Highland Park, NJ · standard
ZIP Code 08904
Middlesex County, New Jersey - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 13,982
- 2,964/sq mi High-density area
- $104,694
- Median income Above-median income area
- $471,700
- Median home value Above-median home value
- 69.8%
- Bachelor's or higher Above-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Highland Park pairs an upper-quartile household income with upper-quartile home values, in a suburban-density, mixed-tenure area.
- Top 16%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 15%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 2,964
- people per sq mi
- 40%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 08904 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 08904 (Highland Park, NJ) rose +10.3% from 2023 to 2024. The all-transactions index moved from 234.5 in 2023 to 258.6 in 2024 (2000 = 100).
ZIP code 08904 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Highland Park, Middlesex County, New Jersey, home to 13,982 residents across 4.7 square miles, a density of 2,964 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.
ZIP 08904 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $104,694 (14% below the average New Jersey ZIP), while per-capita income is $58,731. The poverty rate is 7.5%, with unemployment at 4.8%; those measures add context to the income figure. Median home value is $471,700 (9% below the average New Jersey ZIP) and median rent is $1,873; 40.3% of occupied homes are owner-occupied.
This is a highly-educated ZIP: 69.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 35.2, and the average commute is 27 minutes. The page also surfaces 10 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Middlesex County, so 08904 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 08904
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Highland Park, NJ
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 08904.
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
64 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
42 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
39 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
33 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
31 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 08904, Highland Park, 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
13,982
Population
4.7
Area (sq mi)
2,964
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 08904?
35.2
Median Age
50.5%
Male
49.5%
Female
34.3%
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?
$104,694
Median Household Income
-14% vs state ZIP avg
$58,731
Per Capita Income
7.5%
Poverty Rate
4.8%
Unemployment Rate
27.1 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 08904 ranks among New Jersey ZIPs
Highland Park, NJ household income vs. every New Jersey ZIP code
Median household income among 565 reporting New Jersey ZIPs (this ZIP's population is too small for a reliable national-corpus placement)
$104,694 40th percentile higher than 40% of 565 New Jersey ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more New Jersey 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
6,759housing units
6,759
Total Housing Units
6,436
Occupied Units
323
Vacant Units
2.34
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$471,700
Median Home Value
-9% vs state ZIP avg
$1,873
Median Rent
1962
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
+10.3%
YoY Change (2024)
259
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+159%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 08904 have increased 10.3% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +159% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +2.4% | 179 |
| 2021 | +7.6% | 193 |
| 2022 | +9.3% | 211 |
| 2023 | +11.2% | 235 |
| 2024 | +10.3% | 259 |
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 306 business establishments in ZIP 08904, employing approximately 2,034 people with a combined annual payroll of $99,732,000.
306
Businesses
2,034
Employees
$99.7M
Annual Payroll
14
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 64 | 20.9% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 42 | 13.7% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 39 | 12.8% |
| Accommodation and food services | 33 | 10.8% |
| Retail trade | 31 | 10.1% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 25 | 8.2% |
| Construction | 20 | 6.5% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 11 | 3.6% |
| Educational services | 11 | 3.6% |
| Finance and insurance | 9 | 2.9% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 9 | 2.9% |
| Manufacturing | 5 | 1.6% |
| Wholesale trade | 4 | 1.3% |
| Information | 3 | 1.0% |
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 08904 vs 08901 →
ZIP 08904 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 08854
Piscataway (08854)
55,961 residents
- 08901
New Brunswick (08901)
55,223 residents
- 08873
Somerset (08873)
49,921 residents
- 08816
East Brunswick (08816)
46,298 residents
- 08817
Edison (08817)
44,621 residents
- 07080
South Plainfield (07080)
23,377 residents
- 08840 16,558
Metuchen (08840)
16,558 residents
- 08882 16,008
South River (08882)
16,008 residents
- 08837 15,847
Edison (08837)
15,847 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 08904 ranks #0 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 08904 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 08840
Metuchen (08840)
$146,635 median income
- 08816
East Brunswick (08816)
$143,586 median income
- 08850
Milltown (08850)
$141,601 median income
- 07080
South Plainfield (07080)
$130,205 median income
- 08854
Piscataway (08854)
$127,806 median income
- 08873
Somerset (08873)
$124,972 median income
- 08817
Edison (08817)
$110,808 median income
- 08904
Highland Park (08904)
$104,694 median income
- 08837
Edison (08837)
$102,605 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 08904 ranks #8 of 9 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 08901 | New Brunswick, NJ | 55,223 | 1.4 mi |
| 08817 | Edison, NJ | 44,621 | 2.1 mi |
| 08850 | Milltown, NJ | 8,281 | 3.7 mi |
| 08854 | Piscataway, NJ | 55,961 | 3.7 mi |
| 08816 | East Brunswick, NJ | 46,298 | 5.0 mi |
| 07080 | South Plainfield, NJ | 23,377 | 5.2 mi |
| 08837 | Edison, NJ | 15,847 | 4.5 mi |
| 08882 | South River, NJ | 16,008 | 4.6 mi |
| 08873 | Somerset, NJ | 49,921 | 5.5 mi |
| 08840 | Metuchen, NJ | 16,558 | 4.7 mi |
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 08904, 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 (13,982 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Middlesex County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 08904 in?
ZIP code 08904 (Highland Park) 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 08904?
ZIP code 08904 in Highland Park, NJ has a population of 13,982 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 08904?
The median household income in ZIP 08904 is $104,694, which is 37% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 08904?
The median home value in ZIP 08904 is $471,700, which is 70% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 08904?
The largest racial group in ZIP 08904 is White at 57.1%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 15.8% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 08904?
ZIP code 08904 has 306 business establishments employing approximately 2,034 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 08904?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 08904 are: Health care and social assistance (64), Other services (except public administration) (42), Professional, scientific, and technical services (39). There are 14 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 08904?
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 08904 increased by 10.3% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 159%. 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 08904?
In ZIP code 08904, 80.6% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 69.8% 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 08904?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 08904 is 27.1 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 08904?
In ZIP code 08904, approximately 40.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 59.7% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 08904?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 08904 is 7.5% 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 08904's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 08904 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Highland Park, NJ ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
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ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.