The Town Files

Cranbury, New Jersey

Township in Middlesex County · population 3,842 (2020 Census)

Map: where Cranbury is in New JerseyCranbury
Median home
$889,400
Household income
$216,691
Jan low / Jul high
21° / 87°
Snow a year
24 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
10
Median age
49.0

Cranbury is a township of 3,842 people in Middlesex County, New Jersey. The median home is worth $889,400, above the typical New Jersey town ($435,600). It ranks more upscale than 96% of New Jersey towns, better for families than 87% of New Jersey towns, better for retirees than 83% of New Jersey towns.

Cranbury in our rankings:

How Cranbury ranks

Percentile among New Jersey towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of New Jersey towns.

Cranbury lifestyle rankings vs other New Jersey townsRetirement83rd pctFamilies87th pctQuiet73rd pctWalkability35th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals70th pctVibrancy26th pctHip & trendy56th pctCollege town59th pctUpscale96th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit77th pctDriving9th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Cranbury is worth $889,400, above the typical New Jersey town ($435,600). Homes cost about 4.1 times the median household income of $216,691, which is more affordable than 39% of New Jersey towns. Median rent is $1,603 a month. 85.5% of households own their home.

Cranbury vs Middlesex County vs typical New Jersey townCranburyMiddlesex CountyTypical New Jersey townHome value$889,400$462,900$435,600Household income$216,691$111,549$111,891Monthly rent$1,603$1,871$1,774
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of New Jersey towns with 500+ people.
HousingCranburyTypical New Jersey town
Median home value$889,400$435,600
Median rent$1,603$1,774
Median household income$216,691$111,891
Home value ÷ income4.1×3.8×
Homeownership85.5%80.8%
Median year built19881969
Seasonal / vacation homes0.5%—

Who lives in Cranbury

PeopleCranburyTypical New Jersey town
Median age49.042.7
Age 65 and over18.3%18.3%
Under 1822.6%—
Bachelor's degree or higher73.4%44.1%
Below the poverty line3.6%5.7%
Veterans4.5%—
Born outside the U.S.23.5%—
Work from home35.8%16.3%
Average commute32.9 min30.4 min
Homes with broadband96.9%94.6%

Weather in Cranbury

July highs average 86.7°F and January lows 21.4°F. About 47.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 23.7 inches of snow (typical New Jersey town: 24.5 in). Expect about 26 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 114 nights at or below freezing.

Cranbury monthly temperatures and precipitation20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing41°21°Jan43°23°Feb51°30°Mar63°39°Apr73°48°May82°58°Jun87°63°Jul85°61°Aug78°54°Sep66°42°Oct55°33°Nov46°27°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue3.55.82.68.04.34.63.70.64.14.64.84.34.24.03.30.34.24.4
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Hightstown 2 W station (4.0 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

10 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Cranbury since 1950, compared with 9 for the typical New Jersey town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF2, struck on February 21, 2023 about 4.9 miles from the town center. The most recent was on February 21, 2023.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Cranbury by decade01950s21960s11970s11980s01990s02000s32010s32020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 23 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on October 4, 2000.

Severe weather in Middlesex County since 1996

Storm events in Middlesex County since 1996 by typeHail55Heat63Drought42High Wind44Lightning47Heavy Rain72Flash Flood142Strong Wind98
NOAA Storm Events Database, Middlesex County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 25 deaths recorded.

Middlesex County has been included in 30 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, other.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
September 5, 2021HurricaneDR-4614: Remnants Of Hurricane Ida
September 2, 2021HurricaneEM-3573: Remnants Of Hurricane Ida
March 25, 2020BiologicalDR-4488: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3451: Covid-19
March 14, 2016Severe StormDR-4264: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm

Jobs and pay in Middlesex County

Middlesex County had 430,555 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $82,400 a year. Unemployment was 4.1% in 2023; in Cranbury itself the ACS puts it at 4.1%.

Largest industries in Middlesex CountyHealth care & social assistan…57,785 jobs · $65,692Transportation & warehousing49,945 jobs · $57,723Professional & technical serv…40,554 jobs · $138,687Retail37,013 jobs · $45,485Administrative & support36,294 jobs · $59,294Manufacturing30,859 jobs · $98,523
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Middlesex County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Middlesex 4.1%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Cranbury

1 public school with 438 students, about 7.8 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Cranbury SchoolPK-84387.8

Towns near Cranbury

Cranbury questions

Is Cranbury, New Jersey a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Cranbury scores better for retirees than 83% of New Jersey towns and quieter than 73%. 18.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 49.0).

How much does a house cost in Cranbury?

The median owner-occupied home in Cranbury is valued at $889,400 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $216,691, so homes cost about 4.1 times income. Median rent is $1,603 a month.

What is the weather like in Cranbury?

July highs average 86.7°F and January lows 21.4°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 47.5 inches of precipitation a year and 23.7 inches of snow.

Does Cranbury get tornadoes?

10 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Cranbury since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF2 on February 21, 2023. The typical New Jersey town has had 9.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Cranbury's Census boundary (GEOID 3402315550). Comparisons use the median of New Jersey towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.