08861 ZIP Code — Perth Amboy, NJ

Middlesex County, New Jersey

ZIP code 08861 is located in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, within Middlesex County. It covers approximately 5.10 square miles and serves a population of 58,136 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 732/908/848.

About ZIP code 08861

The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $329,600. Renters make up the majority at 63%, typical of denser urban areas.

Median household income is $58,221. Poverty affects 19% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 19% of households reflects economic stress in the area.

The dominant occupation class is production, transportation, and material moving, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 25 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 15% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

19% of residents lack health insurance, above the national average.

Notable community characteristics include Spanish spoken in 38% of households.

Overall, ZIP code 08861 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

58,136

population

5.10

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

08861 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 08861

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 08861. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Perth Amboy	Acceptable
Perth Amboy	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

08832 Keasbey (2 mi) 10307 Staten Island (2 mi) 08863 Fords (2.3 mi) 07095 Woodbridge (2.4 mi) 07077 Sewaren (2.5 mi) 10309 Staten Island (3.1 mi) 07064 Port Reading (3.6 mi) 08879 South Amboy (3.7 mi) 08837 Edison (3.9 mi) 08830 Iselin (3.9 mi) 08840 Metuchen (4.1 mi) 07001 Avenel (4.4 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	58,136
Population density	11,399 / sq mi
State FIPS	34
County FIPS	023

Geography
Land area	5.10 sq mi
Water area	1.30 sq mi
Latitude	40.5215
Longitude	-74.2758
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	732/908/848

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	46.1%	26.5%	30.2%
$50k – $100k	30.5%	27.5%	26.7%
$100k – $200k	20.0%	31.9%	28.3%
Over $200k	3.4%	14.1%	14.8%

Demographics & statistics

58,136

Population

11,399

People per sq mi

37.0

Median age

$58,221

Median household income

$26,815

Per capita income

$329,600

Median home value

$1,556

Median monthly rent

36.6%

Home ownership

18.7%

Poverty rate

10.9%

Unemployment

7,932

Housing units

14.9%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

1,928

Under 5

1,985

1,570

5–9

1,617

1,859

10–14

1,915

1,945

15–19

2,003

2,258

20–24

2,326

3,968

25–34

4,086

3,929

35–44

4,046

4,096

45–54

4,218

1,855

55–59

1,911

1,521

60–64

1,566

2,129

65–74

2,192

1,077

75–84

1,109

506

85+

521

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	13,168	22.7%
18 and over	44,968	77.3%
65 and over	7,534	13.0%
Median age	37.0 years

Race & ethnicity

White 32.3%

Hispanic or Latino 29.3%

Other race 21.1%

Two or more races 9.4%

Black or African American 5.3%

American Indian / Alaska Native 1.3%

Asian 1.2%

Group	Count	%
White	26,558	32.3%
Hispanic or Latino	24,092	29.3%
Other race	17,374	21.1%
Two or more races	7,695	9.4%
Black or African American	4,364	5.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	1,098	1.3%
Asian	1,026	1.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	46.1%	26.5%	30.2%
$50k – $100k	30.5%	27.5%	26.7%
$100k – $200k	20.0%	31.9%	28.3%
Over $200k	3.4%	14.1%	14.8%

Under $10k 6.2%

$10k–$15k 7.1%

$15k–$25k 8.5%

$25k–$35k 6.9%

$35k–$50k 14.9%

$50k–$75k 15.1%

$75k–$100k 12.9%

$100k–$150k 15.6%

$150k–$200k 7.6%

$200k+ 5.2%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	6.2%
$10k–$15k	7.1%
$15k–$25k	8.5%
$25k–$35k	6.9%
$35k–$50k	14.9%
$50k–$75k	15.1%
$75k–$100k	12.9%
$100k–$150k	15.6%
$150k–$200k	7.6%
$200k+	5.2%
Median income	$58,221

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 3.3%

$50k–$100k 1.1%

$100k–$150k 1.9%

$150k–$200k 5.4%

$200k–$300k 28.4%

$300k–$500k 48.1%

$500k–$1M 11.0%

$1M+ 0.7%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$329,600
Median rent / month	$1,556
Owner occupied	36.6%
Renter occupied	63.4%
Vacant	3.7%
Single-family detached	31.9%
Large apartment buildings	13.4%
Mobile homes	0.1%
Median rooms	4.7
Avg household size (owned)	3.05

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.4%
2010–2019	7.1%
2000–2009	5.8%
1990–1999	7.2%
1980–1989	6.2%
1970–1979	8.1%
1960–1969	10.3%
1950–1959	12.1%
1940–1949	11.8%
1939 or earlier	31.1%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	4.5%
1 bedroom	17.7%
2 bedrooms	31.9%
3 bedrooms	34.4%
4 bedrooms	9.7%
5+ bedrooms	1.8%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	20.2%
1 vehicle	40.4%
2 vehicles	26.7%
3 or more	12.6%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	75.7%
Electricity	14.9%
Propane / LP gas	3.0%
Fuel oil	5.3%
Solar	0.1%
No fuel used	0.5%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	7,278	37.1%
Cohabiting couple	2,384	12.2%
Male householder, no spouse	3,830	19.5%
Female householder, no spouse	6,118	31.2%
Households with children under 18	7,616	38.8%
Households with seniors (65+)	5,648	28.8%
Average household size	2.94

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	45.4%	38.7%
Married	39.2%	35.6%
Separated	3.6%	6.0%
Widowed	1.7%	7.3%
Divorced	10.1%	12.4%

Education

Less than 9th grade 16.6%

Some HS, no diploma 11.7%

HS graduate 33.5%

Some college, no degree 15.9%

Associate's degree 7.3%

Bachelor's degree 10.9%

Graduate / professional 4.0%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	71.7%
Bachelor's or higher	14.9%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	986	7.0%
Kindergarten	762	5.4%
Elementary school	5,459	39.0%
High school	3,394	24.3%
College / grad school	3,386	24.2%

Employment

Industry of employment

Transportation & utilities 17.6%

Education & healthcare 15.5%

Retail trade 13.0%

Professional & management 13.0%

Manufacturing 10.0%

Construction 6.7%

Arts, food & hospitality 5.8%

Wholesale trade 5.6%

Other services 4.9%

Finance & real estate 4.3%

Public administration 2.3%

Information 1.1%

Agriculture & mining 0.2%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	18.4%
Service	17.3%
Sales & office	20.9%
Natural resources & construction	8.2%
Production & transportation	35.1%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	84.9%
Government	10.8%
Self-employed	4.2%
Unpaid family workers	0.2%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	61.3%
Carpool	15.5%
Public transit	4.5%
Walk	5.8%
Work from home	4.3%
Other means	8.7%
Avg commute (minutes)	25.0

Poverty

All people 18.7%

Under 18 years 25.5%

18 and over 16.7%

Married-couple families 6.7%

Female-led households 37.1%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	29.0%
Retirement income	19.9%
Supplemental Security	10.0%
Cash public assistance	2.3%
Food stamps / SNAP	18.8%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	32.2%
High blood pressure	0.0%
High cholesterol	0.0%
Diabetes	12.3%
Heart disease	5.8%
Stroke	2.8%
Asthma	9.6%
Arthritis	16.6%
Kidney disease	2.9%
Pulmonary disease	5.2%
Cancer	4.2%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	15.3%
Binge drinking	17.2%
No physical activity	31.0%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	36.3%
Depression	16.1%
Fair or poor health	19.5%
Poor mental health	16.0%
Poor physical health	11.1%
No health insurance	32.1%
Visited doctor (checkup)	72.9%
Visited dentist	52.7%
Cholesterol screening	0.0%
Teeth loss	17.0%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	977	2.2%

Disability	%
Any disability	14.6%
Under 18	7.3%
18–64 years	11.7%
65 and over	42.6%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	45.3%
Public insurance	42.3%
No insurance	19.1%
Uninsured under 19	12.6%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	54,223	93.3%
Spanish	20,441	37.7%
Other Indo-European	19,664	36.3%
Asian & Pacific Islander	533	1.0%
Other languages	146	0.3%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	31,665	54.5%
Born in same state	26,868	46.2%
Born in different state	23,212	39.9%
Foreign born	4,797	8.3%
Naturalized citizen	26,471	45.5%
Not a US citizen	15,775	59.6%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	3,227	5.6%
Italian	985	1.7%
Irish	350	0.6%
French	202	0.3%

Ancestry	Count	%
Dutch	149	0.3%
English	89	0.2%
Norwegian	25	0%
Polish	11	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	33.7%
Internet access	93.6%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 08861

What part of Perth Amboy is ZIP code 08861?

ZIP code 08861 covers a portion of Perth Amboy, New Jersey, within Middlesex County.

What county is ZIP code 08861 in?

ZIP code 08861 falls within Middlesex County, New Jersey.

Is Spanish widely spoken in ZIP code 08861?

Approximately 38% of households in ZIP code 08861 speak Spanish as a primary language.

Is ZIP code 08861 mostly rentals?

63% of occupied units in ZIP code 08861 are renter-occupied.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 08861?

19% of residents in ZIP code 08861 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 08861?

15% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

What timezone is ZIP code 08861 in?

ZIP code 08861 observes the EST timezone.