07062 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
07008
07062
Opportunity
55 · Top 48%
vs60 · Top 39%
Growth
64 · Top 25%
vs61 · Top 32%
Climate
71 · Top 48%
vs71 · Top 48%
Physical resilience
45 · Bottom 35%
vs49 · Bottom 41%
Housing affordability
70 · Bottom 36%
vs77 · Bottom 45%
Access
99 · Top 15%
vs97 · Top 25%
Economic stability
72 · Top 28%
vs74 · Top 23%
Measured values
| Metric | 07008 | 07062 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 25,526 | 15,399 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $97,021 | $98,344 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $38,586 | $38,634 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 5,805/sq mi | 8,008/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $406,000 | $396,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,032 | $1,881 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 54.7% | 63.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% | 5.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.6% | 0.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 30.1% | 32.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.2% | 10.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 82 | 243 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.2 | 4.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 46.4% | 19.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 87°F | 87°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 26°F | 26°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 46.6" | 46.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 8 mi | 13 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 34.0 min | 33.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.1 | 35.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 7 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 12.20 | 13.24 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 75.8% | 80.6% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
07008
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, earthquake.
07062
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: 07008 — Carteret, NJ · 07062 — Plainfield, NJ · How this is calculated: methodology