07012 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
08904
07012
Opportunity
70 · Top 20%
vs75 · Top 13%
Growth
34 · Bottom 24%
vs36 · Bottom 26%
Climate
63 · Bottom 31%
vs71 · Top 47%
Physical resilience
45 · Bottom 35%
vs36 · Bottom 28%
Housing affordability
75 · Bottom 42%
vs74 · Bottom 41%
Schools
66 · Top 32%
vs70 · Top 27%
Access
93 · Top 48%
vs99 · Top 16%
Economic stability
79 · Top 14%
vs86 · Top 3%
Measured values
| Metric | 08904 | 07012 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 15,121 | 14,653 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $104,694 | $101,737 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $58,731 | $52,382 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 8,304/sq mi | 6,682/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $471,700 | $483,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,873 | $1,759 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 40.3% | 56.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.5% | 4.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.6% | 1.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 69.8% | 46.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 7.5% | 4.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 1 | 60 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.1 | 0.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 0.0% | 7.1% | 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" | 46.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 19 mi | 11 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 29.9 min | 34.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.2 | 38.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 4 | 4 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 10.56 | 9.23 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 23.4% | 34.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 44.8% | 42.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 45.9% | 48.7% | 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
08904
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, earthquake.
07012
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, earthquake.
Full profiles: 08904 — Highland Park, NJ · 07012 — Clifton, NJ · How this is calculated: methodology