ZIP Code 08542

ZIP code 08542 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 1.3 square miles in Princeton, Mercer County, New Jersey. The area is home to 5,189 residents, producing a population density of 3,868 people per square mile, and falls within the New York time zone. These USPS and Census boundary values drive every downstream statistic on this page, including the benchmarks that compare 08542 against New Jersey and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 08542 sits at $105,524 (13% below the New Jersey average), while per-capita income is $72,582. The poverty rate stands at 4.2% and the unemployment rate at 5.0%. On housing, the median home value is $754,100 (46% above the state average) with median rent at $2,497 per month, and 32.3% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 08542 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 70.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 37.2, and the average commute is —. We also surface 10 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Mercer County, so you can benchmark 08542 against its immediate geography rather than a national average alone. Every figure is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, HUD Fair Market Rents, and FHFA Home Price Index data, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with HUD →