US5.com
  1. Home
  2. States
  3. New Jersey
  4. ZIP 08542
  5. Housing & Real Estate
Princeton, NJ

ZIP 08542 — Housing & Real Estate

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2019–2023 5-Year Estimates. Page data updated 2026-08-02.

Upper Middle ClassLow Snow AreaRemote Work Hub

Home values, rent, tenure, and housing stock

Housing & Real Estate in ZIP Code 08542

Median Home Value
$754,800
Median Rent
$2,250
Affordability Snapshot
$208,000
Est. income to buy

Household income needed for a median home under a 20% down / 6.8% illustrative mortgage model (~$4,849/mo PITI).

26%
Rent-to-Income Ratio

Below the 30% threshold — generally affordable for median earners.

7.2x
Home Price-to-Income Ratio

Well above the 3-5x guideline — challenging for first-time buyers.

28.0 yrs
Price-to-Rent Ratio

Years to break even buying vs renting at median home value and rent.

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 08542 in Princeton, NJ, a household would need roughly $208,000 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 $4,849. That is about 99% above the local median household income ($104,694), 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.

Housing Tenure

Diverse housing tenure.

Heating Fuel
Housing Metrics
Owner Occupied
36.0%-45% vs US avg
x
Vacancy Rate
5.7%-44% vs US avg
x
Broadband Access
96.6%+11% vs US avg
x
4+ Bedrooms
0.0%
x
Built Pre-1939
0.2%-98% vs US avg
x
Built Post-2014
0.0%
x
Rent Burden >30%
18.8%-62% vs US avg
x
Mortgage-Free
44.6%+17% vs US avg
x
$754,800
Home Value
$2,250
Rent
1938
Year Built
2020
Moved In

Residents have lived here since ~2020 on average

Housing Structure

Census ACS structure types (single-family, multi-unit, etc.).

  • 1-unit detached28.5%
  • 1-unit attached25.6%
  • 2-9 units19.4%
  • 10+ units26.5%
  • Mobile home & other0.0%

Housing & Real Estate key statistics

Housing statistics
Housing
Median home value$754,800
Median rent$2,250
Owner-occupied36.0%
Vacant5.7%
Price-to-income7.2x
Est. income to buy$208,000