Somerset County, New Jersey

NJ · FIPS 34035 Democrat

Located in New Jersey, Somerset County has a population of 349,846 residents and a median age of 41.8 years, making it the #213 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 5.4%. The median home value is $552,100, and the median household income is $140,374, which is 87% above the national median.

349,846
Population
#213 of 3,222
$140,374
Median Income
+86.8% #15 of 3,222
41.8 years
Median Age
+7.5% #1,569 of 3,222
5.4%
Poverty Rate
-57.3% #70 of 3,222

Demographics

Somerset County has a population of 349,846, making it the #213 most populous county in the US. The median age is 41.8 years, which is 7.5% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

72.1%
Native Born
27.9%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Somerset County is $140,374, ranking #15 out of 3,222 counties — 86.8% above the national median. The poverty rate is 5.4% and unemployment stands at 4.7%.

Income#15
$140,374
+86.8%
vs nation
100th percentile
Per Capita#22
$72,193
+75.0%
vs nation
99th percentile
Poverty#70
5.4%
-57.3%
vs nation
98th percentile
Unemployment#1,832
4.7%
-10.6%
vs nation
43th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Somerset County is $552,100 (+95.8% vs national). Renters pay a median of $2,033/mo and the homeownership rate is 74.3%.

Home Value#102
$552,100
+95.8%
vs nation
97th percentile
Rent#42
$2,033
+74.8%
vs nation
99th percentile
Homeownership#1,654
74.3%
+15.4%
vs nation
49th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Somerset County, 57.8% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 71.5% above the national average, ranking #34 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
57.8% +71.5% vs nation
Rank #34 of 3,222
99th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Somerset County is 81.8 years. 11.9% of adults report poor or fair health and 5.3% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#71
81.8
+8.9%
vs nation
98th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#60
11.9%
-39.2%
vs nation
98th percentile
Diabetes#117
7.8%
-29.9%
vs nation
96th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#1,791
38.3%
+2.7%
vs nation
43th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#12
4.2
-25.4%
vs nation
100th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#5
2.9
-35.2%
vs nation
100th percentile
Uninsured Rate#234
5.3%
-49.8%
vs nation
93th percentile
Physical Inactivity#127
17.9%
-32.2%
vs nation
96th percentile
Food Insecurity#29
7.2%
-50.0%
vs nation
99th percentile

Substance Use

9.2% of adults in Somerset County smoke , 26.9% are obese , and 17.7% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 17.7 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#31
9.2%
-48.8%
vs nation
99th percentile
Adult Obesity#86
26.9%
-29.0%
vs nation
97th percentile
Excessive Drinking#764
17.7%
-11.0%
vs nation
76th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#423
17.7
-45.2%
vs nation
80th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Somerset County is 1.7 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 6.7 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 4.8 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#61
1.7
-78.8%
vs nation
96th percentile
Suicide Rate#18
6.7
-65.9%
vs nation
99th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#15
3.0
-83.4%
vs nation
99th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#19
4.8
-76.5%
vs nation
99th percentile

Families & Children

6.1% of children in Somerset County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 3.5 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 5.2 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#53
3.5
-48.4%
vs nation
96th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#80
5.2
-76.2%
vs nation
97th percentile
Child Poverty#52
6.1%
-67.9%
vs nation
98th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Somerset County is 81.3%. The mean commute time is 34.3 min, which is 24.3% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
81.3% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
34.3 min +24.3% vs nation
Rank #340 of 3,222
89th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Somerset County voted Democratic with a margin of 13.9%. The vote was 55.7% Dem / 41.8% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 7.1 toward Republicans .

2024 DEM +13.9%
55.7% 41.8%
Dem 177,412 votes Rep
2020 DEM +21.0%
59.5% 38.5%
Dem 186,891 votes Rep
2016 DEM +12.5%
54.4% 41.9%
Dem 154,249 votes Rep
2012 DEM +5.2%
52% 46.8%
Dem 134,932 votes Rep
2008 DEM +6.1%
52.5% 46.4%
Dem 151,078 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Somerset County, New Jersey

Somerset County, New Jersey has a total population of 349,846, making it the 213th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Somerset County is 41.8 years, which is 7.5% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Somerset County is $140,374, which ranks #15 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 86.8% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 5.4%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.7%.

The median home value in Somerset County is $552,100, 95.8% above the national median. Renters in Somerset County pay a median gross rent of $2,033 per month. The homeownership rate is 74.3%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Somerset County, 57.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 71.5% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 94.6% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 34.3 min.

Somerset County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 49.3% of the population, followed by Asian (non-Hispanic) (19.6%) and Hispanic or Latino (17.6%).

All data for Somerset County, New Jersey comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.