Newark is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County and one of the largest municipalities within the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 311,549, an increase of 34,409 from the 2010 census count of 277,140, which in turn reflected an increase of 3,594 from the 273,546 counted at the 2000 census. The Population Estimates Program calculated a population of 307,220 for 2021, making it the nation's 66th-most populous municipality.