Data-miner Robert Gebeloff of the Star-Ledger has a story today on accelerating white-flight from New Jersey, a trend demographics experts attribute to job-creation elsewhere and the high cost of living and taxes in the Garden State.
From the article, based on new U.S. Census figures:
New Jersey’s minority population grew nearly 400,000 between 2000 and 2005, the Census’ 2005 race and Hispanic-origin population estimates show, while the white population fell more than 94,000.
As a result, whites now make up 63 percent of the state’s populationcompared with 67 percent five years ago, 74 percent in 1990 and 79 percent in 1980.
Five New Jersey countiesUnion, Middlesex, Bergen, Passaic and Essexare among the 25 in the nation with the largest loss of white population this decade, according to the Census.
But the Caucasian exodus is not evident in Monmouth County. Instead, the white population in Monmouth grew 0.7 percent, or 3,691 individuals from 2000 to 2005, Gebeloff reports (in tables that are in the Ledger’s print version, but not online.)
What also stands out in the county-by-county breakdowns Gebeloff provides are the changes in Monmouth County’s minority populations, which overall grew by 3.4 percent.
While the number of African-American statewide rose 3.2 percent, Monmouth’s fell by 1.2 percent, or 586 residents. Monmouth was one of only five of New Jersey’s 21 counties to show declines in that category.
At the same time, Monmouth’s Hispanic population soared 27.4 percent, or 10,454 individuals, well above the statewide growth of 18.8 percent.
The Asian-origin population in Monmouth rose 24 percent, or by 5,911 persons, compared to a statewide growth in that segment of 27.4 percent.
