Wait, let's get one thing straight immediately. If you’re looking for "Huntington County" in New Jersey, you won't find it. It doesn't exist. You’re almost certainly thinking of Hunterdon County New Jersey, and honestly, that’s a mistake people make more often than you’d think. Maybe it’s the way the "t" and "d" blend together when locals talk, or maybe people just have Long Island on the brain. Whatever the case, if you’re trying to find that perfect mix of rolling hills, high-end horse farms, and surprisingly intense school board meetings, you’re looking for Hunterdon.
It’s a weird place. Beautiful, but weird.
It’s where you’ll find some of the wealthiest zip codes in America—places like Tewksbury and Readington—sitting right next to rugged, old-school farmland that feels like it hasn't changed since the 1700s. People move here because they’re tired of the claustrophobia of North Jersey or the relentless pace of Manhattan. They want space. They want a barn. They want to see the stars. But then they realize they have to drive twenty minutes just to get a decent bagel, and the "Jersey" in them starts to twitch. It’s a specific kind of lifestyle that isn't for everyone, but for those who get it, there’s nowhere else like it.
The Geography of Hunterdon County New Jersey
The county is basically a big, green rectangle tucked between the Delaware River to the west and the more suburban sprawl of Somerset County to the east.
Geography matters here. If you live in Flemington, you’re in the hub. It’s the county seat. It’s where the big box stores live. If you live in Lambertville, you’re in a funky, walkable riverside town full of antique shops and people who probably own a lot of linen clothing. If you move further north toward High Bridge or Clinton, you’re hitting the Highlands. It gets rocky. It gets steep.
The Spruce Run and Round Valley reservoirs are the massive blue anchors of the region. Round Valley is particularly famous—or infamous—depending on who you ask. It’s one of the deepest lakes in the state. Locals tell stories about the "drowned" town of Valley underneath the water, which is actually true. When the state created the reservoir in the 60s, they flooded the valley, and while they moved the houses, the footprint of that lost community still sits at the bottom of 180 feet of cold water. Scuba divers go down there, though visibility is usually garbage. It adds a bit of mystery to a place that otherwise looks like a postcard.
The Real Cost of the "Rural Dream"
Let’s talk money. Hunterdon is expensive.
According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, Hunterdon consistently ranks among the highest-income counties in the United States. But it’s not "easy" money. The property taxes here are a frequent topic of heated conversation at every diner from Frenchtown to Clinton.
Why?
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Because people move here for the schools. The North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District and the Hunterdon Central Regional District are perennial heavy hitters in state rankings. When you have top-tier schools and a relatively small commercial tax base (because nobody wants a giant warehouse next to their sheep farm), the homeowners pick up the tab.
You’ll see a massive 1850s farmhouse that looks like a dream, but then you look at the tax assessment. $20,000 a year? $30,000? It’s common. You’re paying for the view and the Ivy League trajectory of the local kids.
Then there’s the Farmland Assessment. This is a big deal in Hunterdon County New Jersey. To keep the county looking "rural," the state offers massive tax breaks to people who actually farm their land. This leads to the "Gentleman Farmer" phenomenon. You’ll have a high-powered CEO living on 20 acres with five cows or a field of Christmas trees. They aren’t making a living off the hay; they’re saving $15k on their tax bill. It keeps the county green, sure, but it also creates a weird social dynamic between the old-school farming families who have been here for six generations and the newcomers who just bought a $2,000 tractor from John Deere to look the part.
Why Clinton is the Most Photographed Town in the State
If you’ve ever seen a calendar of New Jersey, you’ve seen the Red Mill in Clinton. It sits right on the Raritan River, across from the Stone Mill. It’s iconic. It’s also the centerpiece of a town that feels like a movie set.
Clinton is the heart of the county's tourism. It’s walkable. The shops are cute. There’s a bookstore (Clinton Book Shop) that actually feels like a bookstore. But there's a grit beneath the surface of these towns. The Delaware River towns like Lambertville, Frenchtown, and Milford have a history of flooding that keeps everyone on their toes. When the Delaware rises, it doesn’t care about your property value.
- Lambertville: The "Brooklyn" of Hunterdon. High-end art galleries, incredible food (like the Lambertville Station), and a bridge you can walk across to get to New Hope, PA.
- Frenchtown: A bit more "indie." It’s where the writers and artists who found Lambertville too expensive ended up.
- High Bridge: The gateway to the Columbia Trail. It’s a hiker’s paradise.
The Infrastructure Struggle
Living in Hunterdon County New Jersey means you better like driving.
Public transit is... well, it’s a challenge. The Raritan Valley Line runs through the county, with stops in High Bridge, Annandale, Lebanon, and Whitehouse Station. But it’s not a "one-seat ride" to New York City for most of the day. You usually have to switch at Newark Penn Station. For a lot of commuters, that’s a dealbreaker.
Route 22 and Route 31 are the main arteries, and they can be absolute nightmares during rush hour. Route 78 cuts right through the middle, carrying a literal army of commuters toward Jersey City and Manhattan every morning. If there’s an accident near the "Jugtown Mountain" stretch of 78, the whole county basically grinds to a halt. You learn the backroads. You learn that taking Route 513 or 517 might take longer on paper, but at least you’re moving past cornfields instead of staring at a semi-truck’s bumper.
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The Ghost of the Lindbergh Trial
You can't talk about this area without mentioning the "Trial of the Century." In 1935, the Hunterdon County Courthouse in Flemington was the center of the world. Bruno Richard Hauptmann was tried there for the kidnapping and murder of Charles Lindbergh’s baby.
Flemington hasn't forgotten. The Union Hotel, right across from the courthouse, housed the journalists and celebrities who flocked to town. Today, the hotel stands as a controversial landmark—long vacant, subject to endless redevelopment debates, and a symbol of the struggle between preserving history and modernizing a downtown that has struggled to compete with suburban malls.
Walking through Flemington today is a bit of a trip. You see the stunning Victorian architecture, the historic courthouse, and then you see the "Flemington Circle," a traffic nightmare that local drivers navigate with a mix of aggression and prayer. It’s a town trying to find its second act.
Is Hunterdon County Actually "South Jersey"?
This is the ultimate debate. Ask anyone in Bergen County, and they’ll say Hunterdon is South Jersey. Ask anyone in Cape May, and they’ll say it’s definitely North Jersey.
Geographically, it’s Central Jersey. (Yes, Central Jersey exists; the Governor even signed it into law recently). But culturally? Hunterdon is its own animal. It doesn't have the "The Sopranos" vibe of the northeast or the "Philadelphia" vibe of the southwest. It feels more like Bucks County, PA, or parts of New England. It’s "Horse Country." It’s "Barn Country."
The lifestyle is built around the outdoors. You go to the Hunterdon County 4-H Fair in August—not because you have a cow to show, but because that’s what everyone does. You go to Black River Roasters for coffee. You spend your Saturdays at the Stockton Market. It’s a slower, more deliberate way of living that feels increasingly rare in the most densely populated state in the union.
What Most People Get Wrong About Moving Here
The biggest mistake? Thinking it’s "quiet."
Sure, there’s no city noise. But there are tractors at 5:00 AM. There are coyotes howling in the woods behind your house. There are bears. A lot of bears. If you leave your birdfeeder out in Readington or Lebanon Township, a 400-pound black bear will eventually show up on your deck to claim it.
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There’s also the isolation. If you’re used to being able to walk to a bar or a grocery store, most of Hunterdon will feel like a wilderness. You will put 20,000 miles a year on your car. You will become very familiar with the local mechanics. You will learn to check the weather obsessively because a light dusting of snow turns those winding, unlit backroads into ice rinks.
Practical Insights for the Hunterdon-Bound
If you’re looking to buy or even just visit Hunterdon County New Jersey, you need a plan. Don't just show up in Flemington and hope for the best.
1. Check the Wells and Septic
Most of the county isn't on city water or sewer. If you’re buying a house, the septic inspection is the most important document you’ll ever sign. A failed septic system can cost $30,000 to $60,000 to replace. Similarly, you want to test the well water for arsenic and gross stuff that naturally occurs in the shale rock here.
2. Embrace the "River Towns" vs. "Hill Towns" Divide
Decide what flavor of rural you want. Do you want the sophisticated, walkable, pricey vibe of Lambertville? Or do you want 5 acres in Glen Gardner where you won't see your neighbors for three days? They are very different experiences.
3. The School Factor
If you don't have kids, the property taxes might feel like a punch in the gut. If you do have kids, it’s arguably the best investment you can make. The special education programs and extracurriculars in districts like Hunterdon Central are often cited by parents as the primary reason they stay despite the costs.
4. Support the Local Farms
Don't just look at the farms; shop at them. Places like Melick’s Town Farm or Schaefer Farms aren't just for tourists. They are the backbone of the community. If we don't buy their cider and corn, the developers win, and the county becomes another sea of townhomes.
5. Navigation Strategy
Download offline maps. There are still plenty of "dead zones" in the northern part of the county where your GPS will just give up. Knowing that Route 513 eventually hits Route 78 is a piece of survival knowledge you'll need.
Hunterdon County is a place of contradictions. It’s wealthy but rugged. It’s "Jersey" but feels like Vermont. It’s expensive but offers a quality of life that’s hard to quantify in dollars. Just remember: it's Hunterdon, not Huntington. Get the name right, and the locals might actually let you in on the secret of where the best hidden hiking trails are.
Go to the Red Mill. Walk the towpath in Frenchtown. Grab a burger at the Ship Inn in Milford (the first pub in NJ to brew its own beer since Prohibition). Look at the stars. You’ll realize pretty quickly why people pay the "Hunterdon tax" and never look back.
Next Steps for Your Hunterdon Journey:
- Visit the Hunterdon County Division of Parks and Recreation website. They manage over 8,000 acres of parkland. Start with the Landsdown Trail or the South Branch Reservation.
- Check the local tax records via the NJ County Tax Board Database. If you're house hunting, look at the history of assessments, not just the current price.
- Spend a full Saturday in "The Golden Triangle." Start in Flemington for breakfast, head to Clinton for the museums, and finish with dinner in Lambertville. It’s the best way to feel the county's pulse.