Joint Rutgers-Eagleton/FDU Poll: Racial, Socioeconomic, and Political Diversity in the Garden State

New Brunswick and Madison, New Jersey (October 2, 2019) – Though New Jersey is one of the most diverse states in the nation, not all residents experience its diversity within their own neighborhoods, according to the latest results from the Rutgers-Eagleton/Fairleigh Dickinson University polling partnership.

While most New Jerseyans say their neighbors are diverse in their political views, they report less diversity when it comes to social class and racial and ethnic backgrounds.

Half say they share the same social class as “all” (9 percent) or “most” (42 percent) of their neighbors, while about one in five report being in the same social class as “half” (22 percent) or “only some” (18 percent) of their neighbors. Six percent say they are not in the same social class as any of their neighbors. These numbers are on par with recent national findings from the Pew Research Center.

When it comes to race and ethnicity, four in ten New Jerseyans say “all” (7 percent) or “most” (35 percent) of their neighbors share a similar background, while about a quarter each say “half” (23 percent) or “only some” (26 percent) do. Eight percent say none of their neighbors share a similar racial or ethnic background. New Jerseyans report more racial and ethnic diversity among their neighbors than adults do nationally.

No matter the racial and ethnic makeup of their own neighborhoods, a solid majority of New Jerseyans support the concept of diversity. Fifty-nine percent believe it is important that people of different races and ethnic groups live, go to school, and work closely with each other. Forty percent, on the other hand, believe it is not important, as long as everyone is treated fairly and has the same opportunities. This is a marked shift from when the Rutgers-Eagleton Poll last asked this question in 1999 and in 2004, when views were evenly split.

“New Jersey is a true melting pot, and the solid support we see for racial and ethnic diversity goes hand in hand with the personal experiences many have with this kind of variety in their daily lives,” said Krista Jenkins, professor of government at Fairleigh Dickinson University and director of the Fairleigh Dickinson University Poll. “And even for those who report living in neighborhoods that are less diverse, their support for diversity in everyday life is similarly strong.”

“On the other hand, a notable segment of the population is isolated from the diversity New Jersey is so well known for and does not see it as a necessity in everyday life,” said Ashley Koning, assistant research professor and director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling (ECPIP) at Rutgers University–New Brunswick. “Who you live next to and what you believe are significantly influenced by key demographic factors like race, ethnicity, region, socioeconomic status, and age.”

More than two-thirds of residents (68 percent) approve of the idea that municipalities should be required to actively promote construction of low- and moderate-income housing, as required by New Jersey Supreme Court rulings in 2017 and prior years. This support is largely unchanged from a 2017 FDU Poll.

But the Garden State’s diversity does not always translate to racial and ethnic harmony. Almost four in ten New Jerseyans think there is “a lot” (8 percent) or “some” (29 percent) racial and ethnic tension among residents in their community. Another four in ten (40 percent) believe there is “just a little” tension where they live, while one in five (22 percent) say there is none. These responses are similar to those of a 2004 Rutgers-Eagleton poll.

The Rutgers-Eagleton/Fairleigh Dickinson University Poll of New Jerseyans contacted 1,250 adults between March 7 and 22, 2019. Of those, 621 of were contacted by live callers on landlines and cell phones, and 629 were reached through an online probability-based panel. The combined sample has a margin of error of +/-3.6 percentage points; the phone sample has a margin of error of +/-4.5 percentage points, and the online probability-base sample has a margin of error of +/-5.5 percentage points. Interviews were done in English and, when requested, Spanish.

The full analysis, along with the poll’s questions and tables, can be found on the Rutgers-Eagleton Poll website and the FDU Poll website.

ABOUT THE EAGLETON CENTER FOR PUBLIC INTEREST POLLING (ECPIP)

Home of the Rutgers-Eagleton Poll, ECPIP was established in 1971 and is the oldest and one of the most respected university-based state survey research centers in the United States. Now in its 48^th year and with the publication of over 200 polls, ECPIP’s mission is to provide scientifically sound, non-partisan information about public opinion. To read more about ECPIP and view all of our press releases and published research, please visit our website: eagletonpoll.rutgers.edu. You can also visit our extensive data archive, Facebook, and Twitter.

ABOUT THE EAGLETON INSTITUTE OF POLITICS

The Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling is a unit of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University-New Brunswick. The Eagleton Institute explores state and national politics through research, education, and public service, linking the study of politics with its day-to-day practice. The Institute focuses attention on how the American political system works, how it changes, and how it might work better. To learn more about Eagleton programs and expertise, visit eagleton.rutgers.edu. 

ABOUT RUTGERS—NEW BRUNSWICK

Rutgers University–New Brunswick is where Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, began more than 250 years ago. Ranked among the world’s top 60 universities, Rutgers’s flagship university is a leading public research institution and a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. It is home to internationally acclaimed faculty and has 12 degree-granting schools and a Division I Athletics program. It is the Big Ten Conference’s most diverse university. Through its community of teachers, scholars, artists, scientists, and healers, Rutgers is equipped as never before to transform lives.

ABOUT THE FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON UNIVERISTY POLL

For the second year, the FDU Poll received an “A” rating from statistician Nate Silver’s FiveThirtyEight blog. The ratings measure both accuracy and bias for all major polling services in the United States, providing an update to similar research the poll watchers conducted in 2014. FDU’s “A” rating puts it in the top 15 of the more than 380 polling institutes reviewed and graded from A+ through F. The FDU poll was found to have a 94 percent accuracy rate for predicting election results, and is one of only three A-rated polling institutes with zero bias to their rankings. Please visit our website: publicmind.fdu.edu.

ABOUT FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON UNIVERSITY

The largest private university in New Jersey, FDU is a not-for-profit, nonsectarian, multi-campus institution. Founded in 1942, FDU achieved four-year status in 1948 and approval as a university in 1956.

The University offers over 100 undergraduate and graduate degree programs, including doctoral programs in pharmacy, nursing practice, clinical psychology and school psychology; and an AACSB-accredited business school. Degree programs are offered on two New Jersey campuses and at two FDU locations outside the U.S.: Wroxton College, in Oxfordshire in England, and the Vancouver Campus, in British Columbia, Canada. FDU’s 11,500 full- and part-time students pursue quality career-oriented programs on schedules tailored to their needs – days, evenings and weekends. The curriculum reflects a mission of global education and a foundation of a world-renowned University Core.