NEW JERSEY — Housing construction in New Jersey has surged in the early 2020s, putting the state on pace to significantly outpace production levels from the previous decade, according to a new Rutgers University report.
The study found that from 2020 to 2024, nearly 180,000 housing units were built statewide — the strongest five-year stretch since the 1980s. If current trends continue, New Jersey could see about 359,300 housing units constructed during the decade, a roughly 45% increase compared with the 2010s.
The findings are part of the latest Rutgers Regional Report, which examines long-term housing trends in the state dating back to the 1940s.
“New Jersey’s housing production rollercoaster has been defined by long-term crests and falls since the 1940s – from the postwar golden age of home building in the 1950s and 1960s to the prolonged slowdown that followed,” James Hughes said. “The increase in construction during the 2020s so far suggests a potential turning point that adds important context to ongoing policy discussions about housing supply in New Jersey.”
Researchers say the increase comes as New Jersey — the nation’s most densely populated state — continues to face pressure to expand its housing supply.
“A key question going forward is whether this production uptrend can be sustained or expanded, and whether it will be sufficient to meet growing housing demand in the state,” Connie Hughes said. “Public policy discussions benefit from recognizing the long-term economic and demographic forces that have consistently shaped housing production in New Jersey.”
The report also highlights broader trends shaping development, including a shift from suburban expansion toward more urban redevelopment in recent decades. Hudson County, for example, has emerged as a major center of new housing construction since the 2000s.
“Altogether, these economic, demographic, and geographic factors provide a broader framework for understanding recent housing production trends within the state’s evolving economic and population landscape,” James Hughes said.
The Rutgers Regional Report, now in its 37th year, is published by the university’s Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation and aims to provide analysis of economic, demographic and development trends across New Jersey.
