Bergen County

Key demographics for Bergen County, New Jersey

Population

• Total: 955,732 (2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: ~42
• Under 18: ~21%
• 65 and over: ~18%

Sex

• Female: ~51.5%
• Male: ~48.5%

Race and ethnicity

• White alone: ~60%
• Asian alone: ~19–20%
• Black or African American alone: ~6%
• Two or more races/Other: ~4–6%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~20% (Note: Hispanic/Latino is an ethnicity and overlaps with race categories.)

Households and housing

• Households: ~350,000
• Average household size: ~2.7
• Family households: ~69%
• Average family size: ~3.2
• Owner-occupied housing: ~63–65%; Renter-occupied: ~35–37%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5-year estimates).

Summary for Bergen County, NJ

• Estimated email users: ~700–740k adults. Basis: ~760–780k adults in a ~955k population, with ~90–95% adult email adoption (Pew/national benchmarks).
• Age distribution of email use (estimated adoption rates):
  • 18–29: ~97–99%
  • 30–49: ~95–98%
  • 50–64: ~90–94%
  • 65+: ~80–85%
• Gender split: Roughly even (~50/50) with no meaningful gap in overall email adoption.
• Digital access trends:
  • Home internet: ACS data indicate >90% of Bergen households have a broadband subscription—above the U.S. average.
  • Mobile: Smartphone ownership is high (roughly mid‑80s to ~90% of adults, per national/Pew trends), supporting frequent email access.
  • Infrastructure: Wide availability of cable and fiber (e.g., Optimum/Altice, Verizon Fios); extensive public Wi‑Fi via libraries and municipalities.
  • Work/education: Strong remote‑work and online‑schooling uptake since 2020 sustains heavy email reliance.
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • Population density ≈4,100 people per sq. mile (one of NJ’s densest, aiding network build‑out).
  • Proximity to NYC and higher median incomes correlate with higher device ownership and faster home broadband.

Sources: U.S. Census/ACS (recent releases) and Pew Research Center (national internet/smartphone/email use). Estimates scaled to Bergen’s demographics.

Bergen County, NJ — mobile phone usage snapshot

User estimates

• Population baseline: roughly 0.95–1.0 million residents.
• Smartphone users: approximately 760,000–800,000 individuals.
  • Method: adults are ~75–80% of the population with ~90–94% smartphone ownership in affluent suburbs; teens (13–17) >90% ownership; a smaller share of preteens also carry phones.
• Wireless-only households (no landline): likely around two-thirds to three-quarters, broadly in line with or slightly above national levels, with pockets of lower adoption among older residents.
• Multi-line/device penetration: above state average due to higher incomes and remote/hybrid work; many households carry additional lines for tablets, watches, hotspots, and vehicle connectivity.

Demographic patterns

• Age
  • 18–44: near-saturation smartphone ownership; heavy app, video, and social usage; high adoption of 5G-capable devices.
  • 45–64: very high ownership; strong use of productivity, navigation, and commerce apps; growing wearables attachment.
  • 65+: ownership lower than younger groups but rising; telehealth, messaging, and video calling are common; some landline retention persists.
• Income and education
  • Above-state median income and education correlate with faster device upgrade cycles, higher iPhone share, and more premium postpaid plans with unlimited data and hotspot allowances.
• Race/ethnicity and language
  • Larger Asian population share than the NJ average (notably Korean and Chinese communities in towns like Fort Lee and Palisades Park) and sizeable Hispanic communities.
  • High use of over-the-top messaging and calling apps for international communication; MVNOs and prepaid options are visible in immigrant corridors but postpaid family plans remain dominant countywide.

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Coverage and capacity
  • All three national carriers provide dense 4G LTE and broad 5G coverage; mid-band 5G (C-band for Verizon/AT&T, 2.5 GHz for T-Mobile) is widely deployed along major corridors (I‑95/Turnpike, I‑80, Route 4, 17, 46, GWB approaches) and in population centers (Hackensack, Paramus, Fort Lee, Teaneck, Englewood).
  • High small-cell density in retail and downtown districts (e.g., Paramus shopping area, Fort Lee/Edgewater waterfront, hospital and campus zones) to manage heavy uplink/downlink demand.
• Topography-driven design
  • Palisades cliffs and riverfront high-rises create RF shadows; carriers use microcells and rooftop sites along River Road and near the GWB approaches.
  • Northwestern hilly/wooded areas (Ramapo foothills around Mahwah/Franklin Lakes) can have spotty coverage; carriers supplement with additional macro and small cells.
• Backhaul and Wi‑Fi offload
  • Extensive fiber (Verizon Fios and Optimum) supports robust cell-site backhaul; abundant home and venue Wi‑Fi reduces indoor macro load, but shopping and commuting hubs still see peak-time congestion.
• Public safety and enterprise
  • County and municipal agencies use the statewide P25 system; FirstNet and carrier “public safety” offerings are common. Large healthcare and retail hubs drive strong in‑building DAS and private cellular deployments.

How Bergen differs from New Jersey overall

• Faster 5G uptake and denser networks: Site density, small-cell use, and mid-band 5G availability are higher than the state average, reflecting proximity to NYC, heavy commuting, and intense retail zones.
• Device/plan mix skews premium: Higher incomes mean a greater share of iPhones, newer 5G handsets, and unlimited/postpaid plans compared with many parts of the state.
• Mobility patterns concentrate demand: Weekday peaks cluster along NYC-bound routes, park-and-ride lots, and bus terminals; weekends shift to Paramus-area retail. This produces localized congestion spikes less pronounced in much of South and Central Jersey.
• International and OTT communications: Larger immigrant communities drive above-average use of international messaging/VOIP apps and, in certain neighborhoods, stronger presence of prepaid/MVNO storefronts.
• In-building systems are more prevalent: Hospitals, shopping malls, and high-density residential buildings have more DAS and small-cell deployments than typical NJ locales, improving indoor reliability.
• Digital divide pockets are smaller but persistent: Overall adoption is high, yet lower-income and older neighborhoods (e.g., parts of Hackensack, Garfield, Lodi) show higher prepaid usage, older devices, and occasional affordability gaps; these pockets are smaller, on average, than statewide.

Notes on estimates and methodology

• Population and demographics reference recent Census/ACS patterns; ownership rates reflect Pew and industry research for affluent suburban markets through 2023–2024.
• Ranges are provided where precise local counts are not publicly available. Local conditions can vary by municipality and corridor due to zoning, terrain, and building stock.

Social media in Bergen County, NJ — short breakdown (2025)

Important note on data: Hyperlocal platform percentages for Bergen County aren’t publicly reported. The figures below use the latest U.S. adult usage (Pew/industry benchmarks, 2024) as a proxy; Bergen County typically tracks at or slightly above these due to high income, education, and broadband access.

Overall

• Penetration: Roughly 7–8 in 10 adults use at least one social platform; usage likely slightly higher in Bergen County than the U.S. average.
• Devices: Very high smartphone and home-broadband adoption; short-form video is the dominant format.

Most-used platforms (adults; U.S. usage proxy)

• YouTube: ~83% use. Local note: go-to for how-tos, product reviews, school/sports clips, local news recaps.
• Facebook: ~68%. Local note: town groups, parents/schools, Marketplace, community alerts.
• Instagram: ~50%. Local note: restaurants, real estate, boutiques; Reels drives discovery.
• Pinterest: ~35%. Local note: home upgrades, wedding/party planning; strong among homeowners and parents.
• LinkedIn: ~30%. Local note: heavy among NYC-commuting professionals; recruiting and thought leadership.
• TikTok: ~33%. Local note: food finds, real estate tours, hyperlocal creators; strong teen/young adult reach.
• WhatsApp: ~29%. Local note: family/community chat (notably Spanish- and Korean-speaking communities).
• Snapchat: ~27%. Local note: teens/college-aged for messaging and Stories.
• Reddit: ~22%. Local note: tech/finance/hobby communities; less “local,” more interest-based.
• X (Twitter): ~22%. Local note: breaking news, sports, traffic; niche but influential.
• Nextdoor: ~15–20% (varies by suburb). Local note: HOA/municipal updates, safety, lost/found, local services.

Age groups (behavioral patterns)

• Teens (13–17): Heavy on YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat; Instagram secondary. Low Facebook. Prefer DMs/Stories over public posts.
• 18–29: Instagram/TikTok first, YouTube universal; Snapchat for messaging; Reddit for interests; light Facebook for groups/events.
• 30–49: Facebook + Instagram + YouTube core; WhatsApp common; Nextdoor usage rises for neighborhood info; shopping via Reels/TikTok/Facebook.
• 50–64: Facebook dominant; YouTube for news/how‑to; Nextdoor for local safety/services; Pinterest for home/garden.
• 65+: Facebook primary; growing YouTube use; WhatsApp for family; local groups are key touchpoints.

Gender tendencies (directional)

• Facebook: balanced, slightly female-leaning in engagement.
• Instagram/TikTok: slight female skew overall; men engage more with sports/finance.
• Pinterest: strong female skew.
• Reddit: male skew.
• YouTube: slight male skew overall.
• WhatsApp/Nextdoor: relatively balanced; Nextdoor often leans female in neighborhood/parent groups.

Notable Bergen County behavioral trends

• Hyperlocal groups: Very active town and school/parent Facebook Groups; frequent use of Nextdoor for safety, services, and recommendations.
• Dining and lifestyle discovery: Instagram/TikTok drive foot traffic to restaurants, cafes, fitness, and salons; UGC and short-form video outperform static posts.
• Real estate: High engagement with “just listed” reels, neighborhood walk-throughs, school-district content; Pinterest used for renovation planning.
• Marketplace/local commerce: Strong buy/sell/trade in Facebook Marketplace; service referrals via Nextdoor and Facebook Groups.
• Commuter rhythm: Peaks before work (7–9am), lunch (12–2pm), and evenings (6–10pm); LinkedIn engagement strongest weekday business hours.
• Multilingual communities: WhatsApp, KakaoTalk (Korean), and WeChat used for community/faith groups and small business coordination.
• Event- and weather-driven spikes: Storms, school closures, town events, and high school sports drive short-term surges across Facebook, Nextdoor, and X.

Use tips for local targeting

• Prioritize Facebook/Instagram (Groups + Reels) and YouTube for reach; add Nextdoor for neighborhood credibility; TikTok for under-40 discovery.
• Lean on short-form vertical video, local faces, and geo-tags; include school/town names.
• Encourage UGC and reviews; feature specials/events; post around morning/evening peaks.