Overview
Bergen County is the most populous county in New Jersey, with 954,717 residents (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023). That figure places it above 98% of all U.S. counties by population. Situated in the northeastern corner of the state, directly across the Hudson River from New York City, Bergen County functions as a major suburban hub within the New York metropolitan area.
The numbers that define Bergen County cluster at the top of national rankings. Median household income sits at $123,715 (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), higher than 99% of U.S. counties. Median home values reach $593,200 (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), above 98% nationally. More than half of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The poverty rate is 6.6% (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), lower than roughly 95% of counties nationwide.
These aren't modest edges. Bergen County ranks in the top 2% nationally across income, education, housing value, and employment. It's one of a small number of counties that hit the upper end on nearly every economic indicator simultaneously.
Demographics
The median age in Bergen County is 42.1 years (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), slightly above the midpoint nationally, ranking higher than 56% of U.S. counties. It's an older-leaning population but not dramatically so.
Racial and ethnic composition reflects the county's position in the New York metro area. White residents make up 52.5% of the population (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023). Hispanic residents account for 22.1%, a share higher than 88% of U.S. counties. The Asian population, at 16.6%, ranks above 99% of counties nationally, making Bergen one of the most significant centers of Asian American population in the country. Black residents comprise 5.3%, and Native American residents 0.1%.
Education levels are a defining feature. A full 52.6% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), a rate that exceeds 98% of U.S. counties. Within New Jersey, which already has high educational attainment overall, Bergen still ranks above 81% of the state's counties. The workforce here skews heavily toward professional and knowledge-economy occupations, a pattern consistent with the income data.
Education
Bergen County spends $26,100 per pupil (Education Data Portal, 2020), nearly 74% above the national average of roughly $15,000. That level of investment places it above 95% of U.S. counties. Total enrollment across the county's school districts was 134,271 students (Education Data Portal, 2021).
Class sizes run small. The student-teacher ratio is 11.6 to 1 (Education Data Portal, 2021), well below the national average of about 15.5 to 1. Only 18% of U.S. counties have a lower ratio. Bergen County packs more instructional staff per student than the vast majority of school systems in the country.
The graduation rate is 93.1% (Education Data Portal, 2019), compared to a national average of roughly 87%. That ranks above 88% of counties nationally and 86% within New Jersey. High spending, small classes, and strong completion rates paint a consistent picture. The inputs align with the outcomes.
Economy & Employment
Bergen County's labor force totals 541,988 people, with 522,405 employed (BLS LAUS, 2025). The unemployment rate is 3.6% (BLS LAUS, 2025), which actually sits lower than 43% of U.S. counties nationally. Within New Jersey, it's the lowest unemployment rate of any county in the state.
Income numbers tell the sharper story. Median household income of $123,715 (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023) is roughly double the national median. Per capita income reaches $62,986 (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), above 99% of counties. IRS data shows the average adjusted gross income per return filed was $144,983 (IRS Statistics of Income, 2021), with total AGI across 481,180 returns reaching $69.8 billion. That's a concentration of taxable income higher than 99% of U.S. counties.
The poverty rate of 6.6% (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023) is lower than about 95% of U.S. counties. In context, Bergen County's poverty rate is low even for New Jersey, sitting below 76% of the state's counties. But 6.6% of 954,717 people still means roughly 63,000 residents below the poverty line. In a county where the median household earns six figures, the gap between the typical resident and those at the bottom is wide.
The mean commute is 26.2 minutes (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), longer than 78% of counties nationally. That reflects the county's role as a bedroom community for Manhattan. Hundreds of thousands of Bergen County residents cross the George Washington Bridge or ride NJ Transit into the city each workday. The commute time is moderate by metro New York standards, where 45-minute train rides are routine.
Housing & Cost of Living
Bergen County has 368,535 total housing units (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023). Of those, just 15,228 are vacant, a vacancy rate of 4.1% (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023). That's lower than 98% of U.S. counties. Housing stock here is tight, with very little sitting empty.
Median home value is $593,200 (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), above 98% of U.S. counties and 95% of New Jersey counties. Median gross rent is $1,863 per month (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), also above 98% nationally. These are among the most expensive housing costs in the country.
HUD Fair Market Rent data for 2026 is available for Bergen County but does not include bedroom-level breakdowns in the current dataset. The rent figures from the Census provide the clearest available picture: $1,863 per month for a typical unit, in a market where almost nothing sits vacant.
For households earning the median income of $123,715, the median rent of $1,863 represents about 18% of gross income, within standard affordability guidelines. But for households earning less, the math shifts fast. A household at the poverty line in Bergen County faces rents that consume the majority of their income. The 4.1% vacancy rate means there's little relief from competition.
Health & Wellness
Bergen County's health metrics consistently rank among the best in the country. The obesity rate is 25.4% (CDC PLACES, 2023), lower than 98% of U.S. counties. Diabetes prevalence is 8.0% (CDC PLACES, 2023), lower than 97% nationally. Depression rates sit at 14.6% (CDC PLACES, 2023), below 100% of U.S. counties. Poor mental health days affect 14.6% of adults, also lower than 98% of counties.
Cholesterol screening rates hit 89.1% (CDC PLACES, 2023), the highest in the nation at the 100th ranking mark. Annual checkup rates are 76.6% (CDC PLACES, 2023). High blood pressure prevalence is 28.1%, lower than 92% of counties.
Poor physical health days affect 9.6% of adults (CDC PLACES, 2023), a figure lower than essentially all other U.S. counties. The pattern across every CDC metric points the same direction: Bergen County residents report better health outcomes than the vast majority of the country.
The one area where Bergen doesn't stand out is insurance coverage. The uninsured rate is 10.4% (CDC PLACES, 2023), sitting near the national midpoint at the 49th ranking mark. For a county with this income level, that figure is notable. It likely reflects the self-employed, gig workers, and recent immigrants who fall through coverage gaps even in high-income areas.
Climate & Natural Disasters
Bergen County sits in the mid-Atlantic climate zone, with an average annual temperature of 55.1°F and average highs reaching 64.2°F (NOAA Climate Data Online, 2025). Winters are cold, with average lows of 46°F. Annual precipitation runs 36.9 inches (NOAA Climate Data Online, 2025), distributed fairly evenly through the year.
The disaster record is the more significant story. FEMA has logged 32 federal disaster declarations for New Jersey that include Bergen County since 1965 (FEMA OpenFEMA, 2026), above 90% of U.S. counties. That's not bad luck. It's geography.
Hurricanes account for the most declarations. Sandy in 2012 was the worst, triggering both an emergency declaration (October 28) and a major disaster declaration (October 30) within days. Irene in 2011 did the same. So did Ida in 2021, with declarations in early September. The pattern holds: when a major Atlantic storm tracks up the coast, Bergen County is in the path.
Flooding shows up separately from hurricanes. The county has five standalone flood declarations dating back to 1968, including events in 1971, 1975, 1984, and 1992. Severe storms add several more. The Hackensack River and its tributaries run through low-lying parts of the county, and development density leaves little natural absorption.
Two snowstorm declarations round out the record, from the 1993 nor'easter and a 2011 event.
The most recent federal declaration was September 2021, following Ida. For buyers in flood-prone areas of the county, the FEMA flood map and current flood insurance rates deserve close attention before closing.
Financial Profile
IRS data shows 481,180 tax returns filed from Bergen County in 2021, with total adjusted gross income of $69.8 billion (IRS Statistics of Income, 2021). Average AGI per return was $144,983, placing the county above 98% nationally. Average total income reached $146,820 per return. These figures rank Bergen County among the wealthiest by tax data in the entire country.
Banking infrastructure is solid. Bergen County has 177 bank branches holding $28.7 billion in total deposits (FDIC Summary of Deposits, 2023). That's more branches than 97% of U.S. counties and more deposits than 97% nationally. Physical banking access isn't a barrier here.
Social Security beneficiaries total 175,560 (SSA OASDI, 2024), above 98% of U.S. counties. With a population approaching one million and a median age of 42.1, the large beneficiary count reflects both the county's size and its aging population segments. Roughly 18% of residents receive OASDI benefits.
Key Comparisons
Bergen County's position relative to New Jersey and the nation clarifies where it stands and where the gaps are.
Income is high by any measure, but within New Jersey it doesn't top the list. The county's median household income ranks above 81% of New Jersey counties (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023). Several smaller counties in the state, particularly Hunterdon and Somerset, post higher medians. Nationally, Bergen is in the top 1%.
Home values follow a similar pattern. At $593,200 (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), Bergen ranks above 95% of New Jersey counties and 98% nationally. The gap between Bergen and the state's most expensive markets (parts of Hudson and Essex counties near Manhattan) is smaller than the gap between Bergen and the national median.
Health outcomes set Bergen apart more sharply. Obesity at 25.4% and diabetes at 8.0% (CDC PLACES, 2023) are lower than nearly all U.S. counties. Depression and poor mental health rates rank at or near the bottom nationally. Within New Jersey, Bergen's health metrics place it in the top 15% to 20% on most measures.
Education spending of $26,100 per pupil (Education Data Portal, 2020) sits above 95% of the country but at 62% within New Jersey, where school funding levels are generally high. The 11.6 to 1 student-teacher ratio is more distinctive, lower than 82% of New Jersey counties and 82% of the nation.
The unemployment rate of 3.6% (BLS LAUS, 2025) is the lowest in New Jersey. The vacancy rate of 4.1% (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023) is among the lowest statewide and nationally. Bergen County's labor market and housing market are both operating with very little slack.
The 10.4% uninsured rate (CDC PLACES, 2023) is the most notable exception to Bergen's top-tier rankings. It sits near the middle of the pack nationally and within the state. For a county where the average tax return shows $145,000 in income, the coverage gap points to structural issues that income alone doesn't resolve.
Data Sources
- Census ACS 5-Year, 2023 (population, income, housing, demographics, education attainment, commute, poverty, vacancy)
- BLS LAUS, 2025 (unemployment, employment, labor force)
- CDC PLACES, 2023 (obesity, diabetes, insurance, checkups, physical health, mental health, depression, cholesterol screening, blood pressure)
- HUD Fair Market Rents, 2026 (fair market rent data)
- FEMA OpenFEMA, 2026 (disaster declarations and history)
- IRS Statistics of Income, 2021 (tax returns, adjusted gross income, total income)
- FDIC Summary of Deposits, 2023 (bank branches, deposits)
- NOAA Climate Data Online, 2025 (temperature, precipitation, snowfall)
- SSA OASDI, 2024 (Social Security beneficiaries)
- Education Data Portal, 2019-2021 (per-pupil spending, enrollment, student-teacher ratio, graduation rate)
- USDA Census of Agriculture, 2022 (no data available for Bergen County)