Population
5,747 residents
Census ACS 2023 - New Jersey
City profile · New Jersey · Census ACS 2023
Rutgers University-Busch Campus, NJ
Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Rutgers University-Busch Campus - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.
- 5,747
- Residents
- $118,750
- Median income
- $2,486
- Median rent (state)
Rutgers University-Busch Campus - the verdict
Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Rutgers University-Busch Campus places in the 87th percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.
- 87th
- percentile, household income
- 91st
- percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Rutgers University-Busch Campus, NJ
New Jersey's Rutgers University-Busch Campus is a small town, with 5,747 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. The typical household in Rutgers University-Busch Campus brings in $118,750 a year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 17.4%. The median resident age is 19.9 years. About 88.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 42.1% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
New Jersey carries a cost-of-living premium: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, New Jersey scores 108.8 (Well Above Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $2,486 per month. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in New Jersey run around $275, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 97.8 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Very High).
Median Household Income
$118,750 /yr
Poverty 17.4%
Cost of Living Index (state)
108.8 (US=100)
Well Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, New Jersey average
How does Rutgers University-Busch Campus compare to other US cities?
Here's how Rutgers University-Busch Campus stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income 87% higher than other cities
Median rent 91% pricier than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Rutgers University-Busch Campus's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in New Jersey, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.
87th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Income distribution context
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 88.4%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL) 17.4%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+) 42.1%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
5,747
Median Income
$118,750
Median Home Value
N/A
Median Age
19.9
Poverty Rate
17.4%
Labor force participation
42.1%
Bachelor's Degree+
88.4%
Commute Patterns
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
21.6%
Carpool
2.3%
Public Transit
3.9%
Walk
56.5%
Work from Home
11.5%
Other
4.2%
Based on 2,002 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
State-average estimates for New Jersey - EIA 2023 residential energy data
Electricity
$120
avg/month
Natural Gas
$95
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$60
avg/month
Total Utilities
$275
estimated/month
Estimates reflect New Jersey state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Cost of living is a New Jersey state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Rutgers University-Busch Campus sits in
Cost of Living Index
108.8
Well Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$2,486/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
97.8 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)
Similar Cities in New Jersey
Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide
Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Rutgers University-Busch Campus's 5,747 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).
Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide
Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Rutgers University-Busch Campus's $118,750 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).
Race & Ethnicity Composition
City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.
How Rutgers University-Busch Campus compares to nearby New Jersey cities
Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).
| City | Population | Median Household Income |
|---|---|---|
| Rutgers University-Busch Campus (this city) | 5,747 | $118,750 |
| Jamesburg | 5,763 | $117,719 |
| Franklin Center | 5,770 | $138,643 |
| Union Beach | 5,722 | $128,400 |
Census ACS 5-year FIPS NJ OMB Bulletin 23-01
What do people ask about Rutgers University-Busch Campus, NJ?
What is the population of Rutgers University-Busch Campus, NJ? +
Rutgers University-Busch Campus, NJ has a population of 5,747 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in Rutgers University-Busch Campus, NJ? +
In Rutgers University-Busch Campus, the typical household earns $118,750 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the cost of living in Rutgers University-Busch Campus? +
BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Rutgers University-Busch Campus; the closest available measure is the New Jersey state average, a cost of living index of 108.8 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Well Above Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within New Jersey vary by metro area.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.
Citation & verification links
Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCitiesEvery figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.