Governor Phil Murphy welcomed 2025 by celebrating the year-over-year population growth rate in New Jersey, where the number of residents climbing to an estimated 9,500,851, according to the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau, an increase of 1.3% or 121,209 from 2023.

According to the governor’s Office, “New Jersey experienced a 2.3% population increase — or 211,837 new residents — since April 2020, which marked the release of the Decennial Census data. This consistent growth highlights New Jersey’s ongoing upward population trend.”

“We are incredibly proud to see that New Jersey is among the top 10 states for population growth,” said Murphy. “We are also thrilled to have reached our largest number of jobs and employers in Garden State history. This Census data is a testament to the important work being done each and every day across the Administration to support our workers and continue building a stronger, fairer New Jersey.”

Not everyone agrees with Murphy’s assessment of the Garden State’s population boom as a positive development. At the very least, more people in New Jersey place greater burdens on state resources. According to The Bergen Record, “A 2023 report from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimated that New Jersey will need $31.6 billion for water infrastructure improvements over the next 20 years. Housing, transportation and energy systems are also under strain.”

At the 116th annual Building Trades Council Convention in 2021, the organization’s president reminded members of a salient organizing principle: Don’t get distracted by causes outside the core mission of the Building Trades. What is the core mission? Building. “All we do is build,” said President William “Bill” Mullen.

What will the building look like and ultimately who will it serve?

InsiderNJ composed the following list as a way of identifying those players on the front lines of New Jersey’s infrastructure and development expansion, which promises to get even more complex in the coming years amid the ongoing population influx.

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