CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

40.33° N · 74.59° W · GEOID 3459285

Plainsboro Center

Middlesex County, New Jersey · part of the New York, NY metro

Limited data population under 5,000

New JerseyPlainsboro Center, NJPlainsboro CenterPlainsboro Center

The short answer

Plainsboro Center is home to 2,773 people. Median household income is $119,317 a year and median rent is $2,099 a month, 21.1% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $483,300, about 4.0x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$2,099
54% above the median place
Median household income
$119,317
49% above the median place
Median home value
$483,300
51% above the median place
Unemployment
6.7%
37% above the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Plainsboro Center

  • 47% of workers mostly work from home, more than in 99% of the 2,104 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the highest of 279 New Jersey places.
  • Households average 1.90 people, smaller than in 97% of places its size. It is the 3rd-lowest of 287 New Jersey places.
  • 51% of residents were born outside the US, more than in 99% of places its size.
  • 83% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, a larger share than in 99% of places its size.
  • Renters occupy 66% of homes, more than in 98% of places its size.

Many people here skip the commute entirely: 47% work from home, which keeps total commuting time lower than in 97% of places.

01

Moving to Plainsboro Center

Middlesex County loses about 7.7 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in36,970
Moved out42,672
Net−5,702

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Somerset County, NJ3,2004,830−1,630
Union County, NJ4,3762,764+1,612
Monmouth County, NJ2,3393,282−943
Hudson County, NJ3,0741,362+1,712
Mercer County, NJ1,6522,407−755
Essex County, NJ2,0081,159+849
Kings County, NY2,034
Richmond County, NY1,527

Within New Jersey, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within New JerseyOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$87K
Leavers$96K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Middlesex County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
5.9% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 2.0% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Middlesex County report $87,100 a year in income on average; those leaving, $95,600, so leavers earn more than newcomers.
Income you would need
$84,000 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $2,099 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,956 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $483,300.
Getting to work
25 minutes each way on average; 47.3% work from home; 5.8% take transit.
If it is close but not quite
North Decatur, GA matches it on character. Compare the two
Income of households moving out7
$95,604
36% above the median place
Net movers per 1,000 people7
-7.7
below the median place (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7
$87,059
23% above the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasurePlainsboro CenterAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure5.9%3% above
Moved from another state1County figure2.0%3% above
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure-7.7below (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$87,05923% above
Income of households moving out7County figure$95,60436% above
02

What it costs to live here

Vacant homes is 0.0%, below the median place (median 7.1%).

Plainsboro Center21.1%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$83,960
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
21.1%
3% above the median place
Home price to income
4.0x
7% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
21%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$89,200
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Plainsboro Center, $2,099 a month, and local prices for everything else (105.2 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Plainsboro Center, but easier on the budget

Close matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income.

PlaceRent to incomeMore left a year
Monmouth Junction, NJ17.4% vs 21.1%$15,400Compare
Grandview Heights, OH17.8% vs 21.1%$10,200Compare
Crozet, VA17.2% vs 21.1%$20,400Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Plainsboro Center.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Plainsboro Center? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Vacant homes1
0.0%
below the median place (median 7.1%)
Homeownership1
34.4%
48% below the median place
Renters paying 30%+1
29.0%
43% below the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasurePlainsboro CenterAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$2,09954% above
Rent to income121.1%3% above
Home price to income14.0x7% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure112.612% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$2,62362% above
HUD area median income4County figure$154,80044% above
Property tax paid (median)1$10,001206% above
Median home value1$483,30051% above
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure6.1%91% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure62.2%21% above
Homeownership134.4%48% below
Renters paying 30%+129.0%43% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,95658% above
Vacant homes10.0%below (median 7.1%)
Median year built119800% above
03

Work and pay

Works from home is 47.3%, 280% above the median place.

Works from home1
47.3%
280% above the median place
Income per person1
$77,038
92% above the median place
Median household income1
$119,317
49% above the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasurePlainsboro CenterAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$119,31749% above
Income per person1$77,03892% above
Unemployment1County figure6.7%37% above
Average annual pay6County figure$85,56430% above
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure3.8%3% above
Jobs6County figure431,665187% above
Poverty rate1County figure8.6%20% below
Mean commute125 min1% below
Works from home147.3%280% above
Commutes by transit1County figure5.8%above (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

No health insurance is 0.0%, below the median place (median 6.4%).

No health insurance1
0.0%
below the median place (median 6.4%)
Bachelor's or higher1
83.2%
160% above the median place
Born abroad1
50.6%
above the median place (median 8.8%)

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Household size1.9 −24%
High school or higher96.4% +4%
Homes with broadband94.3% +2%
Median age37.1 −5%
All 8 people measures
MeasurePlainsboro CenterAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population12,7736646th largest
Median age137.15% below
Bachelor's or higher183.2%160% above
High school or higher196.4%4% above
Household size11.924% below
Born abroad150.6%above (median 8.8%)
No health insurance10.0%below (median 6.4%)
Homes with broadband194.3%2% above
05

Life in Plainsboro Center

76 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, one of them a National Historic Landmark.

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents18.0 +77%
Playgrounds per 10k21.6 2.3×
Grocery stores per 10k7.2 3.4×
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k36.1 3.2×
Libraries per 10k7.2 8.3×
Named paths and bike trails3 km +45%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.0 −100%

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars20.5 −1%
Shops27.6 −9%
Arts, recreation and fitness2.9 −29%
Doctors' offices and clinics22.6 +12%
Child care centers2.3 +0%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Public schools11
213
above the median place (median 9)
Public school students11
129,255
above the median place (median 4,897)
Students per teacher11
11.9
23% below the median place
All 16 schools and local life measures
MeasurePlainsboro CenterAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools11County figure213above (median 9)
Public school students11County figure129,255above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher11County figure11.923% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure20.51% below
Shops per 10k8County figure27.69% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure2.929% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure22.612% above
Child care centers per 10k8County figure2.30% above
Parks per 10k918.077% above
Playgrounds per 10k921.6130% above
Grocery stores per 10k97.2240% above
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k936.1223% above
Libraries per 10k97.2above (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails92.945% above
Transit stops per sq mi90.0below (median 0.2)
National Register listings10County figure76above (median 13)
06

Safety, weather and risk

Median air quality index is 36, 16% below the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Plainsboro Center. Larger places are fetched first.

Median air quality index14
36
16% below the median place
Natural hazard risk13
97.8
6% above the median place
Good air days14
81.5%
19% above the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasurePlainsboro CenterAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high12County figure87°F0% above
January average low12County figure24°F6% below
Average temperature12County figure54°F1% below
Annual precipitation12County figure47.7 in9% above
Natural hazard risk13County figure97.86% above
Hurricane risk13County figure92.631% above
Tornado risk13County figure94.516% above
Wildfire risk13County figure79.730% above
Heat wave risk13County figure96.57% above
Median air quality index14County figure3616% below
Good air days14County figure81.5%19% above
08

Plainsboro Center in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 21% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 21% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$2,099/mo (2024)$2,680/mo$2,200 to $3,260/mo+4.1%
Median household income$119,317 (2024)$150,000$127,000 to $177,500+3.9%
Median home value$483,300 (2024)$655,000$475,000 to $902,000+5.2%

The median home would be worth 4.4 years of the median income in 2030, against 4.1 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Plainsboro Center

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
North Decatur, GA$1,913$110,871Compare
Monmouth Junction, NJ$1,935$133,585Compare
Grandview Heights, OH$1,750$117,672Compare
Morrisville, NC$1,858$125,396Compare
Morrisville, NCGrandview Heights, OHMonmouth Junction, NJNorth Decatur, GAPlainsboro Center, NJPlainsboro CenterNorth DecaturGrandview HeightsMorrisvillePlainsboro CenterNorth DecaturGrandview HeightsMorrisville

Common questions

Is Plainsboro Center a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. 47% of workers mostly work from home, more than in 99% of the 2,104 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the highest of 279 New Jersey places. Households average 1.90 people, smaller than in 97% of places its size. It is the 3rd-lowest of 287 New Jersey places. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Plainsboro Center expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 21.1% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $483,300.

What salary do you need to live in Plainsboro Center?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $83,960 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Plainsboro Center?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are North Decatur, GA, Monmouth Junction, NJ, Grandview Heights, OH and Morrisville, NC.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  11. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  12. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  13. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  14. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Plainsboro Center with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Plainsboro Center itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/plainsboro-center-new-jersey

Citytistics. “Plainsboro Center, New Jersey.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/plainsboro-center-new-jersey/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.