Town guide · Burlington County
Living in New Hanover, NJ
New Hanover is one of New Jersey's oldest townships, and part of Joint Base McGuire Dix Lakehurst lies inside it. Off the base, its civilian side centers on the small village of Cookstown, with farms and woods at the edge of the Pinelands.
- County
- Burlington
- Population
- About 6,400 (2020 census)
- Size
- About 22.5 square miles
- Setting
- Military base land, the village of Cookstown, farms and woods
- Main roads
- Route 68 and county roads including Wrightstown Cookstown Road; County Route 545 is broken by the base
First things first
New Hanover, North Hanover and Wrightstown
New Hanover Township dates to a royal charter in 1723. North Hanover Township was split off from it in 1905, and the Borough of Wrightstown was formed from parts of the area in 1918. Today they are three separate municipalities, each with its own government and its own property tax rate.
Joint Base McGuire Dix Lakehurst also crosses these lines. The Fort Dix community lies partly in New Hanover, and the McGuire community lies in both New Hanover and North Hanover. With the base, two Hanovers and Wrightstown so close together, we confirm the municipality and the block and lot on every home.
Neighborhoods
Cookstown and the countryside
New Hanover has no downtown of its own. The township says about ninety percent of its land is federal land within the joint base. Off the base, homes are spread among a village and a scattering of old place names.
- Cookstown: The township's main village and municipal seat, counted as its own census community with about 900 people in 2020, with the 08511 ZIP code. The township says Cookstown takes its name from William Cooke, whose grist mill dates to 1721, and that a portion of the village lies in neighboring North Hanover Township.
- Fort Dix: The Army side of the joint base, a census community that lies partly in New Hanover.
- Other place names: Cranberry Hall, Cranbury Park, Fountain Green, Lewistown, Mahalala, Pointville, Shreve and Taylors Mountain appear on maps and deeds.
Homes
What you will find
- Village homes in and around Cookstown, including older houses near Main Street and the Godfrey House.
- Country homes and farms on larger lots along the county roads.
- Homes near the base close to Fort Dix, McGuire and the Borough of Wrightstown.
Worth knowing: Land rules come first in New Hanover. The township is in the Pinelands National Reserve, and part of it is in the state designated Pinelands Area, where Pinelands rules shape land use. State figures through 2020 show 3 preserved farms covering about 302 acres, and those farms carry permanent deed restrictions. Out on the county roads, ask whether a home has a private well and septic system, and plan for a well test and a septic inspection if it does.
Property taxes
What taxes look like in New Hanover
- 1.584%2025 effective tax rate, as a share of market value
- $5,8792025 average residential tax bill
A home worth $350,000 on today's market would pay roughly $5,544 a year at New Hanover'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
Route 68 reaches its southern end in New Hanover, near the base. County Route 545 is broken by the restricted area of Fort Dix, so some trips need a detour around the base. Wrightstown Cookstown Road links the village of Cookstown with Wrightstown. NJ Transit's 317 bus runs through the township between Asbury Park and Philadelphia. There is no passenger rail.
Places worth knowing
Parks, landmarks and open space
- Gen. Edward S. Godfrey House: A historic house at the main crossroads of Cookstown on Main Street, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997 and bought by the township in 1995 with Green Acres funding.
- Nash Park: A 20 acre township park on Hockamick Road with ball diamonds, tennis and basketball courts, a picnic shelter, a playground and a walking trail through the woods.
- One room schoolhouse: A renovated one room schoolhouse on Browns Mills Cookstown Road, near the township's community and senior center.
- Brigadier General William C. Doyle Veterans Memorial Cemetery: Just outside the township, a 225 acre state veterans cemetery in the Arneytown section of neighboring North Hanover.
Common questions
Questions people ask us about New Hanover
What are property taxes in New Hanover, NJ?
New Hanover Township's 2025 effective tax rate is 1.584 percent of market value, and the average residential tax bill is $5,879, according to the New Jersey Division of Taxation. Actual bills depend on each home's assessment.
Is Fort Dix in New Hanover Township?
Partly. The Fort Dix community, part of Joint Base McGuire Dix Lakehurst, lies partly in New Hanover Township and partly in Pemberton Township. The township says about ninety percent of its land is federal land within the base.
Is Cookstown its own town?
No. Cookstown is an unincorporated village and the municipal seat of New Hanover Township, with its own 08511 ZIP code. A portion of the village lies in neighboring North Hanover Township, so we confirm which township a Cookstown home is in before anything else.
Is New Hanover the same as North Hanover?
No. North Hanover Township was formed from part of New Hanover in 1905. They are separate municipalities with separate governments and property tax rates.
Is New Hanover in the Pinelands?
Partly. New Hanover is one of the South Jersey municipalities in the Pinelands National Reserve, and part of the township is in the state designated Pinelands Area, where Pinelands rules apply to land use.
Nearby towns
Towns that border New Hanover
Buying or selling in New Hanover?
Small township, big details
Near the base, in Cookstown or out on a farm road, the questions change. We check the Pinelands line, preserved land and the well and septic, and explain what each one means for your home.
Call or text either of us directly.