PlainZIP

Perth Amboy, NJ · standard

ZIP Code 08861

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

53,099
3,986/sq mi
$64,491
Median income
$370,900
Median home value
16.4%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Perth Amboy pairs a below-median household income with upper-quartile home values, in a suburban-density, renter-heavy and unusually populous area.

37th pct
household income, US ZIPs
Top 24%
home value, US ZIPs
3,986
people per sq mi
38%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 08861 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 08861 is a densely settled ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Perth Amboy, Middlesex County, New Jersey, with 53,099 residents across 13.3 square miles, a density of 3,986 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 08861 reports a modest median household income of $64,491 (47% below the New Jersey average), while per-capita income is $28,740. The poverty rate stands at 19.3% and the unemployment rate at 13.6%. On housing, the median home value is $370,900 (28% below the state average) with median rent at $1,675 per month, and 37.5% of occupied units are owner-occupied.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 16.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 38.3, and the average commute is 25 minutes. To put 08861 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 08861

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Perth Amboy, NJ

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 08861.

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 08861, Perth Amboy, 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

53,099

Population

13.3

Area (sq mi)

3,986

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 08861?

38.3

Median Age

49.5%

Male

50.5%

Female

49.4%

Foreign-Born

White 20.9%
African American 8.1%
Asian 2.6%
American Indian or Alaska Native 3.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 19.0%
Hispanic or Latino 81.6%

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?

$64,491

Median Household Income

-47% vs state

$28,740

Per Capita Income

19.3%

Poverty Rate

13.6%

Unemployment Rate

24.9 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 08861 ranks nationally

Perth Amboy, NJ household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$64,491 37th percentile higher than 37% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $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 45.0%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 16.4%

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

What does housing look like?

21,166

Total Housing Units

20,596

Occupied Units

570

Vacant Units

2.86

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 37.5%
Renter 62.5%

$370,900

Median Home Value

-28% vs state

$1,675

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

+8.3%

YoY Change (2024)

310

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+210%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 08861 have increased 8.3% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +210% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 +6.4% 212
2021 +11.2% 236
2022 +11.2% 262
2023 +9.2% 286
2024 +8.3% 310

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 1,042 business establishments in ZIP 08861, employing approximately 13,974 people with a combined annual payroll of $722,049,000.

1,042

Businesses

13,974

Employees

$722.0M

Annual Payroll

17

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Retail trade 209 20.1%
Transportation and warehousing 143 13.7%
Other services (except public administration) 133 12.8%
Health care and social assistance 103 9.9%
Accommodation and food services 100 9.6%
Construction 75 7.2%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 61 5.8%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 51 4.9%
Wholesale trade 41 3.9%
Real estate and rental and leasing 34 3.3%
Finance and insurance 25 2.4%
Manufacturing 24 2.3%
Information 13 1.3%
Educational services 10 1.0%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 9 0.9%
Utilities 4 0.4%
Industries not classified 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 08861 vs 08832 →

ZIP 08861 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 08861 ranks the most populous - useful context the national average alone can't give.

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

ZIP 08861 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 08861 ranks #null 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
08832 Keasbey, NJ 2,863 1.8 mi
07095 Woodbridge, NJ 19,844 2.4 mi
10307 Staten Island, NY 14,096 2.0 mi
08863 Fords, NJ 12,320 2.2 mi
07077 Sewaren, NJ 2,766 2.5 mi
08879 South Amboy, NJ 23,537 3.8 mi
10309 Staten Island, NY 32,519 2.9 mi
07001 Avenel, NJ 16,305 4.3 mi
07064 Port Reading, NJ 3,723 3.5 mi
08837 Edison, NJ 15,847 3.7 mi

More ZIP Codes in Middlesex County

08854 standard
Piscataway, NJ
Pop: 55,961
08901 standard
New Brunswick, NJ
Pop: 55,223
08816 standard
East Brunswick, NJ
Pop: 46,298
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 Perth Amboy, NJ New Jersey

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 08861 in? ▼
ZIP code 08861 (Perth Amboy) 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 08861? ▼
ZIP code 08861 in Perth Amboy, NJ has a population of 53,099 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 08861? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 08861 is $64,491, which is 15% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 08861? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 08861 is $370,900, which is 33% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 08861? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 08861 is White at 20.9%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 81.6% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 08861? ▼
ZIP code 08861 has 1,042 business establishments employing approximately 13,974 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 08861? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 08861 are: Retail trade (209), Transportation and warehousing (143), Other services (except public administration) (133). There are 17 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 08861? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 08861 increased by 8.3% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 210%. 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 08861? ▼
In ZIP code 08861, 45.0% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 16.4% 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 08861? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 08861 is 24.9 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend less time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 08861? ▼
In ZIP code 08861, approximately 37.5% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 62.5% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 08861? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 08861 is 19.3% 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.