Information about Newark, New Jersey
Located less than 10 miles from Manhattan, Newark is the second-most populous city in the New York metro area. In 2021, the city's racial profile differed quite substantially from that of the rest of the state, with 49.5 percent of residents identifying as black or African American (compared to approximately 15.3 percent statewide) and 36.7 percent as Hispanic or Latino (compared to a statewide average of 21.5 percent). Meanwhile, 26.8 percent of residents identified as white (compared to 71.1 percent statewide).
Residents and visitors to Newark can take in a theatrical, musical or dance performance at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, one of the nation's 10 largest performing arts centers. Other attractions in the city include the Newark Museum, known for its collection of Tibetan art; the Jewish Museum of New Jersey; and Aljira, a Center for Contemporary Art. Newark's Branch Brook Park, which was the first county park in the U.S., boasts the largest collection of cherry blossom trees in the country, which it celebrates each April at its Cherry Blossom Festival.
Newark Educational Opportunities
Newark is home to a few nonprofit postsecondary schools, including two of the nation's top public schools. In 2022, U.S. News & World Report listed the Newark campus of Rutgers University as tied for the 53rd best public school in the country. Several of the university's graduate programs also received notable national rankings, including criminology (tied for 7th), public management and leadership (13th), and public finance and budgeting (tied for 16th).
The New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark was also tapped as the country's 42nd best public school by U.S. News in 2022. Programs at this 4-year school focus on various technology fields, as well as architecture, business, engineering, and science.
Other nonprofit schools in Newark include Pillar College, a 4-year school; and Essex County College, a 2-year public school.
Newark Economy
Newark is the largest center of employment in New Jersey, with finance, insurance, health care and government among the city's top industries. Fortune 500 company Prudential Financial Inc., one of the largest insurers in the world, is headquartered in Newark, as is Public Service Enterprise Group, the state's largest investor-owned utility company. Importing and exporting is also a major industry in Newark, with Port Newark serving as the main container port for the New York metro area.
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