Housing data for Plainsboro Township, NJ
Plainsboro Township, NJ has an estimated 24,167 residents and 10,175 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a township in Middlesex County.
52.3% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $2,037 a month.
Its population grew measurably since 2015–2019 (+4.9%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 24,167 (±40)
- Housing units
- 10,175 (±357)
- Households that rent
- 52.3%
- Median gross rent
- $2,037
- Residents since 2015–2019
- +4.9%
What stands out in Plainsboro Township
Working from home: 36.0% (±3.8 points) in Plainsboro Township, higher than in Middlesex County (18.1%).
Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 46.6% (±5.2 points) in Plainsboro Township, higher than in Middlesex County (24.0%).
Median home value: $683,100 (±$42,640) in Plainsboro Township, higher than in Middlesex County ($462,900).
Households that rent: 52.3% (±3.7 points) in Plainsboro Township, higher than in Middlesex County (36.4%).
- Commute and cars in Plainsboro Township
- Types of homes in Plainsboro Township
- Home values in Plainsboro Township
- Renters and owners in Plainsboro Township
Housing in Plainsboro Township at a glance
- Median rent: $2,037 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $2,340 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms
- Rent burden: 33.7% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 52.3% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $131,638 median household income
- Home values: $683,100 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $3,791 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $10,000 or more median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 46.6% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 36.8% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 25.7% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 0.2% rental vacancy rate
- Heating fuel: 56.6% heat with utility gas
- Commute and cars: 32.5 minutes average trip to work
- Crime reported to police: 36 violent crimes per 100,000 residents
- Growth: +4.9% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 33.1% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 6.4% of homes have more than 1 person per room
Plainsboro Township against Middlesex County, its state and the nation
| Plainsboro Township | Middlesex County | New Jersey | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 24,167 (±40) | 871,290 (exact) | 9,343,809 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 10,175 (±357) | 317,979 (±208) | 3,791,354 (±469) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 52.3% (±3.7 points) | 36.4% (±0.6 points) | 36.2% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $2,037 (±$83) | $1,871 (±$20) | $1,720 (±$7) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $131,638 (±$11,517) | $111,549 (±$1,881) | $103,556 (±$513) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $683,100 (±$42,640) | $462,900 (±$2,710) | $454,400 (±$1,150) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $10,000 or more | $9,712 (±$68) | $9,590 (±$25) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 25.7% (±4.5 points) | 57.4% (±1.0 points) | 62.8% (±0.3 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 32.5 minutes (±2.5) | 31.2 minutes (±0.4) | 30.5 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 97.9% (±1.3 points) | 94.3% (±0.4 points) | 92.8% (±0.1 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 37.6 years (±1.3) | 39.5 years (±0.3) | 40.1 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
Plainsboro Township covers 11.8 square miles of land, about 2,054 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Plainsboro Township has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 23,028 (±25) | 24,167 (±40) | +4.9% | Measurable increase |
| Housing units | 10,439 (±387) | 10,175 (±357) | −2.5% | Not a measurable change |
| Median gross rent | $1,663 (±$43) | $2,037 (±$83) | +22.5% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $488,400 (±$22,449) | $683,100 (±$42,640) | +39.9% | Up after inflation |
| Median household income | $113,131 (±$6,470) | $131,638 (±$11,517) | +16.4% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $3,136 (±$166) | $3,791 (±$279) | +20.9% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Households that rent | 50.5% (±2.6 points) | 52.3% (±3.7 points) | +1.8 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 8.0% (±4.2 points) | 0.2% (±0.4 points) | −7.8 percentage points | Measurable decrease |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in Plainsboro Township
In 2025, the Plainsboro Township Police Department reported 36 violent and 284 property crimes per 100,000 residents to the FBI.
ZIP codes in Plainsboro Township
| ZIP code | Share of the ZIP’s land in this place | Residents | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 08536 | 100% | 20,817 | $2,033 | $704,100 | $137,607 |
A ZIP code is a mail route rather than a boundary, so the Census Bureau publishes figures for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas built from census blocks; the share column says how much of each one’s land lies in this place.
Places near Plainsboro Township
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Princeton Junction | 2.4 mi | $1,661 | $709,800 | 18.0% |
| Monmouth Junction | 2.9 mi | $1,935 | $552,900 | 35.9% |
| Kingston | 3.5 mi | $1,765 | $475,900 | 34.2% |
| Cranbury | 3.6 mi | $1,581 | $804,800 | 22.8% |
| Cranbury Township | 3.6 mi | $1,603 | $889,400 | 14.5% |
| Heathcote | 3.7 mi | $1,623 | $567,500 | 20.8% |
| West Windsor Township | 4.1 mi | $2,327 | $776,400 | 34.8% |
| South Brunswick Township | 4.5 mi | $1,935 | $582,700 | 23.1% |
Places in New Jersey most like Plainsboro Township
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Secaucus Town | $2,391 | $571,900 | $139,821 | 49.4% |
| Monmouth Junction | $1,935 | $552,900 | $133,585 | 35.9% |
| Flanders | $1,862 | $552,900 | $147,367 | 40.9% |
| Voorhees Township | $1,754 | $429,700 | $105,473 | 38.0% |
| North Brunswick Township | $2,117 | $431,500 | $120,764 | 42.9% |
| Franklin Park | $2,157 | $336,600 | $114,946 | 44.3% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across New Jersey.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Plainsboro Township, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,953 | $2,103 | $2,623 | $3,125 | $3,508 |
HUD income limits for Plainsboro Township, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $32,550 | $54,200 | $80,200 |
| 2 people | $37,200 | $61,950 | $91,700 |
| 3 people | $41,850 | $69,700 | $103,150 |
| 4 people | $46,450 | $77,400 | $114,600 |
| 5 people | $50,200 | $83,600 | $123,800 |
| 6 people | $53,900 | $89,800 | $132,950 |
| 7 people | $57,600 | $96,000 | $142,150 |
| 8 people | $61,350 | $102,200 | $151,300 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Middlesex-Somerset-Hunterdon, NJ HUD Metro FMR Area, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $154,800.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
The figures for Plainsboro Township include the places inside it that have pages of their own: Plainsboro Center, Princeton Meadows.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about Plainsboro Township
What is the average rent in Plainsboro Township, NJ?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Plainsboro Township is $2,037 (±$83) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How much is a one-bedroom apartment in Plainsboro Township?
The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in Plainsboro Township, NJ is $1,881 (±$83) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Are renters in Plainsboro Township rent-burdened?
33.7% of renting households in Plainsboro Township pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many renters are there in Plainsboro Township?
Plainsboro Township has an estimated 5,158 (±417) renting households, 52.3% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Plainsboro Township?
The median household income in Plainsboro Township is $131,638 (±$11,517) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Plainsboro Township, NJ?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $683,100 (±$42,640) for owner-occupied homes in Plainsboro Township (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Plainsboro Township growing?
In Plainsboro Township, the number of residents went from 23,028 in 2015–2019 to 24,167 in 2020–2024 (+4.9%), a measurable increase.
What ZIP codes are in Plainsboro Township?
The ZIP code that covers Plainsboro Township is 08536.
What is the median rent in ZIP code 08536?
The median gross rent in ZIP Code Tabulation Area 08536 is $2,033 (±$80) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Plainsboro township, Middlesex County, New Jersey
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Plainsboro township, Middlesex County, New Jersey
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Plainsboro township, Middlesex County, New Jersey
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Plainsboro township, Middlesex County, New Jersey
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Plainsboro township, Middlesex County, New Jersey
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Plainsboro township, Middlesex County, New Jersey
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Plainsboro township, Middlesex County, New Jersey
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Middlesex-Somerset-Hunterdon, NJ HUD Metro FMR Area
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Middlesex-Somerset-Hunterdon, NJ HUD Metro FMR Area
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas
- FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Crime Data Explorer: Plainsboro Township Police Department (ORI NJ0121800)
- FBI: Uniform Crime Reporting statistics and their proper use
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Plainsboro township, Middlesex County, New Jersey (county subdivision:59280, in state:34 county:023).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .