Over the past decade, the population of America’s most densely populated state has continued to grow.

Although overall growth in New Jersey has slowed in recent years, half of the counties in the Garden State are still expanding.

According to local government reports, New Jersey is the most densely populated state and the eleventh most populous state in the United States, with 9,290,841 residents based on July 2023 Census data.

The five most populous counties in the state: Bergen, Middlesex, Essex, Hudson and Monmouth– It is adjacent to New York City, and many residents commute to the metropolis. But since the epidemic fewer people chose to move and go to Big Applea trend It is also reflected in New Jersey’s county population data.

The map below shows which New Jersey counties have grown and shrunk over the past three years.

The following five counties have seen the most significant increase in population over the past three years:

1. Ocean County — 3 percent increase in population
2. Burlington County — 2 percent
3. Gloucester County — 2 percent
4. County Sussex — 2 percent
5. Warren County—2 percent

Meanwhile, the five districts that shrunk the most are:

1. Hudson County — 2 percent decrease in population
2. Passaic—2 percent
3. Cumberland—1 percent
4. Essex—1 percent
5. Mercer—1 percent

While some of this change is responsible for migration between states and counties, Ocean County in particular has seen some of the highest birth rates in the state, which likely contributes to the county’s rapid growth rate.

In 2022, the county reported 15.6 births per 1,000 people, compared to the national average of 11.0 and the statewide average of 11.1. But it was followed by Hudson County, which was the fastest-shrinking county with 12.9 births per 1,000 people.

The lowest birth rates were seen in Cape May, with 7.9 births per 1,000 people.

Statewide, the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development estimates the Garden State’s population will continue to grow 0.43 percent annually between 2020 and 2030, reaching 9.65 million people by the end of the decade.

But the department also projects that the state’s population will age, with 1 in 5 people over age 65 by 2030, compared to less than 1 in 7 in 2010.

This raises important questions for policy, especially regarding healthcare, transportation and other essential services.

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