Central Jersey Demographic Changes

From the Courier News:

Minority population booming in Central Jersey, census shows

Minority groups are growing in Somerset, Hunterdon and Middlesex counties, and whites represent a smaller proportion of the overall population than they did in 2000, according to U.S. Census Bureau data released Tuesday.

94 percent (118,415) of the total population of Hunterdon (126,116) was white, compared to 95 percent (115,599) in 2000.

62 percent (477,609) of Middlesex County (768,696) was white, compared to 70 percent (527,595) in 2000.

75 percent (234,940) of Somerset County (314,960) was white, compared to 81 percent (240,297) in 2000.

63 percent (330,279) of Union County (523,649) was white, compared to 68 percent (354,472) in 2000.

From 2000 to 2005, the Asian population grew by 35,625 in Middlesex County and 11,177 in Somerset County.

From 2000 to 2005, the Hispanic population has grown by 22,529 in Union County and 24,061 in Middlesex County.

From 2000 to 2005, the black population grew by 5,165 in Somerset County and 672 in Union County.

The numbers reflect a growing immigrant population in the state, said Jim Hughes, dean of the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University in New Brunswick.

“This is a continuation of the trends we saw between 1990 and 2000,” Hughes said. “Essentially, Latinos have been accounting for larger and larger shares of growth. Asians have the highest rates of growth, and the white population is the slowest-growing of all the groups, particularly in Somerset County.”

More whites move out of New Jersey than into it, and the population gap is being filled by immigrants with both high and low levels of skills and education, he said.

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15 Responses to Central Jersey Demographic Changes

  1. anon says:

    What does the racial makeup of people coming and going from NJ have to do with the housing bubble? It’s interesting from a sociological perspective, but why post this article?

  2. James Bednar says:

    What does the racial makeup of people coming and going from NJ have to do with the housing bubble? It’s interesting from a sociological perspective, but why post this article?

    Because I thought it was interesting, from a number of perspectives. I also enjoy hearing James Hughes’ outlook on issues such as these.

    While the real estate bubble does get prime billing here, it’s because it’s the issue of the day. I did change the site so that we could focus on a broader subject matter. Topics such as this included.

    jb

  3. anon says:

    >> What does the racial makeup of people coming and going from NJ have to do with the housing bubble?

    I’ll tell you why…
    The immigrant population in NJ is mostly from India and China. They hold blue collar jobs in NYC and in NJ.. with big buying power.
    I’m asian and these high-tech, blue collar employees are driving house prices up.

    … Just like in silicon valley

  4. SAS says:

    If am not mistaken, when it comes to the RE market…

    asians = whites

    yes or no ?

    SAS

  5. SG says:

    I am an immigrant and will vouch that this diversity is bringing lot of prosperity to NJ. Ask yourself a simple question.

    Why does House prices in PA did not move so up in current boom from 2000 to 2005?

    One of the reason you will find is that overall incomes did not move up as much as well. In NJ that is not the case. The increase in population due to skilled, High income immigrants has been one factor in prices going up.

    The only trouble is while immigrants have been successful in many areas, they are generally behind in political and social advances. That leads to fact that politics is still controlled by old guard, which does not understand the new reality. Also NJ has become very ghetto like due its strict land restrictions. The high end towns are so bent upon not allowing middle income housing, it is creating large segregation. This creates tension as most immigrants can afford to live in low to moderate towns.

  6. SAS says:

    “Unfortunately, IMHO, blacks are being left out.”

    yup, see post #4.

    SAS

  7. lisoosh says:

    Just to throw this later quote from the same article into the mix:

    This kind of fluctuation is common for the state, which has always been a popular place for immigrants to settle, he said.

    “If somebody was raised in the 1970s when the foreign-born population was 10 percent, they’d think the state was changing dramatically, that it’s abnormal, but it was 1970 that was abnormal,” Hughes said. “We’re not as diverse as we were 100 years ago. It’s really quite a normal situation. The population of New Jersey is always changing, and it’s a big melting pot with new groups constantly coming in and out, and that’s what we’re seeing today.”

  8. SAS says:

    Russian = white

    well, lower class whites in RE terms, not mine.

    Actually, the best people I know are Russian.
    I have drank some damn good Vodka with Russian here in Brooklyn and in Moscow.

    SAS

  9. chicagofinance says:

    The Russian Vodka Room in Hell’s Kitchen is a colorful place. I can’t fathom how they get by now that the smoking ban is in effect. Most of the clientele must be hanging out on the street. Still it’s funny watch all these blond Russian “women of the evening” discussing business with the Russian ex-pats.

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