07062 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
07062
07008
Opportunity
60 · Top 39%
vs55 · Top 48%
Growth
61 · Top 32%
vs64 · Top 25%
Climate
71 · Top 48%
vs71 · Top 48%
Physical resilience
49 · Bottom 41%
vs45 · Bottom 35%
Housing affordability
77 · Bottom 45%
vs70 · Bottom 36%
Access
97 · Top 25%
vs99 · Top 15%
Economic stability
74 · Top 23%
vs72 · Top 28%
Measured values
| Metric | 07062 | 07008 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 15,399 | 25,526 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $98,344 | $97,021 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $38,634 | $38,586 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 8,008/sq mi | 5,805/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $396,100 | $406,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,881 | $2,032 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 63.8% | 54.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.1% | 5.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.9% | 0.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 32.4% | 30.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 10.6% | 8.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 243 | 82 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.4 | 3.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 19.1% | 46.4% | 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 | 13 mi | 8 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 33.8 min | 34.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.9 | 38.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 7 | 6 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.24 | 12.20 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 80.6% | 75.8% | 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
07062
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
07008
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, earthquake.
Full profiles: 07062 — Plainfield, NJ · 07008 — Carteret, NJ · How this is calculated: methodology