Town guide · Somerset County
Living in Manville, NJ
Manville is a compact borough of about two and a half square miles where the Millstone River meets the Raritan. It grew up around the Johns-Manville plant that gave it its name, and today Main Street runs down the middle of town.
- County
- Somerset
- Population
- About 11,000 (2020 census)
- Size
- About 2.5 square miles
- Setting
- Compact borough at the meeting of the Raritan and Millstone rivers
- Main roads
- Main Street (County Route 533) and County Route 608, with Interstate 287 Exit 12 nearby
Neighborhoods
A river town built around Main Street
Manville was incorporated as a borough in 1929 and named for the Johns-Manville Corporation, which ran a large manufacturing plant here for decades. The Raritan River and the Millstone River meet in the far northeastern corner of the borough. Manville borders Bridgewater, Franklin and Hillsborough townships.
- Main Street: County Route 533, the borough's main road and business district.
- Lost Valley: The eastern section on the flood plain between the Raritan and Millstone rivers, reached only by a tunnel at Kyle Street and a bridge at Bridge Street under and over the railroad tracks.
- Millsboro: An old place name for an area partly inside the borough.
- Weston, Little Weston and Northside: Section names the borough itself uses for parts of town, along with Lost Valley.
Homes
What you will find
- Borough streets: About 4,300 housing units as of the 2020 census, on residential streets off Main Street.
- Homes in the flood plain: Lost Valley and parts of southern Main Street sit in low areas that have flooded repeatedly.
- The Claremont Development: A 35 acre residential area that was part of the Federal Creosote Superfund cleanup, declared complete in 2008.
Worth knowing: Flooding is the first thing to understand in Manville. Hurricane Floyd in 1999 put 12 to 17 feet of water in parts of the borough, and Hurricane Ida in 2021 flooded most of the town when the Raritan reached a record 27.66 feet. We pull the flood zone, the flood history and any elevation certificate on every home early, because New Jersey requires sellers to disclose flood risk and buyers will ask about flood insurance.
Property taxes
What taxes look like in Manville
- 2.140%2025 effective tax rate, as a share of market value
- $8,2732025 average residential tax bill
A home worth $400,000 on today's market would pay roughly $8,560 a year at Manville'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
No interstate, U.S. or state highway runs directly through Manville. Main Street (County Route 533) is the borough's main road, and County Route 608 also passes through. Interstate 287 is close by, with Exit 12 at Weston Canal Road in neighboring Franklin signed for Manville. There is no passenger train station in the borough. Three freight lines, Norfolk Southern's Lehigh Line, Conrail's Lehigh Line and CSX's Trenton Subdivision, meet at Port Reading Junction in Manville. Somerset County's SCOOT shuttle buses serve the borough on weekdays, on the R2 and Peak routes, with connections to Hillsborough, Somerville, Bridgewater and Bound Brook.
Places worth knowing
Parks, landmarks and open space
- Lincoln Park: The borough's largest park, in the Lost Valley section, with ball fields, T ball fields, a soccer field, a basketball court and a playground.
- Memorial Park: A borough park on Colorado Avenue with an adult pool, a kiddie pool, a basketball court and a playground.
- Papawick Park: A borough park in the Weston section with two soccer fields, a basketball court, a tennis and pickleball court and a playground.
- Dukes Park: A borough park on the Northside with two soccer fields and a picnic grove.
- Duke Island Park: Just outside the borough in neighboring Bridgewater, a 339 acre Somerset County park on the Raritan River with trails on the Raritan River Greenway.
Common questions
Questions people ask us about Manville
What are property taxes in Manville, NJ?
Manville Borough's 2025 effective tax rate is 2.140 percent of market value, and the average residential tax bill is $8,273, according to the New Jersey Division of Taxation. Actual bills depend on each home's assessment.
Why is it called Manville?
The borough is named for the Johns-Manville Corporation, which ran a large manufacturing plant in town for decades. Manville was incorporated as a borough in 1929.
Does Manville flood?
Yes, parts of it do. The borough sits where the Millstone River meets the Raritan, and serious floods have come with Hurricane Floyd in 1999 and Hurricane Ida in 2021, when the Raritan reached a record 27.66 feet. Flood risk varies a great deal by street, so we check the flood zone and history on every home.
What is Lost Valley in Manville?
Lost Valley is the eastern section of the borough, on the natural flood plain between the Raritan and Millstone rivers. It is cut off from the rest of town by the railroad and reached only by a tunnel at Kyle Street and a bridge at Bridge Street. It takes the brunt of flooding.
What was the Federal Creosote site?
The Federal Creosote Superfund site included the 35 acre Claremont Development residential area and the 15 acre Rustic Mall commercial area. The cleanup was paid for with about $250 million in public funds and was declared complete on March 7, 2008.
Nearby towns
Towns that border Manville
Buying or selling in Manville?
In Manville, the flood map matters
After Floyd and Ida, buyers here ask about water first. We pull the flood zone, the elevation certificate and the history of the block before we talk about price.
Call or text either of us directly.