Housing data for Watchung Borough, NJ
Watchung Borough, NJ has an estimated 6,485 residents and 2,470 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a borough in Somerset County.
15.9% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $2,738 a month.
Its population grew measurably since 2015–2019 (+7.4%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 6,485 (±27)
- Housing units
- 2,470 (±171)
- Households that rent
- 15.9%
- Median gross rent
- $2,738
- Residents since 2015–2019
- +7.4%
What stands out in Watchung Borough
Median home value: $882,500 (±$24,644) in Watchung Borough, higher than in Somerset County ($552,100).
Median gross rent: $2,738 (±$602) in Watchung Borough, higher than in Somerset County ($2,033).
Households that rent: 15.9% (±6.7 points) in Watchung Borough, lower than in Somerset County (25.7%).
Commuting by public transportation: 7.8% (±3.4 points) in Watchung Borough, higher than in Somerset County (3.4%).
- Home values in Watchung Borough
- Median rent in Watchung Borough
- Renters and owners in Watchung Borough
- Commute and cars in Watchung Borough
Housing in Watchung Borough at a glance
- Median rent: $2,738 median gross rent a month
- Rent burden: 62.1% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 15.9% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $173,672 median household income
- Home values: $882,500 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $4,000 or more median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $10,000 or more median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 15.5% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 73.5% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 59.7% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 19.4% rental vacancy rate (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Heating fuel: 86.3% heat with utility gas
- Commute and cars: 33.6 minutes average trip to work
- Crime reported to police: 60 violent crimes per 100,000 residents
- Growth: +7.4% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 12.8% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 1.5% of homes have more than 1 person per room (Small sample: wide margin of error)
Watchung Borough against Somerset County, its state and the nation
| Watchung Borough | Somerset County | New Jersey | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 6,485 (±27) | 349,846 (exact) | 9,343,809 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 2,470 (±171) | 133,639 (±156) | 3,791,354 (±469) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 15.9% (±6.7 points) | 25.7% (±0.9 points) | 36.2% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $2,738 (±$602) | $2,033 (±$52) | $1,720 (±$7) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $173,672 (±$13,493) | $140,374 (±$3,294) | $103,556 (±$513) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $882,500 (±$24,644) | $552,100 (±$7,374) | $454,400 (±$1,150) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $10,000 or more | $10,000 or more | $9,590 (±$25) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 59.7% (±11.6 points) | 46.3% (±1.3 points) | 62.8% (±0.3 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 33.6 minutes (±4.0) | 31.4 minutes (±0.7) | 30.5 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 91.5% (±3.9 points) | 95.8% (±0.5 points) | 92.8% (±0.1 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 48.1 years (±7.3) | 41.8 years (±0.2) | 40.1 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
Watchung Borough covers 6.0 square miles of land, about 1,078 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Watchung Borough has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 6,039 (±22) | 6,485 (±27) | +7.4% | Measurable increase |
| Housing units | 2,325 (±145) | 2,470 (±171) | +6.2% | Not a measurable change |
| Median gross rent | $2,021 (±$253) | $2,738 (±$602) | +35.5% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $674,500 (±$61,602) | $882,500 (±$24,644) | +30.8% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median household income | $157,263 (±$17,456) | $173,672 (±$13,493) | +10.4% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Households that rent | 17.6% (±6.9 points) | 15.9% (±6.7 points) | −1.7 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 11.2% (±16.3 points) | 19.4% (±18.7 points) | +8.2 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
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 Watchung Borough
In 2025, the Watchung Police Department reported 60 violent and 3,678 property crimes per 100,000 residents to the FBI.
Across Somerset County, the departments that report recorded 60 violent and 566 property crimes per 100,000 residents that year.
ZIP codes in Watchung Borough
| ZIP code | Share of the ZIP’s land in this place | Residents | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 07069 | 95% | 6,623 | $2,738 | $883,300 | $171,705 |
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 Watchung Borough
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Plainfield Borough | 1.5 mi | $1,752 | $374,700 | 46.7% |
| Plainfield | 2.2 mi | $1,767 | $410,800 | 55.2% |
| Berkeley Heights Township | 2.4 mi | $2,203 | $789,400 | 6.7% |
| Fanwood Borough | 2.7 mi | $2,446 | $635,200 | 15.1% |
| Scotch Plains Township | 3.4 mi | $2,060 | $718,200 | 21.0% |
| Green Brook Township | 3.7 mi | $2,115 | $538,500 | 6.8% |
| Gillette | 3.8 mi | — | $635,900 | 5.6% |
| Stirling | 3.8 mi | $1,427 | $695,300 | 16.4% |
Places in New Jersey most like Watchung Borough
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allendale Borough | $2,590 | $782,700 | $160,162 | 18.6% |
| Chatham Township | $2,769 | $1,072,600 | $198,913 | 15.9% |
| Cresskill Borough | $2,599 | $811,400 | $170,376 | 21.9% |
| Montville Township | $2,372 | $700,200 | $169,083 | 12.3% |
| Roseland Borough | $3,297 | $665,700 | $164,458 | 17.7% |
| Ramsey Borough | $2,245 | $697,300 | $160,996 | 20.8% |
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 Watchung Borough, 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 Watchung Borough, 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.
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 Watchung Borough
What is the average rent in Watchung Borough, NJ?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Watchung Borough is $2,738 (±$602) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
Are renters in Watchung Borough rent-burdened?
62.1% of renting households in Watchung Borough 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 Watchung Borough?
Watchung Borough has an estimated 375 (±168) renting households, 15.9% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Watchung Borough?
The median household income in Watchung Borough is $173,672 (±$13,493) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Watchung Borough, NJ?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $882,500 (±$24,644) for owner-occupied homes in Watchung Borough (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average mortgage payment in Watchung Borough?
The Census Bureau publishes total owner costs rather than the mortgage alone: the median for owners with a mortgage in Watchung Borough, NJ is $4,000 or more a month, including taxes, insurance and utilities.
Is Watchung Borough growing?
In Watchung Borough, the number of residents went from 6,039 in 2015–2019 to 6,485 in 2020–2024 (+7.4%), a measurable increase.
What ZIP codes are in Watchung Borough?
The ZIP code that covers Watchung Borough is 07069.
What is the median rent in ZIP code 07069?
The median gross rent in ZIP Code Tabulation Area 07069 is $2,738 (±$602) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Watchung borough, Somerset County, New Jersey
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Watchung borough, Somerset County, New Jersey
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Watchung borough, Somerset County, New Jersey
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Watchung borough, Somerset County, New Jersey
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Watchung borough, Somerset County, New Jersey
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Watchung borough, Somerset County, New Jersey
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Watchung borough, Somerset 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: Watchung Police Department (ORI NJ0182100)
- 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 Watchung borough, Somerset County, New Jersey (county subdivision:77600, in state:34 county:035).
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 .