Somerset County New Jersey Homes for Sale

Somerset County New Jersey Homes for Sale

History

Somerset County is one of America’s oldest counties, and is named after the English county of Somerset. The area was first settled in 1681, in the vicinity of Bound Brook, and the county was established by charter on May 22, 1688. Most of the early residents were Dutch. General George Washington and his troops marched through the county on several occasions and slept in many of the homes located throughout the area. Somerset County also played an important part during both World War I and World War II with weapons depots and the manufacturing of the army’s woolen blankets. Somerset County New Jersey Homes for Sale.

 

For much of its history, Somerset County was primarily an agricultural county. In the late 19th century, the Somerset Hills area of Somerset County became a popular country home for wealthy industrialists. The area is still the home of wealthy pharmaceutical industrialists.^[12]

In 1917, Somerset County, in cooperation with Rutgers University, hired its first agricultural agent to connect local farmers with expert advice. The Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Somerset County, located in Bridgewater, serves residents in the areas of agriculture and natural resources, 4-H youth development and family and community health sciences.^[13]

In the 1960s, townships that were once exclusively agricultural were quickly transformed into suburban communities. Examples include Bridgewater Township^[14] and the Watchung Hills communities of Watchung, Green Brook and Warren Township.^[15][16][17] This growth was aided by the development of the county’s very strong pharmaceutical and technology presence. Warren Township used to be considered “the greenest place in New Jersey.”^[15] More recently, there has been an influx of New York City commuters who use New Jersey Transit’s Raritan Valley Line and Gladstone Branch or use Interstate 78.

Geography

 

According to the 2010 Census, the county had a total area of 304.86 square miles (789.6 km²), including 301.81 square miles (781.7 km²) of land (99.0%) and 3.04 square miles (7.9 km²) of water (1.0%).^[7][18]

The high point is on Mine Mountain in Bernardsville, at approximately 860 feet (260 m) above sea level.^[19] The lowest point is just above sea level on the Raritan River at the Middlesex County line. Somerset County New Jersey Homes for Sale.

Demographics

Census 2010

The 2010 United States Census counted 323,444 people, 117,759 households, and 84,669 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,071.7 per square mile (413.8/km²). The county contained 123,127 housing units at an average density of 408 per square mile (158/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 70.06% (226,608) White, 8.95% (28,943) Black or African American, 0.17% (556) Native American, 14.11% (45,650) Asian, 0.03% (94) Pacific Islander, 4.13% (13,360) from other races, and 2.55% (8,233) from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 13.01% (42,091) of the population.^[3]

Out of a total of 117,759 households, 35.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.8% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.1% were non-families. 23.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.22.^[3]

In the county, 25% of the population were under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 29.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.2 years. For every 100 females the census counted 95.1 males, but for 100 females at least 18 years old, it was 91.8 males.^[3]

Census 2000

At the 2000 United States Census^[25] there were 297,490 people, 108,984 households and 78,359 families residing in the county. The population density was 976 per square mile (377/km²). There were 112,023 housing units at an average density of 368 per square mile (142/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 79.34% White, 7.53% Blackor African American, 0.13% Native American, 8.38% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 2.74% from other races, and 1.83% from two or more races. 8.68% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.^[5][26] Among those residents listing their ancestry, 18.7% were of Italian, 15.6% Irish, 14.5% German, 9.6% Polish and 7.1% English ancestry according to Census 2000.^[26][27]

There were 108,984 households of which 36.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.60% were married couples living together, 8.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.10% were non-families. 22.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.19.^[5]

Age distribution was 25.50% under the age of 18, 5.90% from 18 to 24, 33.80% from 25 to 44, 23.50% from 45 to 64, and 11.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 95.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.10 males.^[5]

The median household income was $76,933 and the median family income was $90,605. Males had a median income of $60,602 versus $41,824 for females. The per capita income for the county was $37,970. About 2.3% of families and 8.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.7% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.^[26][28]