New Brunswick, New Jersey

New Brunswick is a city in New Jersey, in the United States. It is the county seat of Middlesex County. The city is important because it is home to Rutgers University, the state's largest university, and many people live there and travel to work in New York City. The New Brunswick station helps people travel easily on the Northeast Corridor rail line.

As of the 2020 United States census, the city had a population of 55,266 people, the highest number ever recorded. Many hospitals and medical schools are in the area, making New Brunswick known as the "Hub City" and the "Healthcare City." Big companies like Johnson & Johnson and Bristol Myers Squibb also have offices there.

The city is very diverse, with people from many different backgrounds. In the past, many Hungarian people lived there, and today there are still communities of Asian and Hispanic people. New Brunswick continues to grow, with new buildings and many activities in the arts and sciences.

History

Etymology

The area around present-day New Brunswick was first home to the Lenape Native Americans. Their Minisink Trail crossed the Raritan River along a route later used by colonial roads. The first European settlers arrived in 1681 and named the area Prigmore’s Swamp. By 1714, it was called New Brunswick, named after the city of Braunschweig (Brunswick) in Germany. This city was important in the Hanseatic League and later became linked to British royalty.

Colonial and Early American periods

New Brunswick’s location between New York City and Philadelphia made it a key spot for travelers and traders. It became a town in 1736 and a city in 1784. During the Revolutionary War, British forces occupied the city in the winter of 1776–1777. One of the first public readings of the Declaration of Independence happened here on July 9, 1776. Rutgers University, founded in 1766, began classes in New Brunswick in 1771. The New Brunswick Theological Seminary moved here in 1810.

African-American community

Slavery in New Brunswick

In the 18th century, New Brunswick had an African-American community affected by slavery. The Market-House, a central spot in the city, was where slave auctions happened. Newspapers also advertised slaves for sale, mostly women in their 20s, due to the demand for domestic work.

African American spaces and institutions in the early 19th century

By the 1810s, free African Americans lived in an area called Halfpenny Town near the Raritan River. They created the African Association of New Brunswick in 1817 to support the African School, which opened in 1822. Both free and enslaved people could attend. They also established Mount Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church in 1827, the first African American church in Middlesex County.

Jail and curfew in the 19th century

In 1824, a curfew was placed on free African Americans in New Brunswick, forbidding them from being out after 10 pm on Saturdays. The city was also a key location for slave hunters enforcing the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 and part of the Underground Railroad.

Hungarian community

New Brunswick has a strong Hungarian community, with immigrants arriving as early as 1888, mainly working at Johnson & Johnson factories. The population grew until the early 20th century. After the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, many refugees settled here through Camp Kilmer. The city still holds an annual Hungarian Festival and maintains many Hungarian institutions and landmarks.

Latino community

Since the 1960s, many new residents have come from Latin America. In the 1970s, many moved from Puerto Rico, followed by people from the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, Ecuador, and Mexico in later decades.

Demolition, revitalization, and redevelopment

New Brunswick faced urban decay in the 1960s and 1970s as people moved to the suburbs. In 1975, Rutgers University, Johnson & Johnson, and the city formed the New Brunswick Development Company to revitalize the downtown area. This included demolishing old buildings and constructing new ones, which drew criticism from historic preservationists and others concerned about gentrification and loss of neighborhood character.

Tallest buildings

Christ Church, built in 1742, was the tallest building when constructed. The First Reformed Church, built in 1812, was the city’s tallest structure for a long time. More recently, high-rise residential buildings have been added around the New Brunswick station.

Geography

New Brunswick is a city in New Jersey. It covers about 5.75 square miles, with some of that area being water. The city is near other places like Piscataway, Highland Park, Edison, and Franklin Township. It is south of the Raritan Valley and lies between bigger cities such as Newark and New York City, and Trenton and Philadelphia.

New Brunswick touches several nearby areas, including Piscataway, Highland Park, Edison, North Brunswick, East Brunswick, and Franklin Township in Somerset County. The city has different neighborhoods such as the Fifth Ward, Feaster Park, Lincoln Park, Raritan Gardens, and Edgebrook-Westons Mills.

Climate

New Brunswick has warm, humid summers and cold winters with rain most of the year. Snow usually falls around 29 inches each year, with February being the snowiest month.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, New Brunswick had a population of 55,266 people. The median age was 25 years. About 22% of residents were under 18 years old, and 7% were 65 or older. For every 100 females, there were about 100 males.

All residents lived in urban areas.

There were 15,387 households in New Brunswick. About 36% had children under 18 living in them. Around 30% were married couples, 28% had a male householder without a spouse, and 34% had a female householder without a spouse. About 28% of households were made up of individuals, and 7% had someone living alone who was 65 or older.

There were 17,509 housing units, with 12% vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2%, and the rental vacancy rate was 9%.

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 55,181 people in the city. The population density was 10,556 people per square mile. There were 15,053 housing units at an average density of 2,880 per square mile. The racial makeup was 45% White, 16% Black or African American, 1% Native American, 8% Asian, less than 1% Pacific Islander, 26% from other races, and 4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people made up about 50% of the population.

Of the 14,119 households, 31% had children under 18; 29% were married couples living together; 18% had a female householder without a husband present and 45% were non-families. About 26% of households were made up of individuals and 7% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 3.4 and the average family size was 3.9.

About 21% of the population were under 18, 33% were from 18 to 24, 28% from 25 to 44, 12% from 45 to 64, and 5% were 65 or older. The median age was 23 years. For every 100 females, the population had 105 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 105 males.

The median household income was $44,543, and the median family income was $44,455. Males had a median income of $31,313 versus $28,858 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,395. About 16% of families and 26% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25% of those under age 18 and 17% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census, there were 48,573 people, 13,057 households, and 7,207 families in the city. The population density was 9,294 people per square mile. There were 13,893 housing units at an average density of 2,658 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 52% White, 25% African American, 1% Native American, 6% Asian, less than 1% Pacific Islander, 21% from other races, and 4% from two or more races. 39% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 13,057 households, of which 29% had children under 18 living with them, 30% were married couples living together, 18% had a female householder without a husband present, and 45% were non-families. 24% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 3.2 and the average family size was 3.7.

About 20% of the population were under 18, 34% from 18 to 24, 28% from 25 to 44, 11% from 45 to 64, and 7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 24 years. For every 100 females, there were 98 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97 males.

The median household income in the city was $36,080, and the median income for a family was $38,222. Males had a median income of $25,657 versus $23,604 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,308. 27% of the population and 17% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 26% were under the age of 18 and 14% were 65 or older.

Economy

New Brunswick is sometimes called "The Health Care City" because many important healthcare companies and schools are there. One big company, Johnson & Johnson, has its main office in the city. There is also a special high school, New Brunswick Health Sciences Technology High School, that helps students learn about health and medicine.

Some parts of New Brunswick are in a special area called an Urban Enterprise Zone. This area offers lower taxes to help bring more jobs and business to the city. This special status started in December 2004 and will last until December 2024.

Arts and culture

Theatre

The New Brunswick Performing Arts Center opened in September 2019. It has three places for shows: Crossroads Theatre, George Street Playhouse, and the State Theatre. There is also a ballet group called the American Repertory Ballet and the Princeton Ballet School.

Journalism

There is a newspaper called New Brunswick Today that started in 2011. It gives news about the city. There are also magazines like The Aquarian Weekly and NJ Indy that talk about music and art.

Museums

New Brunswick has some interesting places to see art, like the Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University and the Rutgers University Geology Museum.

Fine arts

In the 1950s to 1970s, New Brunswick was a place where many artists worked. Some of them taught at Rutgers University.

Music

New Brunswick is famous for its music, especially rock and punk rock. Bands like The Smithereens and Bon Jovi started here. There are also many jazz events and festivals.

Film

New Brunswick holds several film festivals, including the New Jersey Film Festival and the Rutgers Jewish Film Festival.

Grease trucks

There used to be food trucks called the "Grease trucks" near Rutgers University. They sold special sandwiches but were moved in 2013 for a new building.

Government

The city hall, library, and main post office in New Brunswick are all located in the Civic Square government district, along with many other city, county, state, and federal offices.

New Brunswick uses a Mayor-Council system for its local government. The mayor and five council members are elected every four years. The council approves budgets, laws, and appointments. As of 2026, the mayor is James Cahill, a Democrat who has served since 1991. The council has seven members, including the first Black woman and first Latino man to serve in these roles.

New Brunswick is part of New Jersey’s 17th legislative district and the 6th Congressional District. It is represented by Democrats in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, as well as in the New Jersey Legislature.

Education

The New Brunswick Public Schools help students from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. They have nine schools, with many students and teachers helping everyone learn together. Some of these schools include Lincoln Elementary School, Livingston Elementary School, and New Brunswick High School.

New Brunswick is also home to Rutgers University, which has three main areas in the city. There is also the New Brunswick Theological Seminary and Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, which is part of Rutgers. Additionally, Middlesex County College has some buildings in the downtown area.

Historic district

The Livingston Avenue Historic District is a special area along Livingston Avenue between Hale and Morris streets. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on February 16, 1996, because of its important buildings and history from 1870 to 1929.

Some of the notable buildings include:

• John B. Drury House, Victorian style
• Roosevelt Intermediate School, Neo-Classical Revival style
• Ukrainian Catholic Church, Richardsonian Romanesque style

Infrastructure

Transportation

Roads and highways

As of May 2010, New Brunswick had about 73 miles of roads. Some roads are kept up by the city, some by the county, and others by state groups.

The city has many roads crossing it, including US 1 and Route 18. It also has a small part of the New Jersey Turnpike (Interstate 95). Some roads nearby include the Garden State Parkway and Interstate 287.

Public transportation

New Brunswick has train services from NJ Transit and Amtrak. Trains go north to New York Penn Station and south to Trenton. There are also local buses, including special ones for Rutgers students.

There are also buses that go to nearby places like Jamesburg and Bound Brook. Some buses even go all the way to New York City.

Healthcare

New Brunswick has many important health centers, like Saint Peter's University Hospital and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. Because of this, the city is sometimes called the “Healthcare City.”

Popular culture

New Brunswick has been featured in many stories and shows. In 1872, a man named William Cameron Coup created a new way to move circus equipment and animals using train cars, which became popular with other circuses. Later, the 1980s TV show Charles in Charge was set in New Brunswick. The movie Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle from 2004 also includes the city. Two well-known books, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao which won a special award in 2007, and Americanah from 2013, both have scenes in New Brunswick. Plus, a music label called Don Giovanni Records started there in 2003 to share local music.

Points of interest

• The Albany Street Bridge is a historic stone bridge built in 1892. It crosses the Raritan River to Highland Park.
• The Bishop House is a beautiful mansion built in 1860. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
• The Old Queens Campus and Voorhees Mall at Rutgers University include the oldest building on campus, built in 1809.
• The Buccleuch Mansion was built in 1739 and is now part of a park in New Brunswick.
• The Christ Church Episcopal Churchyard is a historic graveyard with burials dating back to 1754.
• The Henry Guest House is a historic home built in 1760. It was moved next to the New Brunswick Free Public Library in 1924.
• The William H. Johnson House shows off a special style of architecture from the 1870s.
• St. Peter the Apostle Church was built in 1856 and is located at 94 Somerset Street.
• The Delaware and Raritan Canal was finished in 1834 and helped move goods from Pennsylvania to New York City.
• The birthplace of poet Joyce Kilmer is located on Joyce Kilmer Avenue.
• The site of Johnson & Johnson’s world headquarters is in New Brunswick.
• The Willow Grove Cemetery was established in the late 1840s.
• The grave of Mary Ellis (1750–1828) is located in an AMC Theatres parking lot on U.S. Route 1.
• The Lawrence Brook is a small river that flows through New Brunswick and nearby areas.
• Elmer B. Boyd Park is a park along the Raritan River that was renovated and reopened in 1999.

Places of worship

New Brunswick has many places where people can gather to worship together. Some of these include Abundant Life Family Worship Church, which started in 1991, and Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple, a Reform Judaism temple that began in 1859. There is also Ascension Lutheran Church, founded in 1908, and Christ Church, an Episcopal church that received a royal charter in 1761.

Other notable spots are the College Avenue Community Church, also called the Second Reformed Church, First Presbyterian church, First Reformed church, Kirkpatrick Chapel at Rutgers University, Saint Peter the Apostle Church on Somerset Street, and Voorhees Chapel at Rutgers University.

Notable people

People who have lived in or are connected to New Brunswick include:

• David Abeel, a missionary for the Dutch Reformed Church
• Garnett Adrain, a member of the United States House of Representatives
• Charlie Atherton, a major league baseball player
• Jim Axelrod, a news reporter for CBS News
• Catherine Hayes Bailey, a scientist who studied fruit breeding
• Joe Barzda, a race car driver
• John Bayard, a merchant, soldier, and mayor of New Brunswick
• John Bradbury Bennet, an officer in the United States Army
• James Berardinelli, a film critic
• James Bishop, a member of the United States House of Representatives
• Charles S. Boggs, a leader in the United States Navy
• PJ Bond, a singer and songwriter
• Jake Bornheimer, a basketball player
• James Bornheimer, a state politician
• Brett Brackett, a football player
• Derrick Drop Braxton, a music producer
• Sherry Britton, an actress and performer
• Gary Brokaw, a basketball player
• Dana Brown, a baseball team leader
• Jalen Brunson, a basketball player
• William Burdett-Coutts, a British politician
• Darhyl Camper, a singer, songwriter, and music producer
• Arthur S. Carpender, a leader in the United States Navy
• Lance Carter, a jazz musician
• Jonathan Casillas, a football player
• Joseph Compton Castner, an Army general
• Mary Rankin Cranston, a farmer
• Chris Dailey, a women's basketball coach
• David D. Demarest, an author and theologian
• Andre Dixon, a football player
• Wheeler Winston Dixon, a filmmaker and author
• Michael Douglas, an actor
• Kevin Egan, a state politician
• Hallie Eisenberg, an actress
• Linda Emond, an actress
• Anthony Walton White Evans, an engineer
• Robert Farmar, a British Army officer
• Mervin Field, a public opinion researcher
• Louis Michael Figueroa, a traveler
• Charles Fiske, a bishop
• Haley Fiske, a lawyer
• Kevin Friedland, a soccer player
• Margaret Kemble Gage, a historical figure connected to the American Revolutionary War
• Morris Goodkind, a bridge engineer
• Vera Mae Green, a scholar and educator
• Alan Guth, a physicist
• Augustus A. Hardenbergh, a state politician
• Mel Harris, an actress
• Mark Helias, a jazz musician
• Susan Hendricks, a news anchor
• Laurie Hernandez, an Olympic gymnast
• Sabah Homasi, a mixed martial artist
• Christine Moore Howell, a business leader
• Adam Hyler, a privateer from the American Revolutionary War
• Bill Hynes, a race car driver
• Jaheim, a singer
• Dwayne Jarrett, a football player
• James P. Johnson, a pianist and composer
• William H. Johnson, a painter
• Robert Wood Johnson I, a founder of Johnson & Johnson
• Robert Wood Johnson II, a leader of Johnson & Johnson and mayor
• Woody Johnson, a businessman and diplomat
• Frederick Barnett Kilmer, a scientist at Johnson & Johnson
• Joyce Kilmer, a poet
• Littleton Kirkpatrick, a state politician and mayor
• Ted Kubiak, a baseball player
• Jerry Levine, an actor and director
• Roy Mack, a film director
• Floyd Mayweather Jr., a boxer
• Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, an Olympic athlete
• Jim Norton, a comedian
• Anna Oliver, a preacher
• Robert Pastorelli, an actor
• Judith Persichilli, a health care leader
• Hasan Piker, a video streamer and commentator
• Stephen Porges, a professor
• Effa E. Preston, a teacher and writer
• Franke Previte, a composer
• Paul Reale, a composer and pianist
• Mary Lea Johnson Richards, an entrepreneur
• Miles Ross, a mayor and businessman
• Mohamed Sanu, a football player
• Gabe Saporta, a musician
• Robert J. Sexton, a director and producer
• Jeff Shaara, a writer
• Gerald Shargel, a lawyer
• Dustin Sheppard, a soccer player
• George Sebastian Silzer, a former governor of New Jersey
• James H. Simpson, a surveyor
• Robert Sklar, a historian
• Arthur Space, an actor
• Larry Stark, a theater reviewer
• Matt Taibbi, a writer and journalist
• Norman Tanzman, a state politician
• Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, a musician
• Joe Theismann, a former football player and sports commentator
• John Tukey, a mathematician
• William Henry Vanderbilt, a businessman
• John Van Dyke, a state politician and mayor
• Tony Vega, a horse racing jockey
• George Veronis, a scientist
• Paul Wesley, an actor
• Rev. Samuel Merrill Woodbridge, a minister and professor
• Eric Young, a baseball coach
• Eric Young Jr., a baseball player

See also: Category:People from New Brunswick, New Jersey

Sister cities

New Brunswick has special friendship ties with these cities around the world:

• Debrecen, Hungary
• Fukui, Fukui Prefecture, Japan
• County Limerick, Republic of Ireland
• Tsuruoka, Yamagata Prefecture, Japan