PlainZIP

Edison, NJ · standard

ZIP Code 08820

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

39,590
1,475/sq mi
$171,363
Median income
$630,200
Median home value
71.7%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Edison pairs a top-decile household income with top-decile home values, in a low-density, homeowner-dominated area.

Top 2%
household income, US ZIPs
Top 8%
home value, US ZIPs
1,475
people per sq mi
76%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 08820 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 08820 is a densely settled ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Edison, Middlesex County, New Jersey, with 39,590 residents across 26.8 square miles, a density of 1,475 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 08820 skews affluent, with a median household income of $171,363 (40% above the New Jersey average), while per-capita income is $66,131. The poverty rate stands at 3.0% and the unemployment rate at 4.0%. On housing, the median home value is $630,200 (22% above the state average) with median rent at $2,081 per month, and 75.7% of occupied units are owner-occupied.

This is a highly-educated ZIP: 71.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 42.9, and the average commute is 42 minutes. We also surface 10 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Middlesex County, so you can benchmark 08820 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 08820

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Edison, NJ

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 08820.

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 08820, Edison, 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

39,590

Population

26.8

Area (sq mi)

1,475

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 08820?

42.9

Median Age

50.0%

Male

50.0%

Female

57.1%

Foreign-Born

White 17.0%
African American 4.9%
Asian 72.6%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 3.7%
Hispanic or Latino 3.2%

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?

$171,363

Median Household Income

+40% vs state

$66,131

Per Capita Income

3.0%

Poverty Rate

4.0%

Unemployment Rate

42.3 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 08820 ranks nationally

Edison, NJ household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$171,363 Top 2% higher than 98% 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%). Below this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). This entry sits in this band. $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 82.3%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 71.7%

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

What does housing look like?

13,458

Total Housing Units

13,181

Occupied Units

277

Vacant Units

3.01

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 75.7%
Renter 24.3%

$630,200

Median Home Value

+22% vs state

$2,081

Median Rent

1983

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

+14.3%

YoY Change (2024)

294

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+194%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 08820 have increased 14.3% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +194% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 +2.4% 198
2021 +5.6% 209
2022 +11.5% 233
2023 +10.3% 257
2024 +14.3% 294

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 1,143 business establishments in ZIP 08820, employing approximately 13,336 people with a combined annual payroll of $818,786,000.

1,143

Businesses

13,336

Employees

$818.8M

Annual Payroll

16

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Professional, scientific, and technical services 329 28.8%
Health care and social assistance 244 21.4%
Accommodation and food services 93 8.1%
Retail trade 86 7.5%
Wholesale trade 76 6.7%
Other services (except public administration) 54 4.7%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 47 4.1%
Construction 43 3.8%
Finance and insurance 40 3.5%
Real estate and rental and leasing 35 3.1%
Transportation and warehousing 26 2.3%
Educational services 22 1.9%
Information 18 1.6%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 17 1.5%
Manufacturing 8 0.7%
Management of companies and enterprises 3 0.3%

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 08820 vs 08840 →

ZIP 08820 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 08820 ranks #3 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 08820 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 08820 ranks #3 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
08840 Metuchen, NJ 16,558 2.4 mi
07080 South Plainfield, NJ 23,377 2.6 mi
08830 Iselin, NJ 18,459 2.6 mi
07076 Scotch Plains, NJ 23,480 3.9 mi
07067 Colonia, NJ 18,036 2.9 mi
07023 Fanwood, NJ 7,318 4.6 mi
08837 Edison, NJ 15,847 4.5 mi
08817 Edison, NJ 44,621 4.5 mi
07062 Plainfield, NJ 12,949 4.2 mi
07060 Plainfield, NJ 44,998 4.0 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 Edison, NJ New Jersey

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 08820 in? ▼
ZIP code 08820 (Edison) 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 08820? ▼
ZIP code 08820 in Edison, NJ has a population of 39,590 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 08820? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 08820 is $171,363, which is 125% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 08820? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 08820 is $630,200, which is 127% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 08820? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 08820 is Asian at 72.6%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 3.2% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 08820? ▼
ZIP code 08820 has 1,143 business establishments employing approximately 13,336 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 08820? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 08820 are: Professional, scientific, and technical services (329), Health care and social assistance (244), Accommodation and food services (93). There are 16 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 08820? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 08820 increased by 14.3% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 194%. 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 08820? ▼
In ZIP code 08820, 82.3% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 71.7% 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 08820? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 08820 is 42.3 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 08820? ▼
In ZIP code 08820, approximately 75.7% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 24.3% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 08820? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 08820 is 3.0% 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.