Dunellen, NJ · standard
ZIP Code 08812
Middlesex County, New Jersey - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 14,296
- 1,049/sq mi High-density area
- $118,316
- Median income Above-median income area
- $442,900
- Median home value Above-median home value
- 40.6%
- Bachelor's or higher Above-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Dunellen 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 17%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 1,049
- people per sq mi
- 75%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 08812 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 08812 (Dunellen, NJ) rose +13.2% from 2023 to 2024. The all-transactions index moved from 223.6 in 2023 to 253.1 in 2024 (2000 = 100).
ZIP code 08812 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Dunellen, Middlesex County, New Jersey, home to 14,296 residents across 13.6 square miles, a density of 1,049 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.
ZIP 08812 skews affluent, with a median household income of $118,316 (3% below the average New Jersey ZIP), while per-capita income is $54,393. The poverty rate is 15.2%, with unemployment at 5.6%; those measures add context to the income figure. Median home value is $442,900 (14% below the average New Jersey ZIP) and median rent is $1,866; 75.3% of occupied homes are owner-occupied.
A solid share of residents have a four-year degree: 40.6% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 42.9, and the average commute is 31 minutes. The page also surfaces 10 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Middlesex County, so 08812 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 08812
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Dunellen, NJ
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 08812.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
84 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
61 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
54 establishments
- Construction
Construction
45 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
42 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 08812, Dunellen, 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
14,296
Population
13.6
Area (sq mi)
1,049
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 08812?
42.9
Median Age
56.8%
Male
43.2%
Female
30.4%
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?
$118,316
Median Household Income
-3% vs state ZIP avg
$54,393
Per Capita Income
15.2%
Poverty Rate
5.6%
Unemployment Rate
31.3 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 08812 ranks among New Jersey ZIPs
Dunellen, 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)
$118,316 Top 43% higher than 57% 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
5,023housing units
5,023
Total Housing Units
4,730
Occupied Units
293
Vacant Units
2.98
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$442,900
Median Home Value
-14% vs state ZIP avg
$1,866
Median Rent
1960
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
+13.2%
YoY Change (2024)
253
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+153%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 08812 have increased 13.2% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +153% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +3.7% | 171 |
| 2021 | +9.1% | 187 |
| 2022 | +16.2% | 217 |
| 2023 | +3.1% | 224 |
| 2024 | +13.2% | 253 |
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 467 business establishments in ZIP 08812, employing approximately 5,443 people with a combined annual payroll of $220,787,000.
467
Businesses
5,443
Employees
$220.8M
Annual Payroll
15
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 84 | 18.0% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 61 | 13.1% |
| Accommodation and food services | 54 | 11.6% |
| Construction | 45 | 9.6% |
| Health care and social assistance | 42 | 9.0% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 37 | 7.9% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 30 | 6.4% |
| Finance and insurance | 23 | 4.9% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 21 | 4.5% |
| Wholesale trade | 19 | 4.1% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 11 | 2.4% |
| Manufacturing | 10 | 2.1% |
| Educational services | 10 | 2.1% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 10 | 2.1% |
| Information | 8 | 1.7% |
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 08812 vs 07063 →
ZIP 08812 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 08854
Piscataway (08854)
55,961 residents
- 07060
Plainfield (07060)
44,998 residents
- 07080
South Plainfield (07080)
23,377 residents
- 07059 15,311
Warren (07059)
15,311 residents
- 08812 14,296
Dunellen (08812)
14,296 residents
- 08846 13,635
Middlesex (08846)
13,635 residents
- 07063 13,538
Plainfield (07063)
13,538 residents
- 08805 12,254
Bound Brook (08805)
12,254 residents
- 07069 6,157
Watchung (07069)
6,157 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 08812 ranks #5 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 08812 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 08836
Martinsville (08836)
$229,726 median income
- 07059
Warren (07059)
$212,479 median income
- 07069
Watchung (07069)
$171,705 median income
- 07980
Stirling (07980)
$162,955 median income
- 07080
South Plainfield (07080)
$130,205 median income
- 08854
Piscataway (08854)
$127,806 median income
- 08812
Dunellen (08812)
$118,316 median income
- 08846
Middlesex (08846)
$105,000 median income
- 08805
Bound Brook (08805)
$93,341 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 08812 ranks #7 of 9 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 07063 | Plainfield, NJ | 13,538 | 1.9 mi |
| 08846 | Middlesex, NJ | 13,635 | 2.1 mi |
| 07059 | Warren, NJ | 15,311 | 2.9 mi |
| 08854 | Piscataway, NJ | 55,961 | 3.8 mi |
| 07060 | Plainfield, NJ | 44,998 | 3.3 mi |
| 08836 | Martinsville, NJ | 3,845 | 3.9 mi |
| 07069 | Watchung, NJ | 6,157 | 3.7 mi |
| 08805 | Bound Brook, NJ | 12,254 | 3.5 mi |
| 07080 | South Plainfield, NJ | 23,377 | 3.8 mi |
| 07980 | Stirling, NJ | 2,307 | 5.5 mi |
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 08812, 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 (14,296 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Middlesex County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 08812 in?
ZIP code 08812 (Dunellen) 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 08812?
ZIP code 08812 in Dunellen, NJ has a population of 14,296 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 08812?
The median household income in ZIP 08812 is $118,316, which is 55% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 08812?
The median home value in ZIP 08812 is $442,900, which is 59% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 08812?
The largest racial group in ZIP 08812 is White at 50.9%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 34.5% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 08812?
ZIP code 08812 has 467 business establishments employing approximately 5,443 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 08812?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 08812 are: Retail trade (84), Other services (except public administration) (61), Accommodation and food services (54). There are 15 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 08812?
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 08812 increased by 13.2% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 153%. 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 08812?
In ZIP code 08812, 66.4% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 40.6% 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 08812?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 08812 is 31.3 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 08812?
In ZIP code 08812, approximately 75.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 24.7% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 08812?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 08812 is 15.2% 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 08812's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 08812 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Dunellen, 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.