Census tract · Mercer County
Census Tract 42.05, Mercer County, New Jersey
Census Tract 42.05, GEOID 34021004205, in Mercer County, New Jersey, entirely within Princeton. 5,357 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±974); the 2020 Census counted 4,671.
Residents, 2020-2024
5,357
±974 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 4,671
Median household income
$250,000 or more
The survey's top or bottom value; no margin is published
Mercer County: $100,645
Median home value
$1,087,500
±$59,440 (90% margin)
Mercer County: $377,700
Median gross rent
$3,500 or more
The survey's top or bottom value; no margin is published
Mercer County: $1,623
Where is Census Tract 42.05?
Census Tract 42.05 is one of 84 census tracts in Mercer County, New Jersey. It covers 3.66 square miles of land, 1,277 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 34021004205, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).
| Place | Share of the tract |
|---|---|
| Princeton | 100% |
6 census tracts border Census Tract 42.05: Tract 40 ($110,375), Tract 42.03 ($244,038), Tract 42.04 ($207,207), Tract 42.06 ($181,528), Tract 534.02 in Somerset County ($138,438) and Tract 542.01 in Somerset County ($214,784). The figure in brackets is each tract's median household income.
Whether a tract counts as low- or moderate-income for bank lending (the Community Reinvestment Act) is set by the FFIEC against its metro area's family income: look it up in the FFIEC census geocoder.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 block assignment files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Census Tract 42.05?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 42.05's population at 5,357 (±974) in 1,979 households; the 2020 Census counted 4,671 residents and 1,817 housing units.
| Measure | Tract 42.05 | Princeton |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 5,357 ±974 | 30,756 |
| Households | 1,979 ±260 | 9,300 |
| Average household size | 2.66 ±0.28 | 2.54 |
| Housing units | 1,992 ±260 | 9,906 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Census Tract 42.05?
The median resident of Census Tract 42.05 is 42.6 years old; 30.1% are under 18 and 14.1% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 58.5%, then non-Hispanic Asian residents at 20.1%. 35.3% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Tract 42.05 | Princeton |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 42.6 ±1.7 | 28.5 |
| Under 18 years | 30.1% ±6.9 pts | 18.8% |
| 65 years and over | 14.1% ±4.3 pts | 13.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 8.9% ±5.5 pts | 8.0% |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 58.5% ±11.7 pts | 57.8% |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 9.3% ±4.4 pts | 6.1% |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 20.1% ±7.3 pts | 21.5% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.8 pts | 0.3% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.8 pts | 0.0% |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 3.0% ±2.0 pts | 5.4% |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.2% ±0.4 pts | 0.8% |
| Born outside the United States | 35.3% ±7.2 pts | 30.9% |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 36.3% ±10.6 pts | 35.2% |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 1.9% ±1.4 pts | 1.6% |
| With a disability | 7.0% ±2.2 pts | 6.6% |
| No health insurance coverage | 0.9% ±1.1 pts | 1.8% |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 96.0% ±2.4 pts | 97.7% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 86.0% ±4.4 pts | 84.7% |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 61.5% ±8.9 pts | 56.8% |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 88.7% ±6.1 pts | 77.0% |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Census Tract 42.05 earn?
Half of the 1,979 households in Census Tract 42.05 earn less than $250,000 or more a year (), against $100,645 across Mercer County: 1st highest of the county's 81 tracts with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Tract 42.05 | Princeton |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $250,000 or more | $192,079 |
| Mean household income | $295,800 ±$42,777 | $275,137 |
| Per capita income | $106,288 ±$12,321 | $87,301 |
| People below the poverty line | 1.7% ±1.2 pts | 6.1% |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 0.0% ±2.7 pts | 3.7% |
| Households receiving SNAP | 1.0% ±1.0 pts | 2.0% |
| Households with a computer | 100.0% ±2.2 pts | 99.4% |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 97.5% ±2.0 pts | 93.4% |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Census Tract 42.05?
Owners occupy 48.9% of Census Tract 42.05's occupied homes and renters 51.1%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $1,087,500 by its owner (±$59,440). The median renter pays $3,500 or more a month including utilities, and 25.8% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Tract 42.05 | Princeton |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $1,087,500 ±$59,440 | $1,050,600 |
| Median gross rent | $3,500 or more | $2,636 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 25.8% ±12.9 pts | 30.7% |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $4,000 or more | $4,000 or more |
| Owner-occupied homes | 48.9% ±10.0 pts | 55.4% |
| Renter-occupied homes | 51.1% ±10.0 pts | 44.6% |
| Housing units | 1,992 ±260 | 9,906 |
| Single-family detached homes | 63.3% ±9.2 pts | 54.2% |
| Mobile homes | 0.0% ±2.2 pts | 0.0% |
| Built 2020 or later | 6.0% ±2.9 pts | 2.7% |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 10.9% ±4.9 pts | 9.8% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 8.2% ±5.0 pts | 23.3% |
| Households with no vehicle | 4.1% ±2.8 pts | 11.9% |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Census Tract 42.05 get to work?
44.5% of Census Tract 42.05's workers drive alone and 43.8% work from home. The average trip to work takes 26.7 minutes.
| Measure | Tract 42.05 | Princeton |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 70.2% ±5.4 pts | 63.3% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% ±4.3 pts | 4.3% |
| Drove alone to work | 44.5% ±10.8 pts | 32.1% |
| Carpooled | 2.4% ±2.8 pts | 2.1% |
| Public transportation | 6.4% ±5.7 pts | 7.7% |
| Walked | 1.0% ±1.3 pts | 19.9% |
| Worked from home | 43.8% ±12.5 pts | 32.7% |
| Mean travel time to work | 26.7 min ±7.6 | 24.2 min |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
How does Census Tract 42.05 compare with the other tracts in Mercer County?
Among Mercer County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 42.05 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).
| Measure | In Mercer County | In Princeton |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 30th of 84 | 4th of 7 |
| Residents per square mile | 69th of 84 | 5th of 7 |
| Median household income | 1st of 81 | 1st of 6 |
| Per capita income | 7th of 83 | 3rd of 7 |
| Median home value | 5th of 76 | 5th of 7 |
| Median gross rent | 1st of 76 | 1st of 6 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 6th of 79 | 3rd of 7 |
| Median age | 33rd of 84 | 3rd of 7 |
| Owner-occupied share | 61st of 81 | 6th of 7 |
The tracts next to it on Mercer County's income ladder
| Tract | Rank | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 42.05 | 1st | $250,000 or more |
| Tract 43.06 | 1st | $250,000 or more |
| Tract 43.15 | 1st | $250,000 or more |
| Tract 42.03 | 4th | $244,038±$49,054 |
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Census Tract 42.05?
1 of the 18 figures for Census Tract 42.05 on this page carries a coefficient of variation over 40% and is marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
A census tract's figures rest on a few hundred sampled households over five years, so its margins are wider than a city's. Two tracts differ only when the gap between them is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins). How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · Check it at data.census.gov
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections