New Jersey’s 7th District is a portrait of both economic privilege and vulnerability

New data from the 2023 American Community Survey paints a portrait of New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District as a place of striking contrasts, where affluence and economic security exist alongside pockets of financial strain and gaps in health coverage.

With nearly 300,000 households, the district’s median income stands at $133,593, well above the national average, while its mean household income soars even higher at $177,842.

The district is one of the most hotly contested for control of Congress, flipping from Democrat to Republican several times since Republican Leonard Lance, who represented New Jersey since 2009, was defeated by Democrat Tom Malinowski in 2018.

Malinowski was re-elected in 2020, defeating New Jersey Senate Republican leader Tom Kean Jr. by a very close margin in an election marred by National Republican Congressional Committee ads that falsely accused him of lobbying to protect sexual predators.

Malinowski then lost a 2022 rematch against Kean, who fended off Democratic nominee Sue Altman in 2024.

Yet behind these numbers lies a more nuanced story of who thrives and who struggles in this corner of the Garden State.

The district’s economic landscape reveals a broad spectrum of earnings. More than 92,500 households report incomes of $200,000 or more, the largest single bracket, while over 54,600 fall into the $100,000 to $149,999 range.

Combined, these upper tiers account for nearly half of all households. Still, not all residents share in this prosperity. Roughly 8,500 households scrape by on less than $10,000 a year, and another 22,000 earn under $35,000—a reminder that even in one of the nation’s wealthier districts, economic hardship persists.

Health insurance coverage is widespread, with 96% of the district’s 772,939 civilians insured. Private insurance dominates, covering over 640,000 people, while public programs like Medicaid and Medicare assist another 198,000.

However, 28,500 remain uninsured, including 4,100 children—a figure that advocates say underscores the need for continued outreach to vulnerable populations.

Poverty rates in the district are notably low compared to national averages, with just 2.7% of families and 4.6% of all individuals living below the poverty line. But disparities emerge when examining family structures.

Married couples with children experience poverty at a mere 1.4%, while single-mother households face far steeper challenges—14.2% of those with young children live in poverty.

Similarly, while only 2.9% of children under five are poor, that number jumps to 11.1% for the same age group in single-mother homes.

The data also highlights the precariousness of older residents and those living alone. Poverty among seniors 65 and over sits at 6%, and a striking 15% of unrelated adults—those not living with family—fall below the poverty line.

These figures suggest that even in a district marked by considerable wealth, social safety nets remain critical for those on the margins.

As policymakers digest these findings, the story of New Jersey’s 7th District emerges as one of both privilege and vulnerability—a community where prosperity is widespread but not universal, and where the benefits of economic success have yet to reach everyone equally.

The numbers, as always, tell only part of the tale. The rest lies in the lives behind them.