Exploring New Jersey’s Diversity with data.census.gov

Written by Leigh Clark, Business and US Documents Librarian
Published on April 28, 2025

Looking to better understand the diverse make up of people in New Jersey and the United States? Here are some strategies to find demographic statistics using data.census.gov.

Often in our Research Library, we receive questions from users looking for demographic information to better understand the diverse makeup of the NJ communities where they live and work. Demographic statistics, like age, race, gender, income, education, and employment, are important to better inform policy, allocate resources, track change and address inequalities. Fortunately, the U.S. Census Bureau produces numerous products that capture this vital demographic information.

In this blog, we’ll explore how to use the U.S. Census Bureau’s online platform, data.census.gov, to find and compare demographic statistics.

U.S. Census Bureau

The U.S. Census Bureau is a government statistical agency, part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, whose mission is to serve as the nation’s leading provider of quality data about its people and economy. The Census conducts many censuses and surveys, most notable of which are:

Decennial Census: First conducted in 1790. Conducted every 10 years. A count of the total US population. Includes basic questions about age, sex, race, and housing status. Mandated by the Constitution to assign the number of House of Representatives seats for each state.
American Community Survey (ACS): First conducted in 2005. Conducted on a continuous basis. Surveys a portion of the total US population. Provides 1-year and 5-year estimates on very detailed population and housing statistics.
Economic Census: Conducted every 5 years. Provides statistics on U.S. business activity, employment, revenue, and industry.

data.census.gov

Launched in 2019, data.census.gov, is the Census’s online platform that allows users to quickly find and view the latest statistics. Tables available on data.census.gov go back to 2000 and include:

Decennial Census: 2000 – present
American Community Survey: 2010-present
Economic Census: 2012 – present

For a comprehensive list, see “What data are available in data.census.gov?”.

Profiles – A Starting Point

A good place to start when looking for demographic statistics for a specific location are data.census.gov’s geographic profiles. These profiles pull commonly used statistics from the most current censuses and surveys published by the US Census Bureau.

For example, to find the percentage of Camden County, NJ’s population who speak Spanish:

Go to data.census.gov.
Begin to type Camden County, New Jersey in the search box.
Select the profile option that appears in the drop-down menu.
Go to the People & Population section of the profile.

screen capture of webpage on census data website

The chart for “Types of Language Spoken at Home” shows that, based on the ACS 1-year estimates, an estimated 13.6% of Camden County households speak Spanish at home.

screen capture of a table on Census data website

Every chart in the geographic profiles will provide a link to the source table, like the link to table S1601 in the lower-left of the chart above. Source tables can provide additional demographic breakdowns by age, gender, naturalization, etc., making them very useful to explore.

Tables – Finding specific demographics

The US Census Bureau publishes many tables for the surveys and censuses they conduct, over a thousand for the ACS alone. Data.census.gov offers several ways to find these tables easily.

Simple Search

For example, to find the number of households in Newark, NJ that have a computer:

Go to data.census.gov.
Type “Computers in Newark, New Jersey” in the simple search box. Click the Search button.
Select the Tables tab at the top of the screen to see the list of table results.
Browse the resulting tables to find a table containing the appropriate statistics.

Table S2801 – Types of Computers and Internet Subscriptions, shows, based on the 2023 ACS 1-year estimates, an estimated 108,995 Newark households have one or more types of computing devices.

Oftentimes, like with the example above, you may be able to find the same or similar statistics in multiple tables. The U.S. Census releases tables at varying levels of detail. To better understand the tables available for the American Community Survey and how their names are coded, visit Table IDs Explained.

Advanced Search

Sometimes using data.census.gov’s simple search can be too restrictive and not provide the results you’re looking for. One way to avoid this is to start with a basic simple search, like “children in new Jersey” and then add additional filters. Alternatively, you can go directly into Advanced Search filters to start your search.

For example, to find the number of native children in NJ with immigrant parents:

Go to data.census.gov.
Select Advanced Search below the search box.
Under the Geographies filter, select State > New Jersey.
Select the Table tab at the top of the screen to view the resulting tables.
1. Family and Living Arrangements > Children > Children
2. Populations and People > Native and Foreign-Born > Native and Foreign-Born
Browse the tables to find a table containing the appropriate statistics.

Tables B05009 or C05009 can be used to calculate the estimated number of native children in New Jersey living with one or more foreign-born parents.

By selecting the Dataset tool from the tool menu at the top of the table, you can change the dataset that the table is based on. This is helpful when you wish to look at tables from previous years or change between 1-year and 5-year ACS estimates. ACS 1-year estimate tables are only available for populations over 65,000 and some tables are not published for ACS 5-year estimates. To better understand when to use different ACS estimates, see Understanding and Using ACS Data.

Maps & Charts – Comparing geographies

Data.census.gov allows you to compare multiple geographies with tables, charts, and maps.

For example, to compare the percentages of NJ residents, aged 25 years and over, without a high school diploma by county:

Go to data.census.gov.
Find the appropriate table. In this case, S0601 – Selected Characteristics of the Total and Native Populations in the United States.
Select the dataset you wish to compare. In this case, 2023 ACS 5-year estimates.
Under the Geographies filter, select County > New Jersey > All Counties in New Jersey.

By scrolling the table left to right, we can compare the percentages for each county. Data.census.gov allows you to hide columns and collapse rows for better readability.

To compare these percentages visually in a map:

Select the Maps tab at the top of the screen.
To select the appropriate statistics to map, choose “Less than high school graduate” under Educational Attainment in the drop-down menu at the top-left corner of the map.

To view the table the map is based on, select the Table tool in the tool menu.
To view the same statistics in a chart, select the Chart tool in the tool menu.

Data.census.gov provides multiple options to print, save and share tables, charts, and maps for external use.

Learn More

Demographic statistics can provide vital insights to help us understand the diverse communities in New Jersey and nationwide. In this blog post, we’ve only touched on the ways you can find demographic statistics produced by the U.S. Census Bureau using data.census.gov.

The U.S. Census Bureau has a wealth of training materials available through their Census Academy to help use data.census.gov and their other data products.

Remember, data.census.gov only contains data back to 2000. If you’re looking for statistics prior to 2000, you’ll need to consult another source. The NJ State Library has an extensive U.S. Census print collection. Our Census Research Guide can help you find and understand U.S. Census information from 1790 to the present.

NJ State Library’s Census Research Guide. Need help with a demographics question? Contact our Reference Service desk at refdesk@njstatelib.org or 609-278-2640 ext. 103.