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City · 8,171 residents · Middlesex County, New Jersey

Spotswood , New Jersey

In Spotswood, a typical home is worth $369,900 and typical rent is $1,079 a month. Compared with all of Middlesex County, typical rent is 42% lower, the typical home value is 20% lower, and the share of households that own their home is 23 points higher.

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  • Typical home value

    $369,900

    20% below the county

    19% below New Jersey

    • Spotswood
    • Middlesex
    • New Jersey

  • Typical rent

    $1,079a month

    42% below the county

    37% below New Jersey

    • Spotswood
    • Middlesex
    • New Jersey

  • Typical household income

    $105,060a year

    6% below the county

    About the same as New Jersey

    • Spotswood
    • Middlesex
    • New Jersey

  • Households that own their home

    86%

    23 points above the county

    22 points above New Jersey

    • Spotswood
    • Middlesex
    • New Jersey

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

Market now, with Zillow data

Zillow data
Typical home value
$563,287
4.8% more than 12 months ago

From Zillow (ZHVI), September 2026. The Census figures above are 5-year averages (2020–2024).

Spotswood is in Middlesex County. The FHA loan limit ($1,249,125 for a one-unit home), the fair market rents and the help on this page are those of all of Middlesex County. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 11 official sources

Only here

What sets Spotswood apart

What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.

  1. Spotswood has the 7th lowest typical rent of the 283 cities in New Jersey with more than 5,000 people ($1,079).

  2. 86% of households in Spotswood own their home, against 64% in Middlesex County.

  3. The typical home in Spotswood is worth $369,900, 20% less than in Middlesex County as a whole ($462,900).

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024).

The homes here

Housing in Spotswood

What homes there are in Spotswood, what they cost, how that changed and how people live, from Census figures (2020–2024).

What homes there are

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Kind of home

Detached houses, standing on their own, make up 69% of homes here, against 52% in Middlesex County.

There are more mobile homes here than in Middlesex County: 14% of homes, against 1%.

Year built

Homes in Spotswood are older: the typical year built is 1967; in Middlesex County, 1974.

All homes, occupied or empty. A figure the Census cannot measure precisely enough here is not shown.

Census tables: B25024, B25034, B25035, B25041

What it costs here

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Value of owner-occupied homes
Monthly rent with utilities

With a mortgage

$2,735 a month

Middlesex County: $2,877 a month

Without a mortgage

$1,241 a month

Middlesex County: $1,242 a month

Owners with a mortgage

49%

Middlesex County: 63%

Owning costs about the same in Spotswood as in Middlesex County: with a mortgage, $2,735 a month; without one, $1,241.

Value: what owners think their home is worth. Rent: rent plus utilities, for homes of every size. The FHA limit is the most an FHA loan (Federal Housing Administration) lends for a one-unit home; the fair market rent (FMR) is the one HUD uses for housing vouchers.

Census tables: B25075, B25063, B25088, B25081

How it changed

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024

Change since 2015–2019

From 2015–2019 to 2020–2024, the typical home value in Spotswood rose 21%; in Middlesex County, it rose 35%.

Rent in Spotswood moved so little since 2015–2019 that the Census cannot say whether it rose or fell.

Change between two 5-year periods that do not overlap, in each period's dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

Census tables: B25077, B25064, B19013

How people live

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

MeasureSpotswoodMiddlesex CountyNew JerseyUnited States
Rental vacancy Unreliable estimate2.4%3.5%5.5%
Homeowner vacancy Unreliable estimate0.4%0.7%0.9%
More than one person per room Unreliable estimate5.5%4.0%3.4%
People per household 2.472.752.622.53
Drive alone 72%61%62%69%
Carpool 7%8%8%9%
Public transit Unreliable estimate6%8%3%
Walk or bike Unreliable estimate3%3%3%
Work from home 17%18%17%15%
Other means Unreliable estimate4%2%2%
Typical commute Unreliable estimate20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes

Fewer people live in each home here: 2.47 on average, against 2.75 in Middlesex County.

To get to work, 72% of workers in Spotswood drive alone; in Middlesex County, 61%.

Vacancy: empty homes offered for rent or for sale. Rooms: every room in the home, not only bedrooms. Commute: the minute range of the typical worker.

Census tables: B25004, B25003, B25014, B25010, B08301, B08303

Do the math

What would you pay each month for a home in Spotswood?

A typical home costs more than the typical income allows

We start with a typical home in Spotswood, worth $369,900, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 41% of the typical household income in Spotswood, which is $105,060 a year. For that payment to be 28% of income, a household would need to earn about $153,412 a year.

The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Middlesex County.

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in Spotswood. Change it to the price you have in mind.

Loan type
Your credit score

Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.

Down payment
%

That is $12,947 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.

This week's average ± a quarter or half point.

Term

National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.

Adjust advanced details

Estimated monthly payment

Local data

$3,580

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$363,200
Total interest
$522,559
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $6,247 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $2,451 a month

  • Tight

    $2,451 to $3,152 a month

  • Hard

    more than $3,152 a month

    Your payment · 41%

Compared with the typical household income in Spotswood ($105,060 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$3,580
Principal & interest$2,460
Property tax$801
Home insurance$154
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$164

You need at least $12,947 for the down payment, plus closing costs.

Next step

This is an estimate to give you an idea, not a loan offer. Your real payment depends on your rate, your credit, and the insurance and taxes on the home you buy.

The city and its county

Spotswood and Middlesex County

Spotswood is in Middlesex County, New Jersey. The U.S. Census Bureau publishes its own numbers for the city: home values, rent, household income, how many households own their home and the property tax. They are American Community Survey estimates (average 2020–2024).

Spotswood's own numbers

Typical home value
$369,900
Typical monthly rent
$1,079
Typical yearly household income
$105,060
Households that own their home
86%
Effective property tax rate
2.6%

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).

Numbers for all of Middlesex County

FHA limit, one-unit home
$1,249,125
Conventional limit, one unit
$1,209,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$2,623
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+62%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
1.1%

HUD, FHFA and FEMA don't publish these numbers by city.

Other numbers are not published by city, only for the whole county: FHA and conventional loan limits, HUD’s fair market rents, FHFA’s price index and FEMA’s flood data. On this page, those numbers always say they are for all of Middlesex County.

Everything about Middlesex County

Buying

Buying a home in Spotswood

A typical home in Spotswood is worth $369,900: 20% below the county and 19% below New Jersey. With the typical household income in Spotswood ($105,060 a year), a typical home costs 3.5 times what the household earns in a year.

Years of income to pay for a typical home

The typical home value divided by the typical household income for one year. The lower it is, the less buying weighs.

  • Spotswood 3.5 years
  • Middlesex 4.1 years
  • New Jersey 4.4 years
  • United States 4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

How prices have changed in Middlesex County

According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Middlesex County rose 89% in the 10 years through 2025.

FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of Middlesex County.

Period County New Jersey U.S.
Last year (2025) +6.1% +6.2% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +62% +63% +47%
10 years (2015–2025) +89% +88% +85%

The index follows the price of the same homes over time (sales and appraisals with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans). It is not the average price of a home. FHFA considers its annual county indexes experimental. Source: FHFA, 2025 data

Spotswood next to Middlesex County, New Jersey and the U.S.

Three numbers side by side. “Typical” means the median: half are above it and half below.

Typical home value
  • Spotswood $369,900
  • Middlesex $462,900
  • New Jersey $454,400
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • Spotswood $1,079
  • Middlesex $1,871
  • New Jersey $1,720
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • Spotswood $105,060
  • Middlesex $111,549
  • New Jersey $103,556
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
Spotswood next to Middlesex County and New Jersey
Measure Spotswood Middlesex County New Jersey U.S.
Typical home value $369,900 $462,900 $454,400 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $1,079 $1,871 $1,720 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $105,060 $111,549 $103,556 $80,734
Households that own their home 86% 64% 64% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $9,619 $9,712 $9,590 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 2.6% 2.1% 2.11% 0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income 61% 48% 52% 51%

“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Middlesex County. “High rent” is the Census measure: renter households that pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

Four ways to pay for a typical home in Spotswood

For a typical $369,900 home in Spotswood, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Spotswood's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $3,580a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $12,947
    Cash to close
    $24,044
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $164

  • Conventional, 5% down $3,512a month

    Down payment
    $18,495
    Cash to close
    $29,592
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $176

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $2,960a month

    Down payment
    $73,980
    Cash to close
    $85,077
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $3,302a month

    Down payment
    $55,485
    Cash to close
    $66,582
    Rate
    8.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

The option that asks for the least cash to close is FHA, 3.5% down.

  • Cash to close = down payment plus 3% of the price in closing costs (example).
  • Minimum score: FHA requires 580 or higher for the minimum down payment (HUD Handbook 4000.1). * Fannie Mae requires 620 when a loan is underwritten by hand; its automated system has no fixed minimum.
  • The ITIN row is an example with a rate 1 percentage point higher: ITIN loans follow no federal rule and each lender sets its own down payment and rate. Nothing in this table promises an approval.

How much house can I afford? Estimate closing costs

Taxes and floods

Two costs that change from place to place

Property tax and flood insurance raise or lower what you pay each month. Here are the numbers for Spotswood and for Middlesex County.

Property tax

Effective rate in Spotswood

2.6%of the home’s value each year

$9,619 a year for the typical owner in Spotswood.

  • Spotswood 2.6%
  • Middlesex 2.1%
  • New Jersey 2.11%

What New Jersey publishes ANCHOR, Senior Freeze and Stay NJ: one combined application (New Jersey Division of Taxation)

Exemptions and deadlines in New Jersey

Flood risk in Middlesex County

FEMA does not publish these numbers by city: they are for all of Middlesex County.

Homes in the high-risk zone
1.1%
2,391
Of those, with NFIP insurance
54%
County New Jersey U.S.
Homes in the high-risk zone 1.1% 6.7% 3.5%
Of those, with NFIP insurance 54% 63% 48%

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in Spotswood

Typical rent in Spotswood is $1,079 a month: 42% below the county. In Spotswood, 61% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Middlesex County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($2,623 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $50.44 an hour working full time.

HUD fair market rent for all of Middlesex County

What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.

Size Fair rent a month Hourly wage Yearly income
Studio $1,953 $37.56 $78,120
1 bedroom $2,103 $40.44 $84,120
2 bedrooms $2,623 $50.44 $104,920
3 bedrooms $3,125 $60.10 $125,000
4 bedrooms $3,508 $67.46 $140,320

Includes basic utilities. It isn't the lowest or highest rent: it's a reference point. Source: HUD, Fiscal year 2027

By ZIP code

Fair market rent by ZIP code in Spotswood

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Spotswood is in ZIP code 08884.

For 2 bedrooms it is $2,240: $383 less than the fair market rent for Middlesex County ($2,623).

  • 08884 $2,240$2,690

A ZIP code counts for Spotswood when at least 50% of its land is inside the city or it covers at least 15% of the city (Census 2020 boundaries). Source: Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Fiscal year 2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file Data from 2020 data Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file

Is your rent high for your ZIP?

Low-income apartments

Low-income apartments in Spotswood

HUD lists 2 buildings with rents for lower incomes in Spotswood. These are the largest.

  • Woodmere 250 Crescent Ave, Spotswood 08884 126 homes, 125 low-income · For older adults
  • Crescent Park 1 Arlington Ave, Spotswood 08884 74 homes, 73 low-income · For older adults

See all 123 buildings in Middlesex County Source: HUD, Retrieved November 6, 2026

Free help

Help to buy or rent in Spotswood

You do not have to do this alone. A HUD-approved housing counseling agency helps for free or at low cost: getting ready to buy, understanding your credit, or solving a problem with your rent.

There are 3 HUD-approved agencies with an office in Middlesex County; 2 say they serve in Spanish.

A man leans over the armchair to help a teenage girl with her book.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in Spotswood

No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for Spotswood or Middlesex County. The ones below are statewide in New Jersey: they work in Spotswood the same as in the rest of the state.

Which programs do I qualify for? All programs in New Jersey

Housing counselors near Spotswood

The HUD-approved agencies closest to the center of Spotswood, in a straight line, nearest first. If one says it serves in Spanish, its card says so.

  • Puerto Rican Action Board, Inc.

    754 Route 18, East Brunswick · 2 miles away · Spanish

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Mortgage delinquency workshops
    • and 7 more
    (732) 832-7535

  • Navicore Solutions

    200 US Highway 9, Manalapan · 8 miles away · Spanish

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 5 more
    (732) 409-6281

  • Navicore Solutions - Manalapan, NJ

    200 US Highway 9, Manalapan · 8 miles away · Spanish

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 6 more
    (732) 409-6281

Every agency in Middlesex County All counseling agencies in New Jersey

Help in Spanish near Spotswood

3 of the 3 agencies on this list say they serve in Spanish.

Ask for service in Spanish

When you call, say “Spanish, please” or ask if someone speaks Spanish. If not, ask whether they offer an interpreter.

Housing authorities of Spotswood

In HUD’s record, no housing authority with an office in Middlesex County is named for Spotswood or Middlesex County.

9 other authorities have an office in Middlesex County: see the list Source: HUD

Cities

Other cities in Middlesex County

These cities are also in Middlesex County. They share its loan limits and fair market rents, but home values and rent change from one to the next.

Everything about Middlesex County Housing in New Jersey
See 15 more cities in Middlesex County, with prices and rents

Every city has its own page with prices, rents and help.

Nearby cities

The cities closest to Spotswood, with the typical home value.

Neighboring counties

If Middlesex County is out of reach, look next door. Each number is that county's own.

Keep going

Guides for your next step

Short explanations, in plain language and with official sources, for buying or renting in Spotswood.

All guides
A mother holds her laughing daughter on a grey sofa.

Questions

Housing questions about Spotswood

Short answers with the numbers for Spotswood and all of Middlesex County. If your case is different, a HUD-approved counseling agency can guide you for free or at low cost.

How much does a typical home cost in Spotswood?

The typical home value in Spotswood is $369,900, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Middlesex County it is $462,900.

How much does it cost to rent in Spotswood?

Typical rent in Spotswood is $1,079 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Middlesex County is $2,623.

What is the FHA loan limit in Spotswood?

Spotswood uses the FHA limit for all of Middlesex County (2026): $1,249,125 for a one-unit home and $2,402,625 for a four-unit home.

How much property tax do owners pay in Spotswood?

The typical homeowner in Spotswood pays $9,619 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 2.6% of the home’s value; in Middlesex County, the rate is 2.1%.

Where can I find free help to buy or rent in Spotswood?

There are 3 HUD-approved counseling agencies with an office in Middlesex County. 2 say they serve in Spanish. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.

Sources: American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (Average 2020–2024); FHA mortgage limits (HUD) (2026 data); Conforming loan limits (FHFA) (2026 data); Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (2020 data); HUD-approved housing counseling agencies (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Public Housing Agencies (HUD) (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) (As of November 5, 2026); FHFA House Price Index (HPI) (2025 data); Homes with flood insurance (NFIP, FEMA) (As of August 3, 2026).