Some New and Interesting Facts on Morris County from the Census Bureau

Published on December 20, 2018

New Data On Income, Housing, Education, Commuting Habits, Health Insurance, Unemployment and More

The U.S. Census Bureau recently released its 2013-2017 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, which include a wealth of demographic data for all of the municipalities in the nation -- including Morris County.(PNG, 19KB)

The 2013-2017 ACS includes estimates for various topics, including income, educational attainment, housing and transportation. Updated information specifically for Morris County has been posted on the Morris County Office of Planning and Preservation's Data and Statistics page.

Take a look. Dig in. Have fun, and learn some interesting facts about where you live and work and go to school.

Here is a sampling of what you will find (thank you to Morris County Senior Planner Kevin Sitlick). All ranges below are for municipalities in Morris County as reported by the 2013-2017 ACS unless stated otherwise:

• Median housing values range from $172,100 in Victory Gardens to $1,030,200 in Harding (compared to $438,100 for the county and $321,100 for the state).
• At $1,030,200, Harding has the 14th highest median housing value in New Jersey. Only two municipalities in New Jersey had a median housing value at the $2,000,000+ reporting limit, Alpine in Bergen County and Mantoloking in Ocean County.
• Nine municipalities experienced an increase in median housing values in Morris County between the 2008-2012 and 2013-2017 periods, with the top three located in the southeastern part of the county: Chatham Township (up 22.6 percent), Morristown (up 16.2 percent), and Madison (up 11.3 percent).
• Median contract rents range from $891 in Mine Hill to $2,151 in Florham Park (compared to $1,306 for the county and $1,111 for the state).
• Median gross rents by number of bedrooms range from $752 for no-bedroom units (studios) in Dover to $3,500+ for 4-bedroom units in Kinnelon. Take note that these are gross rents, not the contract rents in the previous bullet point.
• Median contract rents are up in 23 municipalities in Morris County between the 2008-2012 and 2013-2017 periods. For Morris County and New Jersey, median contract rents increased by 9.2 percent and 10.4 percent respectively
• Median household incomes range from $45,938 in Victory Gardens to $185,882 in Mendham Township (compared to $107,034 for the county and $76,475 for the state).(JPG, 166KB)
• At $185,882, Mendham Township has the fifth highest median household income in the state (Millburn in Essex County has the highest at $202,862).
• After adjusting the 2008-2012 figures for inflation, Morris County median household incomes increased by 2.1 percent, while for New Jersey they declined by 0.2 percent.
• Harding has the second highest per-capita income in New Jersey at $116,894, behind only Pine Valley Borough in Camden County (population 4) at $340,850.
• The poverty rate for Morris County is 4.6 percent compared to 10.7 percent for the state.
• The percent of population age 25 and over with a bachelor's degree or higher ranges from 10.5 percent in Victory Gardens to 86.1 percent in Mountain Lakes (compared to 52.6 percent for the county and 38.1 percent for the state).
• The percent of civilian noninstitutionalized population who have a disability ranges from 4.4 percent in Chatham Borough to 15.4 percent in Pequannock (compared to 8.2 percent for the county and 10.5 percent for the state).
• The percent of workers who commute to work by driving alone ranges from 59.6 percent in Chatham Borough to 86.3 percent in Riverdale (compared to 79.2 percent for the county and 71.5 percent for the state).
• The percent of workers who commute to work by public transportation ranges from zero percent in Mount Arlington to 25.3 percent in Chatham Borough (compared to 5.4 percent for the county and 11.5 percent for the state).