New Jersey Facts: the Basics
- Third smallest state in the US.
- Most densely populated state in the US at 1,185 residents per square mile (458 per km2).
- Population of approximately 8.9 million people.
- Capitol city: Trenton, the tenth largest city in the state.
- Second wealthiest state in the US
- Home to the most expensive zip code in all of the USA: Alpine
- One of the most ethnically and religiously diverse states in the country.
- Four largest cities include Newark (Essex County: 277k population), Jersey City (Hudson County: 258k population), Paterson (Passaic County: 146k population) and Elizabeth (Essex County: 125k population).
- Nine of New Jersey’s counties are in the wealthiest 100 of the country.
- Home to many major international pharmaceutical and telecommunications companies.
- Three largest industries are pharmaceuticals, tourism and agriculture.
- Hosts large numbers of tourists annually (87 million visits, 2013) due to its convenient location near Canada, near New York and easy accessibility by a large proportion of US residents.
- Ivy League college, Princeton University, was ranked the top U.S. national university of 2014.
Fun Facts: New Jersey
Here are some New Jersey facts that you might be surprised to find out.
New Jersey:
- Is home to more scientists and engineers per square miles than anywhere else in the world.
- Was called the Garden State from early days when there was far less population and rolling hills farmland dominated the landscape. Since then the name has stuck with greenery contributed by both national parks, state & county reserves as well as preserved farming tracts.
- Is the Home of Baseball, where it started in Hoboken in 1846, when the first game was played at Elysian Fields
- Was home to two of the world’s greatest ever minds: Albert Einstein and Thomas A. Edison.
- Is home to the Oranges. No, not fruit; nor a family; just four similarly named towns in Essex County: East Orange, Orange, South Orange and West Orange.
- Has a sales tax of 7% which is usually added on after the price is quoted.
- Is home to Atlantic City casinos and site of the first and longest boardwalk in the world.
- Spends more per student on education than any other state, except New York.
- High schools including High Technology High School in Lincroft, and Bergen County Academies in Hackensack, registered the highest and second-highest SAT scores, respectively, of all listed U.S. high schools.
- Residents can tell where you live by your exit number off the Garden State Parkway.
- Shares its eastern border of the Hudson River with New York State, with the Statue of Liberty falling on the NY side and Ellis Island falling onto the NJ side of the river.
- Has just recently approved gay marriage legislation in 2013.
- Is currently governed by Governor Chris Christie, a possible Republican runner for the 2016 White House elections.
- Has more diners than any other US state (approx. 600).
- Has its own locally developed food specialties including submarines (subs), cheese steaks, pork rolls, ice-cream cones and saltwater taffy.
- Was the birthplace of famous entertainers such as Frank Sinatra, Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, Whitney Houston, Dionne Warwick and Queen Latifah.
- Is the second largest producer of both culinary herbs and blueberries, in the country.
- Is the location of the first movie, developed by Thomas A. Edison in West Orange in 1889.
- Has over seven working lighthouses spread around its maritime borders including Sandy Hook and Barnegat Lighthouse.
- Has its own State Bird (Eastern Goldfinch ), Tree (the Red Oak), Flower (the Violet), Bug (Honeybee), Animal (Horse), Fish (the Brook Trout), Shell (the Knobbed Whelk), Ship (A.J. Meerwald), Fruit (Blueberry), Dinosaur (Hadrosaurus foulkii), Dance ( Square Dance) BUT doesn’t have a State Song!