Town guide · Middlesex County
Living in Carteret, NJ
Carteret is a compact borough on the Arthur Kill, looking straight across the water at Staten Island, with the Rahway River along its northern edge. Factories lined its shoreline more than a century ago. Today the waterfront has a park and a marina, and a ferry terminal is under construction.
- County
- Middlesex
- Population
- About 25,300 (2020 census)
- Size
- About 5 square miles, including about half a square mile of water
- Setting
- Older borough neighborhoods with an industrial past and a waterfront on the Arthur Kill
- Main roads
- New Jersey Turnpike Exit 12 and County Route 602
Neighborhoods
A borough built from small villages
Carteret was formed in 1906, when the villages of Carteret and Chrome left Woodbridge Township and became the Borough of Roosevelt. The name changed to Carteret in 1922, after Sir George Carteret, one of New Jersey's early proprietors. Woodbridge still surrounds the borough on every land side, with the Rahway River to the north and the Arthur Kill to the east.
Starting in the 1880s, manufacturers bought land along the Arthur Kill, and the neighborhoods around them filled in quickly. Several of the old place names are still in use.
- Chrome: The southeastern section of the borough, named for the steel plants that once operated there, including the Chrome Steel company.
- West Carteret: The part of the borough west of the New Jersey Turnpike.
- The Hill: A section once known as Island View, which had its own ferry landing at Union Landing.
- Other local names: Canda, East Rahway, Lamar, Silvan Beach and South Carteret are also used for parts of the borough.
Homes
What you will find
- Older borough homes: Established neighborhoods that filled in quickly after factories arrived on the waterfront in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
- Waterfront redevelopment: The borough's waterfront plans include new residential buildings with river views, alongside the park, marina and ferry terminal.
- Homes near the water: Neighborhoods near the Rahway River, Noe's Creek and the Arthur Kill sit close to tidal water.
Worth knowing: Carteret has the Rahway River on one side and the Arthur Kill on another, so on any address near Noe's Creek or tidal water we pull the FEMA flood map first. The flood zone shapes insurance and what a lender will require, and New Jersey sellers must now disclose a home's flood zone and flood history. The waterfront is also changing, with the park, the marina, the ferry terminal and new residential buildings planned, and we keep clients current on what is coming near their street.
Property taxes
What taxes look like in Carteret
- 1.760%2025 effective tax rate, as a share of market value
- $8,1962025 average residential tax bill
A home worth $450,000 on today's market would pay roughly $7,920 a year at Carteret's 2025 effective rate. Your actual bill depends on your assessment, so we pull the real tax record for any home you are considering.
Source: New Jersey Division of Taxation, 2025 general and effective tax rates. Rates are set each year.
Getting around
Roads and commuting
The New Jersey Turnpike runs through Carteret, and Exit 12 is in the borough. It was rebuilt with added toll lanes and new ramps to County Route 602. There is no train station. NJ Transit bus route 116 runs to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan and to Perth Amboy, and route 48 runs to Elizabeth and Perth Amboy. A ferry terminal at Waterfront Park, with service planned to Lower Manhattan, broke ground in December 2025 and is expected to open in 2028. Its plans include jitney connections to the Rahway and Woodbridge train stations in neighboring towns.
Places worth knowing
Parks, landmarks and open space
- Carteret Waterfront Park: A 26 acre park on the Arthur Kill with a fishing pier, a free boat launch, a miniature golf course, a putting green and a riverwalk.
- Carteret Municipal Marina: A borough marina with 185 boat slips on the Arthur Kill, opened in 2019 next to Waterfront Park.
- Joseph Medwick Park: An 86 acre Middlesex County park that runs as a greenway along the banks of the Rahway River.
- Arthur Kill views: Stand at the waterfront and you look directly across the Arthur Kill to Staten Island.
Common questions
Questions people ask us about Carteret
What are property taxes in Carteret, NJ?
Carteret Borough's 2025 effective tax rate is 1.760 percent of market value, and the average residential tax bill is $8,196, according to the New Jersey Division of Taxation. Actual bills depend on each home's assessment.
Is there a ferry from Carteret to New York City?
Not yet. Ground was broken on a ferry terminal at Carteret Waterfront Park on December 12, 2025, with service planned to Lower Manhattan and an expected opening in 2028. The plans include parking, an NJ Transit bus station and jitney service to the Rahway and Woodbridge train stations.
Does Carteret have a train station?
No. Carteret has no passenger rail station. The closest stations are in neighboring Rahway and Woodbridge. NJ Transit bus route 116 runs from Carteret to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan.
What Turnpike exit is Carteret?
Exit 12 of the New Jersey Turnpike is in Carteret. The interchange was upgraded with five added toll lanes and new ramps to County Route 602.
Was Carteret once called Roosevelt?
Yes. Carteret was incorporated in 1906 as the Borough of Roosevelt, formed from part of Woodbridge Township. The name was changed to Carteret in 1922, in honor of Sir George Carteret and his son Philip Carteret, the first royal governor of New Jersey.
Nearby towns
Towns that border Carteret
Buying or selling in Carteret?
A waterfront town in the middle of a change
We follow every project on Carteret's waterfront, from the marina to the ferry terminal, and what each one means for the streets nearby. Ask us what your home would sell for, and we will lay out every way to sell it.
Call or text either of us directly.