Town guide · Middlesex County
Living in Monroe, NJ
Monroe Township covers about 42 square miles of southern Middlesex County, wrapped around the small borough of Jamesburg. It is known for its many age restricted communities, its open space around Thompson Park, and quick access to the Turnpike at Exit 8A.
- County
- Middlesex
- Population
- About 48,600 (2020 census)
- Size
- About 42 square miles
- Setting
- Suburban township with large planned communities, farmland and preserved open space
- Main roads
- New Jersey Turnpike (Exit 8A), Route 32, Route 33 and County Route 522
First things first
Which Monroe Township?
New Jersey has two Monroe Townships. This guide covers Monroe Township in Middlesex County. The other is in Gloucester County in South Jersey.
Monroe also completely surrounds Jamesburg Borough, a separate town with its own government and taxes, and the two share the 08831 ZIP code. A Jamesburg mailing address can belong to a home in either town, so we always confirm the actual municipality.
Neighborhoods
A township of communities
Monroe was incorporated in 1838 and named for President James Monroe. Many of its neighborhoods are large planned communities, and the Census Bureau counts several of them as their own places, including Clearbrook, Concordia, Forsgate, Rossmoor and Whittingham.
Older place names still mark the map, including Applegarth, Half Acre, Prospect Plains, Gravel Hill, Matchaponix, Old Church and Wyckoffs Mills.
- Prospect Plains: The area that is home to the Rossmoor and Clearbrook communities.
- Half Acre: The area that is home to the Concordia and Whittingham communities.
- Forsgate: A planned community counted by the Census Bureau as its own place.
Homes
What you will find
- Age restricted communities: Monroe has several, including Rossmoor, a gated community built around a golf course, plus Clearbrook, Concordia and Whittingham, also known as Greenbriar at Whittingham. Each has its own rules and fees.
- Suburban single family homes: Subdivisions of single family homes across the township, outside the age restricted communities.
- Newer construction: New communities continue to be built, often near Route 33 and the Turnpike.
Worth knowing: Age restricted communities in Monroe each have their own association, rules and fees, and they are not all set up the same way. Rossmoor, for example, is organized as a cooperative with sub associations called Mutuals. We read the community documents early, confirm the age rules and fees, and make sure buyers understand how ownership works before they sign.
Property taxes
What taxes look like in Monroe
- 1.557%2025 effective tax rate, as a share of market value
- $9,2292025 average residential tax bill
A home worth $600,000 on today's market would pay roughly $9,342 a year at Monroe'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
Exit 8A of the New Jersey Turnpike sits on the western edge of the township and connects to Route 32. Route 33 crosses the southern part of town, and County Route 522 runs through Monroe and Jamesburg. There is no train station in Monroe. The closest stations include Princeton Junction and New Brunswick on NJ Transit's Northeast Corridor Line. NJ Transit buses 138 and 139 run to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York, and Middlesex County's M1 and M2 shuttles provide local service.
Places worth knowing
Parks, landmarks and open space
- Thompson Park: About 675 acres in Monroe and Jamesburg, the largest park in the Middlesex County system, with trails, sports fields, picnic groves and Lake Manalapan.
- Thompson Park Conservation Area: A large undeveloped county tract next to Thompson Park, with miles of trails.
- Jamesburg Park Conservation Area: A 1,436 acre county nature preserve that reaches into Monroe, East Brunswick, Helmetta and Spotswood.
- Holmes Tallman House: A historic house northwest of Jamesburg, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
Common questions
Questions people ask us about Monroe
What are property taxes in Monroe, NJ?
Monroe Township's 2025 effective tax rate is 1.557 percent of market value, and the average residential tax bill is $9,229, according to the New Jersey Division of Taxation. Actual bills depend on each home's assessment.
Which Monroe Township is this?
This is Monroe Township in Middlesex County, in central New Jersey. There is a separate Monroe Township in Gloucester County in South Jersey, with its own government and taxes.
What age restricted communities are in Monroe Township?
Monroe has several, including Rossmoor, Clearbrook, Concordia and Whittingham, which is also known as Greenbriar at Whittingham. Rossmoor is a gated community built around a golf course. Each community has its own association, rules and fees.
Is Jamesburg part of Monroe Township?
No. Jamesburg Borough sits inside Monroe, surrounded on every side, but it is a separate town with its own government and taxes. Because both use the 08831 ZIP code, a Jamesburg address can belong to a Monroe home, so we always check.
Is there a train station in Monroe Township?
No. The closest stations include Princeton Junction and New Brunswick on NJ Transit's Northeast Corridor Line. NJ Transit buses 138 and 139 run from Monroe to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York.
Buying or selling in Monroe?
We read the documents first
Rossmoor, Clearbrook, Concordia and Whittingham each run differently, and selling in one of them takes homework. We read the community documents, explain the rules and fees and lay out every option before you decide.
Call or text either of us directly.