Up next in our Spotlight on States series: New Jersey!
New Jersey is one of the original 13 colonies and became a state on December 18, 1787. It is one of the smallest states in land area, but has one of the highest population densities. The estimated population in 2024 was 9,500,851. It is bordered by New York, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and the Atlantic Ocean. New Jersey was named for the island of Jersey in the English Channel.
New Jersey’s transportation system is one of the most extensive in the world, and many of the state’s residents commute to New York and Pennsylvania for work. The state is called the Garden State after becoming famous for its fertile land in the 18th century. The capital city of New Jersey is Trenton.
Official New Jersey State Symbols
Every state has their own unique symbols, from birds to flowers to songs and more! Here are some of New Jersey’s official state symbols:
– Dog: Seeing-eye dog
– Reptile: Bog turtle
– Fish: Brook trout
– Animal: Horse
– Flower: Violet
– Shell: Knobbed whelk
– Fruit: Blueberry
– Bird: Eastern goldfinch
Find more information about New Jersey’s state symbols here.
Fun Facts about New Jersey
The first organized baseball game was played in Hoboken, New Jersey, in 1846.
New Jersey’s State House is the third oldest still in use. (Maryland and Virginia are older.)
New Jersey has the most horses per capita, with nearly 10 horses per 1000 people. The United States Equestrian Team is headquartered in Gladstone, NJ.
The properties in the United States version of the board game Monopoly are named after the streets of Atlantic City.
New Jersey is the last state in the country where self-service filling of gasoline is prohibited. (Note: Originally we thought Oregon still banned self-service gasoline, however a savvy panel member pointed out that starting in 2023, Oregon allows it.)
The first professional basketball game was played in Trenton, NJ in 1896.
New Jersey is home to more than 9,900 farms covering 750,000 acres of farmland.
Famous people from New Jersey include John Travolta, Frank Sinatra, Jon Bon Jovi, Martha Stewart, and Meryl Streep.
NCP Panel Members in New Jersey
Want to learn more about your fellow panel members in another state? Here’s how our New Jersey panel members answered some of our survey questions!
How long have you been a panel member?
– 32% of survey respondents have been members for 15 or more years.
– 12% have been members for less than a year.
– 87% of respondents have lived in New Jersey for more than 15 years.
Is the area you live rural, suburban, or urban?
– 13% live in rural areas
– 75% live in suburban areas
– 12% live in urban areas
Do you have children?
– 66% of respondents have children
– Of those, 28% have children living in their home
Shopping habits of NCP Panel Members in New Jersey
Do you think peoples’ shopping habits differ based on where they live? We’re curious about this, so we asked our panel members questions about how, when, and where they shop, along with some other questions about their habits.
Here’s what our panel members in New Jersey had to say about their shopping habits:
– 60% of respondents shop both online and in-store, with 35% shopping in-store only.
– 59% of respondents tend to shop at the same stores.
– 70% of respondents mostly stick to their list when shopping, but sometimes make impulse purchases.
– 69% of respondents shop alone, with another 19% shopping with a spouse or partner.
When it comes to choosing where to shop, 64% of panel members shop mostly at grocery stores. Another 19% primarily shop at mass-merchandise retailers. Price, location, and convenience are the top factors that influence where people decide to shop. Other things that influence where panel members shop are availability of products and brands, customer service, rewards programs, and the store’s cleanliness.
Convenience while shopping
While ordering groceries and other items online has long been an option, the COVID-19 pandemic made delivery and pick-up a lot more common for people.
Here’s what New Jersey panel members had to say about it:
– 73% never order groceries online and pick up at the store, while 19% do sometimes.
– 69% never order groceries online to be delivered, while 21% do sometimes.
We also wondered if the weather influenced a person’s choice between online and in-person shopping. 36% of respondents said weather doesn’t impact their decision, with 34% saying they prefer in-person shopping regardless of the weather.
And finally: self-checkout. Some people love it, others hate it. According to our survey, 23% of respondents always choose self-checkout, with another 40% indicating they frequently choose it. 24% of respondents rarely use it, and 13% never do.
Interests of NCP panel members in New Jersey
Here are a few other fun facts about New Jersey panel members from our survey!
More than half of respondents engage in outdoor recreational activities regularly or occasionally. The most popular outdoor activities are hiking and walking – it was a favorite for 80% of panel members. A few of the unique answers panel members wrote in include zumba, trail riding, ping pong, and sailing.
We asked panelists which sports they follow, and 41% said football, while 39% said none. Some of the other sports panelists follow are car racing, ice skating, and equestrian sports.
We also wanted to know: what place would you recommend to visitors in your hometown or state? The most popular types of attractions panel members recommend in New Jersey are beaches and coastal areas. Here are some of the answers we got from panel members:
– Atlantic City
– Seaside Heights
– Asbury Park
– Cape May
– Thomas Edison Center
– Barnegat Lighthouse
Did you learn anything new about New Jersey? How do your shopping habits compare to panel members in New Jersey? We hope you enjoy learning about panel members in other states. Stay tuned for the next one: New Mexico!
Join NCP!
If you’re not a NCP panel member and you’re interested in joining NCP to share your shopping experiences, earn great rewards, and influence what you see on store shelves, click here or go to the Join NCP section of the blog for more information.
Regards,
Taylor
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Thanks for sharing this information on New Jersey
Correction the information given about Oregon not allowing self service at the gas pump is not correct, Oregon has allowed self service since 2023.
Thanks for the info, Barb! I’ve updated the post to reflect this information.
Great to hear from the panelists in New Jersey. In our small town in Ohio, we have switched from in person shopping to mostly online shopping and grocery pick up at the store. They take good care of us here. It is very convenient. I guess Covid gave us something nice. Enjoy the shore.