Somerset, NJ · standard
ZIP Code 08873
Somerset County, New Jersey - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 49,921
- 597/sq mi High-density area
- $124,972
- Median income Above-median income area
- $465,800
- Median home value Above-median home value
- 54.6%
- Bachelor's or higher Above-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Somerset pairs a top-decile household income with upper-quartile home values, in a low-density, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 8%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 15%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 597
- people per sq mi
- 68%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 08873 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 08873 (Somerset, NJ) rose +12.9% from 2023 to 2024. The all-transactions index moved from 237.5 in 2023 to 268.2 in 2024 (2000 = 100).
ZIP code 08873 is a densely settled ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Somerset, Somerset County, New Jersey, with 49,921 residents across 83.6 square miles, a density of 597 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.
ZIP 08873 skews affluent, with a median household income of $124,972 (2% above the average New Jersey ZIP), while per-capita income is $60,750. The poverty rate is 5.8%, with unemployment at 4.7%; those measures add context to the income figure. Median home value is $465,800 (10% below the average New Jersey ZIP) and median rent is $2,087; 67.6% of occupied homes are owner-occupied.
This is a highly-educated ZIP: 54.6% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 40.4, and the average commute is 34 minutes. The page also surfaces 10 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Somerset County, so 08873 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 08873
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Somerset, NJ
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 08873.
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
256 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
244 establishments
- Wholesale trade
Wholesale trade
140 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
118 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
111 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 08873, Somerset, 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
49,921
Population
83.6
Area (sq mi)
597
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 08873?
40.4
Median Age
49.1%
Male
50.9%
Female
33.4%
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?
$124,972
Median Household Income
+2% vs state ZIP avg
$60,750
Per Capita Income
5.8%
Poverty Rate
4.7%
Unemployment Rate
33.7 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 08873 ranks nationally
Somerset, NJ household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income, the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$124,972 Top 8% higher than 92% of 30,318 US ZIPs
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?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
22,374housing units
22,374
Total Housing Units
21,831
Occupied Units
543
Vacant Units
2.55
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$465,800
Median Home Value
-10% vs state ZIP avg
$2,087
Median Rent
1984
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
+12.9%
YoY Change (2024)
268
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+168%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 08873 have increased 12.9% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +168% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +3.8% | 175 |
| 2021 | +10.7% | 194 |
| 2022 | +13.7% | 221 |
| 2023 | +7.7% | 238 |
| 2024 | +12.9% | 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 1,485 business establishments in ZIP 08873, employing approximately 38,103 people with a combined annual payroll of $3,125,451,000.
1,485
Businesses
38,103
Employees
$3.1B
Annual Payroll
18
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 256 | 17.2% |
| Health care and social assistance | 244 | 16.4% |
| Wholesale trade | 140 | 9.4% |
| Retail trade | 118 | 8.0% |
| Accommodation and food services | 111 | 7.5% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 109 | 7.3% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 98 | 6.6% |
| Construction | 89 | 6.0% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 73 | 4.9% |
| Manufacturing | 55 | 3.7% |
| Finance and insurance | 55 | 3.7% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 38 | 2.6% |
| Information | 30 | 2.0% |
| Educational services | 30 | 2.0% |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 21 | 1.4% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 10 | 0.7% |
| Utilities | 5 | 0.3% |
| 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 08873 vs 08880 →
ZIP 08873 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 08901
New Brunswick (08901)
55,223 residents
- 08873
Somerset (08873)
49,921 residents
- 08902
North Brunswick (08902)
41,153 residents
- 08904 13,982
Highland Park (08904)
13,982 residents
- 08846 13,635
Middlesex (08846)
13,635 residents
- 08805 12,254
Bound Brook (08805)
12,254 residents
- 08824 12,115
Kendall Park (08824)
12,115 residents
- 08835 10,344
Manville (08835)
10,344 residents
- 08823 9,016
Franklin Park (08823)
9,016 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 08873 ranks #2 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 08873 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 08824
Kendall Park (08824)
$174,776 median income
- 08873
Somerset (08873)
$124,972 median income
- 08902
North Brunswick (08902)
$121,071 median income
- 08823
Franklin Park (08823)
$115,597 median income
- 08880
South Bound Brook (08880)
$112,961 median income
- 08846
Middlesex (08846)
$105,000 median income
- 08904
Highland Park (08904)
$104,694 median income
- 08805
Bound Brook (08805)
$93,341 median income
- 08835
Manville (08835)
$93,333 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 08873 ranks #2 of 9 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 08880 | South Bound Brook, NJ | 4,563 | 3.8 mi |
| 08805 | Bound Brook, NJ | 12,254 | 5.1 mi |
| 08890 | Zarephath, NJ | 17 | 3.6 mi |
| 08823 | Franklin Park, NJ | 9,016 | 4.3 mi |
| 08824 | Kendall Park, NJ | 12,115 | 5.3 mi |
| 08835 | Manville, NJ | 10,344 | 4.2 mi |
| 08902 | North Brunswick, NJ | 41,153 | 4.7 mi |
| 08901 | New Brunswick, NJ | 55,223 | 4.8 mi |
| 08904 | Highland Park, NJ | 13,982 | 5.5 mi |
| 08846 | Middlesex, NJ | 13,635 | 5.5 mi |
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 08873, 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 (49,921 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Somerset County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 08873 in?
ZIP code 08873 (Somerset) is located in Somerset County, New Jersey. Somerset County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/somerset-nj.
What is the population of ZIP code 08873?
ZIP code 08873 in Somerset, NJ has a population of 49,921 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 08873?
The median household income in ZIP 08873 is $124,972, which is 64% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 08873?
The median home value in ZIP 08873 is $465,800, which is 67% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 08873?
The largest racial group in ZIP 08873 is White at 29.8%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 20.1% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 08873?
ZIP code 08873 has 1,485 business establishments employing approximately 38,103 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 08873?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 08873 are: Professional, scientific, and technical services (256), Health care and social assistance (244), Wholesale trade (140). There are 18 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 08873?
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 08873 increased by 12.9% 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 08873?
In ZIP code 08873, 72.6% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 54.6% 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 08873?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 08873 is 33.7 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 08873?
In ZIP code 08873, approximately 67.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 32.4% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 08873?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 08873 is 5.8% 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 08873's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 08873 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Somerset, 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.