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NEW JERSEY
Income & Poverty

Other facts sheets for New Jersey:

The data below describe the state rankings and selected characteristics of the immigrant and native-born populations in New Jersey in 2011.

Rankings
The following shows New Jersey's rankings in several categories. All rankings include the 50 states and the District of Columbia and are ranked highest to lowest.
  Rankings
Number of the foreign-born population living in poverty, 2011: 8 out of 51
Share of the foreign-born population living in poverty, 2011: 50 out of 51
Numeric change in the foreign-born population in poverty, 2000 to 2011: 12 out of 51
Percent change in the foreign-born population in poverty, 2000 to 2011: 43 out of 51

Data Highlights
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Who are the foreign born?
The term foreign born refers to people residing in the United States at the time of the census who were not US citizens at birth. The foreign-born population includes naturalized citizens, lawful permanent immigrants, refugees and asylees, legal nonimmigrants (including those on student, work, or other temporary visas), and persons residing in the country without authorization. By comparison, the term native refers to people residing in the United States who were US citizens in one of three categories: 1) people born in one of the 50 states or the District of Columbia; 2) people born in United States Insular Areas such as Puerto Rico or Guam; or 3) people who were born abroad to at least one US citizen parent.

We use the terms immigrants and foreign born interchangeably.

Earnings of Full-Time Workers
(This sheet describes earnings of civilian employed workers)

In New Jersey in 2011, 24.2 percent of foreign-born workers earned less than $25,000 a year and 44.5 percent earned $50,000 or more.
In New Jersey in 2011, 6.4 percent of full-time, year-round, immigrant workers (those working more than 50 weeks a year and more than 35 hours per week) earned less than $15,000 a year; 33.6 percent earned between $15,000 and $35,000; 15.4 percent earned between $35,000 and $50,000; and 44.5 percent earned $50,000 or more. In comparison, 3.5 percent of full-time, year-round, native-born workers earned less than $15,000 a year; 18.7 percent earned between $15,000 and $35,000; 17.6 percent earned between $35,000 and $50,000; and 60.1 percent earned $50,000 or more.

At the national level, 9.8 percent of full-time, year-round, foreign-born workers earned less than $15,000 a year; 40.9 percent earned between $15,000 and $35,000; 16.6 percent earned between $35,000 and $50,000; and 32.6 percent earned $50,000 or more.

Median Earnings by Nativity and Gender

Male immigrant workers had average annual earnings of $46,703 compared to $39,553 for female immigrant workers.
Among full-time, year-round, foreign-born workers in New Jersey in 2011, median earnings over the previous 12 months were $39,553 for women and $46,703 for men. The median earnings of noncitizen women were $29,095 and those of noncitizen men were $32,828. In comparison, naturalized-citizen women had median earnings of $46,416 and naturalized-citizen men $58,306. Among full-time, year-round, native-born workers, median earnings during the comparable period were $50,256 for women and $66,097 for men.

At the national level, median earnings of full-time, year-round, foreign-born workers were $31,749 for women and $35,918 for men. The median earnings for noncitizen workers were $24,347 for women and $28,507 for men. Among naturalized-citizen workers, women had median earnings of $38,419 and men of $47,547. Among native-born workers, median earnings during the comparable period were $38,044 for women and $50,056 for men.

What Was the Poverty Threshold in 2011?
Whether any family is considered below the poverty threshold depends on the family's total income before taxes, not including any capital gains or noncash benefits, such as food stamps or housing subsidies.

The Census Bureau's poverty threshold varies depending on the number of adults and children in a family. The threshold is adjusted each month to account for inflation. Because respondents filled out the American Community Survey in different months, the poverty threshold that is applied to each family depends on the month in which the survey was taken.

To give a general idea of poverty levels, as defined by the Office of Management and Budget, the average poverty threshold for a family of four in 2011 was $23,021; for a family of three, $17,916; for a family of two, $ 14,657; and for an unrelated individual, $11,484. All members of a family are assigned the same poverty status. Poverty thresholds are the same for the entire United States, despite differences in the cost of living across US communities.
Population in Poverty

The immigrant population in New Jersey living below the federal poverty threshold changed by 33.9 percent between 2000 and 2011.
Between 2000 and 2011, the foreign-born population living in poverty went from 160,996 to 215,616, representing a change of 33.9 percent. In comparison, the foreign-born population living in poverty changed from 83,545 to 160,996 between 1990 and 2000, a difference of 92.7 percent.

At the national level, the immigrant population below the poverty threshold increased from 3,435,394 to 5,473,300 between 1990 and 2000, representing a change of 59.3 percent, and grew from 5,473,300 to 7,797,199 (42.5 percent) between 2000 and 2011.

In 2011, 11.5 percent of the foreign-born population lived below the poverty threshold.
In 2011, 11.5 percent of New Jersey's immigrant population lived below the poverty threshold, compared with 11.0 percent in 2000 and 8.8 percent in 1990. Meanwhile, 10.1 percent of the native-born population in New Jersey lived below the poverty threshold in 2011.

At the national level, 19.6 percent of the immigrants population lived below the poverty threshold in 2011, compared to 17.7 percent in 2000 and 17.9 percent in 1990. Nationally, 15.4 percent of the native-born population lived below the poverty threshold in 2011.

In New Jersey, 16.2 percent of noncitizens lived in poverty in 2011, compared to 7.0 percent of naturalized citizens.

Of the foreign-born population in New Jersey in 2011, 16.2 percent of noncitizens lived in poverty, compared to 7.0 percent of naturalized citizens.

Nationally, 26.3 percent of noncitizens lived in poverty in 2011, compared to 11.5 percent of naturalized citizens.

Families with Children in Poverty

In New Jersey, 10.8 percent of all foreign-born families lived below the poverty threshold.
In 2011, 10.8 percent of all families headed by an immigrant had incomes below the poverty threshold. At the same time, 14.4 percent of foreign-born families with children under 18 lived below the poverty threshold. Foreign-born families consisting of a married couple and children under 18 were less likely to live below the poverty threshold than families consisting of a female and children under 18 with no husband present (8.2 versus 33.6 percent).

In comparison, 6.7 percent of all families headed by a native-born person had incomes below the poverty threshold, as did 10.9 percent of native families with children under 18. As with foreign-born families, native families consisting of a married couple with children under 18 were less likely to be living in poverty than families headed by a female and children under 18 with no husband present (3.0 versus 29.7 percent).

At the national level, 18.5 percent of families headed by a foreign-born person had incomes below the poverty threshold in 2011, while 24.6 percent of foreign-born families with children under 18 lived below the poverty threshold. Foreign-born families consisting of a married couple and children under 18 were less likely to live below the poverty threshold than foreign-born families consisting of a female and children under 18 (17.9 versus 45.2 percent).

Language Groupings

Indo-European languages include French, Italian, Portuguese, German, Yiddish, other West Germanic languages, Scandinavian languages, Greek, Russian, Polish, Serbo-Croatian, other Slavic languages, Armenian, Persian, Gujarathi, Hindi, and Urdu.

Asian and Pacific Island languages include Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Mon-Khmer/Cambodian, Miao/Hmong, Thai, Laotian, Vietnamese, and Tagalog.

Other languages include Navajo, other Native North American languages, Hungarian, Arabic, Hebrew, and African languages.

Population in Poverty by Language Spoken at Home

In New Jersey, 19.1 percent of persons who spoke Spanish at home lived in poverty, compared to 7.3 percent of persons who spoke Asian or Pacific Island languages, and 7.8 percent of persons who spoke other Indo-European languages.
Of both native and foreign-born persons in New Jersey in 2011, 8.2 percent of those who spoke only English lived in poverty, compared to 19.1 percent of those who spoke Spanish at home, 7.8 percent who spoke other Indo-European languages, 7.3 percent who spoke Asian and Pacific Island languages, and 11.8 percent who spoke other languages.

Nationally, 13.6 percent of those who spoke only English lived in poverty, compared to 25.4 percent of those who spoke Spanish at home, 13.7 percent who spoke other Indo-European languages, 14.2 percent who spoke Asian and Pacific Island languages, and 26.7 percent who spoke other languages.




Table 1. Population by Poverty Status in New Jersey, 1990 to 2011
 

1990

2000

2011

  Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
Household Population of New Jersey for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined 7,528,251 100.0 8,256,558 100.0 8,646,606 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 559,012 7.4 713,425 8.6 897,376 10.4
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 365,515 4.9 462,491 5.6 613,617 7.1
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 6,603,724 87.7 7,080,642 85.8 7,135,613 82.5
Native Born 6,582,109 100.0 6,794,709 100.0 6,772,727 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 475,467 7.2 552,429 8.1 681,760 10.1
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 301,466 4.6 347,473 5.1 424,161 6.3
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 5,805,176 88.2 5,894,807 86.8 5,666,806 83.7
Foreign Born 946,142 100.0 1,461,849 100.0 1,873,879 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 83,545 8.8 160,996 11.0 215,616 11.5
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 64,049 6.8 115,018 7.9 189,456 10.1
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 798,548 84.4 1,185,835 81.1 1,468,807 78.4
 

Change 1990 to 2000

Change 1990 to 2011

Change 2000 to 2011

  Numeric Percent Numeric Percent Numeric Percent
Household Population of New Jersey for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined 728,307 9.7 1,118,355 14.9 390,048 4.7
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 154,413 27.6 338,364 60.5 183,951 25.8
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 96,976 26.5 248,102 67.9 151,126 32.7
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 476,918 7.2 531,889 8.1 54,971 0.8
Native Born 212,600 3.2 190,618 2.9 -21,982 -0.3
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 76,962 16.2 206,293 43.4 129,331 23.4
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 46,007 15.3 122,695 40.7 76,688 22.1
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 89,631 1.5 -138,370 -2.4 -228,001 -3.9
Foreign Born 515,707 54.5 927,737 98.1 412,030 28.2
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 77,451 92.7 132,071 158.1 54,620 33.9
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 50,969 79.6 125,407 195.8 74,438 64.7
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 387,287 48.5 670,259 83.9 282,972 23.9
Notes: Poverty status is not determined for unrelated individuals under age 15 (such as foster children) or for persons lacking conventional housing. 2. Data for Alaska, Maine, Montana, South Dakota, Vermont, and West Virginia are from the US Census Bureau's pooled 2009-2011 ACS and for North Dakota and Wyoming are from 2007-2011 ACS. Data for the United States and the rest of the states are from 2011 ACS.
Sources: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), various years (see Note 2 above); 2000 Decennial Census; Steven Ruggles, J. Trent Alexander, Katie Genadek, Ronald Goeken, Matthew B. Schroeder, and Matthew Sobek. Integrated Public Use Microdata Series: Version 5.0 [Machine-readable database]. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, 2011.

For information about ACS methodology,sampling error, and nonsampling error, click here.

Table 2. Income and Poverty Characteristics of the Population in New Jersey, 2011
POVERTY STATUS BY CITIZENSHIP
Household Population of New Jersey for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined 8,646,606
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 10.4
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 14.3
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 75.3
Native Born 6,772,727
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 10.1
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 12.8
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 77.2
Foreign Born 1,873,879
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 11.5
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 19.9
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 68.6
Noncitizen 923,488
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 16.2
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 25.6
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 58.2
Naturalized Citizen 950,391
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 7.0
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 14.4
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 78.6
EARNINGS IN LAST 12 MONTHS OF FULL-TIME, YEAR-ROUND WORKERS
(IN 2011 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS)
Full-Time, Year-Round Workers in New Jersey Age 16 And Older with Earnings, 2011 2,942,146
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 1.3
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 3.1
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 10.7
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 12.5
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 17.0
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 23.8
Earned $75,000 or more 31.7
Native Born 2,063,564
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 1.3
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 2.2
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 7.6
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 11.1
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 17.6
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 25.6
Earned $75,000 or more 34.5
Foreign Born 878,582
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 1.3
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 5.1
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 17.8
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 15.8
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 15.4
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 19.6
Earned $75,000 or more 24.9
Noncitizen 404,900
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 1.6
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 8.3
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 26.7
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 17.1
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 12.6
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 15.1
Earned $75,000 or more 18.5
Naturalized Citizen 473,682
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 1
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 2.3
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 10.2
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 14.7
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 17.8
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 23.5
Earned $75,000 or more 30.5
MEDIAN EARNINGS IN LAST 12 MONTHS OF FULL-TIME, YEAR-ROUND WORKERS
(IN 2011 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS)
Full-Time, Year-Round Workers in New Jersey, 2011  
Male $60,568
Female $47,155
Native Born  
Male $66,097
Female $50,256
Foreign Born  
Male $46,703
Female $39,553
Noncitizen  
Male $32,828
Female $29,095
Naturalized Citizen  
Male $58,306
Female $46,416
SHARE OF FAMILIES IN POVERTY BY CITIZENSHIP AND FAMILY TYPE
All Families (Among Those for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined) 7.8
With related children under age 18 12.0
With related children under age 5 only 12.4
Married-couple families 3.6
With related children under age 18 4.7
With related children under age 5 only 3.6
Families with female householder, no husband present 22.0
With related children under age 18 30.8
With related children under age 5 only 37.1
Native-Born Families 6.7
With related children under age 18 10.9
With related children under age 5 only 11.1
Married-couple families 2.5
With related children under age 18 3.0
With related children under age 5 only 2.3
Families with female householder, no husband present 20.8
With related children under age 18 29.7
With related children under age 5 only 35.4
Foreign-Born Families 10.8
With related children under age 18 14.4
With related children under age 5 only 15.4
Married-couple families 6.6
With related children under age 18 8.2
With related children under age 5 only 6.4
Families with female householder, no husband present 25.3
With related children under age 18 33.6
With related children under age 5 only 41.0
Noncitizen 17.3
With related children under age 18 21.3
With related children under age 5 only 20.3
Married-couple families 11.1
With related children under age 18 12.6
With related children under age 5 only 8.9
Families with female householder, no husband present 37.2
With related children under age 18 45.2
With related children under age 5 only 49.9
Naturalized Citizen 6.6
With related children under age 18 8.3
With related children under age 5 only 7.4
Married-couple families 4.1
With related children under age 18 4.8
With related children under age 5 only 3.2
Families with female householder, no husband present 16.3
With related children under age 18 21.5
With related children under 5 age only 26.2
MEDIAN EARNINGS IN LAST 12 MONTHS BY PERIOD OF ENTRY
(IN 2011 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS)
Full-Time, Year-Round, Foreign-Born Workers in New Jersey, 2011  
Male $46,703
Female $39,553
Entered the United States in 2000 or Later  
Male $32,295
Female $31,705
Entered the United States between 1990 and 1999  
Male $44,900
Female $36,308
Entered the United States before 1990  
Male $57,908
Female $47,143
FOREIGN BORN IN POVERTY BY WORLD REGION OF BIRTH
Born in Africa N
Below 100 percent of the poverty level N
Born in Asia 587,846
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 7.5
Born in Europe 320,766
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 6.4
Born in Latin America (South America, Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean) 864,027
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 16.3
Born in Northern America (Canada, Bermuda, Greenland, and St. Pierre and Miquelon) N
Below 100 percent of the poverty level N
Born in Oceania N
Below 100 percent of the poverty level N
Note: 1. Poverty status is not determined for unrelated individuals under age 15 (such as foster children) or for persons lacking conventional housing.

2. Data for Alaska, Maine, Montana, South Dakota, Vermont, and West Virginia are from the US Census Bureau's pooled 2009-2011 ACS and for North Dakota and Wyoming are from 2007-2011 ACS. Data for the United States and the rest of the states are from 2011 ACS.

The letter N indicates that a number could not be provided by the Census Bureau because the number of sample cases was too small for this state.

Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), different years.

For information about ACS methodology,sampling error, and nonsampling error, click here.

Table 3. Poverty Status of Residents in New Jersey by Language Spoken at Home, 2011
 
Number
Percent
Household Population of New Jersey for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined, Age 5 and Older 8,117,982 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 800,662 9.9
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 7,317,320 90.1
Speaks Only English 5,631,943 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 460,602 8.2
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 5,171,341 91.8
Speaks Spanish 1,270,753 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 243,311 19.1
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 1,027,442 80.9
Speaks Other Indo-European Languages 710,722 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 55,126 7.8
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 655,596 92.2
Speaks Asian or Pacific Island Languages 394,017 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 28,613 7.3
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 365,404 92.7
Speaks Other Languages 110,547 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 13,010 11.8
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 97,537 88.2
Note: Poverty status is not determined for unrelated individuals under the age of 15 (such as foster children) or for persons lacking conventional housing.

The letter N indicates that a number could not be provided by the Census Bureau because the number of sample cases was too small for this state.

Source: US Census Bureau, 2011 American Community Survey.
For information about ACS methodology,sampling error, and nonsampling error, click here.

For data on these topics, click on the link: