Sussex County is the northernmost county in the State of New Jersey. Sussex features a mix of rural farmland, forests and suburban development at the western extent of the New Jersey metropolitan area. It is considered a "bedroom community" as most residents commute to neighboring counties or to New York City for work.Sussex County has a total area of approximately 536 square miles of which 97% is land and 3% water. As of the 2000 census, there were 144,166 people, 50,831 households, and 38,784 families residing in Sussex County, NJ.