PlainZIP

East Brunswick, NJ · standard

ZIP Code 08816

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

46,298
868/sq mi
$143,586
Median income
$522,700
Median home value
58.4%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

East Brunswick pairs a top-decile household income with upper-quartile home values, in a low-density, homeowner-dominated area.

Top 5%
household income, US ZIPs
Top 12%
home value, US ZIPs
868
people per sq mi
80%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 08816 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 08816 is a densely settled ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in East Brunswick, Middlesex County, New Jersey, with 46,298 residents across 53.3 square miles, a density of 868 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 08816 skews affluent, with a median household income of $143,586 (18% above the New Jersey average), while per-capita income is $61,061. 5.8% of residents live below the poverty line, and the unemployment rate reads 4.6%. On housing, the median home value is $522,700 (1% above the state average) with median rent at $2,044 per month, and 79.7% of occupied units are owner-occupied.

This is a highly-educated ZIP: 58.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 41.3, and the average commute is 36 minutes. To put 08816 in local context, 10 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles appear further down this page alongside 6 additional ZIPs in Middlesex County, for a geography-aware comparison.

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 08816

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in East Brunswick, NJ

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 08816.

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 08816, East Brunswick, 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

46,298

Population

53.3

Area (sq mi)

868

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 08816?

41.3

Median Age

49.0%

Male

51.0%

Female

34.8%

Foreign-Born

White 48.2%
African American 6.1%
Asian 29.4%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.1%
Two or More Ethnicities 8.7%
Hispanic or Latino 13.2%

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?

$143,586

Median Household Income

+18% vs state

$61,061

Per Capita Income

5.8%

Poverty Rate

4.6%

Unemployment Rate

36.4 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 08816 ranks nationally

East Brunswick, NJ household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$143,586 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%). Below this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). This entry sits in this band. $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 73.7%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 58.4%

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

What does housing look like?

17,130

Total Housing Units

16,715

Occupied Units

415

Vacant Units

2.94

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 79.7%
Renter 20.3%

$522,700

Median Home Value

+1% vs state

$2,044

Median Rent

1976

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

+9.8%

YoY Change (2024)

268

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+168%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 08816 have increased 9.8% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +168% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 +2.5% 172
2021 +9.7% 188
2022 +14.3% 215
2023 +13.4% 244
2024 +9.8% 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 1,670 business establishments in ZIP 08816, employing approximately 27,237 people with a combined annual payroll of $1,772,173,000.

1,670

Businesses

27,237

Employees

$1.8B

Annual Payroll

17

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Professional, scientific, and technical services 335 20.1%
Health care and social assistance 278 16.6%
Retail trade 186 11.1%
Other services (except public administration) 137 8.2%
Accommodation and food services 111 6.7%
Wholesale trade 99 5.9%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 94 5.6%
Construction 89 5.3%
Transportation and warehousing 81 4.8%
Finance and insurance 70 4.2%
Real estate and rental and leasing 55 3.3%
Educational services 32 1.9%
Manufacturing 29 1.7%
Information 27 1.6%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 27 1.6%
Management of companies and enterprises 17 1.0%
Industries not classified 3 0.2%

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 08816 vs 08850 →

ZIP 08816 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 08816 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 08816 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 08816 ranks the highest 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
08850 Milltown, NJ 8,281 1.8 mi
08882 South River, NJ 16,008 2.3 mi
08884 Spotswood, NJ 8,257 2.6 mi
08828 Helmetta, NJ 2,178 3.5 mi
08901 New Brunswick, NJ 55,223 4.1 mi
08902 North Brunswick, NJ 41,153 3.8 mi
08904 Highland Park, NJ 13,982 5.0 mi
08817 Edison, NJ 44,621 6.1 mi
08872 Sayreville, NJ 18,811 4.8 mi
08831 Monroe Township, NJ 45,620 7.1 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
08831 standard
Monroe Township, NJ
Pop: 45,620
08817 standard
Edison, NJ
Pop: 44,621
08902 standard
North Brunswick, NJ
Pop: 41,153

Related Areas

Middlesex County East Brunswick, NJ New Jersey

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 08816 in? ▼
ZIP code 08816 (East Brunswick) 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 08816? ▼
ZIP code 08816 in East Brunswick, NJ has a population of 46,298 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 08816? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 08816 is $143,586, which is 88% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 08816? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 08816 is $522,700, which is 88% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 08816? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 08816 is White at 48.2%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 13.2% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 08816? ▼
ZIP code 08816 has 1,670 business establishments employing approximately 27,237 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 08816? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 08816 are: Professional, scientific, and technical services (335), Health care and social assistance (278), Retail trade (186). There are 17 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 08816? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 08816 increased by 9.8% 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 08816? ▼
In ZIP code 08816, 73.7% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 58.4% 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 08816? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 08816 is 36.4 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 08816? ▼
In ZIP code 08816, approximately 79.7% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 20.3% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 08816? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 08816 is 5.8% 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.