07018 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
08901
07018
Opportunity
47 · Bottom 34%
vs41 · Bottom 23%
Growth
53 · Top 45%
vs49 · Bottom 48%
Climate
63 · Bottom 31%
vs71 · Top 48%
Physical resilience
45 · Bottom 35%
vs50 · Bottom 42%
Housing affordability
42 · Bottom 7%
vs48 · Bottom 11%
Schools
21 · Bottom 11%
vs24 · Bottom 15%
Access
92 · Bottom 49%
vs99 · Top 15%
Economic stability
44 · Bottom 24%
vs54 · Bottom 40%
Measured values
| Metric | 08901 | 07018 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 57,263 | 28,924 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $65,810 | $62,564 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $25,133 | $35,437 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 9,137/sq mi | 17,403/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $353,800 | $353,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,814 | $1,532 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 21.4% | 27.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% | 6.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.6% | 0.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.5% | 24.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 32.0% | 16.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 55 | 172 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.0 | 2.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 41.0% | 12.4% | 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 | 5 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.9 min | 37.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 24.4 | 38.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 13 | 5 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 10.86 | 14.73 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 3.6% | 5.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 21.1% | 27.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 90.8% | 51.7% | 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
08901
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, earthquake.
07018
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: 08901 — New Brunswick, NJ · 07018 — East Orange, NJ · How this is calculated: methodology