To improve the state of our knowledge, this publication by Rutgers University produces demographic information on household size and pupil generation that is: 1. current (incorporates the latest demographic data from the 2000 census); New Jersey-specific (contains demographic data unique to this state alone and is field-tested in New Jersey); and 3. incorporates the experience of emerging development categories, most notably TODs.

The document’s data are invaluable for accurate demographic projections and development impact assessment. It is important, however, that the data not be abused to exclude certain categories of housing, such as homes with more bedrooms, or for that matter housing in general, because of the apprehension that development will generate “too many” new residents and public school children. That exclusionary perspective does not acknowledge current data (the demographic multipliers have declined in size over time), subverts good planning (smart growth calls for a range of housing and a mix of land uses), and violates the Mount Laurel
principle of all communities in New Jersey having the obligation of meeting the spectrum of the state’s housing needs.