Local Government in New Jersey - Unincorporated Communities

Unincorporated Communities

Unincorporated communities in the state of New Jersey are well-defined communities that are part of one or more incorporated municipalities but are not independent municipalities in their own right.

Some of the communities have official recognition as a Census-designated place, such as Somerset, New Jersey which is part of Franklin Township. Other communities have their own ZIP Code because they have their own post office such as Deans, New Jersey, which is part of South Brunswick Township. Other communities were once single-owner large farms that were later incorporated into a neighboring township such as Middlebush, New Jersey. Some smaller communities are incorporated into larger urban areas, such as when Greenville was merged into Jersey City.

While these unincorporated communities may have a sense of "communal character" and unique identity, they are all located within incorporated municipalities. There is no territory in the state of New Jersey that is not part of an incorporated municipality.