Dayton, NJ, 2015
Dayton’s story
160 years in pictures
The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2015.
- 1866Dayton is settled
DaytonNJ
This town of 7,952 people was settled in 1866.
2 bordering townsMap →
Population
7,952
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$662K
+1.8% in a year
Household income
$152K
median
Median age
41.8
years
Jobs based here
2,562
A commuter town
Is Dayton a good place to live?
71% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Dayton, above both New Jersey’s towns (45%) and U.S. towns (29%). Only 9 of the 469 New Jersey towns we compare have a lower share of working residents who work in town than Dayton. We don’t grade Dayton yet; the figures below are still real.
A growing town
Dayton has grown 15% from 2010 to 2020
7,063 counted in 2010 and 8,138 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
Nearby attractions
All 719 attractions →Madison Square Garden and 450 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Dayton. Close and well known come first.
Big draw37 mi Stadium & arenaMadison Square Garden
Big draw40 mi City parkCentral Park40.0M visitors a year
Big draw38 mi Stadium & arenaMetLife Stadium
Big draw31 mi BeachConey Island
Big draw38 mi TheatreStudio 54
Big draw40 mi MuseumMetropolitan Museum of Art2.0M visitors a yearSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Madison Square Garden: Ajay Suresh from New York, NY, USA, CC BY 2.0 · Central Park: Ed Yourdon from New York City, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · MetLife Stadium: babyknight, CC BY 2.0 · Coney Island: OptimumPx, Public domain · Studio 54: Americasroof (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Metropolitan Museum of Art: Hugo Schneider, CC BY-SA 2.0
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Getting set up
Moving to Dayton: who provides what
Dayton is unincorporated, so Middlesex County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPSE&G25.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterSouth Brunswick Twp W Di water system1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesMiddlesex CountyMiddlesex County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn New Jersey you can register online until 21 days before Election Day, in person until 21 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 21 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereMiddlesex County ClerkMiddlesex County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2023
ZIP code0881008810 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Dayton.
Work & commute
Dayton has 0.6 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Dayton’s average commute stands at 34 minutes. Only 2% of working residents stay in Dayton for work; the rest commute out. Jobs based in Dayton grew to 2,562 in 2023, 440 more than in 2013. In Dayton, 2.5% of residents live below the poverty line.
2%work in town
| Dayton | New Jersey towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $152,000 | $113,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 34 minutes | 30 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 22% | 16% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 2.5% | 6.1% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Dayton2%
South Brunswick Township11%
New York8%
Edison Township5%
New Brunswick5%
15 mi
median commute distance
2,562
jobs based in Dayton
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Dayton has four seasons and pleasant summers
A winter brings about 29 inches of snow, with January nights at 23° and July afternoons at 87°.
29″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter25–43°
Spring41–63°
Summer62–85°
Fall45–67°
Oct 26
typical first frost
Apr 15
typical last frost
+2.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazards
Top of a low hazard risk in Dayton: inland flooding
FEMA expects less storm and flood damage in Dayton than in two thirds of U.S. communities. Expected losses in Dayton break down as 64% from inland flooding and 7% from earthquakes.
33risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingEarthquakesStrong wind
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Housing
Zillow puts the typical Dayton home at about $662K
Dayton: 88% of households are owner-occupiers. In the year to September 2026, typical home values climbed 1.8%. Its median rent stands at $2,199 a month.
$662KZillow home value
| Dayton | New Jersey towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,199 a month | $1,778 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 88% | 77% | 73% |
Typical home value
Dayton$662K
New Jersey$575K
Market temperature
84
days on market
99.4%
sale-to-list price
+1.8%
value change, 1 year
5
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Health
Fewer of Dayton’s adults have been diagnosed with depression than in the typical New Jersey or U.S. town
In Dayton, 11% of adults report frequent mental distress, and 8.4% report frequent physical distress. 24% of adults have obesity in the town.
| Dayton | New Jersey towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 16% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 15% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 8.4% | 12% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 28% | 35% |
32 measures vs. New Jersey
23 better9 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Dayton | NJ |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5.8% | 11.3% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 3.8% | 7% |
University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro
6.8 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
Dayton keeps 7.4% of its land conserved
In 1 park or preserve, walkers have 0.5 miles of trail. Dayton’s density of trails is 0.2 miles per square mile. Parks and preserves locally: one, of 3 acres.
7.4%conserved
| Dayton | New Jersey towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.7 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 7.4% | 11% | 4.3% |
7.4%
conserved · 115 of 1,548 acres
0.5 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Summerfield Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Dayton
17pages on Dayton
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
8 within 15 miles of the center of Dayton
Chamberlain University-New JerseyUniversity or college · Private for-profit · North Brunswick7.1 mi$20,785 tuitionRutgers University-New BrunswickUniversity or college · Public · New Brunswick9 mi$17,929 in-state tuitionMercer County Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · West Windsor11.4 mi$5,310 in-state tuition
About 7 of every 100 Dayton residents are enrolled in college, about the same as New Jersey.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Dayton for work
Where Dayton’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
2,562jobs based in Dayton
2%of working residents work in town
15 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Dayton
Populated place in Middlesex County, New Jersey, US
Dayton is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in South Brunswick Township, Middlesex County, New Jersey, in the United States. At the 2020 United States census, the CDP's population was 8,138, up from 7,063 in 2010. Dayton has a post office with its own ZIP Code (08810) that encompasses the entire CDP, as well as some surrounding areas. The community was named for William L. Dayton, a local attorney who later served in the United States Senate, or for Jonathan Dayton, the youngest person to sign the United States Constitution, who later served as a U.S. senator from New Jersey. The area had been known as "Cross Roads" and was renamed in 1866 to avoid confusion with…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 105 ft
- ZIP code
- 08810
Dayton’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Dayton.
Monmouth JunctionDeansDayton
How the neighbors grade
| Town | NJ rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dayton | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Monmouth Junction | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Deans | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Dayton, Monmouth Junction and Deans aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Dayton with a neighbor →
Questions about Dayton
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Dayton, NJ a good place to live?
We don’t grade Dayton yet; the figures below are still real.
What is Dayton, NJ known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Sydney Schneider and Ed Moran.