Borough · New Jersey
Penns Grove, New Jersey
Penns Grove, borough, in Salem County, New Jersey. Penns Grove had 4,934 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 2.0% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 4,837 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 4,882 (±20). GEOID 3457750.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
4,934
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 4,837 · ACS 2020-2024: 4,882 ±20
Median household income
$45,781
±$17,844 (90% margin)
New Jersey: $103,556
Median home value
$178,200
±$20,936 (90% margin)
New Jersey: $454,400
Median gross rent
$1,117
±$363 (90% margin)
New Jersey: $1,720
Where is Penns Grove and what county is it in?
Penns Grove is a borough in Salem County, New Jersey. It covers 0.9 square miles of land, 5,417 residents per square mile in 2020.
Penns Grove is in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 11 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Penns Grove, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 4,934 people lived in Penns Grove on July 1, 2025, up 2.0% since 2020, slower than New Jersey (+2.8%). The 2020 Census counted 4,837 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 4,882 (±20).
| Measure | Penns Grove | Salem County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 4,882 ±20 | 65,275 | +66 |
| Households | 1,561 ±202 | 24,846 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 3.12 ±0.43 | 2.57 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 1,919 ±202 | 27,732 | no clear change |
Penns Grove's population since 2000
From 4,886 in 2000 to 4,934 in 2025: up 1.0%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Penns Grove as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Penns Grove?
The median resident of Penns Grove is 25.1 years old; 42.2% are under 18 and 9.0% are 65 or older. The largest group is Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 42.5%, then non-Hispanic white residents at 26.7%. 5.2% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Penns Grove | Salem County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 25.1 ±7.0 | 41.9 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 42.2% ±4.6 pts | 21.9% | – |
| 65 years and over | 9.0% ±1.9 pts | 19.1% | – |
| Male | 43.9% ±4.9 pts | 49.1% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 42.5% ±7.1 pts | 11.3% | no clear change |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 26.7% ±8.4 pts | 70.2% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 24.8% ±7.6 pts | 13.2% | no clear change |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.4% ±0.8 pts | 1.0% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.9 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 1.5% ±1.9 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 3.8% ±3.4 pts | 3.9% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.3% ±0.4 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 5.2% ±2.0 pts | 3.0% | no clear change |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 31.3% ±8.6 pts | 8.8% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 5.9% ±3.2 pts | 5.8% | – |
| With a disability | 15.1% ±4.5 pts | 15.7% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 5.1% ±1.8 pts | 4.7% | −11.4 pts |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 79.4% ±7.0 pts | 90.5% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 15.2% ±5.3 pts | 25.0% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 5.3% ±4.0 pts | 8.3% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 88.3% ±5.4 pts | 90.5% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 4.9% ±2.9 pts | 1.7% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Penns Grove earn?
Half of Penns Grove's 1,561 households earn less than $45,781 a year (±$17,844), against $79,960 in Salem County and $103,556 in New Jersey. In 2015-2019 it was $39,308 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 44.1% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Penns Grove | Salem County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $45,781 ±$17,844 | $79,960 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $60,552 ±$13,398 | $101,600 | – |
| Per capita income | $19,275 ±$3,324 | $40,283 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 44.1% ±9.1 pts | 12.7% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 54.3% ±12.7 pts | 20.0% | no clear change |
| Households receiving SNAP | 42.7% ±9.5 pts | 12.5% | – |
| Households with a computer | 97.2% ±2.1 pts | 94.7% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 86.0% ±5.9 pts | 89.9% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Penns Grove?
Owners occupy 35.0% of Penns Grove's occupied homes and renters 65.0%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $178,200 by its owner (±$20,936). The median renter pays $1,117 a month including utilities, and 44.1% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Penns Grove | Salem County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $178,200 ±$20,936 | $239,500 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $1,117 ±$363 | $1,253 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 44.1% ±14.5 pts | 44.9% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,709 ±$275 | $2,074 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 35.0% ±8.7 pts | 71.0% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 65.0% ±8.7 pts | 29.0% | – |
| Housing units | 1,919 ±202 | 27,732 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±7.9 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 4.0% ±4.4 pts | 6.3% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 45.1% ±9.0 pts | 74.4% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.0% ±2.3 pts | 3.3% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±2.3 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 2.8% ±3.2 pts | 2.8% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 24.3% ±6.6 pts | 21.8% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 22.3% ±9.1 pts | 9.6% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Penns Grove building?
Builders took permits for 0 new housing units in Penns Grove in 2025 (0 in single-family houses), 0.0 per 1,000 residents against 2.9 across New Jersey.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Penns Grove work and get to work?
81.9% of Penns Grove's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 20.8 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 13.0%.
| Measure | Penns Grove | Salem County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 49.5% ±5.5 pts | 60.5% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 13.0% ±6.6 pts | 7.4% | no clear change |
| Drove alone to work | 81.9% ±9.8 pts | 80.2% | – |
| Carpooled | 4.4% ±4.4 pts | 6.7% | – |
| Public transportation | 1.9% ±3.0 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Walked | 0.5% ±0.7 pts | 1.4% | – |
| Worked from home | 2.3% ±2.5 pts | 9.5% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 20.8 min ±3.7 | 26.5 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Penns Grove?
2 census tracts lie mostly in Penns Grove (2020 census blocks).
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Penns Grove) · Census block assignment files
How does Penns Grove compare with other places in New Jersey?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Penns Grove is the 4,931st-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 198th-most populous of 323 in New Jersey.
Penns Grove ranks 763rd of 771 places in New Jersey with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 198th | 323 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 259th | 532 |
| Residents per square mile | 127th | 787 |
| Median household income | 763rd | 771 |
| Per capita income | 774th | 785 |
| Median home value | 758th | 777 |
| Median gross rent | 678th | 701 |
| Poverty rate | 2nd | 539 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 759th | 780 |
| Median age | 774th | 786 |
| Owner-occupied share | 749th | 777 |
| Travel time to work | 761st | 787 |
Penns Grove's figures with every place in New Jersey (CSV)
Every place in New Jersey, sortable · Compare Penns Grove with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Penns Grove?
15 of the 57 figures for Penns Grove on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Penns Grove are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Penns Grove.