Somerset cdp nj 035, 2005
Somerset’s story
Somerset in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1921.
Explore the history →
SomersetNJ
A town of 22,720.
8 bordering townsMap →
Population
22,720
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$571K
+2.6% in a year
Household income
$121K
median
Median age
41.3
years
Jobs based here
3,018
A commuter town
Is Somerset a good place to live?
62% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Somerset, above both New Jersey’s towns (45%) and U.S. towns (29%). Somerset’s trail density is 1.4 miles per square mile, where New Jersey’s towns sit at 0.7 and U.S. towns at 0.4. The biggest park or preserve is Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park, at 82 acres. We don’t grade Somerset yet; the figures below are still real.
A commuter town
97% of working residents leave Somerset for work
Where Somerset’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
3,018jobs based in Somerset
3%of working residents work in town
12 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Nearby attractions
All 723 attractions →Madison Square Garden and 519 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Somerset. Close and well known come first.
Big draw31 mi Stadium & arenaMadison Square Garden
Big draw34 mi GardenCentral Park40.0M visitors a year
Big draw31 mi Stadium & arenaMetLife Stadium
Big draw32 mi TheatreStudio 54
Big draw28 mi BeachConey Island
Big draw34 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 · Studio 54: Americasroof (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Coney Island: OptimumPx, Public domain · Metropolitan Museum of Art: Hugo Schneider, CC BY-SA 2.0
Getting set up
Moving to Somerset: who provides what
Somerset is unincorporated, so Somerset County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPSE&G25.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterFranklin Township Dept of Public WorksNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesSomerset CountySomerset 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 hereSomerset County ClerkSomerset County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code0887308873 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 Somerset.
Work & commute
Somerset has 0.3 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Somerset for work: only 3% work in town. The average trip to work in Somerset is 35 minutes. Since 2013, Somerset has lost 551 jobs, to 3,018 in 2023.
3%work in town
| Somerset | New Jersey towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 35 minutes | 30 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 20% | 16% | 11% |
| Median household income | $121,000 | $113,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 4.5% | 6.1% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Somerset3%
Franklin Township11%
New Brunswick9%
New York5%
Edison Township4%
12 mi
median commute distance
3,018
jobs based in Somerset
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
High risk in Somerset, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 69% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 27 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Somerset.
69risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingEarthquakes
27
paid flood claims since 1979
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Somerset has four seasons and pleasant summers
Somerset has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 87°, January nights drop to 23° and about 21 inches of snow falls in a winter.
21″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter25–43°
Spring40–63°
Summer62–84°
Fall45–66°
Oct 26
typical first frost
Apr 15
typical last frost
+2.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
9.5%conserved
9.5%
conserved · 389 of 4,112 acres
8.7 mi
of trails · 1.4 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park | — | 82 |
| 2. Inman Park | — | 17 |
| 3. Castleton Park | — | 7 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Health
Compared with most of New Jersey and the rest of the country, fewer of Somerset’s adults binge drink
12% of Somerset adults binge drink. Somerset beats the New Jersey average on 13 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 8.1% of Somerset adults smoke cigarettes.
| Somerset | New Jersey towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 16% | 23% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 16% | 16% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 15% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 8.1% | 11% | 14% |
32 measures vs. New Jersey
13 better19 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Somerset | NJ |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 6.9% | 9.6% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 8.3% | 11.3% |
Saint Peter's University Hospital
2.2 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Housing
Somerset’s typical home value is about $571K
The typical Somerset home is worth about $571,000, up 2.6% in a year, close to the New Jersey typical home. Somerset’s median rent is $2,121 a month.
$571KZillow home value
| Somerset | New Jersey towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,121 a month | $1,778 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 73% | 77% | 73% |
Typical home value
Somerset$571K
New Jersey$575K
Market temperature
14
days on market
103.6%
sale-to-list price
+2.6%
value change, 1 year
21
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Somerset
17pages on Somerset
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
10 within 15 miles of the center of Somerset
Rutgers University-New BrunswickUniversity or college · Public · New Brunswick2.9 mi$17,929 in-state tuitionChamberlain University-New JerseyUniversity or college · Private for-profit · North Brunswick4.4 mi$20,785 tuitionMiddlesex CollegeCommunity college · Public · Edison7 mi$4,764 in-state tuition
About 9 of every 100 Somerset residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Jersey.
Famous people from Somerset
3 notable people were born in Somerset.
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About Somerset
Place in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States
Somerset is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within Franklin Township, in Somerset County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 census, Somerset had a population of 22,968. Somerset housed one of the first Marconi Wireless Stations in the United States.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 6.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 118 ft
- ZIP code
- 08873, 08875
Somerset’s neighbors
8 towns share a border with Somerset.
Franklin TownshipPiscataway TownshipMiddlebushClydeNew BrunswickEast FranklinFranklin CenterVoorheesSomerset
How the neighbors grade
| Town | NJ rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Somerset | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Franklin Township | #246 | B | D | B+ | C | A |
| Piscataway Township | #229 | B | D | — | B | A |
| Middlebush | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Clyde | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| New Brunswick | #458 | D− | D | D | D− | C |
| East Franklin | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Franklin Center | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Piscataway Township reports no FBI crime data of its own. Somerset, Middlebush, Clyde, East Franklin and Franklin Center aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Somerset with a neighbor →
Questions about Somerset
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Somerset, NJ a good place to live?
We don’t grade Somerset yet; the figures below are still real.