Is being in an area of New Jersey that’s growing quickly a good thing or a bad thing?
Depends on who you ask.
Some want bigger, more exciting cities like Newark and Jersey City, while others want peace and quiet like in Englewood Cliffs and Margate City, thank you very much.
But today, we’re going to put opinions aside and look at the cold, hard facts — since 2010, which cities in New Jersey have grown the fastest.
After getting knee-deep in the Census’s American Community Survey using Saturday Night Science, we emerged with this set of cities in the Garden State that have people climbing over each other to get in.
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In New Jersey For 2023
What’s the fastest growing city in New Jersey for 2023? Based on the most recent ACS data, Harrison ranks as the fastest-growing city in New Jersey. If you happen to be a resident of Harrison, you’re probably not surprised to find it on our list.
If you’re surprised — and you’re wondering why these places are a big deal — keep reading. We’ll tell you what makes each of these 10 places in New Jersey grow like weeds.
For more New Jersey state reading:
- Best Places To Live In The United States
- Fastest Growing States In The United States
- Best Places To Live In New Jersey
- Cheapest Places To Live In New Jersey
- Most Dangerous Cities In New Jersey
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In New Jersey For 2023
1. Harrison
/10
Population: 18,824
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Population 2010: 13,569
Percent Growth 38.7%
Absolute Growth: 5,255
More on Harrison: Real Estate | Data | Crime Report | Cost Of Living
2. Secaucus
/10
Population: 21,439
Rank Last Year: 2 (No Change)
Population 2010: 16,008
Percent Growth 33.9%
Absolute Growth: 5,431
More on Secaucus: Real Estate | Data | Crime Report | Cost Of Living
3. Edgewater
/10
Population: 14,234
Rank Last Year: 3 (No Change)
Population 2010: 10,766
Percent Growth 32.2%
Absolute Growth: 3,468
More on Edgewater: Real Estate | Data | Crime Report | Cost Of Living
4. Wood-Ridge
/10
Population: 9,865
Rank Last Year: 4 (No Change)
Population 2010: 7,572
Percent Growth 30.3%
Absolute Growth: 2,293
More on Wood-Ridge: Real Estate | Data | Crime Report | Cost Of Living
5. Hoboken
/10
Population: 59,369
Rank Last Year: 7 (Up 2)
Population 2010: 47,384
Percent Growth 25.3%
Absolute Growth: 11,985
More on Hoboken: Real Estate | Data | Crime Report | Cost Of Living
6. Lindenwold
/10
Population: 21,048
Rank Last Year: 141 (Up 135)
Population 2010: 17,601
Percent Growth 19.6%
Absolute Growth: 3,447
More on Lindenwold: Real Estate | Data | Crime Report | Cost Of Living
7. Jersey City
/10
Population: 287,146
Rank Last Year: 16 (Up 9)
Population 2010: 243,257
Percent Growth 18.0%
Absolute Growth: 43,889
More on Jersey City: Real Estate | Data | Crime Report | Cost Of Living
8. Raritan
/10
Population: 7,993
Rank Last Year: 6 (Down 2)
Population 2010: 6,814
Percent Growth 17.3%
Absolute Growth: 1,179
More on Raritan: Real Estate | Data | Crime Report | Cost Of Living
9. Mount Arlington
/10
Population: 5,812
Rank Last Year: 5 (Down 4)
Population 2010: 4,992
Percent Growth 16.4%
Absolute Growth: 820
More on Mount Arlington: Real Estate | Data | Crime Report | Cost Of Living
10. Woodland Park
/10
Population: 13,265
Rank Last Year: 14 (Up 4)
Population 2010: 11,609
Percent Growth 14.3%
Absolute Growth: 1,656
More on Woodland Park: Real Estate | Data | Crime Report | Cost Of Living
Methodology: How We Measured The Fastest Growing Cities In the Garden State for 2023
To figure out which cities are growing the most, we used Saturday Night Science to look at the growth rates for cities since the beginning of the decade, according to the American Community Survey put out by the census every year. Specifically:
- Current Population
- Population in 2010
- Growth rate from 2010 to Current (The latest available data which came out in Dec 2021)
We ranked all 186 New Jersey cities with a population over 5,000 people from highest growth rate to lowest.
The city with the highest growth rate during this time was crowned the fastest-growing city in the Garden State.
And for those of you who are a little rusty with their statistics, you can calculate the growth rate by the following formula:
[Current Population – Population 2010] / [Population 2010]
The data has been updated for 2023. This report is our tenth time ranking the fastest growing cities in New Jersey.
Here’s a graph of the cities in New Jersey with the most significant percent increase in population:
Summary: These Places Grew Up So Fast In New Jersey, You Know?
So there you have it, the fastest growing cities in New Jersey are led by Harrison which has been growing at a blistering pace this decade relative to other cities and towns around the state.
It’ll be interesting to see if these places can keep growing at the same rate over the next couple of years. We’ll be here to let you know!
These places have been growing (or shrinking) the slowest (fastest):
- Brigantine
- Margate City
- Ventnor City
For more New Jersey reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In New Jersey
- Safest Places In New Jersey
- Worst Places To Live In New Jersey
Detailed List Of Fastest Growing Places In New Jersey For 2023
| Rank | City | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harrison | 38.7% |
| 2 | Secaucus | 33.9% |
| 3 | Edgewater | 32.2% |
| 4 | Wood-Ridge | 30.3% |
| 5 | Hoboken | 25.3% |
| 6 | Lindenwold | 19.6% |
| 7 | Jersey City | 18.0% |
| 8 | Raritan | 17.3% |
| 9 | Mount Arlington | 16.4% |
| 10 | Woodland Park | 14.3% |
