The Monmouth County Planning Board has released its 2010 estimate of the county’s population, and the estimate shows that the county’s population reached 664,916 on Jan. 1, 2010.
The new estimate shows that the total population of Monmouth County increased by 0.29 percent between January 2009 and January 2010. Since the 2000 U.S. Census, Monmouth County’s population has increased by 49,615 persons, or 8.06 percent, according to Planning Board estimates.
Monmouth County Freeholder Director Lillian G. Burry said, “These numbers demonstrate that although the population is growing less rapidly, Monmouth County continues to attract new residents. The county’s average annual growth rate for the past decade of 0.78 percent is quite manageable, allowing the county to continue providing excellent public services.”
“Monmouth County’s unsurpassed quality of life continues to draw people who want to live here,” Freeholder John D’Amico Jr. said. “Few places in the country can match Monmouth County’s mixture of beaches, parks and proximity to major employment and cultural centers, and the county’s continued population increase is a testimony to this.”
Between 2000 and 2010, growth in 10 municipalities (Manalapan, Marlboro, Freehold Township, Howell, Tinton Falls, Upper Freehold Township, Long Branch, Middletown, Ocean Township and Wall Township) accounted for 77.2 percent of the county’s population growth.
The estimates are based on results from the annual certificate of occupancy survey conducted each January by staff of the Monmouth County Planning Board.
This annual survey asks municipal construction officials for information regarding certificates of occupancy for new residential units, demolition permits, and the number of homes converted from seasonal to year-round use within their respective municipality.
The net certificate of occupancy data, in conjunction with the average household size by municipality, provides a basis for estimating annual population changes between the decennial censuses.
The last national census was conducted in 2000, and the 2010 census is currently under way. The county’s detailed 2010 population estimate information is available at www.visitmonmouth. com on the Planning Board’s section of the website.