To fully understand New Jersey in the 2020s and beyond, it is crucial to understand its ever-changing population. This book examines the twenty-first century demographic trends that are reshaping the state now and will continue to do so in the future. But trend analysis requires a deep historical context. Present-day New Jersey is the result of a long demographic and economic journey that has taken place over centuries, constantly influenced by national and global forces. This book provides a detailed examination of this journey. The result is present-day New Jersey.

The authors also highlight key trends that will continue to transform the state: domestic migration out of the state and immigration into it; increasing diversity; slower overall population growth; contracting fertility; the household revolution and changing living arrangements; generational disruptions; and suburbanization versus re-urbanization. All of these factors help place in context the result of the 2020 decennial US Census.

While the book focuses on New Jersey, the Garden State is a template of demographic, economic, social, and other forces characterizing the United States in the twenty-first century.