Residing on the east coast of America, overlooking the vast and deep blue Atlantic Ocean sits the famous state of New Jersey. NJ is known to be a tranquil ocean state, with an abundance of beautiful, sandy beaches, bustling roads, amazing cuisine, and extremely diverse culture.
The state has a lot to say for itself, New Jersey is a key state, playing an essential role in the success and stability of the nation. People from here have a lot to be proud of, and people planning on visiting or residing within the state have a lot to look forward to! With this, let’s dive into some of the most interesting facts about New Jersey we could find.
Let’s take a look at 24 of the most interesting facts about New Jersey!
1. New Jersey is the 11th largest state by population, boasting a population of over 8.8 million people. However, the Garden State also has one of the smallest land areas out of all 50 states, ranking 47th.
2. Some of the most successful and revolutionary inventions were created here in New Jersey, during the 20th century, for example, Thomas Edison creating the light bulb to give an example. In his laboratory in Menlo Park, Mr. Edison built his first high resistance electric light. Despite being born in Ohio, Edison’s iconic invention was born in New Jersey.
3. The role New Jersey played in the Revolutionary War was legendary and highly influential in gaining the freedom of the nation. More battles were fought in New Jersey than in any other colony, with General George Washington’s triumphs in the battles of Trenton and Princeton being huge turning points in the War. The colors of the outfits Washington’s troops wore would later be adopted for the New Jersey state flag.
4. With such a large population when compared to land area, it is easy to see why New Jersey’s population density sits at 1,215 people per square mile, making the state second-place for the states with the highest population density.
5. Ever played Monopoly? Interestingly enough, there are many real-life streets from Atlantic City, NJ that actually make an appearance in the game.
6. Back in 1991, New Jersey terminated ocean dumping. This revolutionary decision costed the state over $100 million, however, bringing an end to ocean dumping and introducing an environmentally friendly alternative has been highly influential helped battle this worldwide issue!
7. The city and seaside resort, Cape May, is the oldest seaside resort in North America!
8. The iconic Lighthouse of sandy hook has been in service since June 11, 1764. 2014 marked 250 years of service, a celebration was subsequently held to mark the historic occasion.
Facts About New Jersey
9. Here is a list of some of the most notable people born and raised in the state of New Jersey:
- John Travolta, Actor.
- Jon Bon Jovi, Musician/songwriter.
- Laura Prepon, Actress.
- Jerry Lewis, Actor/comedian.
- Queen Latifah, Rapper/actress.
- Sarah Vaughan, Singer.
- Paul Rudd, Actor.
- John Pizzarelli, Guitarist/singer.
10. New Jersey has adopted the nickname Garden State, and with the state producing over 100 different varieties of fruits and vegetables, from over 10,000 farms, it’s pretty clear to see why!
11. The maximum New Jersey speed limit is 65 mph.
Here’s everything on New Jersey “State”
- State Flower – Common Blue Violet
- State Bird – American Goldfinch
- State Fish – Brook Trout
- State Mammal – Horse
- State Tree – Northern Red Oak
- State Song – Carry Me Back to Old Virginny (this is the old state song as there is no official state song anymore)
12. When you think of The Statue of Liberty in all its glory, you think New York right? Well, funnily enough, the statue is actually located in both New Jersey and New York! To many, this doesn’t make any sense at all, and that is understandable, however, the land in which the statue is situated is owned by the state of New York, but the water surrounding the island belongs to New Jersey!
13. New Jersey is made up of 21 different counties and 566 municipalities.
14. The first boardwalk to grace the nation was built in Atlantic City, during the year 1870. The boardwalk itself is 5.5 miles long, making it the longest in the world.
15. New Jersey is considered to be the Diner capital of the world, and with over 525 Diners operating out of the little state, its difficult to argue why.
16. New Jersey prides itself on being one of the original 13 colonies. Other states include New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.
17. The famous HBO series, The Sopranos was Jersey through and through, with the show even being filmed in the state. Even the ionic “Bada Bing” strip club is a real place, although, it goes by the name of the Satin Dolls Club.
18. Italian American’s are the largest ethnic group to reside within the state to this day.
19. New Jersey is home to the rather bizarre, Spoon Museum, which contains over 5,400 spoons!
20. Trenton is the capital city of New Jersey, with a population of over 84,000.
21. Oddly enough, Trenton is only the 7th largest city by population, with the largest being Newark (over 282,000), closely followed by Jersey City (271,000).
22. The New York Jets, the New York Giants, and the New York Red Bulls are all actually based in New Jersey, not New York (strangely enough), with the Jets and Giants sharing MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, and the Red Bulls play at the Red Bull Arena in Harrison.
23. New Jersey was 3rd state to have statehood granted, all the way back on December 18, 1787.
24. New Jersey is home to four beautiful national parks; Morristown National Historical Park, the Sandy Hook Unit of Gateway National Recreation Area, the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, and The Great Falls of the Passaic River.
Economic New Jersey Facts
There is a multitude of different things you need to consider when looking at the economic New Jersey facts. The state is seen by many to have one of the most perfect business environments for growth and development, especially if your business, franchise, or even aspiring start-up is one of the main industries in New Jersey.
If you would like to learn how to register a business in New Jersey so you can start your entrepreneurial journey, we have created a checklist walking you through the process.
Let’s take a look at the economic New Jersey facts to see why so many consider the Garden State to have one of the best business climates in the US.
Economic Facts About New Jersey
- New Jersey’s top 5 industries are, Pharmaceuticals and Life Sciences, Financial Services, Advanced Manufacturing, Technology, and Transportation and Logistics.
- Over 908,000 small businesses operate out of New Jersey.
- There are over 1.8 million small business employees in New Jersey.
- New Jersey sits #2 out of all 50 states for education (US World & News Report).
- The progressive income tax rate in New Jersey is 10.75%.
- The sales tax rate in New Jersey is 6.625%.
- New Jersey’s GDP is over $563.95 billion.
- New Jersey ranks #13 for Innovation Potential (WalletHub).
- New Jersey also ranks #6 in Healthcare and Crime and Corrections (US World & News Report).
- The minimum wage in New Jersey is $11.00 per hour.
- The median household income in New Jersey is approximately $85,751.
- The average house price in New Jersey is $357,546.
- The corporate income tax rate in New Jersey ranges between 6.5%-10.5%.
All of these economic facts about New Jersey highlight just a few of the many reasons people move to the state for business and work opportunities.
