These NJ Counties Had The Highest, Lowest Income Growth Last Year

NEW JERSEY — During this tumultuous economic period, some parts of New Jersey fared better than others.

Newly released federal data shows that personal income, on average, grew throughout New Jersey from 2019-21. But residents in certain counties sustained greater income growth during that period, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA).

Personal income grew in 2021 for almost every county in the United States — increasing in 3,075, decreasing in 36 and remaining unchanged in three. But the BEA's data doesn't account for inflation. On Dec. 15, the agency will release information on "real personal income," which will factor in inflation.

These New Jersey counties saw the greatest growth in personal income from 2020-21:

• Hudson County: 10 percent ($58,909 in 2020 to $72,046 in 2021)
• Passaic County: 9.3 percent ($54,514 in 2020 to $59,559 in 2021)
• Essex County: 9 percent ($68,192 in 2020 to $74,310 in 2021)
• Salem County: 8.7 percent ($52,936 in 2020 to $57,547 in 2021)
• Union County: 8.5 percent ($70,955 in 2020 to $77,007 in 2021)

Personal income grew the least in these New Jersey counties during that span:

• Cape May County: 5.4 percent ($68,326 in 2020 to $72,010 in 2021)
• Atlantic County: 5.5 percent ($55,273 in 2020 to $58,310 in 2021)
• Burlington County: 5.9 percent ($65,654 in 2020 to $69,496 in 2021)
• Gloucester County: 6.2 percent ($58,909 in 2020 to $62,553 in 2021)
• Somerset County: 7 percent ($106,558 in 2020 to $113,975 in 2021)

The average income in New Jersey grew 7.7 percent from 2020-21, just ahead of the nation's 7.5 percent mark.

The BEA's personal-income statistics show the income U.S. residents get from paychecks, employer-provided benefits, business ownership, rental properties, Social Security and other government benefits. Average personal income also grew throughout the nation from 2019-20, despite COVID-19. But many states would've sustained declines in personal income in 2020 without pandemic-related government support, according to The Pew Charitable Trusts.

In New Jersey, earnings also vary significantly by county. Somerset County tallied the state's highest-average income at $113,975 last year, while Cumberland County's $47,559 average was the state's lowest.

Despite overall income growth, inflation has made it harder for many Americans to afford necessities. The U.S. consumer price index hit 7.7 percent in October, relative to a year earlier, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. While the figure marked the smallest 12-month increase since January, necessities such as shelter, food and energy remained among the greatest contributors to consumer prices.