to national crime statistics, as well as Irvington, and Orange. In 2008, Newark had 67 homicides, down from 105 in 2007 and the record of 161 murders set in 1981.[31][35]
As the poorest place in the county, Newark has a median household income of $33,025 and a per capita income of $17,198;[37] at the other extreme, Essex Fells, one of the wealthier places in the county and the 4th wealthiest municipality in the state, has a median household income of $174,432 and a per capita income of $89,316.[38][citation needed]
2020 census
This section needs expansion with: examples with reliable citations. You can help by adding to it. (September 2021)
2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 783,969 people, 283,712 households, and 189,236 families in the county. The population density was 6,211.5 per square mile (2,398.3/km2). There were 312,954 housing units at an average density of 2,479.6 per square mile (957.4/km2). The racial makeup was 42.59% (333,868) White, 40.88% (320,479) Black or African American, 0.39% (3,056) Native American, 4.57% (35,789) Asian, 0.04% (286) Pacific Islander, 8.38% (65,687) from other races, and 3.16% (24,804) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 20.30% (159,117) of the population.[9]
Of the 283,712 households, 33.2% had children under the age of 18; 40.1% were married couples living together; 20.6% had a female householder with no husband present and 33.3% were non-families. Of all households, 27.7% were made up of individuals and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.29.[9]
24.9% of the population were under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 25.6% from 45 to 64, and 11.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36.4 years. For every 100 females, the population had 92.1 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 88.6 males.[9]
The county seat of Essex County is Newark. Many offices and courts are concentrated at the Essex County Government Complex. Essex County is governed by the County Executive and the nine-member Board of County Commissioners, who administer all county business. Essex county joins Atlantic, Bergen, Hudson and Mercer counties as one of the 5 of 21 New Jersey counties with an elected executive.[41] The County Executive is elected by a direct vote of the electorate. Nine commissioners are elected to serve three-year concurrent terms of office. Five of the commissioners represent districts; four are elected from the county on an at-large basis. At an annual organization meeting, the commissioners choose a Commissioner President and vice-president from among its members to serve one-year terms.[42] In 2016, commissioners were paid $37,249 and the commissioner president was paid an annual salary of $38,211; commissioner salaries were the second-highest in the state, behind Hudson County.[43] the county executive was paid $161,615 in 2015.[44]
In February 2019, Romaine Graham was appointed to fill the seat expiring in December 2024 that had been held by Lebby Jones until her death the previous month.[61] Graham served on an interim basis until the November 2019 general election, when she was chosen to serve the balance of the term of office.[62] No Republican has won countywide office since 1998, a commissioner seat since 2001, and an at-large commissioner seat since 1971.[63]
Pursuant to Article VII Section II of the New Jersey State Constitution, each county in New Jersey is required to have three elected administrative officials known as "constitutional officers." These officers are the County Clerk and County Surrogate (both elected for five-year terms of office) and the County Sheriff (elected for a three-year term).[64] Essex County is one of two counties statewide that has an elected Register of Deeds.[65] Essex County's constitutional officers and register are:[50]
The Acting Essex County Prosecutor is Theodore N. Stephens II, who was appointed as acting prosecutor in September 2018. Stephens previously served as Essex County Surrogate from 2012 until his appointment as Acting Prosecutor.[74] Essex County constitutes Vicinage 5 of the New Jersey Superior Court, which is seated at the Veterans' Courthouse in Newark, which also houses the Criminal Part; civil and probate cases are heard at both the historic Essex County Courthouse and at the Essex County Hall of Records, also in Newark, while family and chancery cases are heard at the Robert N. Wilentz Court Complex, also in Newark, with additional facilities in East Orange. The Assignment Judge for the vicinage is Sallyanne Floria.[75]
Law enforcement at the county level is provided by the Essex County Prosecutor's Office and the Essex County Sheriff's Office. The Essex County Police was completely absorbed by the sheriff's office by 2007.[82]Essex County College and its satellite locations are patrolled by the Essex County College Police Department.[83]
In presidential elections, the county has long been Democratic and is the most Democratic county in the state. It was the only county in the state to be won by Walter Mondale in 1984, and voted Democratic all but once since 1960. Democrats have won every presidential election in the 21st century with over 70% of the vote and Republicans have not won the county in a statewide contest since the 1985 gubernatorial election.[85] As of October 1, 2021, there were a total of 571,960 registered voters in Essex County, of whom 299,613 (52.4%) were registered as Democrats, 58,618 (10.2%) were registered as Republicans and 208,422 (36.4%) were registered as unaffiliated. There were 5,307 voters (0.9%) registered to other parties.[86]
United States presidential election results for Essex County, New Jersey[87]
Essex County has five public and four private institutions. Another private college closed in 1995, and Bloomfield College was absorbed into Montclair State University in July 2023.
New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) – located in Newark's University Heights section, the school was established in 1881 as Newark Technical School, the school has a total enrollment of 11,400 undergraduate and graduate students.[90]
New Jersey Medical School – dates back to its establishment in Newark in 1956 as the Seton Hall College of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, and became part of Rutgers University in 2013.[92]
Caldwell University – founded in 1939 as a Catholic liberal arts college by the Sisters of Saint Dominic, the school has 2,200 students at its campus in Caldwell.[94][95]
As of 2010[update], the county had a total of 1,667.98 miles (2,684.35 km) of roadways, of which 1,375.06 miles (2,212.94 km) are maintained by the local municipality, 213.12 miles (342.98 km) by Essex County and 60.68 miles (97.65 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and 19.12 miles (30.77 km) by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.[103]
Essex County is traversed by a number of highways. Three primary interstates and one auxiliary cross the county. This includes two long distance main interstates, one north–south Interstate 95 (concurrent with the New Jersey Turnpike toll road) and one east–west Interstate 80. East-West Interstate 78 also crosses the county. All of these only have interchanges in one municipality in the county, Newark for I-95 and I-78 and Fairfield for I-80. Interstate 280 passes through the county in a northeast–southwest direction and has exits in Roseland, Livingston, West Orange, Orange, East Orange and Newark, making it one of the most important roads for intracounty travel.
Essex County also has four U.S. Routes that cross it. Route 1/9 are concurrent and a freeway throughout their length in the county. They pass through Newark from Elizabeth in Union County to Kearny in Hudson County. It crosses over the Passaic River on the Pulaski Skyway, which bans trucks, so just before it leaves the county in the north Truck 1/9 splits for the traffic that is not allowed on the bridge. Truck 1/9 is also a freeway its entire length in the county. U.S. Route 22 eastern terminus is in Newark the only municipality it crosses in the county. It is a freeway along it route in Essex County. It connects Newark with points to the east. The last U.S. Route in the county is U.S. Route 46, which passes through Fairfield, where it is a major commercial road that parallels Interstate 80.
The most important state road in the county is the Garden State Parkway which passes north–south through the county, connecting Union Township in the south in Union County to Clifton in the north in Passaic County.[104] It is a toll road, a freeway, and bans trucks of more than 7,000 pounds during its entire length in the county. It has one interchange in Irvington, one in Newark, two in East Orange, and four in Bloomfield.[105] Outside the county, it is the longest road of any kind in the state.
Essex County has a large rail network, but most train service is geared toward the heavily utilized Newark/New York City commute. All of the passenger rail lines in the county are electrified, although many trains that continue on to non-electrified lines use dual-mode or diesel push-pull locomotives.
The Newark City Subway is the only survivor of the many street car lines that once crossed New Jersey, although it no longer uses street cars. It survived in part because it does not include street running, instead following the abandoned Morris Canal right of way before going underground. It has one station in Bloomfield and one in Belleville on the old Orange Branch of the New York & Greenwood Lake Service of the Erie Railroad before entering Newark and turning onto the Morris Canal right of way. From there it follows Branch Brook Park before turning into downtown Newark as a subway. It has nine stops in Newark before terminating in Newark Penn Station.
The Broad Street Extension was built to provide connections between Newark Penn Station and Newark Broad Street Station and service to the waterfront of Newark. Leaving Penn Station, the line comes up from the subway and runs on streets or at grade for most of its length. It stops at NJPAC/Center Street, Atlantic Street, and Riverfront Stadium before reaching Broad Street Station. From Broad Street it takes a different route stopping at Washington Park and NJPAC/Center Street before arriving at Penn Station.
The Point-No-Point Bridge is a railroad swing bridge that carries a freight line across the Passaic River between Newark and Kearny. The Jackson Street Bridge is a historic vehicular swing bridge across the Passaic from Newark to Harrison. The Dock Bridge, listed on the National Register of Historic Places carries four tracks of the Northeast Corridor rail line and two tracks of the PATH on two vertical lift spans from Newark Penn Station to Harrison.
The Center Street Bridge is a former railroad, rapid transit, and road bridge connecting Newark and Harrison. The Bridge Street Bridge is another vehicular swing bridge across the Passaic from Newark to Harrison, as is the Clay Street Bridge, a swing bridge that connects Newark and East Newark.
Park and Recreation
Essex County was the first county in the country to create a county park system (Essex County Park System), to ensure that it did not lose all its land to development.[118]
Municipalities
Index map of Essex County municipalities (click to see index key)
Interactive map of municipalities in Essex County.
The 22 municipalities in Essex County (with 2010 Census data for population, housing units and area in square miles) are:[119] Other, unincorporated communities in the county are listed next to their parent municipality. Most of these areas are census-designated places that have been created by the United States Census Bureau for enumeration purposes within a Township. Other communities and enclaves that exist within a municipality are marked as non-CDP next to the name.
Christ Church Cemetery & Mausoleum, Belleville. This cemetery was originally the first Episcopal Church in the area, established in 1746 by a land grant signed by King George II. The original burial ground still exists today, accompanied by a newer mausoleum.[121]
Saint Stephen's Cemetery & The Chapel at Short Hills, Short Hills. Saint Stephen's Cemetery has been serving NJ residents since 1858. The Chapel at Short Hills was later added to accommodate above-ground burials.[122]
^Willis, David P. "'This is how wars start': Does Central Jersey include both Ocean and Union counties?", Asbury Park Press, February 20, 2023. Accessed March 31, 2024. "North Jersey is defined as Sussex, Warren, Morris, Passaic, Bergen, Essex and Hudson counties; South Jersey would be Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, Atlantic, Salem, Cumberland and Cape May counties. But for Central, things get a little tricky. It would include Hunterdon, Somerset, Union, Middlesex, Mercer, Monmouth, and Ocean counties."
^[lwd.dol.state.nj.us/labor/lpa/industry/incpov/highcnty.xls 250 Highest Per Capita Personal Incomes available for 3113 counties in the United States: 2015], New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Accessed October 24, 2017.
^Pearce, Jeremy. "In Essex County, Secession Gathers Momentum", The New York Times, September 7, 2003. Accessed September 23, 2016. "Montclair and Roseland both have decided to test the winds for revolution. In November, each community plans to put the secession issue before the public, in the form of a nonbinding referendum. Two years ago, Millburn posed a similar question and was bowled over at the response: 88 percent of voters agreed that the town should take steps toward leaving Essex for neighboring Morris County."
^Strunsky, Steve. "N.J. city set two heat records Sunday, one for hitting 100 degrees for a 5th straight day", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, February 16, 2023. Accessed December 31, 2023. "It was in Newark — on July 22, 2011 — that the National Weather Service recorded New Jersey’s highest temperature on record, for any date, in any location, at 108 degrees, said Amanda Lee, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s Mount Holly forecast office."
^ abWang, Katie. "County reports largest drop is in violent crime", The Star-Ledger, October 17, 2007. Accessed November 13, 2007. "For the second year in a row, overall crime in Essex County dropped by 10 percent, according to the annual crime statistics released by the State Police yesterday. The county saw the biggest drops in violent crime in 2006, particularly in robberies and aggravated assaults. Those incidents dropped by 6 percent and 7 percent respectively."
^Lueck, Thomas J. "As Newark Mayor Readies Crime Fight, Toll Rises", The New York Times, January 8, 2007. Accessed October 6, 2007. "For all of 2006, the police said, Newark had 104 homicides, far below its record of 161 in 1981, but more than in any other year since 1995."
^Rinde, Meir. "Explainer: What's a Freeholder? NJ's Unusual County Government System", NJ Spotlight, October 27, 2015. Accessed October 26, 2017. "Five counties – Atlantic, Bergen, Essex, Hudson, and Mercer – opted for popularly elected county executives in addition to freeholder boards."
^Mazzola, Jessica. "Political power player to seek 5th term", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, December 8, 2017. Accessed March 8, 2018. "Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo is looking for another four years. The Democratic heavy hitter is expected to announce Monday his reelection bid to a fifth term in the county's top seat."
^Brendan W. Gill, Essex County, New Jersey. Accessed June 20, 2022.
^Romaine Graham, Essex County, New Jersey. Accessed June 20, 2022.
^Rufus I. Johnson, Essex County, New Jersey. Accessed March 8, 2018.
^Patricia Sebold, Essex County, New Jersey. Accessed June 20, 2022.
^"Graham chosen to fill Lebby Jones' vacant freeholder seat", Essex News Daily, February 24, 2019. Accessed June 20, 2022. "Irvington Board of Education President Romaine Graham has been appointed to fill the seat left vacant on the Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders by former Freeholder Lebby Jones, who died of cancer Wednesday, Jan. 9."
^History of Registers, Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey. Accessed June 20, 2022. "A Register of Deeds is an elected County Statutory Officer who is responsible for recording, filing, and preserving all property transactions within the municipalities of the County in which they serve.... There are presently 2 out of 21 Counties in the State of New Jersey where the Office of Register of Deeds exists (Essex and Hudson Counties). In the other 19 Counties the functions of the Register are under the jurisdiction of the County Clerk."
^Surrogates, Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey. Accessed June 20, 2022.
^About the Register, Essex County Register of Deeds and Mortgages. Accessed June 20, 2022. "The Essex County Register is an elected, statutory officer who is responsible under the law for recording, filing, and preserving all property transactions within the 22 municipalities of the County. Registers serve five-year terms."
^Registers, Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey. Accessed June 20, 2022.
^About, Essex County College. Accessed November 29, 2015. "The main campus is located in the heart of University Heights in Newark, New Jersey. Our urban campus covers three city blocks and houses high tech classrooms with advanced teaching modalities and state-of-the-art laboratories. We also have the West Essex campus located in West Caldwell, New Jersey, which meets the educational and training needs of people who live and work in the western part of Essex County."
^School Profile 2009–2010, East Orange Campus High School. Accessed November 29, 2015. "East Orange Campus High School was opened in 2002, resulting from the merging of the former Clifford Scott High School and East Orange High School. The school is located in the largest building of the refurbished campus of Upsala College and has been expanded to accommodate increased demand for enrollment."
^Annual Notice of Board MeetingsArchived October 23, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, NJ Transit. Accessed October 22, 2017. "Unless otherwise indicated, meetings will be held at NJ TRANSIT's Corporate Headquarters in Newark, New Jersey. The meetings will convene at 9:00 a.m. in the Board Room at NJ TRANSIT's Headquarters, One Penn Plaza East, Ninth Floor, Newark, New Jersey."
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