NJ's Population Grew By More Than 500K By 2020, Census Bureau Confirms

NEW JERSEY — It’s a common statement, especially during financial crunches and amid tax conversations: Everyone’s leaving New Jersey.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, however, that isn’t the case. A new report from the agency says its counts showing an increase of 513,365 residents in New Jersey between the 2010 and 2020 Census was not an overcount.

The results of the bureau’s 2020 Post-Enumeration Survey, an independent estimate of the number of people living in the United States on April 1, 2020, showed New Jersey's counts did not have a statistically significant difference from the 2020 Census.

The survey interviewed 114,000 households in 10,000 blocks across the country, and matched them with their Census records to see how well the 2020 Census counted everyone in the nation.

The survey did find overcounts in eight states:

• Delaware (+5.45 percent),
• Hawaii (+6.79),
• Massachusetts (+2.24),
• Minnesota (+3.84),
• New York (+3.44),
• Ohio (+1.49),
• Rhode Island (+5.05), and
• Utah (+2.59)

There were undercounts in six states:

• Arkansas (-5.04),
• Florida (-3.48),
• Illinois (-1.97),
• Mississippi (-4.11),
• Tennessee (-4.78), and
• Texas (-1.92).

But 36 states, including New Jersey, along with the District of Columbia, did not have a “statistically significant” difference between the survey and the 2020 Census, the bureau’s report said.

“Neither represent a ‘true count’ because, of course, it is impossible to achieve a perfect count,” the report said.

New Jersey’s difference between the Census and the survey was negative-0.12 percent. You can see the survey results by state on the report’s map here; scroll to the bottom of the report.

The report did not break down further where the undercounts or overcounts may have happened, or by demographics of race or ethnicity.

See the 10 cities in New Jersey that grew the fastest from 2010 to 2020: Top 10 Fastest-Growing Cities In New Jersey: See The List

The Post-Enumeration Survey, Demographic Analysis, and 2020 Census quality indicators cannot be used to change the final census count but are useful in assessing the current census, determining how best to estimate the population between now and 2030, and helping to improve future censuses, the bureau said.

Read more about the 2020 U.S. Census results.