Facts About NJ Immigrants

How many immigrants are in New Jersey?

About 2.25 million immigrants in New Jersey in 2023. This translates to approximately 24.2% of the population, or roughly 1 in 4 residents in New Jersey. Immigrants are defined as foreign-born residents, which includes people who became US citizens, are authorized to come to the US (e.g., work visas, student visas), or are undocumented residents.

For more facts about NJ Immigrants see: USA Facts

Data: N.J. Immigrants Have Higher Labor Participant Rates Than Natives
“Contrary to the negative perceptions around immigration and its impact on the economy, actual labor market trends suggest it’s a boon,” Devan said. “The data shows that immigrant workers are vital to the New Jersey workforce.”

Resources

Higher Education Immigration Portal
This state page integrates student data, economic contributions, state policies, effective practices, and other resources to learn about and better support the state’s undocumented, other immigrant, and international students in higher education.
Immigration and Ethnicity in New Jersey History
by Douglas V. Shaw, c. 1994, New Jersey Historical Commission
The Statue of Liberty - Ellis Island Foundation
Ellis Island began receiving immigrants on January 1, 1892. Annie Moore, a teenage girl from Ireland, accompanied by her two younger brothers, made history as the very first immigrant to be processed at Ellis Island. Over the next 62 years, more than 12 million immigrants would arrive in the United States via Ellis Island.
Castle Garden Emigrant Depot
Castle Garden Emigrant Depot was America's first facility dedicated entirely to the welfare of immigrants coming to America. The facility opened to the public on August 3rd, 1855, and closed on April 30th, 1890.The largest ethnic group that came through the facility were Germans. 20% of Americans can trace their ancestry to someone who came through Castle Garden.
The Lazaretto
Welcome to the Lazaretto, the oldest surviving quarantine station in the Western Hemisphere and one of the ten oldest in the world. Built beginning in 1799 after a series of devastating yellow fever epidemics, the Lazaretto on Tinicum Island protected Philadelphia from imported epidemics from 1801 to 1895.

Host Ken Magos starts at a history marker on the side of a Newark church, then investigates our region's immigration legacy from colonial settlers through the establishment of governmental regulations and Ellis Island, including a visit to the Lazaretto outside Philadelphia. Guest Historians include Dr. Elizabeth Hyde from Kean University and Dr. David Barnes from the University of Pennsylvania.

Immigrant Heritage Month

Specialist Librarian

Facts About NJ Immigrants

How many immigrants are in New Jersey?

Resources