07203 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
08882
07203
Opportunity
64 · Top 31%
vs64 · Top 32%
Growth
48 · Bottom 47%
vs58 · Top 35%
Climate
63 · Bottom 31%
vs71 · Top 48%
Physical resilience
45 · Bottom 35%
vs49 · Bottom 40%
Housing affordability
80 · Bottom 49%
vs82 · Top 46%
Schools
32 · Bottom 26%
vs27 · Bottom 19%
Access
92 · Bottom 49%
vs99 · Top 15%
Economic stability
69 · Top 32%
vs76 · Top 18%
Measured values
| Metric | 08882 | 07203 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,124 | 22,646 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $96,147 | $92,762 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $42,301 | $42,371 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 5,759/sq mi | 8,594/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $405,200 | $379,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,675 | $1,567 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 65.6% | 54.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.5% | 4.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.6% | 0.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 27.9% | 27.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.5% | 9.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 21 | 95 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.3 | 4.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -25.0% | 31.9% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 86°F | 87°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 21°F | 26°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 45.5" | 46.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 20 mi | 6 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 35.0 min | 35.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.0 | 39.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 4 | 8 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 10.39 | 12.58 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 5.6% | 3.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 29.4% | 31.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 66.5% | 74.3% | 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
08882
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, earthquake.
07203
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: 08882 — South River, NJ · 07203 — Roselle, NJ · How this is calculated: methodology