NCLR
New Jersey
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF LA RAZA www.nclr.org
State Fact Sheet
As the data below show, Hispanics✝ are quickly becoming a population with a national presence. The most dramatic Latino population growth has occurred in "nontraditional" states, and Hispanics are now the largest minority in the country. Given that almost half of Hispanics are under 25 years old, they will constitute a large segment of the future U.S. population, workforce, and electorate.
New Jersey Compared to the Nation ▼ ▼
▼
New Jersey Hispanic Population, by Age: 2003
New Jersey is the state with the seventh-largest Latino population.1 Between 1990 and 2000, the growth rate of the Latino population in New Jersey ranked 37th in the country.1 Of all states, New Jersey has the ninth-largest share of Latinos when compared to the total state population.1
U.S. New Jersey
Growth Rate (1990-2000)1
Total
Hispanic
Hispanic Percent of Population2
282,909,885
39,194,837
13.9%
13.2%
57.9%
36.0 years
26.7 years
8,444,076
1,234,632
14.6%
8.9%
51.0%
37.5 years
29.9 years
Population (2003)2
Total
Hispanic
Total
Hispanic
Total (2003) Hispanic (2003)
Population Below Poverty Level Percent of Population Below Poverty Population Under 18 (Children)2 Children Below Poverty Level Percent of Children Below Poverty 2
5-19 yrs. 24.8%
30-44 yrs. 27.1%
20-29 yrs. 16.7%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2003 American Community Survey
New Jersey Hispanic Population, by Ethnic Subgroup: 2003
Latinos make a significant contribution to the labor force, representing an increasing share of workers and taxpayers, yet they are overwhelmingly vulnerable to economic downturns and experience high poverty rates, especially among working families with children.
In Labor Force3 Participation Rate* Unemployed Unemployment Rate
Under 5 yrs. 8.8%
45-64 yrs. 17.7%
Median Age (2003)2
Economic Well-Being ▼
Over 65 yrs. 5.0%
Hispanic Proportion of Total
4,375,000 66.1% 257,000 5.9%
577,000 69.9% 47,000 8.1%
13.2% -18.3% --
703,841 8.4% 2,100,598 246,231 11.7%
227,566 18.5% 372,206 88,214 23.7%
32.3% -17.7% 35.8% --
* The Labor Force Participation Rate is calculated using the civilian, noninstitutionalized population, not the total population.
Median Household Income (2003):2 Hispanic Median Household Income (2003):2
$58,588 $41,849
Other Hispanic 9.9% Central and South American 34.5%
Cuban 6.3% Dominican 9.0%
Mexican 9.8% Puerto Rican 30.5%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2003 American Community Survey
New Jersey Hispanic Population, by Citizenship Status: 2000 Foreign-born, not yet citizens 29.6%
Foreign-born, naturalized citizens 15.5%
✝ The terms "Hispanic" and "Latino" are used interchangeably by the U.S. Census Bureau and throughout this document to identify persons of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central and South American, Dominican, and Spanish descent; they may be of any race.
Native-born citizens 54.8%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000