The people of New Jersey have spoken — not only is Central Jersey a place, but it's more than 3 million residents and 170 towns strong.
Last week, we asked you to help us define the oft-debated boundaries of North, Central and South Jersey. We received more than 91,000 responses and used them to map out the state's unofficial kingdoms.
It didn't come without some heated debate, but the results were fairly clear.
For one, NJ.com readers overwhelmingly agreed that Central Jersey does, in fact, exist. More than 50,000 of the votes received went toward categorizing Central Jersey towns, far outweighing those received for North and South Jersey.
In most towns, the vote was clear cut and the section in which they resided was decided easily.
But there were a few dozen towns that remained disputed right up until the very end, receiving less than a 60 percent majority for one section or the other. Mainly these towns set up along two corridors — Interstate 78 and Interstate 195 — not coincidentally one of the most popular dividing lines for North-Central and Central-South Jersey.
Overall, however, each of the border towns were well-debated and some distinct boundaries were set.
View interactive map of final results below
Based on the responses, North Jersey reaches as far south as northern Hunterdon and Somerset Counties, cutting eastward across most of Essex County through Hudson.
Central Jersey crept as far north as Millburn and includes most of Union County. The notable exceptions there were Elizabeth, Berkeley Heights and New Providence, which remained North Jersey until the very end.
The southern border of Central Jersey extends well below Interstate 195. Towns like Jackson, Toms River and Berkeley in Ocean County each remained Central Jersey throughout the vote and Florence, Bordentown and Plumsted ended up there after a lot of back-and-forth.
Everything south of those points was nearly undisputedly considered South Jersey.
So now that these sections of New Jersey have been defined, what can we say about them?
North Jersey has the highest population at 3.86 million residents, followed by Central Jersey with 3.04 million and South Jersey at 1.92 million, according to U.S. Census data.
At 3,300 square miles, South Jersey covers more than 42 percent of the Garden State's total area, which Central and North Jersey splitting the remainder almost evenly.
Central Jersey boasts the highest average property taxes though North Jersey has a higher average property value.. It was also the biggest stronghold for Gov. Chris Christie during the last election.
But all of that is ultimately secondary. We asked, you voted in overwhelming numbers. Here are the final results of the North vs. Central vs. South Jersey border battle:
Click on towns for voting details.
Stephen Stirling may be reached at sstirling@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @sstirling. Find him on Facebook.
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This is a listing of the 565 municipalities in New Jersey arranged by county, (previous to 2013 Princeton Boro and Princeton Township were separate municipalities and the total number was 566). It was prepared by the New Jersey State Library to meet the needs of various people for a simple list that they can use for their own purposes.
Atlantic
- Absecon
- Atlantic City
- Brigantine
- Buena
- Buena Vista
- Corbin City
- Egg Harbor
- Egg Harbor City
- Estell Manor
- Folsom
- Galloway
- Hamilton
- Hammonton
- Linwood
- Longport
- Margate City
- Mullica
- Northfield
- Pleasantville
- Port Republic
- Somers Point
- Ventnor City
- Weymouth
Bergen
- Allendale
- Alpine
- Bergenfield
- Bogota
- Carlstadt
- Cliffside Park
- Closter
- Cresskill
- Demarest
- Dumont
- East Rutherford
- Edgewater
- Elmwood Park
- Emerson
- Englewood
- Englewood Cliffs
- Fair Lawn
- Fairview
- Fort Lee
- Franklin Lakes
- Garfield
- Glen Rock
- Hackensack
- Harrington Park
- Hasbrouck Heights
- Haworth
- Hillsdale
- Ho-Ho-Kus
- Leonia
- Little Ferry
- Lodi
- Lyndhurst
- Mahwah
- Maywood
- Midland Park
- Montvale
- Moonachie
- New Milford
- North Arlington
- Northvale
- Norwood
- Oakland
- Old Tappan
- Oradell
- Palisades Park
- Paramus
- Park Ridge
- Ramsey
- Ridgefield
- Ridgefield Park
- Ridgewood
- River Edge
- River Vale
- Rochelle Park
- Rockleigh
- Rutherford
- Saddle Brook
- Saddle River
- South Hackensack
- Teaneck
- Tenafly
- Teterboro
- Upper Saddle River
- Waldwick
- Wallington
- Washington
- Westwood
- Woodcliff Lake
- Wood-Ridge
- Wyckoff
Burlington
- Bass River
- Beverly
- Bordentown city
- Bordentown township
- Burlington city
- Burlington township
- Chesterfield
- Cinnaminson
- Delanco
- Delran
- Eastampton
- Edgewater Park
- Evesham
- Fieldsboro
- Florence
- Hainesport
- Lumberton
- Mansfield
- Maple Shade
- Medford
- Medford Lakes
- Moorestown
- Mount Holly
- Mount Laurel
- New Hanover
- North Hanover
- Palmyra
- Pemberton borough
- Pemberton township
- Riverside
- Riverton
- Shamong
- Southampton
- Springfield
- Tabernacle
- Washington
- Westampton
- Willingboro
- Woodland
- Wrightstown
Camden
- Audubon
- Audubon Park
- Barrington
- Bellmawr
- Berlin borough
- Berlin township
- Brooklawn
- Camden
- Cherry Hill
- Chesilhurst
- Clementon
- Collingswood
- Gibbsboro
- Gloucester township
- Gloucester City
- Haddon
- Haddon Heights
- Haddonfield
- Hi-Nella
- Laurel Springs
- Lawnside
- Lindenwold
- Magnolia
- Merchantville
- Mount Ephraim
- Oaklyn borough
- Pennsauken
- Pine Hill
- Pine Valley
- Runnemede
- Somerdale
- Stratford
- Tavistock
- Voorhees
- Waterford
- Winslow
- Woodlynne
Cape May
- Avalon
- Cape May
- Cape May Point
- Dennis
- Lower
- Middle
- North Wildwood
- Ocean City
- Sea Isle City
- Stone Harbor
- Upper
- West Cape May
- West Wildwood
- Wildwood
- Wildwood Crest
- Woodbine
Cumberland
- Bridgeton
- Commercial
- Deerfield
- Downe
- Fairfield
- Greenwich
- Hopewell
- Lawrence
- Maurice River
- Millville
- Shiloh
- Stow Creek
- Upper Deerfield
- Vineland
Essex
- Belleville
- Bloomfield
- Caldwell Borough
- Cedar Grove
- City of Orange
- East Orange
- Essex Fells
- Fairfield
- Glen Ridge
- Irvington
- Livingston
- Maplewood
- Millburn
- Montclair
- Newark
- North Caldwell
- Nutley
- Roseland
- Verona
- Village of South Orange
- West Caldwell
- West Orange
Gloucester
- Clayton
- Deptford
- East Greenwich
- Elk
- Franklin
- Glassboro
- Greenwich
- Harrison
- Logan
- Mantua
- Monroe
- National Park
- Newfield
- Paulsboro
- Pitman
- South Harrison
- Swedesboro
- Washington
- Wenonah
- West Deptford
- Westville
- Woodbury
- Woodbury Heights
- Woolwich
Hudson
- Bayonne
- East Newark
- Guttenberg
- Harrison
- Hoboken
- Jersey City
- Kearny
- North Bergen
- Secaucus
- Union City
- Weehawken
- West New York
Hunterdon
- Alexandria
- Bethlehem
- Bloomsbury
- Califon
- Clinton town
- Clinton township
- Delaware
- East Amwell
- Flemington
- Franklin
- Frenchtown
- Glen Gardner
- Hampton
- High Bridge
- Holland
- Kingwood
- Lambertville
- Lebanon borough
- Lebanon township
- Milford
- Raritan
- Readington
- Stockton
- Tewksbury
- Union
- West Amwell
Mercer
- East Windsor
- Ewing
- Hamilton
- Hightstown
- Hopewell borough
- Hopewell township
- Lawrence
- Pennington
- Princeton township
- Trenton
- Washington
- West Windsor
Middlesex
- Carteret
- Cranbury
- Dunellen
- East Brunswick
- Edison
- Helmetta
- Highland Park
- Jamesburg
- Metuchen
- Middlesex
- Milltown
- Monroe
- New Brunswick
- North Brunswick
- Old Bridge
- Perth Amboy
- Piscataway
- Plainsboro
- Sayreville
- South Amboy
- South Brunswick
- South Plainfield
- South River
- Spotswood
- Woodbridge
Monmouth
- Aberdeen
- Allenhurst
- Allentown
- Asbury Park
- Atlantic Highlands
- Avon-by-the-Sea
- Belmar
- Bradley Beach
- Brielle
- Colts Neck
- Deal
- Eatontown
- Englishtown
- Fair Haven
- Farmingdale
- Freehold borough
- Freehold township
- Hazlet
- Highlands
- Holmdel
- Howell
- Interlaken
- Keansburg
- Keyport
- Little Silver
- Loch Arbour
- Long Branch
- Manalapan
- Manasquan
- Marlboro
- Matawan
- Middletown
- Millstone
- Monmouth Beach
- Neptune
- Neptune City
- Ocean
- Oceanport
- Red Bank
- Roosevelt
- Rumson
- Sea Bright
- Sea Girt
- Shrewsbury borough
- Shrewsbury township
- South Belmar
- Spring Lake Boro
- Spring Lake Heights
- Tinton Falls
- Union Beach
- Upper Freehold
- Wall
- West Long Branch
Morris
- Boonton town
- Boonton township
- Butler
- Chatham borough
- Chatham township
- Chester borough
- Chester township
- Denville
- Dover
- East Hanover
- Florham Park
- Hanover
- Harding
- Jefferson
- Kinnelon
- Lincoln Park
- Long Hill
- Madison
- Mendham borough
- Mendham township
- Mine Hill
- Montville
- Morris
- Morris Plains
- Morristown
- Mount Arlington
- Mount Olive
- Mountain Lakes
- Netcong
- Parsippany-Troy Hills
- Pequannock
- Randolph
- Riverdale
- Rockaway borough
- Rockaway township
- Roxbury
- Victory Gardens
- Washington
- Wharton
Ocean
- Barnegat
- Barnegat Light
- Bay Head
- Beach Haven
- Beachwood
- Berkeley
- Brick
- Dover
- Eagleswood
- Harvey Cedars
- Island Heights
- Jackson
- Lacey
- Lakehurst
- Lakewood
- Lavallette
- Little Egg Harbor
- Long Beach
- Manchester
- Mantoloking
- Ocean
- Ocean Gate
- Pine Beach
- Plumsted
- Point Pleasant
- Point Pleasant Beach
- Seaside Heights
- Seaside Park
- Ship Bottom
- South Toms River
- Stafford
- Surf City
- Tuckerton
Passaic
- Bloomingdale
- Clifton
- Haledon
- Hawthorne
- Little Falls
- North Haledon
- Passaic
- Paterson
- Pompton Lakes
- Prospect Park
- Ringwood
- Totowa
- Wanaque
- Wayne
- West Milford
- West Paterson
Salem
- Alloway
- Carneys Point
- Elmer
- Elsinboro
- Lower Alloways Creek
- Mannington
- Oldmans
- Penns Grove
- Pennsville
- Pilesgrove
- Pittsgrove
- Quinton
- Salem
- Upper Pittsgrove
- Woodstown
Somerset
- Bedminster
- Bernards
- Bernardsville
- Bound Brook
- Branchburg
- Bridgewater
- Far Hills
- Franklin
- Green Brook
- Hillsborough
- Manville
- Millstone
- Montgomery
- North Plainfield
- Peapack & Gladstone
- Raritan
- Rocky Hill
- Somerville
- South Bound Brook
- Warren
- Watchung
Sussex
- Andover borough
- Andover township
- Branchville
- Byram
- Frankford
- Franklin
- Fredon
- Green
- Hamburg
- Hampton
- Hardyston
- Hopatcong
- Lafayette
- Montague
- Newton
- Ogdensburg
- Sandyston
- Sparta
- Stanhope
- Stillwater
- Sussex
- Vernon
- Walpack
- Wantage
Union
- Berkeley Heights
- Clark
- Cranford
- Elizabeth
- Fanwood
- Garwood
- Hillside
- Kenilworth
- Linden
- Mountainside
- New Providence
- Plainfield
- Rahway
- Roselle
- Roselle Park
- Scotch Plains
- Springfield
- Summit
- Union
- Westfield
- Winfield
Warren
- Allamuchy
- Alpha
- Belvidere
- Blairstown
- Franklin
- Frelinghuysen
- Greenwich
- Hackettstown
- Hardwick
- Harmony
- Hope
- Independence
- Knowlton
- Liberty
- Lopatcong
- Mansfield
- Oxford
- Phillipsburg
- Pohatcong
- Washington borough
- Washington township
- White