PlainZIP

New Brunswick, NJ · standard

ZIP Code 08901

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

55,223
3,343/sq mi
$65,810
Median income
$353,800
Median home value
23.5%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

New Brunswick pairs a below-median household income with above-median home values, in a suburban-density, renter-heavy and unusually populous area.

40th pct
household income, US ZIPs
Top 26%
home value, US ZIPs
3,343
people per sq mi
21%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 08901 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 08901 is a densely settled ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in New Brunswick, Middlesex County, New Jersey, with 55,223 residents across 16.5 square miles, a density of 3,343 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 08901 reports a modest median household income of $65,810 (46% below the New Jersey average), while per-capita income is $25,133. The poverty rate stands at 32.0% and the unemployment rate at 8.0%. The typical home here is valued at $353,800 (31% below the state average); renters pay a median of $1,814 monthly, and 21.4% of units are owner-occupied.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 23.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 24.4, and the average commute is 23 minutes. Beyond these figures, 10 nearby ZIP codes within about 10 miles are surfaced below, along with 6 more sharing Middlesex County, letting you compare 08901 to its immediate surroundings rather than a national baseline 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 08901

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in New Brunswick, NJ

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 08901.

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 08901, New 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

55,223

Population

16.5

Area (sq mi)

3,343

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 08901?

24.4

Median Age

52.4%

Male

47.6%

Female

39.7%

Foreign-Born

White 30.3%
African American 12.4%
Asian 8.1%
American Indian or Alaska Native 9.1%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 10.3%
Hispanic or Latino 53.9%

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?

$65,810

Median Household Income

-46% vs state

$25,133

Per Capita Income

32.0%

Poverty Rate

8.0%

Unemployment Rate

23.1 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 08901 ranks nationally

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

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

$65,810 40th percentile higher than 40% 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 52.8%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 23.5%

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

What does housing look like?

16,854

Total Housing Units

15,676

Occupied Units

1,178

Vacant Units

3.13

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 21.4%
Renter 78.6%

$353,800

Median Home Value

-31% vs state

$1,814

Median Rent

1968

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

+9.9%

YoY Change (2024)

274

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+174%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 08901 have increased 9.9% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +174% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 +5.5% 208
2021 +10.0% 229
2022 +3.5% 237
2023 +5.4% 249
2024 +9.9% 274

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 1,071 business establishments in ZIP 08901, employing approximately 20,240 people with a combined annual payroll of $1,570,075,000.

1,071

Businesses

20,240

Employees

$1.6B

Annual Payroll

16

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Accommodation and food services 175 16.3%
Retail trade 129 12.0%
Health care and social assistance 121 11.3%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 111 10.4%
Other services (except public administration) 109 10.2%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 77 7.2%
Construction 69 6.4%
Wholesale trade 59 5.5%
Real estate and rental and leasing 59 5.5%
Transportation and warehousing 38 3.5%
Finance and insurance 37 3.5%
Manufacturing 36 3.4%
Information 18 1.7%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 15 1.4%
Educational services 10 0.9%
Management of companies and enterprises 6 0.6%

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 08901 vs 08904 →

ZIP 08901 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 08901 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 08901 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 08901 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
08904 Highland Park, NJ 13,982 1.4 mi
08850 Milltown, NJ 8,281 2.5 mi
08817 Edison, NJ 44,621 3.3 mi
08816 East Brunswick, NJ 46,298 4.1 mi
08854 Piscataway, NJ 55,961 4.5 mi
08902 North Brunswick, NJ 41,153 3.8 mi
08882 South River, NJ 16,008 4.3 mi
08873 Somerset, NJ 49,921 4.8 mi
07080 South Plainfield, NJ 23,377 6.4 mi
07063 Plainfield, NJ 13,538 8.4 mi

More ZIP Codes in Middlesex County

08854 standard
Piscataway, NJ
Pop: 55,961
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
08902 standard
North Brunswick, NJ
Pop: 41,153

Related Areas

Middlesex County New Brunswick, NJ New Jersey

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 08901 in? ▼
ZIP code 08901 (New 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 08901? ▼
ZIP code 08901 in New Brunswick, NJ has a population of 55,223 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 08901? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 08901 is $65,810, which is 14% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 08901? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 08901 is $353,800, which is 27% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 08901? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 08901 is White at 30.3%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 53.9% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 08901? ▼
ZIP code 08901 has 1,071 business establishments employing approximately 20,240 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 08901? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 08901 are: Accommodation and food services (175), Retail trade (129), Health care and social assistance (121). There are 16 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 08901? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 08901 increased by 9.9% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 174%. 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 08901? ▼
In ZIP code 08901, 52.8% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 23.5% 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 08901? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 08901 is 23.1 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 08901? ▼
In ZIP code 08901, approximately 21.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 78.6% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 08901? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 08901 is 32.0% 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.