Manville and Middlesex receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Manville
Middlesex
Opportunity
70 · Top 23%
vs66 · Top 29%
Growth
39 · Bottom 30%
vs40 · Bottom 32%
Climate
63 · Bottom 30%
vs63 · Bottom 30%
Physical resilience
55 · Bottom 47%
vs46 · Bottom 36%
Housing affordability
78 · Bottom 46%
vs86 · Top 41%
Schools
43 · Bottom 39%
vs56 · Top 44%
Access
90 · Bottom 42%
vs93 · Top 45%
Economic stability
62 · Top 47%
vs68 · Top 35%
Measured values
| Metric | Manville | Middlesex | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,921 | 14,645 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $93,333 | $105,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $44,217 | $51,617 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 4,626/sq mi | 4,199/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $354,300 | $446,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,844 | $1,416 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 77.0% | 73.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.9% | 4.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.6% | 0.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 27.0% | 36.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 11.7% | 11.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 12 | 16 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.1 | 1.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -25.0% | -48.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 86°F | 86°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 21°F | 21°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 45.5" | 45.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 24 mi | 19 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 29.7 min | 28.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 44.9 | 44.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 4 | 6 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 9.91 | 11.39 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 12.8% | 18.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 63.8% | 44.1% | 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
Manville
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, earthquake.
Middlesex
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, earthquake.
Full profiles: Manville, NJ · Middlesex, NJ · How this is calculated: methodology