Middlesex County

Middlesex County, New Jersey — key demographics

Population size

• 863,162 (2020 Decennial Census)

Age (2018–2022 ACS 5-year)

• Median age: ~39 years
• Under 18: ~22%
• 65 and over: ~15%

Gender (2018–2022 ACS 5-year)

• Female: ~50–51%
• Male: ~49–50%

Racial/ethnic composition (2020 Decennial Census; Hispanic can be of any race)

• Non-Hispanic White: ~35%
• Asian: ~28–29%
• Hispanic/Latino: ~21–22%
• Black/African American: ~10%
• Two or more races/Other: ~5–6%
• Foreign-born (ACS 2018–2022): ~33–35%

Households (2018–2022 ACS 5-year)

• Households: ~290k–300k
• Average household size: ~2.9
• Family households: ~70–72% of all households
• Households with children under 18: ~33–35%
• Housing tenure: ~62–65% owner-occupied; ~35–38% renter-occupied
• Average family size: ~3.3–3.4

Insights

• Among New Jersey’s most diverse counties, with one of the state’s highest Asian population shares and a large foreign-born population.
• Household structure skews toward families with relatively larger sizes compared with national averages.

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

Email usage in Middlesex County, NJ (estimates for 2024)

• Estimated users: ≈640,000 adult email users. Basis: 2020 population ~863k, ~81% adults, ~92% of adults use email.
• Age distribution of email users:
  • 18–29: ~21%
  • 30–49: ~39%
  • 50–64: ~26%
  • 65+: ~14%
• Gender split: ~51% female, ~49% male, reflecting the county’s slight female majority and near-equal email adoption by gender.

Digital access and trends

• Broadband access: About 93% of households subscribe to broadband; ~95% have a computing device (computer/tablet/smartphone).
• Mobile-only internet: ~8% of households rely primarily on cellular data.
• Remote work: ~22% of workers worked from home in 2022 (up from ~4% in 2019), reinforcing heavy email reliance for work and schooling.
• Network infrastructure: Countywide Verizon Fios fiber and Xfinity cable coverage across most municipalities; widespread 5G along the NJ Turnpike/US‑1 corridor supports robust mobile email use.

Local density/connectivity context

• Population density ~2,800 per sq mi (land area ~309 sq mi), with dense, well-connected hubs in New Brunswick, Edison, Woodbridge, and the Rutgers–New Brunswick campus area, contributing to high email and internet engagement.

Mobile phone usage in Middlesex County, NJ — 2024 snapshot

Headline figures

• Population: roughly 870,000 residents; about 300,000 households.
• Estimated resident smartphone users: about 670,000 (derived from Pew’s 2023 U.S. ownership rates applied to local age mix).
• Households with a cellular data plan: about 87% (ACS-style measure of “cellular data subscription for a smartphone/other device”).
• Smartphone-/cellular-only internet households (no fixed broadband): about 9%, slightly below the New Jersey average (~10%).
• Wireless-only telephone adoption (no landline): aligned with state and national norms (roughly three-quarters of adults rely primarily on wireless).

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age-driven adoption
  • 18–34: ~97% smartphone ownership; ≈200k users. Heavy app, video, and social use, with very high on-campus and on-rail data demand.
  • 35–64: ~90–93% ownership; ≈310–320k users. Strong BYOD/enterprise usage, tethering, and multi-line plans.
  • 65+: ~70–80% ownership; ≈95–105k users. Notably more likely to keep a basic line or pair a smartphone with fixed broadband.
• Race/ethnicity and language
  • Middlesex’s Asian population share (about 28–30%) and large Hispanic community (about 20–22%) are higher than many NJ counties. Foreign-born residents are about one-third of the county.
  • These communities show near-universal smartphone adoption and above-average use of OTT messaging (WhatsApp, WeChat, FaceTime), international calling, and dual-SIM/unlocked devices. Prepaid and MVNO penetration is modestly higher than statewide averages in these groups.
• Income, students, and renters
  • Rutgers–New Brunswick/Piscataway and nearby tracts have elevated mobile-only internet reliance (students and renters), despite countywide fixed-broadband depth.
  • Countywide smartphone-only (cellular-only) internet rate is slightly below the NJ average, but pockets in New Brunswick and Perth Amboy run above it.

Digital infrastructure highlights

• 5G availability and capacity
  • All three national carriers (AT&T, T‑Mobile, Verizon) provide countywide 5G. Mid-band 5G (C-band for Verizon/AT&T; 2.5 GHz for T‑Mobile) is broadly deployed; mmWave nodes exist in dense downtowns and large venues.
  • Coverage and capacity are notably dense along the NJ Turnpike/I‑95, Garden State Parkway, US‑1, Route 27, and the NJ Transit Northeast Corridor (Rahway–Metropark–Edison–New Brunswick).
• Backhaul and fiber footprint
  • Verizon Fios FTTH is extensive across most municipalities; Optimum and Comcast cover the remaining cable plant. Multi-gig fiber and DOCSIS 3.1+ are present, providing robust mobile backhaul.
  • Multiple metro/long‑haul fiber operators (e.g., Crown Castle, Lightpath, Zayo) underpin dense small‑cell and macro backhaul.
• Small cells, venues, and public connectivity
  • Hundreds of small cells line commuter corridors and downtowns (New Brunswick, Woodbridge, Metuchen), plus distributed antenna systems at Rutgers facilities (stadiums/arenas) and major hospitals.
  • FirstNet (AT&T) public-safety coverage is countywide with deployables for events; carriers regularly add COWs/COLTs for game days and festivals.
• Fixed wireless access (FWA)
  • Verizon 5G Home and T‑Mobile Home Internet are widely marketable. Adoption is strongest in multi‑tenant and peripheral suburban areas; in Fios-saturated neighborhoods FWA is a price/backup play rather than primary.

How Middlesex differs from New Jersey overall

• Younger, more international, and more student‑heavy: Middlesex has a larger 18–34 cohort and higher foreign‑born share than the NJ average. This pushes smartphone ownership effectively to saturation in those segments and raises per‑user data consumption (more video/OTT calling). It also lifts prepaid/MVNO and dual‑SIM usage slightly above statewide norms in immigrant enclaves.
• Denser, earlier mid‑band 5G buildout where people move: Because of Rutgers, major hospitals, dense downtowns, and heavy NJ Transit/Turnpike flows, the county shows more 5G mid‑band nodes and small cells per square mile than typical NJ counties. This yields better peak‑hour capacity and more consistent rail‑corridor performance than the state average.
• Stronger fixed-broadband competition dampens mobile‑only reliance: Countywide fiber depth (notably Fios) keeps smartphone‑only internet households slightly below the NJ average. The exception is student/renter tracts, which exceed the state rate.
• Enterprise/industrial mobile intensity: The Edison–Piscataway–South Brunswick logistics/R&D belt increases enterprise mobility (device fleets, tablets, wearables) and CBRS private‑LTE pilots, nudging non‑handset lines and IoT density above what’s typical in many NJ counties.

Quantified takeaways for planning

• ~670,000 resident smartphone users and ~87% of households with a cellular data subscription define a near‑universal mobile baseline.
• ~9% smartphone-/cellular‑only households are concentrated in student and renter areas; targeting these tracts with subsidy awareness and public Wi‑Fi yields disproportionate inclusion gains.
• Continued small‑cell/C‑band densification along the Northeast Corridor rail, US‑1, and campus/venue clusters will track demand better than adding rural edge sites.
• FWA will grow as a budget alternative/backup in multi‑family zones; in fiber‑rich suburbs it will mainly serve as a second‑line or competitive lever rather than a dominant access mode.

Middlesex County, NJ social media snapshot (2024)

Population base

• Total residents: ~862,000 (U.S. Census, 2023 estimate)
• Adults (18+): ~673,000 (≈78% of residents)
• Social media users (any platform): ≈559,000 adults (≈83% of adults, applying Pew 2024 adoption)

Most-used platforms among adults (estimated local reach)

• YouTube: 83% (~558k)
• Facebook: 68% (~457k)
• Instagram: 47% (~316k)
• Pinterest: 35% (~236k)
• TikTok: 33% (~222k)
• LinkedIn: 30% (~202k)
• Snapchat: 27% (~182k)
• WhatsApp: 26% (~175k)
• Reddit: 22% (~148k)
• X (Twitter): 22% (~148k)
• Nextdoor: 19% (~128k) Note: Percentages reflect Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. adult adoption rates applied to Middlesex’s adult population; local usage generally tracks national patterns.

Age groups

• 18–29: Near-universal YouTube use; heavy Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat. Rutgers presence (New Brunswick/Piscataway) boosts student-driven activity, short-form video, and campus subreddits.
• 30–49: Broad multi-platform use; Facebook, Instagram, YouTube dominant; WhatsApp and LinkedIn notably active among professional and immigrant networks.
• 50–64: Strong Facebook and YouTube; Pinterest and Nextdoor used for community, home, and lifestyle content.
• 65+: Facebook and YouTube lead; Nextdoor for neighborhood info; lower but growing TikTok/Instagram adoption via family-driven sharing.

Gender breakdown

• Overall user base closely mirrors population: roughly 51% women, 49% men.
• Platform skews: Pinterest and Instagram lean female; Reddit and X lean male; Facebook is more balanced; LinkedIn leans slightly male in tech/engineering roles but is broad across professions.

Behavioral trends and local nuances

• Multicultural/immigrant communities: Above-average WhatsApp, YouTube, and Instagram usage among South Asian, Chinese, and Hispanic populations (notably in Edison, Iselin, North/South Brunswick, Woodbridge). Bilingual content (English + Hindi/Gujarati/Punjabi/Chinese/Spanish) performs strongly.
• Student influence: Rutgers drives high engagement Thu–Sun evenings; spikes around semester starts, athletics, and campus events. Short-form video (Reels/Shorts/TikTok) over-indexes.
• Commuter rhythms: Mobile usage peaks during commute windows (6–9 a.m., 4–7 p.m.) and late evening; weekend daytime engagement is strong for families and local events.
• Community info: Facebook Groups and Nextdoor are primary channels for township news, schools, public safety, and hyperlocal recommendations; event content (street fairs, India Day Parade, cultural festivals) sees outsized reach.
• Professional corridor: Route 1/287 pharma, healthcare, telecom, and logistics footprint elevates LinkedIn engagement; best response midday (11 a.m.–2 p.m.) Tue–Thu.
• Buying behavior: Product discovery often starts on Instagram/TikTok, research on YouTube, and conversions via Facebook/Instagram ads or Google; review and community validation in local Facebook Groups/Nextdoor.
• Creative formats: Short-form video and carousel posts outperform static images; creator partnerships with local food, culture, and campus influencers amplify reach; geo-targeted Stories/Reels around malls (Menlo, Woodbridge), Main Street corridors, and Rutgers venues deliver efficient CPMs.

How to use this

• Plan reach using the platform estimates above; tailor creative by cohort (short-form video for 18–34; community and utility content for 35+).
• Localize with bilingual assets and township-level targeting; leverage WhatsApp shareability for diaspora campaigns.
• Use LinkedIn for professional audiences and recruiting; schedule around commute and lunch peaks.

Sources and method

• U.S. Census Bureau, QuickFacts: Middlesex County, NJ (2023 population). Adult population approximated from ACS shares.
• Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (U.S. adult adoption by platform). Percentages applied to county adult population to estimate local reach.
• Rutgers University is a significant local factor influencing age 18–29 activity (institutional enrollment data).