County profile · New Jersey
Essex County, NJ market data
Population, household spending and competition for 56 business types in Essex County, each scored against other counties.
- Population, 2025
- 896,379
- +4.2% since 2020
- Households
- 319,788
- Median household income
- $80,789
- +31.3% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Median home value
- $524,100
- Jobs located here
- 362,597
- Highest market score
- 87
- Home repair trades, #8 of 2,057 scored counties
A site report maps the competitors on map listings around any address in Essex County by name and distance, and the households and spending within reach. Or open the report at the center of Essex County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardSurvey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure
What this means
An estimated 896,379 people live in Essex County, in 319,788 households. Between 2020 and 2025, the population of Essex County grew 4.2%, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). The median household income in Essex County is $80,789 a year, in line with the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 31.3% from the 2015–2019 survey, before inflation.
Set against the U.S., households in Essex County spend the most on child care and other personal services (an index of 120, where 100 is the U.S. average) and the least on gasoline and other fuels (58).
The highest Groundwork market scores in Essex County are for home repair companies (87), HVAC and plumbing companies (87) and roofing and gutter companies (86). Essex County ranks #8 of 2,057 scored counties for home repair companies.
Essex County is part of the New York-Newark-Jersey City metro area. For its number of households, Essex County has the most map listings, relative to the U.S., for laundromats (2.7 times the U.S. rate) and the fewest for veterinarians (61% below the U.S. rate).
All 56 business types in Essex County
Highest Groundwork market score first. Each score compares Essex County with other counties for that business type, from 0 to 100. Spending per listing divides a whole spending line (all vehicle repairs, all eating out) by one type’s listings: the demand for each competitor, not a business’s revenue. Compare it across markets with its index, where 100 is the U.S. figure for the same type; the real estate types, whose line is all housing costs, show the index only. How the score works.
| Business type | Score | Rank among counties | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Spending per listing vs. U.S. (100) | Official establishments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home repair trades | 87 | #8 of 2,057 | 256 | 8.0 | $4.2M | 174 | 354 |
| HVAC and plumbing | 87 | #17 of 1,707 | 113 | 3.5 | $9.6M | 201 | 200 |
| Roofing and gutters | 86 | #15 of 1,177 | 87 | 2.7 | $12.4M | 147 | 20 |
| Electricians | 86 | #17 of 1,160 | 56 | 1.8 | $19.3M | 161 | 134 |
| Mortgage brokers and lenders | 81 | #27 of 887 | 69 | 2.2 | Index only | 226 | 37 |
| Home inspectors | 79 | #15 of 415 | 20 | 0.6 | Index only | 116 | 8 |
| Convenience stores | 79 | #183 of 2,261 | 158 | 4.9 | $14M | 178 | 104 |
| Landscaping and lawn care | 78 | #97 of 1,493 | 73 | 2.3 | $6M | 205 | 238 |
| Veterinarians | 75 | #167 of 1,485 | 43 | 1.3 | $5.2M | 190 | 39 |
| Optometrists and eye care | 74 | #143 of 1,302 | 113 | 3.5 | $3.6M | 115 | 35 |
| Pet businesses | 74 | #171 of 2,200 | 150 | 4.7 | $1.5M | 169 | 90 |
| Pet grooming and boarding | 73 | #145 of 1,461 | 51 | 1.6 | $4.4M | 172 | 39 |
| Lawn, cleaning and pest control | 72 | #191 of 1,771 | 185 | 5.8 | $2.4M | 141 | 424 |
| Pest control | 70 | #99 of 699 | 35 | 1.1 | $12.5M | 122 | 29 |
| Pet stores | 70 | #165 of 974 | 39 | 1.2 | $5.7M | 126 | 12 |
| Gyms | 70 | #233 of 1,792 | 225 | 7.0 | $1.5M | 118 | 107 |
| Pizza | 69 | #343 of 2,090 | 238 | 7.4 | $5.7M | 112 | 626 |
| Spas and skin care | 67 | #311 of 1,769 | 298 | 9.3 | $1.1M | 130 | 61 |
| Fast food and sandwich shops | 67 | #480 of 2,222 | 402 | 12.6 | $3.4M | 111 | 626 |
| Funeral homes | 66 | #329 of 1,472 | 56 | 1.8 | $749K | 110 | 28 |
| Real estate agents and brokers | 65 | #371 of 2,176 | 864 | 27.0 | Index only | 129 | 171 |
| Gas stations | 64 | #599 of 2,358 | 197 | 6.2 | $2.4M | 102 | 147 |
| Property management | 63 | #235 of 910 | 77 | 2.4 | Index only | 142 | 229 |
| Chiropractors | 63 | #382 of 1,490 | 151 | 4.7 | $2.7M | 113 | 89 |
| Urgent care and walk-in clinics | 62 | #82 of 325 | 12 | 0.4 | $33.9M | 138 | 30 |
| Coffee shops and cafes | 62 | #540 of 2,063 | 309 | 9.7 | $4.4M | 119 | 204 |
| Grocery and convenience stores | 62 | #704 of 2,402 | 617 | 19.3 | $3.6M | 106 | 442 |
| Clothing and shoe stores | 61 | #654 of 2,087 | 486 | 15.2 | $1.6M | 127 | 285 |
| Gyms, studios and classes | 60 | #597 of 2,088 | 496 | 15.5 | $699K | 106 | 214 |
| Martial arts and dance studios | 58 | #443 of 1,334 | 177 | 5.5 | $2M | 97 | 107 |
| Yoga, Pilates and fitness studios | 57 | #251 of 777 | 94 | 2.9 | $3.7M | 91 | 107 |
| Child care and preschools | 57 | #633 of 1,611 | 242 | 7.6 | $920K | 92 | 265 |
| Real estate | 57 | #737 of 2,229 | 1,030 | 32.2 | Index only | 136 | 499 |
| House cleaning | 56 | #304 of 847 | 77 | 2.4 | $5.7M | 89 | 157 |
| Car washes and detailing | 55 | #581 of 1,451 | 67 | 2.1 | $3.2M | 127 | 60 |
| Insurance agencies | 53 | #1,022 of 2,272 | 258 | 8.1 | $1.4M | 115 | 190 |
| Restaurants and cafes | 53 | #1,071 of 2,405 | 3,802 | 118.9 | $357K | 96 | 1,460 |
| Tire shops | 52 | #727 of 1,530 | 95 | 3.0 | $2.3M | 90 | 42 |
| Bakeries and dessert shops | 51 | #906 of 1,889 | 352 | 11.0 | $3.9M | 93 | 243 |
| Clothing, shoes and laundry | 51 | #1,108 of 2,210 | 800 | 25.0 | $980K | 111 | 457 |
| Primary care and pediatrics | 49 | #865 of 1,656 | 220 | 6.9 | $1.9M | 104 | 743 |
| Hair salons | 49 | #1,248 of 2,339 | 829 | 25.9 | $410K | 95 | 289 |
| Sit-down restaurants | 47 | #1,338 of 2,405 | 2,388 | 74.7 | $568K | 86 | 622 |
| Physical therapy | 46 | #825 of 1,422 | 211 | 6.6 | $1.9M | 80 | 146 |
| Grocery stores | 46 | #1,157 of 2,070 | 331 | 10.4 | $6.7M | 72 | 338 |
| Dry cleaners | 45 | #306 of 507 | 56 | 1.8 | $14M | 89 | 82 |
| Auto repair and car care | 45 | #1,415 of 2,401 | 802 | 25.1 | $267K | 100 | 483 |
| Barbershops | 43 | #883 of 1,356 | 226 | 7.1 | $1.5M | 80 | 46 |
| Salons, barbers and spas | 43 | #1,578 of 2,385 | 1,636 | 51.2 | $208K | 98 | 587 |
| Nail salons | 42 | #910 of 1,328 | 239 | 7.5 | $1.4M | 85 | 187 |
| Doctors, dentists and clinics | 38 | #1,772 of 2,394 | 2,745 | 85.8 | $148K | 97 | 1,428 |
| Laundromats | 36 | #553 of 785 | 138 | 4.3 | $5.7M | 45 | 90 |
| Dentists and orthodontists | 36 | #1,462 of 1,886 | 469 | 14.7 | $869K | 88 | 385 |
| Auto repair shops | 36 | #1,817 of 2,378 | 564 | 17.6 | $380K | 85 | 362 |
| Collision repair and body shops | 30 | #1,108 of 1,327 | 112 | 3.5 | $1.9M | 62 | 100 |
| Oil change and quick lube | Not scored | Not scored | 4 | 0.1 | $53.6M | 390 | 10 |
Household spending in Essex County
What households here spend in a year on each line, in total and per household, with the index against the U.S. average (100).
| Spending line | A year, all households | Per household | Index vs. U.S. (100) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle maintenance and repairs | $214.4M | $670 | 70 |
| Gasoline and other fuels | $480.4M | $1,502 | 58 |
| Food away from home | $1.4B | $4,245 | 104 |
| Groceries | $2.2B | $6,938 | 110 |
| Personal care products and services | $340.2M | $1,064 | 106 |
| Child care and other personal services | $222.6M | $696 | 120 |
| Memberships, classes and admissions | $346.7M | $1,084 | 110 |
| Medical and dental services | $407.3M | $1,274 | 99 |
| Pets | $222.8M | $697 | 77 |
| Clothing, shoes and related services | $783.8M | $2,451 | 119 |
| Vehicle insurance | $374M | $1,170 | 60 |
| Home repairs, maintenance and insurance | $1.1B | $3,377 | 112 |
| Lawn care, cleaning and other household services | $438.3M | $1,371 | 97 |
| Rent and homeowner costs | $6.1B | $19,013 | 114 |
Household spending is estimated from the incomes of the households in each neighborhood, using what households at each income spent nationally in 2024, adjusted for the region. It counts what residents spend, wherever they spend it.
Population and households in Essex County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 896,379+4.2% since 2020
- Households
- 319,788
- Median age
- 38.6
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 45%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.3
- Land area
- 126 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 6,845
- Median household income
- $80,789+31.3% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $131,554
- Median home value
- $524,100
- Jobs located here
- 362,597
- Daytime population
- 843,719Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Essex County?
These figures cover the whole county. A site report draws rings around one address and counts what’s inside them: households, spending, jobs, and the competitors on map listings by name and distance, for any of the 56 business types.
Or open the report at the center of Essex County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardRelated markets
Nearest counties in New Jersey 8
- Hudson County, NJ718,323 people
- Union County, NJ579,290 people
- Passaic County, NJ521,012 people
- Bergen County, NJ962,316 people
- Morris County, NJ514,528 people
- Middlesex County, NJ871,290 people
- Somerset County, NJ349,846 people
- Sussex County, NJ145,807 people
Questions
How fast is Essex County, NJ growing?
Population estimates put Essex County at 896,379 people in 2025, up 4.2% since 2020, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 319,788 households. Against the 2015–2019 survey, median household income rose 31.3%, before inflation.
How much do households in Essex County, NJ spend?
Households in Essex County spend about $6.1B a year on rent and homeowner costs, $2.2B on groceries and $1.4B on food away from home. Relative to the U.S., household spending in Essex County runs highest on child care and other personal services (an index of 120, where 100 is the U.S. average) and lowest on gasoline and other fuels (58).
Which business types have the highest market scores in Essex County, NJ?
Of the business types scored in Essex County, home repair companies (87), HVAC and plumbing companies (87) and roofing and gutter companies (86) have the highest Groundwork market scores. For home repair companies, that ranks #8 of 2,057 scored counties.
How does Essex County, NJ compare with the U.S.?
Median household income in Essex County is $80,789, in line with the U.S. median of $80,734. The population rose 4.2% from 2020 to 2025, against +3.1% for the U.S. The median home value is $524,100, against $332,700 for the U.S. Against the U.S., map listings per household run highest for laundromats (2.7 times the U.S. rate) and lowest for veterinarians (61% below the U.S. rate).
What is the Groundwork market score?
The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. 55 of the 56 business types have a score in Essex County, each ranked against other counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Essex County. It maps the competitors on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.
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Screening a site or an acquisition in Essex County?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
The button opens the report at the center of Essex County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.