Hudson County

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Hudson County, New Jersey, is home to just over 600,000 people, based on 2005 estimates, with roughly two-fifths living in the city of Jersey City. Population has not changed significantly since the 2000 Census, after increasing by 10% during the 1990s. This highly urban county, directly across the river from Manhattan, more closely resembles New York City than New Jersey. With over 13,000 residents per square mile, it is one of the most densely populated counties in the nation—its population density is more than ten times that of New Jersey, and roughly half that of New York City.

Looking at the county's educational profile, 31% of adults over the age of 25 held college degrees in 2005, compared with 34% statewide but above the national average. Median household income, at $44,440, is also well below the statewide median but close to the national average. Hudson County's demographic profile is quite diverse—41% of residents are Hispanic and another 11% are Asian. Both are well above the statewide and nationwide figures (see table below).

The county's key industry is financial services, which account for roughly 15% of private-sector employment and a more than a third of payroll income. There has been a great deal of office construction in recent years, as this area has, in some ways, become an extension of lower Manhattan. Based on the 2000 Census, roughly 30% of working residents commute to New York City and about 10% of workers in the county "reverse commute" from New York City. After sustaining steep job losses and rising office vacancy rates from 2002 to 2004, Hudson County’s economy rebounded briskly in 2005, though it showed signs of flattening out in 2006 and early 2007.