Moving to
Old Bridge.

All Old Bridge data Compare Old Bridge

28,236people live here $111,996median household income▲ 39% above US $1,459median rent per monthNear US average $485,800median home value▲ 46% above US

Old Bridge is an unincorporated community in Middlesex County, NJ. It has no city government: the county runs it, and the Census counts it as its own place.

What it's like to live in Old Bridge

Old Bridge is an unincorporated community in New Jersey with household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, air quality that stays clean most of the year, and a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.

The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Old Bridge deals with home prices well above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, and cold winters.

The good

Higher-than-average incomes
Low crime rates
Clean air
Highly educated workforce
Low student-teacher ratio

The not so good

High home prices
Above-average commute times
Cold winters

How Old Bridge compares

Median household income

Old Bridge$111,996

New Jersey avg$103,556

US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

Old Bridge$1,459

New Jersey avg$1,720

US$1,413

Median home value

Old Bridge$485,800

New Jersey avg$454,400

US$332,700

What it takes to move to Old Bridge

Based on Old Bridge's median rent, home value and household income

To rent

$2,918

up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit

Income to keep rent under 30%: $58,360 a year
45% of Old Bridge renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$97,160

a 20% down payment on the median home

With 10% down: $48,580
Homes cost 4.3× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of livingNear US average

$1,459/mo median rent

Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,459 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices are steep, with a median around $485,800. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.

Median home value $485,800 · 45% of renters cost-burdened

Job market

5.2% county unemployment

Unemployment in Middlesex County is 5.2%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.

Middlesex County (county-wide)

Safety▼ 81% below US

69 violent crimes per 100k

Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.

Property crime 700/100k · Old Bridge Township Police Department · 2024 data

Getting around▲ 29% above US

34 min average commute

Traffic is a real factor here. The 33.6 minute average means plenty of commuters are pushing 45 to 60 minutes on a bad day. Proximity to work matters more here than it might elsewhere. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 6% take public transit; 12% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone

71%

Work from home

12%

Carpool

8.9%

Public transit

6.0%

Other

1.2%

Walk

0.5%

Climate

Summers are warm, with highs around 84°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 25°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Education & workforceNear US average

38% bachelor's degree or higher

Education levels run about average, with 38% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.

Schools

8 public schools inside the boundary

There are 8 public schools inside the boundary and 2 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 11:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.

Parks & recreation

The nearest national park or historic site is National Parks of New York Harbor (24 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.

Bottom line

Old Bridge's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are home prices well above the national average and commute times longer than most cities. A year of median rent ($1,459/mo) equals 16% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime. It may be a harder fit for people who dread long commutes.

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