Business in Dunellen 01, 2023
Dunellen’s story
156 years in pictures
Census counts: 817 in 1880, 7,637 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 2008 and 8 maps from 1888 on.
- 1870Dunellen is settled
DunellenNJ
Trash & recycling4 bordering townsMap →
Photo: AEMoreira042281 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
8,337
2025 Census estimate · +9.1% since 2020
Typical home
$535K
+3.3% in a year
Household income
$87K
median
Median age
42.5
years
Jobs based here
892
A commuter town
TownGrade
D
#421 of 466 in NJ
Is Dunellen a good place to live?
Dunellen earns a D, 421st among New Jersey's 466 graded towns. One bright spot: it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 91% of U.S. towns. 23% of residents live below the poverty line in Dunellen, where New Jersey’s towns sit at 6% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. On health, just 41 of New Jersey’s 530 towns do worse. Homes are expensive, about $535K for a typical one and 5.4 times the New York metro’s $99K median household income.
What makes Dunellen stand out
Where Dunellen beats most towns.
A commuter town
95% of working residents leave Dunellen for work
Where Dunellen’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
892jobs based in Dunellen
5%of working residents work in town
10 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Dunellen grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New Jersey), ordered by how far Dunellen is from typical.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 13.7 of 20; 5.6% of households have no carAOpen →Cost of livingDOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listDOpen →HealthSaint Peter's University Hospital 6.1 miles awayCOpen →SchoolsC+Open →Jobs & income$87K median household incomeB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trail; 5% conserved landA−Open →History3 notable people born hereC+Open →Civic life1.9 library visits per resident; 4.8 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsCOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market74 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 42.5; 28% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 709 attractions →Madison Square Garden and 537 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Dunellen. Close and well known come first.
Big draw27 mi Stadium & arenaMadison Square Garden
Big draw29 mi GardenCentral Park40.0M visitors a year
Big draw26 mi Stadium & arenaMetLife Stadium
Big draw28 mi TheatreStudio 54
Big draw29 mi MuseumMetropolitan Museum of Art2.0M visitors a year
Big draw25 mi BeachConey IslandSources: 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 · Studio 54: Americasroof (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Metropolitan Museum of Art: Hugo Schneider, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Coney Island: OptimumPx, Public domain
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Dunellen: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Dunellen, and how to reach them.
PowerPSE&G25.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterNew Jersey American WaterNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers98% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpDPW Recycling YardDrop-offTown site
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 code0881208812 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 Dunellen.
Dunellen sends most of its workers to Piscataway Township and beyond, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of New Jersey (mostly inland flooding) and has poverty well above the New Jersey rate.
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Very high risk in Dunellen, with inland flooding at the top
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 91% of New Jersey towns, with expected losses of about $418 per resident a year; that rating is what its D for hazard risk is built on. 362 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 60 properties have flooded more than once.
Dunellen’s FEMA risk score is 83 of 100. Since 1978, 362 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Dunellen.
83risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland flooding
362
paid flood claims since 1978
8
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
SchoolsC+
On state tests, Dunellen’s schools trail 65% of New Jersey districts
Its public schools are run by the Dunellen Public School District. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Dunellen High School, with 409 students.
35%of NJ districts it outscoresC+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| John P. Faber Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 621 | C |
| Dunellen High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 409 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NJ on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
Most working residents commute out of Dunellen
Dunellen has 892 jobs for its 3,143 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out.
Most working residents leave Dunellen for work: only 5% work in town. The average trip to work in Dunellen is 32 minutes. Since 2013, Dunellen has added 89 jobs, to 892 in 2023.
5%work in town
| Dunellen | New Jersey towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 32 minutes | 30 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 9.8% | 17% | 11% |
| Median household income | $87,000 | $113,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.7% | 6.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Dunellen5%
Piscataway Township6%
New York5%
Edison Township4%
Franklin Township4%
10 mi
median commute distance
892
jobs based in Dunellen
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
A
Walkability grade: more walkable than 91% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Dunellen
Dunellen has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 87°, January nights drop to 22° and about 21 inches of snow falls in a winter.
21″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter25–43°
Spring40–62°
Summer62–84°
Fall45–66°
Oct 26
typical first frost
Apr 15
typical last frost
+2.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthC
Residents of Dunellen are less healthy than 66% of U.S. towns
Dunellen beats the New Jersey average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 16. 17% of Dunellen adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance.
34%healthier than U.S. townsCHealth Grade
| Dunellen | New Jersey towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 8.4% | 8.1% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 11% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 22% | 25% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 16% | 23% |
32 measures vs. New Jersey
1 better15 too close to call16 worse
| What stands out | Dunellen | NJ |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.1% | 7.5% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 21.5% | 14.3% |
Saint Peter's University Hospital
6.1 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
8th
percentile among NJ towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Safety
Crime reported in Dunellen
Dunellen's reported crime rate is well below New Jersey's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. 7 violent crimes were reported in 2025.
| Dunellen | New Jersey towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 5.9 per 1,000 residents | 7.5 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.8 per 1,000 residents | 0.7 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Dunellen0.8
New Jersey2
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Dunellen5.9
New Jersey12.7
U.S.15.5
7
violent crimes reported in 2025
51
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
HousingCost of living grade D
Dunellen earns a D for cost of living
61% of households own their home in Dunellen. The typical Dunellen home is worth about $535,000, up 3.3% in a year, 7% below the New Jersey typical home.
$535KZillow home value
| Dunellen | New Jersey towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 61% | 77% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,835 a month | $1,778 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Dunellen$535K
New Jersey$575K
Market temperature
74
days on market
103.4%
sale-to-list price
+3.3%
value change, 1 year
11
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
4.9%conserved
| Dunellen | New Jersey towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.8 miles per square mile | 0.7 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 4.9% | 11% | 4.3% |
4.9%
conserved · 33 of 676 acres
0.9 mi
of trails · 0.8 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Columbia Park | 0.7 mi | 14 |
| 2. McCoy Park | — | 3 |
| 3. Washington Park | 0.2 mi | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Dunellen
20pages on Dunellen
The big questions
SchoolsC+Behind 65% of NJ districts · 3 schoolsSafety0.8 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthCBetter than NJ on 1 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingD$535K typical home · up 3.3% in a yearWork & commuteB−$87K median household income · 892 jobs hereNatural hazardsDFEMA risk higher than 83% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
15 within 15 miles of the center of Dunellen
Yeshiva Gedolah Tiferes BoruchUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · North Plainfield2.6 mi$10,480 tuitionRutgers University-New BrunswickUniversity or college · Public · New Brunswick6.4 mi$17,929 in-state tuitionMiddlesex CollegeCommunity college · Public · Edison7.9 mi$4,764 in-state tuition
About 6 of every 100 Dunellen residents are enrolled in college, about the same as New Jersey.
Famous people from Dunellen
3 notable people were born in Dunellen.
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About Dunellen
Borough in Middlesex County, New Jersey, US
Dunellen () is a borough in Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is located within the Raritan Valley region of central New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 7,637, an increase of 410 (+5.7%) from the 2010 census count of 7,227, which in turn had reflected an increase of 404 (+5.9%) from the 6,823 counted at the 2000 census. Dunellen was formed as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on October 28, 1887, when it broke away from Piscataway Township, based on the results of a referendum held on March 23, 1886. Dunellen's incorporation was confirmed on April 15, 1914. The borough was named for the Dunellen station of the Cen…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1887
- Area
- 1.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 52 ft
- ZIP code
- 08812
Dunellen’s neighbors
4 towns share a border with Dunellen.
Green Brook TownshipMiddlesexPiscataway TownshipPlainfieldDunellen
How the neighbors grade
| Town | NJ rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dunellen | #421 | D | D | — | C+ | C |
| Green Brook Township | #174 | A− | D | A− | B+ | B+ |
| Middlesex | #188 | B+ | C− | A | B− | B+ |
| Piscataway Township | #229 | B | D | — | B | A |
| Plainfield | #451 | D− | D | — | D− | C− |
Dunellen, Piscataway Township and Plainfield report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Dunellen with a neighbor →
Questions about Dunellen
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Dunellen, NJ a good place to live?
Dunellen grades D overall, better than 12% of U.S. towns and #421 of 466 in New Jersey. It grades C for health and C+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Dunellen, NJ expensive?
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
What is Dunellen, NJ known for?
3 notable people were born here, including Matt Nagy and Randolph Perkins.