Hightstown, NJ · standard
ZIP Code 08520
Mercer County, New Jersey - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 27,869
- 613/sq mi High-density area
- $118,010
- Median income Above-median income area
- $376,600
- Median home value Above-median home value
- 46.3%
- Bachelor's or higher Above-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Hightstown pairs a top-decile household income with upper-quartile home values, in a low-density, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 10%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 23%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 613
- people per sq mi
- 70%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 08520 against every reporting US ZIP.
FHFA HPI release change
What changed in the latest House Price Index year
- FHFA House Price Index values in ZIP 08520 (Hightstown, NJ) rose +9.4% from 2023 to 2024. The all-transactions index moved from 245.2 in 2023 to 268.3 in 2024 (2000 = 100).
ZIP code 08520 is a densely settled ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Hightstown, Mercer County, New Jersey, with 27,869 residents across 45.4 square miles, a density of 613 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.
ZIP 08520 skews affluent, with a median household income of $118,010 (3% below the average New Jersey ZIP), while per-capita income is $53,563. The poverty rate is 6.1%, with unemployment at 4.8%; those measures add context to the income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $376,600 (27% below the average New Jersey ZIP), and median rent is $1,657; owner occupancy is 69.9%.
A solid share of residents have a four-year degree: 46.3% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 40.9, and the average commute is 27 minutes. The page also surfaces 10 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Mercer County, so 08520 can be compared with both its immediate and county-level context.
Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →
Top industries in ZIP 08520
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Hightstown, NJ
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 08520.
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
108 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
85 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
80 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
75 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
73 establishments
What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 08520, Hightstown, NJ · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.
Quick Facts
27,869
Population
45.4
Area (sq mi)
613
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 08520?
40.9
Median Age
49.1%
Male
50.9%
Female
32.6%
Foreign-Born
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How much do residents earn?
$118,010
Median Household Income
-3% vs state ZIP avg
$53,563
Per Capita Income
6.1%
Poverty Rate
4.8%
Unemployment Rate
26.5 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 08520 ranks among New Jersey ZIPs
Hightstown, NJ household income vs. every New Jersey ZIP code
Median household income among 565 reporting New Jersey ZIPs (this ZIP's population is too small for a reliable national-corpus placement)
$118,010 Top 44% higher than 56% of 565 New Jersey ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more New Jersey ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What is the education profile here?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
11,498housing units
11,498
Total Housing Units
10,974
Occupied Units
524
Vacant Units
2.67
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$376,600
Median Home Value
-27% vs state ZIP avg
$1,657
Median Rent
1975
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How have home values changed over time?
FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals
+9.4%
YoY Change (2024)
268
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+168%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 08520 have increased 9.4% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +168% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +3.0% | 168 |
| 2021 | +10.3% | 186 |
| 2022 | +15.1% | 214 |
| 2023 | +14.6% | 245 |
| 2024 | +9.4% | 268 |
Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 669 business establishments in ZIP 08520, employing approximately 9,960 people with a combined annual payroll of $565,479,000.
669
Businesses
9,960
Employees
$565.5M
Annual Payroll
15
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 108 | 16.1% |
| Retail trade | 85 | 12.7% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 80 | 12.0% |
| Health care and social assistance | 75 | 11.2% |
| Accommodation and food services | 73 | 10.9% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 47 | 7.0% |
| Construction | 42 | 6.3% |
| Wholesale trade | 28 | 4.2% |
| Finance and insurance | 27 | 4.0% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 24 | 3.6% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 18 | 2.7% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 17 | 2.5% |
| Information | 16 | 2.4% |
| Educational services | 13 | 1.9% |
| Manufacturing | 11 | 1.6% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.
Nearby ZIP Codes
Want a side-by-side? Compare 08520 vs 08561 →
ZIP 08520 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 08520
Hightstown (08520)
27,869 residents
- 08536
Plainsboro (08536)
20,073 residents
- 08550
Princeton Junction (08550)
19,445 residents
- 08852
Monmouth Junction (08852)
17,220 residents
- 08691
Trenton (08691)
15,104 residents
- 08512 10,105
Cranbury (08512)
10,105 residents
- 08810 8,401
Dayton (08810)
8,401 residents
- 08501 6,582
Allentown (08501)
6,582 residents
- 08535 5,385
Millstone Township (08535)
5,385 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 08520 ranks the most populous - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 08520 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 08550
Princeton Junction (08550)
$224,213 median income
- 08535
Millstone Township (08535)
$209,732 median income
- 08810
Dayton (08810)
$151,902 median income
- 08501
Allentown (08501)
$146,182 median income
- 08536
Plainsboro (08536)
$137,607 median income
- 08852
Monmouth Junction (08852)
$133,209 median income
- 08691
Trenton (08691)
$132,520 median income
- 08512
Cranbury (08512)
$118,587 median income
- 08520
Hightstown (08520)
$118,010 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 08520 ranks #9 of 9 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 08561 | Windsor, NJ | 226 | 2.6 mi |
| 08512 | Cranbury, NJ | 10,105 | 4.5 mi |
| 08555 | Roosevelt, NJ | 877 | 4.0 mi |
| 08691 | Trenton, NJ | 15,104 | 4.5 mi |
| 08550 | Princeton Junction, NJ | 19,445 | 4.9 mi |
| 08535 | Millstone Township, NJ | 5,385 | 5.1 mi |
| 08501 | Allentown, NJ | 6,582 | 7.0 mi |
| 08536 | Plainsboro, NJ | 20,073 | 6.1 mi |
| 08852 | Monmouth Junction, NJ | 17,220 | 9.2 mi |
| 08810 | Dayton, NJ | 8,401 | 8.4 mi |
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 08520, both outside NJ so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (27,869 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Mercer County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 08520 in?
ZIP code 08520 (Hightstown) is located in Mercer County, New Jersey. Mercer County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/mercer-nj.
What is the population of ZIP code 08520?
ZIP code 08520 in Hightstown, NJ has a population of 27,869 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 08520?
The median household income in ZIP 08520 is $118,010, which is 55% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 08520?
The median home value in ZIP 08520 is $376,600, which is 35% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 08520?
The largest racial group in ZIP 08520 is White at 50.4%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 23.8% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 08520?
ZIP code 08520 has 669 business establishments employing approximately 9,960 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 08520?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 08520 are: Professional, scientific, and technical services (108), Retail trade (85), Other services (except public administration) (80). There are 15 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 08520?
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 08520 increased by 9.4% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 168%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
What is the education level in ZIP code 08520?
In ZIP code 08520, 71.3% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 46.3% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 08520?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 08520 is 26.5 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend more time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 08520?
In ZIP code 08520, approximately 69.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 30.1% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 08520?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 08520 is 6.1% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 08520's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 08520 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Hightstown, NJ ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
- Save this ZIP to your shortlist to track alongside others you're considering View your shortlist
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.