ZIP Code 08540 — Princeton, NJ Demographics & Data

ZIP code 08540 covers Princeton, NJ in Mercer County with a population of about 49,499.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 40.1 (near the U.S. median).

It sits in telephone area codes 609, 640; U.S. House district NJ-12; the PHILADELPHIA media market.

Princeton, NJ sits in a university / college context (near princeton university (1.0 mi)). Expect stronger interest in student housing, rentals, walkability, transit, and a younger adult age mix versus typical suburban ZIPs.

Median household income in ZIP 08540 is about $169,898 — about 126% above the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 8.1%; unemployment rate near 4.0%; 82.4% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 48.7 points above the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Education, Professional services, and Finance and insurance; about 35.1% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 19.9 points above the U.S. share (15.2%)); a mean commute of about 180.0 minutes (U.S. average near 26.8).

Median home value is about $723,400 — about 108% above the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $1,970 (about 69% above the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 63.4% (about 2.0 points below the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 08540 in Princeton, NJ, a household would need roughly $199,000 in annual income under a 20% down, 30-year loan at 6.8% (illustrative), keeping housing costs near 28% of income. Estimated monthly PITI is about $4,647. That is about 17% above the local median household income ($169,898), so the median earner would likely stretch or need a larger down payment. Rates, taxes, insurance, and HOA fees vary — treat this as a planning estimate, not a lender quote.

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates natural-hazard risk for Princeton, NJ as Relatively High (composite score 95.4), which is among the highest nationally. The strongest component scores on US5 are flood (97.2) and hurricane (94.6). These scores are county-linked NRI values published for planning context — all ZIP codes in the same county share the same composite score on US5. Useful when comparing insurance and disaster exposure across areas, not a substitute for a parcel-level flood or fire determination.

Climate normals for Princeton, NJ show little to no average snow and around 47.5 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 3,186 for ZIP 08540 (Princeton, NJ) on US5’s published series — a signal of people/tax filers moving in relative to those leaving. Inflows often track job growth, housing demand, or lifestyle migration; treat the figure as a directional indicator rather than a precise headcount.