The Town Files

Somerville, New Jersey

Borough in Somerset County · population 12,346 (2020 Census)

Map: where Somerville is in New JerseySomerville
Median home
$435,700
Household income
$103,760
Jan low / Jul high
19° / 86°
Snow a year
21 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
7
Median age
35.9

Somerville is a borough of 12,346 people in Somerset County, New Jersey. The median home is worth $435,700, close to the typical New Jersey town ($435,600). It ranks better for young professionals than 96% of New Jersey towns, more vibrant than 96% of New Jersey towns, better for cycling than 92% of New Jersey towns.

How Somerville 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.

Somerville lifestyle rankings vs other New Jersey townsRetirement41st pctFamilies19th pctQuiet19th pctWalkability84th pctFirst-time buyers58th pctYoung professionals96th pctVibrancy96th pctHip & trendy86th pctCollege town65th pctUpscale62nd pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling92nd pctTransit87th pctDriving30th 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 Somerville is worth $435,700, close to the typical New Jersey town ($435,600). Homes cost about 4.2 times the median household income of $103,760, which is more affordable than 36% of New Jersey towns. Median rent is $1,802 a month. 43.0% of households own their home.

Somerville vs Somerset County vs typical New Jersey townSomervilleSomerset CountyTypical New Jersey townHome value$435,700$552,100$435,600Household income$103,760$140,374$111,891Monthly rent$1,802$2,033$1,774
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of New Jersey towns with 500+ people.
HousingSomervilleTypical New Jersey town
Median home value$435,700$435,600
Median rent$1,802$1,774
Median household income$103,760$111,891
Home value ÷ income4.2×3.8×
Homeownership43.0%80.8%
Median year built19601969
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Somerville

PeopleSomervilleTypical New Jersey town
Median age35.942.7
Age 65 and over14.5%18.3%
Under 1816.1%—
Bachelor's degree or higher54.7%44.1%
Below the poverty line5.9%5.7%
Veterans4.9%—
Born outside the U.S.23.9%—
Work from home17.1%16.3%
Average commute28.2 min30.4 min
Homes with broadband92.6%94.6%

Weather in Somerville

July highs average 85.5°F and January lows 19.4°F. About 46.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 21.0 inches of snow (typical New Jersey town: 24.5 in). Expect about 16 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 137 nights at or below freezing.

Somerville monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing39°19°Jan41°20°Feb50°27°Mar62°36°Apr72°46°May81°56°Jun86°62°Jul83°60°Aug77°53°Sep64°41°Oct54°31°Nov43°24°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue3.56.82.86.74.13.64.00.23.44.34.73.74.34.30.13.20.14.43.5
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Somerville 4 Nw station (4.0 mi away); snow from Bound Brook 2W (2.1 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Somerville since 1950, compared with 9 for the typical New Jersey town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on October 18, 1990 about 9.1 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 26, 2023.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Somerville by decade01950s11960s01970s11980s21990s12000s12010s12020s
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 25 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on August 17, 2007.

Severe weather in Somerset County since 1996

Storm events in Somerset County since 1996 by typeHail38Heat62Flood133Drought42Dense Fog35Lightning37Heavy Rain42Flash Flood94
NOAA Storm Events Database, Somerset County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 9 deaths recorded.

Somerset 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
June 8, 2018Severe StormDR-4368: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm

Jobs and pay in Somerset County

Somerset County had 190,468 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $106,418 a year. Unemployment was 3.8% in 2023; in Somerville itself the ACS puts it at 3.4%.

Largest industries in Somerset CountyProfessional & technical serv…25,627 jobs · $162,074Health care & social assistan…24,063 jobs · $61,905Retail17,015 jobs · $44,794Manufacturing15,552 jobs · $127,994Administrative & support12,950 jobs · $71,948Hotels & restaurants11,880 jobs · $32,905
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Somerset County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%2000200420082012201620202023Somerset 3.8%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Somerville

3 public schools with 2,145 students, about 10.0 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Somerville High School9-121,07011.4
Van Derveer Elementary SchoolPK-57349.1
Somerville Middle School6-83418.7

Towns near Somerville

Somerville questions

Is Somerville, New Jersey a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Somerville scores better for retirees than 41% of New Jersey towns and quieter than 19%. 14.5% of residents are 65 or older (median age 35.9).

How much does a house cost in Somerville?

The median owner-occupied home in Somerville is valued at $435,700 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $103,760, so homes cost about 4.2 times income. Median rent is $1,802 a month.

What is the weather like in Somerville?

July highs average 85.5°F and January lows 19.4°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 46.7 inches of precipitation a year and 21.0 inches of snow.

Does Somerville get tornadoes?

7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Somerville since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on October 18, 1990. The typical New Jersey town has had 9.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Somerville's Census boundary (GEOID 3468460). 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.