07643 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
08542
07643
Opportunity
79 · Top 9%
vs75 · Top 13%
Growth
58 · Top 36%
vs50 · Bottom 49%
Climate
70 · Bottom 49%
vs71 · Top 47%
Physical resilience
36 · Bottom 29%
vs47 · Bottom 38%
Housing affordability
42 · Bottom 7%
vs62 · Bottom 25%
Access
83 · Bottom 26%
vs97 · Top 24%
Economic stability
85 · Top 5%
vs79 · Top 13%
Measured values
| Metric | 08542 | 07643 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 2,533 | 10,996 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $105,524 | $85,750 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $72,582 | $46,279 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 6,562/sq mi | 7,445/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $754,100 | $429,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,497 | $1,783 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 32.3% | 45.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7% | 3.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.4% | 1.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 70.7% | 36.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 4.2% | 6.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 160 | 68 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 5.2 | 6.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -14.4% | -35.8% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 86°F | 87°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 24°F | 26°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 45.6" | 46.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 35 mi | 13 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 22.9 min | 32.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.2 | 44.6 | 2024 ACS 5-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
08542
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, inland flooding, hurricane.
07643
Elevated or high exposure: coastal flooding, earthquake.
Full profiles: 08542 — Princeton, NJ · 07643 — Little Ferry, NJ · How this is calculated: methodology