08540 ZIP Code — Princeton, NJ

Mercer County, New Jersey

ZIP code 08540 is located in Princeton, New Jersey, within Mercer County. It covers approximately 51.72 square miles and serves a population of 48,513 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 609.

About ZIP code 08540

The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the 2000s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $708,700. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 64%.

The gap between median ($161,018) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 30 minutes is near the national average. Remote work is prevalent — 33% of workers work from home.

Educational attainment is high — 83% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national average of 33%.

Overall, ZIP code 08540 reflects a community defined by a highly educated population and a high rate of remote workers.

48,513

population

51.72

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

08540 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 08540

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 08540. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Princeton	Acceptable
Princeton	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

08542 Princeton (1.6 mi) 08553 Rocky Hill (1.9 mi) 08541 Princeton (2.1 mi) 08528 Kingston (2.3 mi) 08544 Princeton (2.4 mi) 08558 Skillman (2.7 mi) 08502 Belle Mead (4.4 mi) 08536 Plainsboro (4.8 mi) 08852 Monmouth Junction (6.1 mi) 08824 Kendall Park (6.5 mi) 08823 Franklin Park (6.5 mi) 08525 Hopewell (6.8 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	48,513
Population density	938 / sq mi
State FIPS	34
County FIPS	021

Geography
Land area	51.72 sq mi
Water area	1.04 sq mi
Latitude	40.3782
Longitude	-74.6622
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	609

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	18.3%	30.6%	30.2%
$50k – $100k	18.0%	25.8%	26.7%
$100k – $200k	27.5%	28.0%	28.3%
Over $200k	36.2%	15.6%	14.8%

Demographics & statistics

48,513

Population

938

People per sq mi

40.3

Median age

$161,018

Median household income

$84,069

Per capita income

$708,700

Median home value

$2,060

Median monthly rent

64.0%

Home ownership

7.6%

Poverty rate

4.0%

Unemployment

12,635

Housing units

82.9%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

1,154

Under 5

1,128

1,461

5–9

1,429

1,977

10–14

1,933

1,953

15–19

1,909

1,693

20–24

1,654

2,458

25–34

2,402

3,018

35–44

2,951

3,869

45–54

3,782

1,649

55–59

1,612

1,554

60–64

1,519

1,887

65–74

1,845

1,305

75–84

1,276

554

85+

541

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	11,226	23.1%
18 and over	37,287	76.9%
65 and over	7,408	15.3%
Median age	40.3 years

Race & ethnicity

White 53.4%

Asian 30%

Black or African American 5.9%

Two or more races 5.1%

Hispanic or Latino 3.9%

Other race 1.3%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%

Group	Count	%
White	26,969	53.4%
Asian	15,153	30%
Black or African American	3,000	5.9%
Two or more races	2,556	5.1%
Hispanic or Latino	1,985	3.9%
Other race	639	1.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	181	0.4%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	18.3%	30.6%	30.2%
$50k – $100k	18.0%	25.8%	26.7%
$100k – $200k	27.5%	28.0%	28.3%
Over $200k	36.2%	15.6%	14.8%

Under $10k 3.6%

$10k–$15k 3.0%

$15k–$25k 3.0%

$25k–$35k 2.0%

$35k–$50k 6.8%

$50k–$75k 7.7%

$75k–$100k 9.7%

$100k–$150k 12.0%

$150k–$200k 12.4%

$200k+ 39.9%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	3.6%
$10k–$15k	3.0%
$15k–$25k	3.0%
$25k–$35k	2.0%
$35k–$50k	6.8%
$50k–$75k	7.7%
$75k–$100k	9.7%
$100k–$150k	12.0%
$150k–$200k	12.4%
$200k+	39.9%
Median income	$161,018

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 1.5%

$50k–$100k 1.3%

$100k–$150k 1.2%

$150k–$200k 1.8%

$200k–$300k 2.8%

$300k–$500k 16.2%

$500k–$1M 49.6%

$1M+ 25.6%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$708,700
Median rent / month	$2,060
Owner occupied	64.0%
Renter occupied	36.0%
Vacant	7.3%
Single-family detached	50.1%
Large apartment buildings	11.8%
Mobile homes	0.0%
Median rooms	6.1
Avg household size (owned)	2.78

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.1%
2010–2019	9.3%
2000–2009	16.9%
1990–1999	15.8%
1980–1989	16.0%
1970–1979	8.5%
1960–1969	7.8%
1950–1959	11.2%
1940–1949	5.1%
1939 or earlier	9.2%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	2.9%
1 bedroom	10.0%
2 bedrooms	26.1%
3 bedrooms	26.1%
4 bedrooms	23.9%
5+ bedrooms	11.1%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	7.0%
1 vehicle	36.3%
2 vehicles	41.8%
3 or more	14.8%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	71.5%
Electricity	21.4%
Propane / LP gas	1.5%
Fuel oil	4.4%
Wood	0.1%
Solar	0.1%
No fuel used	0.6%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	10,576	60.2%
Cohabiting couple	401	2.3%
Male householder, no spouse	2,517	14.3%
Female householder, no spouse	4,084	23.2%
Households with children under 18	6,537	37.2%
Households with seniors (65+)	4,946	28.1%
Average household size	2.61

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	32.0%	27.8%
Married	60.0%	54.2%
Separated	1.1%	2.4%
Widowed	1.8%	7.2%
Divorced	5.0%	8.4%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.7%

Some HS, no diploma 1.1%

HS graduate 5.6%

Some college, no degree 5.4%

Associate's degree 3.3%

Bachelor's degree 32.7%

Graduate / professional 50.3%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	97.2%
Bachelor's or higher	82.9%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	621	4.0%
Kindergarten	856	5.5%
Elementary school	5,481	35.3%
High school	2,886	18.6%
College / grad school	5,687	36.6%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 31.4%

Professional & management 23.7%

Finance & real estate 11.5%

Manufacturing 9.5%

Retail trade 6.3%

Information 3.6%

Arts, food & hospitality 3.2%

Construction 2.6%

Other services 2.2%

Transportation & utilities 1.9%

Wholesale trade 1.6%

Public administration 1.5%

Agriculture & mining 1.1%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	75.3%
Service	5.8%
Sales & office	13.5%
Natural resources & construction	2.8%
Production & transportation	2.7%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	86.0%
Government	7.9%
Self-employed	6.0%
Unpaid family workers	0.1%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	46.0%
Carpool	4.6%
Public transit	7.6%
Walk	6.7%
Work from home	32.5%
Other means	2.5%
Avg commute (minutes)	30.3

Poverty

All people 7.6%

Under 18 years 8.6%

18 and over 7.2%

Married-couple families 3.5%

Female-led households 24.5%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	24.8%
Retirement income	17.8%
Supplemental Security	2.6%
Cash public assistance	1.6%
Food stamps / SNAP	2.3%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	21.0%
High blood pressure	0.0%
High cholesterol	0.0%
Diabetes	6.7%
Heart disease	4.3%
Stroke	1.8%
Asthma	8.0%
Arthritis	16.7%
Kidney disease	2.0%
Pulmonary disease	3.2%
Cancer	5.9%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	7.5%
Binge drinking	15.9%
No physical activity	13.6%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	29.6%
Depression	15.1%
Fair or poor health	6.7%
Poor mental health	11.1%
Poor physical health	5.5%
No health insurance	8.2%
Visited doctor (checkup)	74.8%
Visited dentist	75.2%
Cholesterol screening	0.0%
Teeth loss	5.6%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	979	2.6%

Disability	%
Any disability	6.6%
Under 18	1.9%
18–64 years	3.9%
65 and over	25.3%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	88.4%
Public insurance	20.3%
No insurance	2.1%
Uninsured under 19	0.9%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	46,231	95.3%
Spanish	5,563	12.0%
Other Indo-European	854	1.8%
Asian & Pacific Islander	2,058	4.5%
Other languages	2,493	5.4%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	30,491	62.9%
Born in same state	29,661	61.1%
Born in different state	13,921	28.7%
Foreign born	830	1.7%
Naturalized citizen	18,022	37.1%
Not a US citizen	9,489	52.7%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	3,775	7.8%
Italian	3,491	7.2%
Arab	1,273	2.6%
Irish	545	1.1%
Polish	455	0.9%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	310	0.6%
Dutch	247	0.5%
German	169	0.3%
Norwegian	104	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	36.2%
Internet access	99.0%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 08540

What city is ZIP code 08540 in?

ZIP code 08540 is primarily assigned to Princeton, New Jersey.

What county is ZIP code 08540 in?

ZIP code 08540 falls within Mercer County, New Jersey.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 08540?

83% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — well above the national average of ~33%, reflecting a highly educated population.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 08540?

The median household income in ZIP code 08540 is $161,018, above the national median of ~$75,000.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 08540?

The median home value in ZIP code 08540 is $708,700.

What is the population of ZIP code 08540?

ZIP code 08540 has an estimated population of 48,513 residents, with a density of 938 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 08540 in?

ZIP code 08540 observes the EST timezone.