08873 ZIP Code — Somerset, NJ

Somerset County, New Jersey

ZIP code 08873 is located in Somerset, New Jersey, within Somerset County. It covers approximately 32.13 square miles and serves a population of 55,342 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 732/908.

About ZIP code 08873

The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the 1980s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $410,800. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 68%.

The gap between median ($110,396) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. The poverty rate of 6% is below the national average. 32% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 33 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is high — 55% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national average of 33%.

Overall, ZIP code 08873 reflects a community defined by a highly educated population and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

55,342

population

32.13

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

08873 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 08873

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 08873. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Somerset	Acceptable
Somerset	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

08880 South Bound Brook (3.7 mi) 08933 New Brunswick (3.9 mi) 08989 New Brunswick (3.9 mi) 08835 Manville (4.5 mi) 08901 New Brunswick (4.5 mi) 08902 North Brunswick (4.7 mi) 08823 Franklin Park (4.7 mi) 08854 Piscataway (4.8 mi) 08805 Bound Brook (5.1 mi) 08904 Highland Park (5.1 mi) 08846 Middlesex (5.4 mi) 08850 Milltown (5.4 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	55,342
Population density	1,722 / sq mi
State FIPS	34
County FIPS	035

Geography
Land area	32.13 sq mi
Water area	0.45 sq mi
Latitude	40.4989
Longitude	-74.5251
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	732/908

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	25.1%	19.6%	30.2%
$50k – $100k	28.9%	22.9%	26.7%
$100k – $200k	30.6%	31.5%	28.3%
Over $200k	15.5%	26.0%	14.8%

Demographics & statistics

55,342

Population

1,722

People per sq mi

40.8

Median age

$110,396

Median household income

$54,560

Per capita income

$410,800

Median home value

$1,924

Median monthly rent

67.9%

Home ownership

6.4%

Poverty rate

5.4%

Unemployment

15,386

Housing units

55.1%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

1,496

Under 5

1,569

1,703

5–9

1,787

1,557

10–14

1,634

1,450

15–19

1,521

1,656

20–24

1,738

3,649

25–34

3,828

3,589

35–44

3,767

3,310

45–54

3,473

1,650

55–59

1,732

1,766

60–64

1,854

2,974

65–74

3,120

1,464

75–84

1,536

741

85+

778

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	11,647	21.0%
18 and over	43,695	79.0%
65 and over	10,613	19.2%
Median age	40.8 years

Race & ethnicity

White 32%

Black or African American 25.1%

Asian 17.1%

Hispanic or Latino 11.8%

Other race 7.1%

Two or more races 6.9%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	20,049	32%
Black or African American	15,746	25.1%
Asian	10,714	17.1%
Hispanic or Latino	7,377	11.8%
Other race	4,462	7.1%
Two or more races	4,302	6.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native	69	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	25.1%	19.6%	30.2%
$50k – $100k	28.9%	22.9%	26.7%
$100k – $200k	30.6%	31.5%	28.3%
Over $200k	15.5%	26.0%	14.8%

Under $10k 2.7%

$10k–$15k 2.1%

$15k–$25k 2.9%

$25k–$35k 4.3%

$35k–$50k 6.6%

$50k–$75k 10.5%

$75k–$100k 15.8%

$100k–$150k 23.1%

$150k–$200k 12.6%

$200k+ 19.5%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	2.7%
$10k–$15k	2.1%
$15k–$25k	2.9%
$25k–$35k	4.3%
$35k–$50k	6.6%
$50k–$75k	10.5%
$75k–$100k	15.8%
$100k–$150k	23.1%
$150k–$200k	12.6%
$200k+	19.5%
Median income	$110,396

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 0.9%

$50k–$100k 0.3%

$100k–$150k 0.4%

$150k–$200k 2.5%

$200k–$300k 12.6%

$300k–$500k 55.4%

$500k–$1M 27.1%

$1M+ 0.8%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$410,800
Median rent / month	$1,924
Owner occupied	67.9%
Renter occupied	32.1%
Vacant	4.3%
Single-family detached	48.2%
Large apartment buildings	12.8%
Mobile homes	0.1%
Median rooms	5.7
Avg household size (owned)	2.56

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.4%
2010–2019	10.4%
2000–2009	17.3%
1990–1999	8.3%
1980–1989	23.0%
1970–1979	9.0%
1960–1969	16.6%
1950–1959	8.8%
1940–1949	3.2%
1939 or earlier	3.0%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.9%
1 bedroom	10.5%
2 bedrooms	38.4%
3 bedrooms	27.7%
4 bedrooms	18.3%
5+ bedrooms	4.2%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	3.8%
1 vehicle	40.6%
2 vehicles	38.5%
3 or more	17.1%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	81.9%
Electricity	13.1%
Propane / LP gas	1.3%
Fuel oil	2.3%
Solar	0.7%
No fuel used	0.6%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	10,634	50.1%
Cohabiting couple	1,050	4.9%
Male householder, no spouse	3,879	18.3%
Female householder, no spouse	5,681	26.7%
Households with children under 18	5,950	28.0%
Households with seniors (65+)	7,164	33.7%
Average household size	2.58

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	37.1%	30.0%
Married	54.1%	48.6%
Separated	1.0%	2.3%
Widowed	2.9%	9.9%
Divorced	4.9%	9.1%

Education

Less than 9th grade 3.7%

Some HS, no diploma 3.3%

HS graduate 17.5%

Some college, no degree 13.5%

Associate's degree 6.8%

Bachelor's degree 30.7%

Graduate / professional 24.4%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	93.0%
Bachelor's or higher	55.1%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	629	4.8%
Kindergarten	805	6.1%
Elementary school	5,006	38.2%
High school	2,812	21.4%
College / grad school	3,858	29.4%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 24.1%

Professional & management 19.8%

Manufacturing 9.5%

Retail trade 8.1%

Finance & real estate 8.1%

Transportation & utilities 6.7%

Other services 5.0%

Information 4.3%

Arts, food & hospitality 3.9%

Public administration 3.9%

Wholesale trade 3.7%

Construction 2.7%

Agriculture & mining 0.2%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	54.1%
Service	12.9%
Sales & office	16.3%
Natural resources & construction	4.3%
Production & transportation	12.5%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	85.6%
Government	12.2%
Self-employed	2.1%
Unpaid family workers	0.1%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	66.3%
Carpool	6.4%
Public transit	5.1%
Walk	0.4%
Work from home	17.3%
Other means	4.5%
Avg commute (minutes)	33.2

Poverty

All people 6.4%

Under 18 years 8.9%

18 and over 5.7%

Married-couple families 1.7%

Female-led households 10.2%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	31.9%
Retirement income	28.1%
Supplemental Security	3.3%
Cash public assistance	2.7%
Food stamps / SNAP	3.9%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	26.8%
High blood pressure	0.0%
High cholesterol	0.0%
Diabetes	9.0%
Heart disease	5.2%
Stroke	2.5%
Asthma	8.5%
Arthritis	18.9%
Kidney disease	2.5%
Pulmonary disease	4.2%
Cancer	6.0%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	10.5%
Binge drinking	14.8%
No physical activity	18.0%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	33.7%
Depression	15.6%
Fair or poor health	10.6%
Poor mental health	12.1%
Poor physical health	7.2%
No health insurance	12.4%
Visited doctor (checkup)	75.7%
Visited dentist	67.5%
Cholesterol screening	0.0%
Teeth loss	9.0%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,599	3.7%

Disability	%
Any disability	10.7%
Under 18	4.2%
18–64 years	6.5%
65 and over	31.1%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	75.6%
Public insurance	30.1%
No insurance	7.9%
Uninsured under 19	8.7%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	52,277	94.5%
Spanish	6,571	12.6%
Other Indo-European	3,467	6.6%
Asian & Pacific Islander	1,158	2.2%
Other languages	1,537	2.9%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	37,812	68.3%
Born in same state	36,914	66.7%
Born in different state	25,467	46.0%
Foreign born	898	1.6%
Naturalized citizen	17,530	31.7%
Not a US citizen	9,954	56.8%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	3,040	5.5%
French	1,763	3.2%
Arab	1,456	2.6%
Irish	1,063	1.9%
English	218	0.4%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	153	0.3%
German	128	0.2%
Norwegian	94	0.2%
Dutch	32	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	38.4%
Internet access	97.9%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 08873

What part of Somerset is ZIP code 08873?

ZIP code 08873 covers a portion of Somerset, New Jersey, within Somerset County.

What county is ZIP code 08873 in?

ZIP code 08873 falls within Somerset County, New Jersey.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 08873?

55% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — well above the national average of ~33%, reflecting a highly educated population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 08873?

The median home value in ZIP code 08873 is $410,800.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 08873?

The median household income in ZIP code 08873 is $110,396, above the national median of ~$75,000.

What is the population of ZIP code 08873?

ZIP code 08873 has an estimated population of 55,342 residents, with a density of 1,722 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 08873 in?

ZIP code 08873 observes the EST timezone.