Demographics

Located in Northeastern New Jersey, Bergen County is one of the most powerful economic engines in the region. Comprised of 70 municipalities, spread over 234 square miles, the county has over 490,000 residents in the metropolitan area workforce. Bergen has over 14% of New Jersey's jobs (over 487,000) and over 14% of New Jersey's manufacturing jobs - both records for the state. By the year 2000, Bergen County's private sector payroll was higher than any other county in the state at over $15 billion.

Hackensack, the County Seat, is home to one of Bergen's top three employers, Hackensack University Medical Center. This state-of-the-art teaching and research hospital is the largest provider of inpatient and outpatient services in the state. The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority (NJSEA) and the Valley Hospital System round out the top three employers in the county. With almost 900,000 residents, the New Jersey Department of Labor predicts a labor force of 547,000 by the year 2008, with only about 10% of Bergen residents leaving to work in New York City.

Having five of the region's top colleges, including Fairleigh Dickinson University, Felician, Ramapo and Berkeley Colleges, as well as one of the state's best public institutions, Bergen County Community College, it is no wonder that Bergen's jobs and workers are more heavily skewed toward knowledge-based industries and professions than the country as a whole. Some 66.5% of NJ workers are in "management, professional and related occupations" or "sales and office occupations," compared with only 60.3% for the nation.

With the homeownership rate at 67.2% and rising, Bergen County has become the place for people (especially families) and businesses looking to relocate close to NYC but far enough away to avoid many urban drawbacks. Situated just minutes from New York City, residents can take advantage of some of the state's best constructed highways and gain easy access to modern mass transit options. Bergen County has lakes and mountains to the north, sports and manufacturing to the south, with a thriving retail and business industry throughout. Come to Bergen County and sample all that we have to offer. Bergen County.No Better Place for Business.or Quality of Life.