DISCOVER THE POSSIBILITIES IN SALEM COUNTY
In an age of urban sprawl, Salem County stands out as an unspoiled oasis with a genuine, “down-home country” feel that pervades every facet of the county. Its agricultural, historical, cultural and economic characteristics are surpassed only by the people here who work as a team to preserve the features that make the county great while planning to keep it viable for future generations.
Salem, which means “peace,” is a place steeped in history and tradition. The county is the site of the first Quaker Colony in North America established in 1675. The majestic Salem Oak, which on Thursday, June 6th, 2019, fell after standing tall for an estimated 600 years, is said to be the site where John Fenwick, a member of the Religious Society of Friends, entered into a treaty with the Lenni-Lenape tribe for the land that is Salem County today. The exchange between John Fenwick and the Lenape Indians planted the seed that would grow into Salem County’s rich history.
Even in those early days, Salem County had a reputation for being a peaceful place, and that quality attracted many settlers. Swedes, Finns, English, Germans, Africans, Irish, and French Huguenots soon made the County home before the Revolution. In time, Salem became home to distinctive architecture, a rich maritime heritage, and many Revolutionary War and Underground Railroad sites. To this day, residents and visitors can journey to places where lives were risked and sometimes lost in this country’s fight for freedom.
Salem County features some of the finest wildlife areas in New Jersey. The county’s natural features include six rivers, more than 34,000 acres of meadow and marshland, tidal and freshwater wetlands, 40 lakes and ponds, beaches, expansive woodlands, a critical underground aquifer, numerous streams, and important headwaters.
Much like times past, Salem County is still a place of open spaces, making it attractive to the agricultural industry and business developers alike. While 42.6 percent of the land is under active farm cultivation, county developers, and builders are cultivating the terrain for new businesses and industry to take their place among the already established and flourishing areas of manufacturing.
The County is governed by a Board of Chosen County Commissioners, which has met continuously in Salem City, the county seat, since 1694. Peaceful surroundings, coupled with a solid, diverse educational system, a variety of state-of-the-art health care options, and distinct small-town communities, make Salem County a great place to live, to work, and to play.
VIEW COUNTY STATS
| People | Salem County, New Jersey | United States |
| Population | ||
| Population estimates, July 1, 2015 | 64,180 | 321,418,820 |
| Population estimates base, April 1, 2010 | 66,083 | 308,758,105 |
| Population, percent change, April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2015 (V2015) | -2.9% | 4.1% |
| Population, Census, April 1, 2010 | 66,083 | 308,745,538 |
| Age & Sex | ||
| Persons under 5 years, percent, July 1, 2015, (V2015) | 5.6% | 6.2% |
| Persons under 5 years, percent, April 1, 2010 | 5.8% | 6.5% |
| Persons under 18 years, percent, July 1, 2015 (V2015) | 22.0% | 22.9% |
| Persons under 18 years, percent, April 1, 2015 | 23.5% | 24.0% |
| Persons 65 years and over, percent, July 1, 2015, (V2015) | 17.8% | 14.9% |
| Persons 65 years and over, percent, April 1, 2010 | 15.0% | 13.0% |
| Female persons, percent, July 1, 2015, (V2015) | 51.3% | 50.8% |
| Female persons, percent, April 1, 2010 | 51.3% | 50.8% |
| Race & Hispanic Origin | ||
| White alone, percent, July 1, 2015, (V2015) (a) | 81.5% | 77.1% |
| White alone, percent, April 1, 2010 (a) | 79.8% | 72.4% |
| Black or African American alone, percent, July 1, 2015, (V2015) (a) | 14.8% | 13.3% |
| Black or African American alone, percent, April 1, 2010 (a) | 14.1% | 12.6% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, percent, July 1, 2015, (V2015) (a) | 0.5% | 1.2% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, percent, April 1, 2010 (a) | 0.4% | 0.9% |
| Asian alone, percent, July 1, 2015, (V2015) (a) | 1.0% | 5.6% |
| Asian alone, percent, April 1, 2015, (V2015) (a) | 0.8% | 4.8% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, percent, July 1, 2015, (V2015) (a) | Z | 0.2% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, percent, April 1, 2010 (a) | Z | 0.2% |
| Two or More Races, percent, July 1, 2015, (V2015) | 2.2% | 2.6% |
| Two or More Races, percent, April 1, 2010 | 2.2% |
2.9%
|
| Hispanic or Latino, percent, July 1, 2015, (V2015) (b) | 8.2% | 17.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino, percent, April 1, 2010 (b) | 6.8% | 16.3% |
|
White alone, not Hispanic or Latino, percent, July 1, 2015, (V2015)
|
75.1% |
61.6%
|
| White alone, not Hispanic or Latino, percent, April 1, 2010 | 76.8% |
63.7%
|
| Population Characteristics | ||
| Veterans, 2010-2014 | 5,212 | 20,700,711 |
| Foreign born persons, percent, 2010-2014 | 5.0% |
13.1%
|
| Housing | ||
| Housing units, July 1, 2015, (V2015) | 27,632 | 134,789,944 |
| Housing units, April 1, 2010 | 27,417 | 131,704,730 |
| Owner-occupied housing unit rate, 2010-2014 | 70.9% |
64.4%
|
| Median value of owner-occupied housing units, 2010-2014 | $189,300 | $175,700 |
| Median selected monthly owner costs -with a mortgage, 2010-2014 | $1,780 |
$1,522
|
| Median selected monthly owner costs -without a mortgage, 2010-2014 | $762 | $457 |
| Median gross rent, 2010-2014 | $999 | $920 |
| Building permits, 2015 | 43 | 1,182,582 |
| Familes & Living Arrangements | ||
| Households, 2010-2014 | 24,665 | 116,211,092 |
| Persons per household, 2010-2014 | 2.60 | 2.63 |
| Living in same house 1 year ago, percent of persons age 1 year+, 2010-2014 | 89.9% | 85.0% |
| Language other than English spoken at home, percent of persons age 5 years+, 2010-2014 | 8.0% | 20.9% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduate or higher, percent of persons age 25 years+, 2010-2014 | 85.8% | 86.3% |
| Bachelor’s degree or higher, percent of persons age 25 years+, 2010-2014 | 20.4% | 29.3% |
| Health | ||
| With a disability, under age 65 years, percent, 2010-2014 | 10.7% | 8.5% |
| Persons without health insurance, under age 65 years, percent | 11.0% | 10.5% |
| Economy | ||
| In civilian labor force, total, percent of population age 16 years+, 2010-2014 | 63.0% | 63.5% |
| In civilian labor force, female, percent of population age 16 years+, 2010-2014 | 58.2% | 58.7% |
| Total accommodation and food services sales, 2012 ($1,000) (c) | 89,248 | 708,138,598 |
| Total health care and social assistance receipts/revenue, 2012 ($1,000) (c) | 319,868 | 2,040,441,203 |
| Total manufacturers shipments, 2012 ($1,000) (c) | D | 5,696,729,632 |
| Total merchant wholesaler sales, 2012 ($1,000) (c) | 1,825,444 | $14,453 |
| Accommodation and food services sales, 2007 ($1000) | 82,295 | 5,208,023,478 |
| Total retail sales, 2012 ($1,000) (c) | 627,036 | 4,219,821,871 |
| Total retail sales per capita, 2012 (c) | $9,533 | $13,443 |
| Transportation | ||
| Mean travel time to work (minutes), workers age 16 years+, 2010-2014 | 26.2 | 25.7 |
| Income & Poverty | ||
| Median household income (in 2014 dollars), 2010-2014 | $60,768 | $53,482 |
| Per capita income in past 12 months (in 2014 dollars), 2010-2014 | $28,987 | $28,555 |
| Persons in poverty, percent | 13.1% |
13.5%
|
| Business | ||
| Total employer establishments, 2014 | 1,147 |
7,563,085
|
| Total employment, 2014 | 18,309 |
121,079,879
|
| Total annual payroll, 2014 | 1,041,230 |
5,940,442,637
|
| Total employment, percent change, 2013-2014 | -3.9% |
2.4%
|
| Total nonemployer establishments, 2014 | 2,807 |
23,836,937
|
| All firms, 2012 | 3,760 |
27,626,360
|
| Men-owned firms, 2012 | 2,233 |
14,844,597
|
| Women-owned firms, 2012 | 951 |
9,878,397
|
| Minority-owned firms, 2012 | 395 |
7,952,386
|
| Nonminority-owned firms, 2012 | 3,137 |
18,987,918
|
| Veteran-owned firms, 2012 | 312 |
2,521,682
|
| Nonveteran-owned firms, 2012 | 3,107 |
24,070,685
|
| Geography | ||
| Population per square mile, 2010 | 199.1 |
87.4
|
| Land area in square miles, 2010 | 331.90 |
3,531,905.43
|
|
iFIPS Code
|
34033 | 00 |
This geographic level of poverty and health estimates are not comparable to other geographic levels of these estimates
Some estimates presented here come from sample data, and thus have sampling errors that may render some apparent differences between geographies statistically indistinguishable.
The vintage year (e.g., V2015) refers to the final year of the series (2010 thru 2015). Different vintage years of estimates are not comparable.
(a) Includes persons reporting only one race.
(b) Hispanics may be of any race, so also are included in applicable race categories.
(c) Economic Census – Puerto Rico data are not comparable to U.S. Economic Census data
D: Suppressed to avoid disclosure of confidential information
F: Fewer than 25 items
NA: Not available
X: Not applicable
S: Suppressed; does not meet publication standards
Z: Value greater than zero but less than half unit of measure shown
Source: US Census Bureau
Municipalities
Alloway Township
Carneys Point Township
Elmer Borough
Elsinboro Township
Lower Alloways Creek Township
Mannington Township
Oldmans Township
Borough of Penns Grove
Pennsville Township
Pilesgrove Township
Pittsgrove Township
Quinton Township
City of Salem
Upper Pittsgrove Township
Borough of Woodstown