What is the Population of New Jersey? You may be surprised to learn that there are several hundred thousand people living in New Jersey. While the state was once a slaveholding country, after the Civil War, it became a more prosperous place. As a result, more people came to settle in New Jersey, and its population increased considerably. The state experienced a series of riots in the 1960s, with the first racial riot occurring in Jersey City on August 2, 1964. Other riots occurred in Newark and Plainfield in 1967, and Camden dealt with race riots in 1971.
The New Jersey state population increased rapidly during the 1830s and 1840s, when the country's manufacturing industries migrated to the area. The state was a central rail corridor, which boosted industrial development. Between 1850 and 1960, the population grew by 37.3%, with the average age of residents being about forty years old. As a result, Newark, Paterson, and Camden became major manufacturing centers.
Despite its dense population, New Jersey is a relatively small state. While its largest city, Newark, has a population of around one million, Jersey City is the second largest city in the state. Jersey City has a population of about 264,290 residents, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program. It has ranked 75th in size among U.S. cities.