RANK #807 / 1001 NAT · #18 / 21 NJ · POP 130,160
1YR FORECAST: +1.6%
5YR OUTLOOK: +23%
The Red Mill Museum Village in Clinton, with its iconic red exterior and setting along the Raritan River, serves as a prominent landmark in Hunterdon County. This west-central New Jersey county is approximately 60 miles from both New York City and Philadelphia. The community offers a blend of rural landscapes with rolling hills, forests, and rivers, alongside historic towns. Commute options include the LINK bus system for in-county travel and Trans-Bridge Bus Lines for service to New York City and Newark Airport. Outdoor recreation is a significant draw, with 8,000 acres of parkland, including Round Valley Reservoir and the Columbia Trail, offering hiking, biking, fishing, and kayaking.
Life in Hunterdon County is characterized by a focus on quality of life, with highly rated public schools like Hunterdon Central Regional High School and Voorhees High School. The county has been recognized for its health outcomes and as a safe place to raise children. The economy is supported by a mix of sectors, with notable growth in transportation and warehousing. The county also has a strong agricultural sector, including numerous farms and vineyards, contributing to a farm-to-table dining scene. Recent economic initiatives have focused on promoting historic main streets and downtowns in towns such as Flemington, Clinton, and Lambertville, aiming to attract tourism and support local businesses.
Hunterdon County's data profile doesn't fit any single market profile cleanly — its housing, labor, and demographic signals pull in different directions (home prices +2.6% YoY, population +0.6%, wages +1.4%). About 414 U.S. counties show this kind of mixed-signal pattern.
See all 414 Idiosyncratic Markets counties →Overvalued relative to economy
Moderate climate & terrain
Above national median (15x)
Housing looks overvalued at 18.6x — home prices are high relative to local economic output. The typical U.S. county is 4–6x.
Estimated local headcount ranges. Larger employers shown as floor + "+"; smaller employers show exact counts where reported.
Bars show trailing 12-month growth. The dashed Forecast bars are the model's next-12-month projection; the whisker marks the ±1% range (cooling–accelerating).
Source: Redfin · Census BPS — Browse sales on Redfin →
Source: CDC/NCHS vital statistics via County Health Rankings (2020–2022 avg). Rates per 100,000 population. Grade based on homicide rate relative to national average (~6.3). Learn more →
Source: EPA Air Quality System (2021–2023). Grade based on 3-year average median AQI. Learn about AQI →
Bars show percentile rank among all 1001 counties.
The data is not encouraging — Hunterdon County scores just 19/100 on the Boom Town Index, ranking #807 of 1001 counties. Job growth at +1.7% and median household income of $141,715 reflect an economy that has been contracting or stagnating relative to the rest of the country.
Housing in Hunterdon County is roughly in line with national affordability norms. The median home costs $517,200 and the income-to-home-value ratio sits at 0.27, with rents averaging $1,687/month. Not a bargain, but not a stretch for most local earners either.
Hunterdon County is growing on multiple fronts. Population is up +0.6% year-over-year while employers added jobs at a +1.7% clip. Home values shifted +2.6% in the past year.
There's a moderate stream of newcomers. About 3.99% of residents moved from another state, which is above average and suggests Hunterdon County has appeal as a relocation destination — though it's not among the highest-inflow counties nationally.