County · New Jersey

Somerset County, New Jersey

Somerset County, New Jersey has a quality-of-life score of 93 out of 100 (very high), ranking #231 of 3,143 US counties. Within New Jersey it ranks #3 of 21 counties. It ranks best on depression (low), frequent mental distress (low) and adult smoking (low). It ranks worst on effective property tax rate (high), average commute time (high) and cost of buying a home today (high).

93Very high

Quality-of-life score: #231 of 3,143 counties
New Jersey: #3 of 21 in NJ
Population: 356,486 (2025)
Land area: 302 mi²
Density: 1,180.9 /mi²
FIPS code: 34035

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 78 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map Federal contracts here

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US counties.

Safety99#21/3,096
Economy94#182/3,143
Housing6#2,950/3,140
Health100#9/3,144
Healthcare97#86/3,143
Environment42#1,816/3,108
Education100#13/3,144
Infrastructure95#161/3,144
Community85#485/3,144
Leisure & amenities74#803/3,143

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Somerset County, New Jersey ranks highest and lowest among US counties (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Depression · low14.4%
100/100New Jersey 15.6%United States 20.7%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Frequent mental distress · low13.5%
100/100New Jersey 16.1%United States 18.6%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute
Adult smoking · low8.1%
100/100New Jersey 11.3%United States 16.1%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute
Firearm deaths · low3.4 /100k
100/100New Jersey 4.0 /100kUnited States 12.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional data
Injury deaths · low43 /100k
100/100New Jersey 65 /100kUnited States 87 /100k2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute
Median household income · high$134,499
100/100New Jersey $104,202United States $81,6042024U.S. Census BureauModel-based estimate

Weaknesses

Effective property tax rate · high1.84%
2/100New Jersey 1.88%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Average commute time · high31.4 min
8/100New Jersey 30.5 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
Cost of buying a home today · high40.9%
9/100New Jersey 44.9%United States 34.1%Aug 2026Zillow Research
Time spent in the emergency room · high188 min
15/100New Jersey 185 minUnited States 170 minOct 2024–Sep 2025Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Job growth · low-2.8%
15/100New Jersey 0.0%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional data
Severe housing problems · high15.9%
17/100New Jersey 19.8%United States 16.8%2017-2021University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Drought exposureWorsening
0% (2021) → 75% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+75 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
High ozone daysImproving
5 days (2017) → 0 days (2022)
−100%5 yearsUS 9 days → 7 days
New business applicationsImproving
13.5 /1k (2020) → 24.6 /1k (2025)
+82%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
Cost of buying a home todayWorsening
27.6% (Dec 2021) → 40.9% (Aug 2026)
+13 pts5 yearsUS 26.4% → 34.1%
Violent crime rateWorsening
41 /100k (2020) → 67 /100k (2025)
+64%5 yearsUS 389 /100k → 328 /100k
New homes permittedWorsening
3.6 /1k (2021) → 1.8 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
−51%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Somerset County, New Jersey improved on 9 of 33 measures with a comparison and declined on 3. 18 moved within the margin of error and 3 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among counties: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2020 with 2025); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved9

New businesses+82%13.5 /1k → 24.6 /1k
Overdose deaths−45%16.2 /100k → 8.9 /100k
Bachelor's++3.1 points54.7% → 57.8%
Unemployment−2.7 points7.2% → 4.5%
Household income+19%$112,722 → $134,499

Declined3

Transit use−1.9 points5.3% → 3.4%
Violent crime+64%41 /100k → 67 /100k
Price / income+0.1×3.8× → 3.9×

All 33 measures

Change of every measure of Somerset County, New Jersey between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	4.3 /10k2020	4.6 /10k2025	+5.7%	Within the margin of error	51%
Average commute time	32.5 min2015-2019	31.4 min2020-2024	−1.1 min	Within the margin of error	79%
Average weekly wage	$1,8802020	$2,1732025	+16%	Improved	7%
Bachelor's degree or higher	54.7%2015-2019	57.8%2020-2024	+3.1 points	Improved	57%
Broadband subscriptions	92.2%2015-2019	95.8%2020-2024	+3.5 points	Improved	4%
Child poverty rate	6.2%2019	5.6%2024	−0.6 points	Within the margin of error	35%
Distance to an airport	24 mi2020	24 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	16.2 /100k2020	8.9 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−45%	Improved	71%
Effective property tax rate	2.03%2015-2019	1.84%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Little change	71%
Firearm deaths	3.8 /100k2020	3.4 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−11%	Within the margin of error	65%
Grocery stores	1.7 /10k2020	1.7 /10k2025	−5%	Within the margin of error	36%
Gyms and fitness centers	2.2 /10k2020	2.0 /10k2025	−8.4%	Within the margin of error	28%
High school diploma or higher	94.5%2015-2019	94.0%2020-2024	−0.5 points	Within the margin of error	9%
Home price to income ratio	3.8×2015-2019	3.9×2020-2024	+0.1×	Declined	77%
Homicide rate	2.0 /100k2020	1.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−10%	Within the margin of error	30%
Income adjusted for local prices	$86,1202019	$107,5332024	+25%	Improved	12%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4572015-2019	0.4602020-2024	+0.003	Within the margin of error	48%
Median household income	$112,7222019	$134,4992024	+19%	Improved	22%
New business applications	13.5 /1k2020	24.6 /1k2025	+82%	Improved	85%
Pharmacies	2.3 /10k2020	2.1 /10k2025	−8.2%	Within the margin of error	44%
Poverty rate	5.4%2019	5.8%2024	+0.4 points	Within the margin of error	34%
Property crime rate	775 /100k2020	642 /100k2025	−17%	Improved	23%
Public libraries	0.5 /10k2019	0.5 /10k2024	−1.3%	Within the margin of error	48%
Public transit commuters	5.3%2015-2019	3.4%2020-2024	−1.9 points	Declined	9%
Rent as share of income	28.8%2015-2019	29.6%2020-2024	+0.8 points	Within the margin of error	42%
Rent-burdened households	46.5%2015-2019	49.0%2020-2024	+2.6 points	Within the margin of error	38%
Restaurants and bars	8.0 /10k2020	8.1 /10k2025	+0.8%	Within the margin of error	52%
Students per teacher	11.1×2019	10.7×2024	−0.4×	Little change	38%
Suicide rate	6.1 /100k2020	8.0 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+31%	Within the margin of error	12%
Traffic deaths	5.9 /100k2015-2019	5.6 /100k2020-2024	−5.3%	Within the margin of error	63%
Unemployment rate	7.2%2020	4.5%2025	−2.7 points	Improved	54%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	6.6%2019	6.4%2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	31%
Violent crime rate	41 /100k2020	67 /100k2025	+64%	Declined	8%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 2303 counties that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Small Area Health Insurance Estimates; Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Common Core of Data; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 3144 counties that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Counties like Somerset County, New Jersey five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Somerset County, New Jersey in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Somerset County, New Jersey itself moved −0.2 points in standing on average over the same 32 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

349,846 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69
50–59
40–49
30–39
20–29
10–19
Under 10

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 60–69 women (+1.0 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

349,846 residents

Somerset County, New Jersey
New Jersey share

White49%172,324
Black9.3%32,411
Hispanic or Latino18%61,585

Education

247,882 residents (±28)

Somerset County, New Jersey
New Jersey share

No high school diploma6.0%14,851
High school or GED18%43,533
Some college13%31,411

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

130,802 households (±435)

Somerset County, New Jersey
New Jersey share

Under $25k7.2%9,358
$25k–50k8.2%10,665
$50k–75k9.3%12,172
$75k–100k9.6%12,587
$100k–150k19%24,745
$150k–200k13%17,106
$200k or more34%44,169

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $200k or more (+9.4 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

130,802 households (±435)

Somerset County, New Jersey
New Jersey share

Own74%97,187
Rent26%33,615

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (−1.5 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

32,528 households (±1,212)

Somerset County, New Jersey
New Jersey share

Under $7503.9%1,284
$750–1,0002.0%†646
$1,000–1,50011%3,712

Home values

97,187 homes (±1,176)

Somerset County, New Jersey
New Jersey share

Under $150k3.3%3,164
$150k–250k4.0%3,865
$250k–400k20%19,457

Age of homes

133,639 homes (±156)

Somerset County, New Jersey
New Jersey share

2010 or later7.4%9,834
2000–20099.7%12,964
1980–199937%48,858

Size of homes

133,639 homes (±156)

Somerset County, New Jersey
New Jersey share

Studio1.6%2,129
1 bedroom10%13,630
2 bedrooms26%35,126

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

186,280 workers (±1,801)

Somerset County, New Jersey
New Jersey share

Drive alone64%118,824
Carpool6.5%12,189
Public transit3.4%6,309
Walk1.2%2,200
Bike0.1%†270
Work from home23%42,229
Other2.3%4,259

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Work from home (+16.5 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

144,051 workers (±2,183)

Somerset County, New Jersey
New Jersey share

Under 15 min20%28,380
15–29 min34%49,158
30–44 min23%32,969

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Somerset County has 9,831 employer establishments, 280 for every 10,000 residents (1.13× the US rate of 248; 1.11× New Jersey's), with 188,127 paid employees at an average annual pay of $96,436. The Census Bureau also counts 34,553 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 9,831; 34,553 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 280; US 248 · New Jersey 253
Paid employees: 188,127
Average annual pay: $96,436; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Somerset County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	964	27.5	1.32×More than typical	10,362	$68,912	1,812
Restaurants and other eating places	668	19	1.04×About typical	9,083	$27,363	182
Computer systems design and related services	531	15.1	3.49×More than typical	6,395	$119,586	847
Specialty trade contractors	517	14.7	0.95×About typical	3,604	$84,195	1,332
Services to buildings and dwellings	418	11.9	1.77×More than typical	5,429	$37,561	1,381
Management, scientific and technical consulting	391	11.1	1.66×More than typical	6,065	$91,543	2,393
Offices of physicians	327	9.3	1.44×More than typical	4,271	$89,572	461
Lessors of real estate	323	9.2	0.75×Fewer than typical	1,707	$80,714	4,806
Personal care services	321	9.1	1.92×More than typical	1,962	$26,351	521
Full-service restaurants	295	8.4	1.09×About typical	4,659	$33,109	73
Limited-service restaurants	285	8.1	1.01×About typical	3,374	$22,029	76
Landscaping services	283	8.1	2.30×More than typical	1,358	$64,327	364

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 351,042 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $452.5M on contracts performed in Somerset County, New Jersey: $1,269 per resident (US $1,995).

Obligations: $452.5M; +17% vs FY2025
Per resident: $1,269; US $1,995
Sole-source: 55%; US 30%
Single offer: 6.5%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Defense Logistics Agency$190.1M42%
Department of Veterans Affairs$111.1M

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $1.9B in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Somerset County, New Jersey: $5,299 per resident (US $12,975).

Assistance · FY2026: $1.9B; +0.4% vs FY2025
Per resident: $5,299; US $12,975
Loan face value: $50.9M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.0%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$1.5B78%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$95.2M5.0%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$90.3M4.8%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$60.4M3.2%
20.279 · National Highway Performance Program (NHPP)$34.8M1.8%
20.287 · Surface Transportation Block Grant Program$29.4M1.6%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$23.5M1.2%
81.049 · Office of Science Financial Assistance Program$17.7M0.9%

Top recipients (organizations)

TRANSPORTATION, NEW JERSEY DEPT OF$73.6M3.9%
TRENTON, NJ
THEA ENERGY, INC.$17.7M0.9%
KEARNY, NJ
RARITAN VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE$10.6M0.6%
SOMERVILLE, NJ
RIDGE OAK, INC.$5.6M0.3%
BASKING RIDGE, NJ
FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP HOUSING AUTHORITY$4.7M

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$1.7B89%
Federal Highway Administration$73.6M3.9%
Department of Transportation
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$72.1M3.8%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Department of Energy$17.7M0.9%
Department of Education$11.1M0.6%

Assistance by fiscal year

1.5BFY2021
1.6BFY2022
1.7BFY2023
1.7BFY2024
1.9BFY2025
1.9BFY2026

County aggregates

93%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 8, 2026, loaded Oct 8, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Explore grants in Somerset County, New Jersey

Public money & outcomes

Federal money per resident by fiscal year next to how the place changed, and, when its money jumped, how it compares with similar counties. A comparison, not cause and effect.

How Somerset County, New Jersey compares: the federal money it received per resident, and how jobs, income, housing and other outcomes moved, each next to the United States.

Money per resident

By federal fiscal year (October to September, named by the year it ends), obligations per resident. A year with no record counts as $0.

Somerset County, New Jersey
United States
Year its money jumped
partial year

Federal contractsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Somerset County, New Jersey and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Somerset County, New Jersey	United States
FY2017	$1,405	$1,436
FY2018	$781	$1,552
FY2019	$786	$1,654
FY2020	$767	$1,880
FY2021	$927	$1,810
FY2022	$798	$1,917
FY2023	$2,135	$2,079
FY2024	$1,378	$2,047
FY2025	$1,081	$2,165
FY2026	$1,269 (partial year)	$1,912
FY2027	$0 (partial year)	—

Construction contractsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Somerset County, New Jersey and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Somerset County, New Jersey	United States
FY2017	$144	$93.28
FY2018	$29.11	$105
FY2019	$44.10	$128
FY2020	$8.71	$145
FY2021	$9.44	$117

Contracts and grantsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Somerset County, New Jersey and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Somerset County, New Jersey	United States
FY2021	$1,107	$5,748
FY2022	$1,071	$5,221
FY2023	$2,452	$5,364
FY2024	$1,595	$5,501
FY2025	$1,205	$5,732
FY2026

Transportation grantsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Somerset County, New Jersey and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Somerset County, New Jersey	United States
FY2021	$40.58	$298
FY2022	$240	$357
FY2023	$238	$301
FY2024	$138	$319
FY2025	$104	$360
FY2026	$207

Housing assistanceUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Somerset County, New Jersey and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Somerset County, New Jersey	United States
FY2021	$76.30	$239
FY2022	$71.80	$185
FY2023	$84.42	$229
FY2024	$106	$229
FY2025	$72.01	$249
FY2026	$50.93

HHS grantsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Somerset County, New Jersey and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Somerset County, New Jersey	United States
FY2021	$9.43	$2,304
FY2022	$3.57	$2,197
FY2023	$12.41	$2,274
FY2024	$19.10	$2,267
FY2025	$7.49	$2,397
FY2026

SBA lending volumeUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Somerset County, New Jersey and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Somerset County, New Jersey	United States
FY2021	$1,398	$1,186
FY2022	$588	$465
FY2023	$64.38	$76.52
FY2024	$104	$120
FY2025	$133	$148
FY2026	$89.87

Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)

How outcomes moved

Calendar years. Charts share the same years as the money above. Levels are shown as percent change since 2016; rates are shown as the rate itself.

Somerset County, New Jersey
United States
Years with money loaded
Year its money jumped

Job growthpercent

Table view

Job growth, Somerset County, New Jersey and the United States, by year
Calendar years	Somerset County, New Jersey	United States
2014	1.8%

When its money jumped

A county-year with at least 10,000 residents whose money per resident is at least twice its earlier average counts as a jump. Each is compared with up to five similar counties in the same region whose money did not jump.

Federal contracts · FY2023

$2,135 per resident in FY2023, against an earlier average of $911 (2.3× that).

Compared with 13 similar counties

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, Business Formation Statistics, Building Permits Survey, Cartographic Boundary Files, Gazetteer and metro delineations, Population Estimates Program, Small Area Health Insurance Estimates, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission), Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System), Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordability. JSON · /api/v1/outcomes/places/34035

See all comparisons

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Somerset County, New Jersey is split between congressional districts: each representative is shown with the share of its residents in their district (current boundaries).

House

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

Metro area

The metro or micro area Somerset County belongs to. A county is in at most one.

New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ68Central county

Cities and towns in Somerset County

Places whose residents live mostly in Somerset County, largest first.

Neighboring counties

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar counties

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
National Risk IndexFederal Emergency Management Agency · release v1.20.0
Health Professional Shortage AreasHealth Resources and Services Administration · release 2026-10-08
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
Common Core of DataNational Center for Education Statistics · release 2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/34035

Calendar years	Somerset County, New Jersey	United States
2014	−3.0%	−4.2%
2015	+0.2%	−1.3%
2016	0.0%	0.0%
2017	−0.8%	+3.3%
2018	+3.0%	+6.8%
2019	+5.6%	+10.5%
2020	+15.1%	+19.4%
2021	+16.2%	+26.1%
2022	+17.8%	+30.6%
2023	+20.3%	+35.0%
2024	+25.2%	+41.0%
2025	+33.0%	+46.8%

Calendar years	Somerset County, New Jersey	United States
2014	−7.4%	−5.5%
2015	−2.9%	−1.9%
2016	0.0%	0.0%
2017	+4.8%	+4.1%
2018	+9.7%	+8.9%
2019	+12.9%	+13.5%
2020	+15.9%	+20.8%
2021	+22.5%	+32.1%
2022	+28.6%	+35.4%
2023	+32.6%	+42.9%
2024	+38.0%	+49.5%

Calendar years	Somerset County, New Jersey	United States
2014	4.0/1k	3.3/1k
2015	4.7/1k	3.7/1k
2016	3.0/1k	3.7/1k
2017	2.2/1k	3.9/1k
2018	4.0/1k	4.1/1k
2019	5.2/1k	4.2/1k
2020	5.6/1k	4.4/1k
2021	3.6/1k	5.2/1k
2022	2.6/1k	5.0/1k
2023	1.6/1k	4.5/1k
2024	1.8/1k	4.3/1k
2025	2.1/1k	4.2/1k

Calendar years	Somerset County, New Jersey	United States
2014	−4.3%	−6.9%
2015	−5.4%	−3.2%
2016	0.0%	0.0%
2017	+6.9%	+4.7%
2018	+14.4%	+7.5%
2019	+7.7%	+14.0%
2020	+10.4%	+16.9%
2021	+18.2%	+21.0%
2022	+28.7%	+29.7%
2023	+34.0%	+34.9%
2024	+28.5%	+41.6%

Calendar years	Somerset County, New Jersey	United States
2014	−3.4% (Dec 2014)	−10.8% (Dec 2014)
2015	−1.9% (Dec 2015)	−5.2% (Dec 2015)
2016	0.0% (Dec 2016)	0.0% (Dec 2016)
2017	+2.9% (Dec 2017)	+6.4% (Dec 2017)
2018	+5.4% (Dec 2018)	+12.6% (Dec 2018)
2019	+6.2% (Dec 2019)	+18.1% (Dec 2019)
2020	+12.8% (Dec 2020)	+29.3% (Dec 2020)
2021	+22.6% (Dec 2021)	+49.8% (Dec 2021)
2022	+31.6% (Dec 2022)	+64.7% (Dec 2022)
2023	+43.5% (Dec 2023)	+69.0% (Dec 2023)
2024	+55.5% (Dec 2024)	+73.4% (Dec 2024)
2025	+57.8% (Dec 2025)	+73.7% (Dec 2025)

Calendar years	Somerset County, New Jersey	United States
2014	5.2%	6.2%
2015	4.5%	5.3%
2016	3.9%	4.9%
2017	3.6%	4.4%
2018	3.2%	3.9%
2019	2.8%	3.7%
2020	7.2%	8.1%
2021	5.2%	5.4%
2022	3.1%	3.7%
2023	3.5%	3.6%
2024	3.9%	4.0%
2025	4.5%	4.3%

Calendar years	Somerset County, New Jersey	United States
2014	5.0%	15.5%
2015	5.5%	14.7%
2016	5.2%	14.0%
2017	5.3%	13.4%
2018	4.9%	13.1%
2019	5.4%	12.3%
2020	4.8%	11.9%
2021	5.5%	12.8%
2022	5.1%	12.6%
2023	5.5%	12.5%
2024	5.8%	12.1%

Calendar years	Somerset County, New Jersey	United States
2015	−1.8% (Dec 2015)	−3.3% (Dec 2015)
2016	0.0% (Dec 2016)	0.0% (Dec 2016)
2017	+2.0% (Dec 2017)	+4.4% (Dec 2017)
2018	+6.7% (Dec 2018)	+8.8% (Dec 2018)
2019	+10.2% (Dec 2019)	+13.1% (Dec 2019)
2020	+13.4% (Dec 2020)	+15.2% (Dec 2020)
2021	+22.1% (Dec 2021)	+32.8% (Dec 2021)
2022	+32.8% (Dec 2022)	+42.1% (Dec 2022)
2023	+39.5% (Dec 2023)	+46.3% (Dec 2023)
2024	+46.3% (Dec 2024)	+50.4% (Dec 2024)
2025	+51.3% (Dec 2025)	+53.5% (Dec 2025)

Calendar years	Somerset County, New Jersey	United States
2014	7.9%	13.5%
2015	6.6%	10.9%
2016	5.9%	10.0%
2017	5.7%	10.2%
2018	5.4%	10.4%
2019	6.6%	10.8%
2020	6.2%	10.4%
2021	5.3%	10.2%
2022	5.3%	9.5%
2023	5.4%	9.5%
2024	6.4%	9.8%

Calendar years	Somerset County, New Jersey	United States
2014	10.6/1k	8.5/1k
2015	10.9/1k	8.7/1k
2016	11.4/1k	9.1/1k
2017	11.8/1k	9.8/1k
2018	12.3/1k	10.7/1k
2019	12.4/1k	10.6/1k
2020	13.5/1k	13.1/1k
2021	16.0/1k	16.2/1k
2022	15.1/1k	15.1/1k
2023	15.7/1k	16.2/1k
2024	14.8/1k	15.4/1k
2025	24.6/1k	16.6/1k

Year	Somerset County, New Jersey	Comparison counties (average)	Range of comparison counties
Year −3	−11.7 points	−12.6 points	−13.6 points to −11.8 points
Year −2	−0.6 points	−0.8 points	−1.5 points to +0.1 points
Year −1	0.0 points	0.0 points	0.0 points to 0.0 points
Year 0	−3.1 points	−2.4 points	−3.9 points to −1.5 points
Year +1	−4.2 points	−2.3 points	−3.9 points to +0.5 points
Year +2	−3.1 points	−3.0 points	−5.0 points to +0.5 points

Year	Somerset County, New Jersey	Comparison counties (average)	Range of comparison counties
Year −3	+4.1 points	+4.0 points	+3.6 points to +4.3 points
Year −2	+2.1 points	+1.5 points	+1.2 points to +2.1 points
Year −1	0.0 points	0.0 points	0.0 points to 0.0 points
Year 0	+0.4 points	0.0 points	−0.5 points to +0.3 points
Year +1	+0.8 points	+0.2 points	−0.4 points to +0.6 points
Year +2	+1.4 points	+0.4 points	0.0 points to +1.2 points

Year	Somerset County, New Jersey	Comparison counties (average)	Range of comparison counties
Year −3	−14.2%	−10.9%	−13.3% to −8.4%
Year −2	−8.2%	−7.0%	−8.7% to −5.2%
Year −1	0.0%	0.0%	0.0% to 0.0%
Year 0	+4.1%	+2.1%	+0.0% to +3.6%
Year +1	−0.2%	+6.0%	+2.8% to +11.5%

Year	Somerset County, New Jersey	Comparison counties (average)	Range of comparison counties
Year −3	−0.30 points	−0.20 points	−0.60 points to +0.30 points
Year −2	+0.40 points	+0.80 points	+0.10 points to +1.20 points
Year −1	0.00 points	0.00 points	0.00 points to 0.00 points
Year 0	+0.40 points	+0.60 points	+0.40 points to +0.80 points
Year +1	+0.70 points	+0.28 points	−0.50 points to +0.80 points

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved9

Declined3

Counties like Somerset County, New Jersey five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Getting to work

How people get to work

Time to get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Public money & outcomes

Money per resident

How outcomes moved

When its money jumped

Compared with 13 similar counties

Representation in Congress

House

Senate

Metro area

Cities and towns in Somerset County

Neighboring counties

Similar counties

Data and sources

Improved9

Declined3

House

Senate

Household income

Age and sex

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Owners and renters

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

How people get to work

Time to get to work

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Money per resident

How outcomes moved

When its money jumped

Compared with 13 similar counties

Compared with 14 similar counties

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

What was bought

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards