Somerset County vs. New Jersey
Comparative Trends Analysis:
Population Growth and Change, 1969-2022
Introduction
Somerset County vs. New Jersey
Somerset County:
2022 Population = 346,875
2022 Percent of State = 3.75%
New Jersey:
2022 Population = 9,261,699
2022 Percent of U.S. = 2.78%
Attracting and retaining people to live, work, raise a family, and retire underlies the economic vitality of any region. Population growth is both a cause--and a consequence--of economic growth. Patterns of population growth and change reflect differences among regions to attract and retain people both as producers and consumers in their economy.
The following graphs offer a broad overview of trends in the pattern of population growth and change of Somerset County with comparisons to New Jersey and the nation at large. This analysis features alternative approaches toward discussing, diagnosing and comparing Somerset County vs. New Jersey's population growth over 1969-2022. The data used are those compiled by the Regional Income and Product Divisions of the Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Department of Commerce.
Population, 1969-2022
Population, 1969-2022
Figure 1.
Figure 1 tracks Somerset County's annual population for the period 1969-2022 to illustrate population patterns over time. During this 54-year period, Somerset County's population rose from 195,059 in 1969 to 346,875 in 2022, for a net gain of 151,816, or 77.83%.
NOTE: The county and state population totals reported by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) are from the Bureau of Census midyear (July 1) estimates. These estimates may differ from those prepared independently in some states by various agencies and/or universities.
Population, 1969-2022
Population, 1969-2022
Figure 2.
Figure 2 traces New Jersey's annual population for the period 1969-2022 to illustrate population patterns over time. During this 54-year period, New Jersey's population rose from 7,095,000 in 1969 to 9,261,699 in 2022, for a net gain of 2,166,699, or 30.54%.
NOTE: The county and state population totals reported by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) are from the Bureau of Census midyear (July 1) estimates. These estimates may differ from those prepared independently in some states by various agencies and/or universities.
Population as a Percent of the New Jersey Total: 1969-2022
Population as a Percent of the New Jersey Total: 1969-2022
Figure 3.
Another interesting and insightful way of comparing the population growth of Somerset County is to trace its individual percentage contributions to New Jersey's statewide population over time, as shown in Figure 3. A rising share means a region's population grew faster, or declined less, than New Jersey's population, while a declining share shows it grew more slowly.
In 1969, Somerset County's population totaled 2.75% of New Jersey's population, while in 2022 it equated to 3.75% thereby yielding a +1.00% share-shift.
   
 
Population Share-Shift
2022 vs. 1969
 
Share-
Shift*
 
2022
vs.
1969
+1.00%
=
3.75%
-
2.75%
 
   
Somerset County Population:
Annual Percent Change and Decade Averages Over 1970-2022
Somerset County Population:
Annual Percent Change and Decade Averages Over 1970-2022
Figure 4.
Over the past five decades some counties have experienced extreme swings in growth, and often such swings have tended to coincide with the decades themselves. Figure 4 again traces the annual percent change in Somerset County's population since 1970, but this time they are overlayed with average growth rates for the decade of the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, and 2020-2022.
During the 1970s, Somerset County's annual population growth rate averaged 0.39%. It averaged 1.57% throughout the 1980s, 2.17% throughout the 1990s, 0.91% in the 2000s, 0.69% in the 2010s, 0.23% thus far this decade (2020-2022).

Interactive TableTip: To augment your analysis click on the column headers in the following table to rank and/or sort the data.

   
 
Somerset County:
Population, 1969-2022
 
1969
 
195,059
100.0
N
2.75
1970
 
198,847
101.9
1.94
2.77
1971
 
200,040
102.6
0.60
2.75
1972
 
200,352
102.7
0.16
2.73
1973
 
197,824
101.4
-1.26
2.70
1974
 
197,679
101.3
-0.07
2.69
1975
 
199,171
102.1
0.75
2.71
1976
 
199,601
102.3
0.22
2.72
1977
 
199,573
102.3
-0.01
2.72
1978
 
200,807
102.9
0.62
2.73
1979
 
202,838
104.0
1.01
2.75
1980
 
203,660
104.4
0.41
2.76
1981
 
205,395
105.3
0.85
2.77
1982
 
206,893
106.1
0.73
2.78
1983
 
209,400
107.4
1.21
2.80
1984
 
211,806
108.6
1.15
2.82
1985
 
214,352
109.9
1.20
2.83
1986
 
219,603
112.6
2.45
2.88
1987
 
226,352
116.0
3.07
2.95
1988
 
233,013
119.5
2.94
3.02
1989
 
236,945
121.5
1.69
3.07
1990
 
241,464
123.8
1.91
3.11
1991
 
245,810
126.0
1.80
3.15
1992
 
250,680
128.5
1.98
3.18
1993
 
256,834
131.7
2.45
3.23
1994
 
262,243
134.4
2.11
3.27
1995
 
267,163
137.0
1.88
3.31
1996
 
272,872
139.9
2.14
3.35
1997
 
280,195
143.6
2.68
3.41
1998
 
287,065
147.2
2.45
3.46
1999
 
293,770
150.6
2.34
3.51
2000
 
298,761
153.2
1.70
3.54
2001
 
301,671
154.7
0.97
3.55
2002
 
305,255
156.5
1.19
3.57
2003
 
307,902
157.9
0.87
3.58
2004
 
310,424
159.1
0.82
3.60
2005
 
312,617
160.3
0.71
3.61
2006
 
314,993
161.5
0.76
3.64
2007
 
317,128
162.6
0.68
3.65
2008
 
318,856
163.5
0.54
3.66
2009
 
321,564
164.9
0.85
3.67
2010
 
324,498
166.4
0.91
3.68
2011
 
328,185
168.2
1.14
3.70
2012
 
330,919
169.7
0.83
3.70
2013
 
334,077
171.3
0.95
3.72
2014
 
335,967
172.2
0.57
3.72
2015
 
337,841
173.2
0.56
3.72
2016
 
339,746
174.2
0.56
3.73
2017
 
341,992
175.3
0.66
3.73
2018
 
343,708
176.2
0.50
3.73
2019
 
344,494
176.6
0.23
3.72
2020
 
344,725
176.7
0.07
3.72
2021
 
346,331
177.6
0.47
3.74
2022
 
346,875
177.8
0.16
3.75
Source: Calculations by the New Jersey Regional Economic Analysis Project (NJ-REAP)
with data provided by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis
November 2023
REAP_PI_CA1400_100_PSN
 
   

Interactive TableTip: To augment your analysis click on the column headers in the following table to rank and/or sort the data.

   
 
New Jersey:
Population, 1969-2022
 
1969
 
7,095,000
100.0
N
3.52
1970
 
7,190,282
101.3
1.34
3.53
1971
 
7,281,935
102.6
1.27
3.52
1972
 
7,336,538
103.4
0.75
3.51
1973
 
7,335,240
103.4
-0.02
3.47
1974
 
7,335,227
103.4
0.00
3.44
1975
 
7,341,417
103.5
0.08
3.41
1976
 
7,344,079
103.5
0.04
3.38
1977
 
7,342,027
103.5
-0.03
3.34
1978
 
7,356,414
103.7
0.20
3.31
1979
 
7,373,048
103.9
0.23
3.28
1980
 
7,376,330
104.0
0.04
3.25
1981
 
7,407,471
104.4
0.42
3.23
1982
 
7,430,970
104.7
0.32
3.21
1983
 
7,467,784
105.3
0.50
3.19
1984
 
7,515,474
105.9
0.64
3.19
1985
 
7,565,530
106.6
0.67
3.18
1986
 
7,622,161
107.4
0.75
3.17
1987
 
7,670,741
108.1
0.64
3.17
1988
 
7,712,333
108.7
0.54
3.15
1989
 
7,726,086
108.9
0.18
3.13
1990
 
7,762,963
109.4
0.48
3.11
1991
 
7,814,676
110.1
0.67
3.09
1992
 
7,880,508
111.1
0.84
3.07
1993
 
7,948,915
112.0
0.87
3.06
1994
 
8,014,306
113.0
0.82
3.05
1995
 
8,083,242
113.9
0.86
3.04
1996
 
8,149,596
114.9
0.82
3.03
1997
 
8,218,808
115.8
0.85
3.01
1998
 
8,287,418
116.8
0.83
3.00
1999
 
8,359,592
117.8
0.87
3.00
2000
 
8,430,621
118.8
0.85
2.99
2001
 
8,492,671
119.7
0.74
2.98
2002
 
8,552,643
120.5
0.71
2.97
2003
 
8,601,402
121.2
0.57
2.96
2004
 
8,634,561
121.7
0.39
2.95
2005
 
8,651,974
121.9
0.20
2.93
2006
 
8,661,679
122.1
0.11
2.90
2007
 
8,677,885
122.3
0.19
2.88
2008
 
8,711,090
122.8
0.38
2.86
2009
 
8,755,602
123.4
0.51
2.85
2010
 
8,809,058
124.2
0.61
2.85
2011
 
8,876,959
125.1
0.77
2.85
2012
 
8,933,292
125.9
0.63
2.84
2013
 
8,984,801
126.6
0.58
2.84
2014
 
9,033,845
127.3
0.55
2.83
2015
 
9,076,577
127.9
0.47
2.82
2016
 
9,119,862
128.5
0.48
2.81
2017
 
9,174,898
129.3
0.60
2.81
2018
 
9,218,858
129.9
0.48
2.81
2019
 
9,258,804
130.5
0.43
2.80
2020
 
9,271,689
130.7
0.14
2.80
2021
 
9,267,961
130.6
-0.04
2.79
2022
 
9,261,699
130.5
-0.07
2.78
Source: Calculations by the New Jersey Regional Economic Analysis Project (NJ-REAP)
with data provided by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis
November 2023
REAP_PI_CA1400_100_PSN
 
   

Interactive TableTip: To augment your analysis click on the column headers in the following table to rank and/or sort the data.

   
 
United States:
Population, 1969-2022
 
1969
 
201,298,000
100.0
N
1970
 
203,798,722
101.2
1.24
1971
 
206,817,509
102.7
1.48
1972
 
209,274,882
104.0
1.19
1973
 
211,349,205
105.0
0.99
1974
 
213,333,635
106.0
0.94
1975
 
215,456,585
107.0
1.00
1976
 
217,553,859
108.1
0.97
1977
 
219,760,875
109.2
1.01
1978
 
222,098,244
110.3
1.06
1979
 
224,568,579
111.6
1.11
1980
 
227,224,719
112.9
1.18
1981
 
229,465,744
114.0
0.99
1982
 
231,664,432
115.1
0.96
1983
 
233,792,014
116.1
0.92
1984
 
235,824,907
117.2
0.87
1985
 
237,923,734
118.2
0.89
1986
 
240,132,831
119.3
0.93
1987
 
242,288,936
120.4
0.90
1988
 
244,499,004
121.5
0.91
1989
 
246,819,222
122.6
0.95
1990
 
249,622,814
124.0
1.14
1991
 
252,980,941
125.7
1.35
1992
 
256,514,224
127.4
1.40
1993
 
259,918,588
129.1
1.33
1994
 
263,125,821
130.7
1.23
1995
 
266,278,393
132.3
1.20
1996
 
269,394,284
133.8
1.17
1997
 
272,646,925
135.4
1.21
1998
 
275,854,104
137.0
1.18
1999
 
279,040,168
138.6
1.15
2000
 
282,162,411
140.2
1.12
2001
 
284,968,955
141.6
0.99
2002
 
287,625,193
142.9
0.93
2003
 
290,107,933
144.1
0.86
2004
 
292,805,298
145.5
0.93
2005
 
295,516,599
146.8
0.93
2006
 
298,379,912
148.2
0.97
2007
 
301,231,207
149.6
0.96
2008
 
304,093,966
151.1
0.95
2009
 
306,771,529
152.4
0.88
2010
 
309,378,433
153.7
0.85
2011
 
311,841,632
154.9
0.80
2012
 
314,344,331
156.2
0.80
2013
 
316,735,375
157.3
0.76
2014
 
319,270,047
158.6
0.80
2015
 
321,829,327
159.9
0.80
2016
 
324,367,742
161.1
0.79
2017
 
326,623,063
162.3
0.70
2018
 
328,542,157
163.2
0.59
2019
 
330,233,102
164.1
0.51
2020
 
331,511,512
164.7
0.39
2021
 
332,031,554
164.9
0.16
2022
 
333,287,557
165.6
0.38
Source: Calculations by the New Jersey Regional Economic Analysis Project (NJ-REAP)
with data provided by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis
November 2023
REAP_PI_CA1400_100_PN
 
   
Copyright © 2023. Pacific Northwest Regional Economic Analysis Project (PNREAP). All Rights Reserved.

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