According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 22.56 square miles (58.42 km2), including 22.33 square miles (57.84 km2) of land and 0.22 square miles (0.58 km2) of water (0.99%).[1][2]
Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Cranberry Hall, Cranbury Park, Fountain Green, Lewistown, Mahalala, Pointville, Shreve and Taylors Mountain.[24]
The township is one of 56 South Jersey municipalities that are included within the New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve, a protected natural area of unique ecology covering 1,100,000 acres (450,000 ha), that has been classified as a United States Biosphere Reserve and established by Congress in 1978 as the nation's first National Reserve.[28] Part of the township is included in the state-designated Pinelands Area, which includes portions of Burlington County, along with areas in Atlantic, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester and Ocean counties.[29]
Of the 551 households, 50.8% had children under the age of 18; 67.2% were married couples living together; 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present and 20.0% were non-families. Of all households, 16.7% were made up of individuals and 2.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.09 and the average family size was 3.50.[16]
7.9% of the population were under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 46.7% from 25 to 44, 34.2% from 45 to 64, and 3.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.1 years. For every 100 females, the population had 624.0 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 830.1 males.[16]
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $63,796 (with a margin of error of +/− $9,062) and the median family income was $61,083 (+/− $9,842). Males had a median income of $33,368 (+/− $5,196) versus $38,977 (+/− $6,300) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $15,387 (+/− $1,620). About 0.7% of families and 0.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.8% of those under age 18 and 8.5% of those age 65 or over.[42]
As of the 2000 United States census[13] there were 9,744 people, 1,162 households, and 991 families residing in the township. The population density was 437.3 inhabitants per square mile (168.8/km2). There were 1,381 housing units at an average density of 62.0 per square mile (23.9/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 64.1% White, 28.9% African American, 0.4% Native American, 1.5% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 2.7% from other races, and 2.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 19.4% of the population.[40][41]
There were 1,162 households, out of which 60.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 78.1% were married couples living together, 3.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 14.7% were non-families. 13.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 0.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.14 and the average family size was 3.46.[40][41]
In the township the population was spread out, with 14.5% under the age of 18, 15.7% from 18 to 24, 55.4% from 25 to 44, 13.2% from 45 to 64, and 1.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 401.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 561.7 males.[40][41]
The median income for a household in the township was $44,386, and the median income for a family was $45,511. Males had a median income of $26,428 versus $23,050 for females. The per capita income for the township was $12,140. About 3.2% of families and 3.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.3% of those under age 18 and 12.8% of those age 65 or over.[40][41]
New Hanover Township is governed under the Township form of New Jersey municipal government, one of 141 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form, the second-most commonly used form of government in the state.[43] The Township Committee is comprised of five members, who are elected directly by the voters at-large in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats coming up for election each year as part of the November general election in a three-year cycle.[5][44] At an annual reorganization meeting held in January after each election, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and another as Deputy Mayor.[3]
As of 2023[update], the members of the New Hanover Township Committee are Mayor Paul D. Peterla (R, term on committee and as mayor ends December 30, 2023), Deputy Mayor Rick Koshak (R, term on committee ends 2024; term as deputy mayor ends 2023), Patrick Murphy (R, 2024), Nicholas Pawlyzyn Sr. (R, 2023) and Aaron Smith (R, 2025).[3][45][46][47][48]
Burlington County's Constitutional Officers are:
Clerk Joanne Schwartz (D, Southampton Township, 2028)[64][65]
Sheriff James H. Kostoplis (D, Bordentown, 2025)[66][67] and
Surrogate Brian J. Carlin (D, Burlington Township, 2026).[68][69]
As of March 2011, there were a total of 689 registered voters in New Hanover Township, of which 148 (21.5% vs. 33.3% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 278 (40.3% vs. 23.9%) were registered as Republicans and 262 (38.0% vs. 42.8%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There was one voter registered to another party.[76] Among the township's 2010 Census population, 9.3% (vs. 61.7% in Burlington County) were registered to vote, including 10.1% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 80.3% countywide).[76][77]
In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 246 votes (55.2% vs. 40.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 194 votes (43.5% vs. 58.1%) and other candidates with 6 votes (1.3% vs. 1.0%), among the 446 ballots cast by the township's 742 registered voters, for a turnout of 60.1% (vs. 74.5% in Burlington County).[78][79] In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 264 votes (56.3% vs. 39.9% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 190 votes (40.5% vs. 58.4%) and other candidates with 3 votes (0.6% vs. 1.0%), among the 469 ballots cast by the township's 674 registered voters, for a turnout of 69.6% (vs. 80.0% in Burlington County).[80] In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 256 votes (65.3% vs. 46.0% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 131 votes (33.4% vs. 52.9%) and other candidates with 4 votes (1.0% vs. 0.8%), among the 392 ballots cast by the township's 572 registered voters, for a turnout of 68.5% (vs. 78.8% in the whole county).[81]
In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 224 votes (76.7% vs. 61.4% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 57 votes (19.5% vs. 35.8%) and other candidates with 3 votes (1.0% vs. 1.2%), among the 292 ballots cast by the township's 726 registered voters, yielding a 40.2% turnout (vs. 44.5% in the county).[82][83] In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 206 votes (59.2% vs. 47.7% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 97 votes (27.9% vs. 44.5%), Independent Chris Daggett with 15 votes (4.3% vs. 4.8%) and other candidates with 10 votes (2.9% vs. 1.2%), among the 348 ballots cast by the township's 723 registered voters, yielding a 48.1% turnout (vs. 44.9% in the county).[84]
As of the 2023–24 school year, the district, comprised of one school, had an enrollment of 197 students and 19.4 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.2:1.[91] In the 2016–17 school year, the district had the 40th-smallest enrollment of any school district in the state.[92]
Students from New Hanover Township, and from all of Burlington County, are eligible to attend the Burlington County Institute of Technology, a countywide public school district that serves the vocational and technical education needs of students at the high school and post-secondary level at its campuses in Medford and Westampton.[98]
As of May 2010[update], the township had a total of 24.13 miles (38.83 km) of roadways, of which 13.11 miles (21.10 km) were maintained by the municipality, 10.70 miles (17.22 km) by Burlington County and 0.32 miles (0.51 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.[99]
New Jersey Route 68 reaches its southern terminus in New Hanover Township.[100]County Route 545 has a gap in New Hanover due to the restricted area on the Fort Dix entity of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.[101][102]
^ abcGovernment, New Hanover Township. Accessed April 24, 2023. "New Hanover Township is governed under the Township form of government. The Township Committee is comprised of five members, who are elected directly by the voters at-large in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats coming up for election each year as part of the November general election in a three-year cycle. At the annual reorganization meeting held in January, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and another to serve as Deputy Mayor."
^Departments, New Hanover Township. Accessed April 24, 2023.
^Raum, John O. The History of New Jersey: From Its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time, Volume 1, p. 264, J. E. Potter and company, 1877. Accessed July 16, 2013. "New Hanover township in 1850 contained a population of 2,245; in 1860, 2,529; and in 1870, 2,536. Jacobstown, Cookstown, Arneytown, Sykesville, Wrightstown, and Pointville, are in this township." The population of 2,529 shown for 1860 is three more than the amount shown in the table.
^Guion, Payton. "These 43 N.J. school districts have fewer than 200 students", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, September 2017. Accessed January 30, 2020. "Based on data from the state Department of Education from the last school year and the Census Bureau, NJ Advance Media made a list of the smallest of the small school districts in the state, excluding charter schools and specialty institutions.... 40. New Hanover Township (tie) – Enrollment: 190; Grades: Pre-K-8; County: Burlington"
^District Information, Bordentown Regional School District. Accessed February 5, 2025. "Our district is comprised of the Township of Bordentown, the City of Bordentown and the Borough of Fieldsboro. New Hanover Township sends students on a tuition basis grades 9-12."
^Bordentown Regional School District 2016 Report Card Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed July 21, 2017. "Bordentown Regional School District is a vibrant learning community, proudly serving the communities of Fieldsboro, Bordentown City and Bordentown Township.... In addition to the three aforementioned communities, Bordentown Regional High School also welcomes students from New Hanover into its ninth-twelfth grade population."
^Zimmaro, Mark. "Figures suggest deficit in New Hanover send-receive school proposal"Archived 2011-12-04 at the Wayback Machine, Burlington County Times, December 4, 2011. Accessed December 17, 2011. "The idea of sending the district’s sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders to the Bordentown Regional Middle School on a tuition basis surfaced last year, but the school board shot down the proposal by a 4-3 vote.... The district has been considering sending 51 middle school students to Bordentown next year, in a similar agreement the districts have with the high school students. Bordentown Regional High School receives New Hanover and Wrightstown students in a 60-year-old agreement."
^Gen. Edward S. Godfrey House, National Register of Historic Places, listed February 28, 1997. Accessed January 6, 2021. "The General Edward Settle Godfrey House is a mid-eighteenth century Georgian and expanded Federal style frame farmhouse situated on the corner of Main Street and Wrightstown-Cookstown Road in Cookstown, New Hanover Township, Burlington County, New Jersey.... The General Godfrey House is significant under National Register Criterion B for its association with Brigadier General Edward Settle Godfrey, a noted nineteenth-century cavalry officer with the United States Army.... Godfrey married Ida Emley in 1892 and in 1907 they moved into the house."