ZIP Code 08861 — Perth Amboy city, NJ Demographics & Data

ZIP code 08861 covers Perth Amboy, NJ in Middlesex County with a population of about 58,264.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 37.3 versus a U.S. median of about 38.9.

It sits in telephone area codes 732, 848; U.S. House district NJ-6; the NEW YORK media market.

Median household income in ZIP 08861 is about $60,464 — about 20% below the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 19.2%; unemployment rate near 12.3%; 15.5% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 18.2 points below the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Transportation, Retail trade, and Healthcare; about 4.5% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 10.7 points below 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 $340,900 — about even with the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $1,387 (about 19% above the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 35.0% (about 30.4 points below the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 08861 in Perth Amboy, NJ, a household would need roughly $94,000 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 $2,190. That is about 55% above the local median household income ($60,464), 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 Perth Amboy city, NJ as Relatively High (composite score 97.8), which is among the highest nationally. The strongest component scores on US5 are flood (98.9) and hurricane (92.6). 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 Perth Amboy city, NJ show little to no average snow and around 49.5 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 3,750 for ZIP 08861 (Perth Amboy city, 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.