PlainZIP

Plainsboro, NJ · standard

ZIP Code 08536

Middlesex County, New Jersey - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

20,073
1,061/sq mi
$137,607
Median income
$704,100
Median home value
80.9%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Plainsboro pairs a top-decile household income with top-decile home values, in a low-density, mixed-tenure area.

Top 5%
household income, US ZIPs
Top 6%
home value, US ZIPs
1,061
people per sq mi
43%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 08536 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 08536 is a densely settled ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Plainsboro, Middlesex County, New Jersey, with 20,073 residents across 18.9 square miles, a density of 1,061 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 08536 skews affluent, with a median household income of $137,607 (13% above the New Jersey average), while per-capita income is $75,430. Local economic indicators show a 4.3% poverty rate alongside 3.8% unemployment. Median home value sits at $704,100 (36% above the state average), median rent at $2,033 a month, and owner-occupancy at 43.4%.

This is a highly-educated ZIP: 80.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 36.1, and the average commute is 33 minutes. We also surface 10 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Middlesex County, so you can benchmark 08536 against its immediate geography rather than a national average alone.

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 08536

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Plainsboro, NJ

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 08536.

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 · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

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 08536, Plainsboro, 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

20,073

Population

18.9

Area (sq mi)

1,061

People / sq mi

New York

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard
Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.
View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 08536?

36.1

Median Age

49.9%

Male

50.1%

Female

50.7%

Foreign-Born

White 26.5%
African American 7.5%
Asian 59.7%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 5.0%
Hispanic or Latino 4.6%

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?

$137,607

Median Household Income

+13% vs state

$75,430

Per Capita Income

4.3%

Poverty Rate

3.8%

Unemployment Rate

32.8 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 08536 ranks nationally

Plainsboro, NJ household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income, the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$137,607 Top 5% higher than 95% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Below this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Below this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). This entry sits in this band. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US 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?

High School Graduate or Higher 87.0%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 80.9%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

8,468

Total Housing Units

8,353

Occupied Units

115

Vacant Units

2.48

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 43.4%
Renter 56.6%

$704,100

Median Home Value

+36% vs state

$2,033

Median Rent

1986

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

+23.3%

YoY Change (2024)

307

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+207%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 08536 have increased 23.3% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +207% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 +1.3% 218
2021 +1.8% 222
2022 +11.2% 247
2023 +1.0% 249
2024 +23.3% 307

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 470 business establishments in ZIP 08536, employing approximately 18,611 people with a combined annual payroll of $2,366,654,000.

470

Businesses

18,611

Employees

$2.4B

Annual Payroll

16

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Professional, scientific, and technical services 203 43.2%
Health care and social assistance 76 16.2%
Accommodation and food services 26 5.5%
Wholesale trade 22 4.7%
Finance and insurance 21 4.5%
Other services (except public administration) 21 4.5%
Retail trade 20 4.3%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 18 3.8%
Educational services 17 3.6%
Information 10 2.1%
Construction 8 1.7%
Manufacturing 8 1.7%
Real estate and rental and leasing 8 1.7%
Management of companies and enterprises 4 0.8%
Transportation and warehousing 3 0.6%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 3 0.6%

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 08536 vs 08512 →

ZIP 08536 vs its nearest neighbors, by population

Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 08536 ranks #2 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 08536 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

median income

What this shows By household income, ZIP 08536 ranks #5 of 9 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
08512 Cranbury, NJ 10,105 3.1 mi
08561 Windsor, NJ 226 5.9 mi
08852 Monmouth Junction, NJ 17,220 4.1 mi
08550 Princeton Junction, NJ 19,445 4.1 mi
08528 Kingston, NJ 315 4.1 mi
08542 Princeton, NJ 5,189 4.3 mi
08540 Princeton, NJ 47,115 4.4 mi
08824 Kendall Park, NJ 12,115 6.3 mi
08553 Rocky Hill, NJ 682 5.5 mi
08823 Franklin Park, NJ 9,016 7.5 mi

More ZIP Codes in Middlesex County

08854 standard
Piscataway, NJ
Pop: 55,961
08901 standard
New Brunswick, NJ
Pop: 55,223
08861 standard
Perth Amboy, NJ
Pop: 53,099
08816 standard
East Brunswick, NJ
Pop: 46,298
08831 standard
Monroe Township, NJ
Pop: 45,620
08817 standard
Edison, NJ
Pop: 44,621

Related Areas

Middlesex County Plainsboro, NJ New Jersey

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 08536 in? ▼
ZIP code 08536 (Plainsboro) is located in Middlesex County, New Jersey. Middlesex County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/middlesex-nj.
What is the population of ZIP code 08536? ▼
ZIP code 08536 in Plainsboro, NJ has a population of 20,073 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 08536? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 08536 is $137,607, which is 80% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 08536? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 08536 is $704,100, which is 153% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 08536? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 08536 is Asian at 59.7%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 4.6% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 08536? ▼
ZIP code 08536 has 470 business establishments employing approximately 18,611 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 08536? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 08536 are: Professional, scientific, and technical services (203), Health care and social assistance (76), Accommodation and food services (26). There are 16 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 08536? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 08536 increased by 23.3% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 207%. 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 08536? ▼
In ZIP code 08536, 87.0% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 80.9% 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 08536? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 08536 is 32.8 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 08536? ▼
In ZIP code 08536, approximately 43.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 56.6% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 08536? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 08536 is 4.3% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.