New Jersey Congressional Districts Guide: Maps & PVI

Overview

This NJ congressional districts blog is your plain-language guide to New Jersey’s 12 U.S. House districts—what they cover, how the map is drawn, and how to quickly find your representative. In minutes, you’ll move from “where do I look?” to confident navigation of official maps, key metrics like PVI, and district-by-district snapshots with practical links.

You’ll get authoritative links to the Clerk of the U.S. House for the current member roster, New Jersey’s official 2022 congressional map and shapefiles, and the state election portal for deadlines and voting tools. Along the way, we define common terms, highlight county-level anchors, and flag which districts are most likely to be competitive in 2026.

New Jersey has 12 congressional districts, a number that did not change after the 2020 Census and apportionment (U.S. Census Bureau; Clerk of the U.S. House).

How New Jersey’s congressional map is drawn

Understanding who draws the map clarifies why districts look the way they do and when they change. After reading this section, you’ll know the role of the bipartisan commission, the tiebreaker, and the 10-year cycle that follows each Census.

New Jersey uses a 13-member bipartisan Congressional Redistricting Commission. It has an equal number of Democratic and Republican appointees, plus a court-appointed tiebreaker who joins if the commissioners cannot agree (overview and constitutional basis: Princeton Gerrymandering Project).

Districts are redrawn after each decennial Census and apply to elections for the rest of that decade (U.S. Census Bureau on apportionment and redistricting). The current map debuted for the 2022 election and will govern through the 2030 election cycle unless a court orders changes.

Commission, tiebreaker, and timeline

New Jersey’s commission is built for balance and resolution. Six members are selected by state Democratic leaders and six by Republican leaders. A 13th “tiebreaker” member is chosen by the state Supreme Court if the 12 cannot agree on a final plan. The tiebreaker’s role is pivotal in closely contested maps because one plan must ultimately prevail.

The timeline tracks the Census. The commission convenes after population counts are released, drafts plans, and holds public input. It then certifies a final map in time for candidate filing and the first primary of the new decade. Practically, new lines take effect starting with the first even-year federal election after the Census—in this decade, 2022—and remain in force through 2030. That stability helps voters and campaigns.

What changed since the 2020 Census

Post-2020, New Jersey retained 12 House seats, so change focused on how lines were balanced, not adding or losing districts (U.S. Census Bureau; Clerk of the U.S. House). Shifts in population required rebalancing across fast-growing suburbs and stable urban cores. The result was modest but meaningful adjustments in several North and Central Jersey districts.

The adopted 2022 map refined boundaries across the North Jersey suburbs (Bergen, Passaic, Morris) and Central Jersey corridors (Mercer, Middlesex, Somerset), while solidifying parts of South Jersey’s structure. Those adjustments influenced which seats became more or less competitive without drastically reorienting the entire state. The map now serves as the basis for all U.S. House elections through 2030.

How to find your NJ congressional district

Finding your exact district is easy if you use the right official tools. Follow these steps to pinpoint your district and confirm your current representative.

1. Go to the New Jersey Office of GIS (NJ OGIS) 2022 Congressional Districts map and search your home address to see your district boundary and number.
2. Cross-check the current representative by filtering New Jersey on the Clerk of the U.S. House member roster.
3. Verify you’re looking at the correct cycle (2022–2030 lines) and save or download the district map (PDF or shapefile) if needed via NJ OGIS.
4. Optional: Confirm upcoming deadlines or polling information at the New Jersey Division of Elections site, including vote-by-mail or early voting options.

If you’re near a district border, always confirm with both the NJ OGIS map and the House Clerk roster. County lines don’t always match district lines, so address-level lookup is the gold standard.

District-by-district snapshots for 2024–2026

This section gives quick, uniform snapshots for all 12 districts: where they sit, the core counties or places they include, how they usually vote, and what to watch through 2026. For the most up-to-date member names, use the Clerk of the U.S. House roster filtered to New Jersey.

NJ-01: Camden–Gloucester–Burlington core

Rooted along the Delaware River, NJ-01 centers on Camden and inner South Jersey suburbs. It has a strong urban-suburban blend that has voted reliably Democratic in federal races. Turnout is driven by city precincts and commuter suburbs. Union households and diverse communities form the backbone of general-election coalitions.

Representative: see Clerk of the U.S. House for the current member. Outlook: Safe Democratic barring an extraordinary national shift.

1. Includes parts of: Camden, Gloucester, Burlington

NJ-02: South Jersey shore to rural interior

Stretching from Atlantic City and Cape May up through rural interior counties, NJ-02 mixes coastal tourism economies with agricultural areas and small towns. The district shows cross-pressures—ancestral Democratic pockets alongside Republican-trending rural and exurban areas. It is more competitive down-ballot even when federal contests lean right of center.

Representative: see Clerk of the U.S. House. Outlook: Lean to likely Republican, but local candidate strength and shore turnout can matter.

1. Includes much of: Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, Salem; portions of Gloucester, Ocean, Burlington

NJ-03: Burlington–Mercer–Monmouth connector

NJ-03 knits together Burlington suburbs, a slice of Mercer near the Trenton–Princeton corridor, and parts of Monmouth. It reflects the state’s suburban realignment toward Democrats in the Trump–Biden era. College-educated suburbs and commuter rail corridors shape recent margins. Open-seat dynamics can still tighten races.

Representative: see Clerk of the U.S. House. Outlook: Lean Democratic with variability in open-seat or wave cycles.

1. Includes much of: Burlington; portions of Mercer, Monmouth

NJ-04: Monmouth–Ocean axis

Anchored in the Jersey Shore’s Monmouth and northern/central Ocean suburbs, NJ-04 is among the state’s most consistently Republican districts. High-turnout shore communities and growing exurban areas keep federal margins stable. Localized issues like property taxes and coastal infrastructure resonate.

Representative: see Clerk of the U.S. House. Outlook: Safe to likely Republican.

1. Includes much of: Monmouth, Ocean

NJ-05: Bergen–Passaic–Sussex edge

Spanning the state’s far north, NJ-05 blends suburban Bergen County with more exurban and rural areas of Passaic and Sussex. Recent cycles saw Democrats consolidate gains in Bergen’s suburbs while Republicans held strength in Sussex. Competitive years have produced mid-single-digit outcomes.

Representative: see Clerk of the U.S. House. Outlook: Likely Democratic, but watch national environment swings and turnout in northwest counties.

1. Includes parts of: Bergen, Passaic, Sussex

NJ-06: Middlesex–Monmouth bayshore

NJ-06 hugs the Raritan Bay and Middlesex hubs, connecting diverse, transit-rich communities with Monmouth’s bayshore. Its electorate includes substantial Hispanic and Asian American populations and a strong “eds-and-meds” economy. Federal races deliver reliable Democratic margins.

Representative: see Clerk of the U.S. House. Outlook: Safe to likely Democratic.

1. Includes much of: Middlesex; portions of Monmouth (bayshore)

NJ-07: Hunterdon–Union–Morris crescent

Arcing from rural and exurban Hunterdon and Warren into commuter suburbs in Union, Somerset, and Morris, NJ-07 epitomizes New Jersey ticket-splitting. It mixes fiscally moderate, college-educated suburbs with redder rural townships. Map changes after 2020 nudged the district rightward and sharpened competition. Candidate quality matters.

Representative: see Clerk of the U.S. House. Outlook: Top-tier competitive in 2026, with presidential coattails absent.

1. Includes parts of: Hunterdon, Warren, Union, Somerset, Morris

NJ-08: Hudson–Essex–Union urban core

Compact, dense, and heavily transit-oriented, NJ-08 covers Hudson’s urban corridor with adjacent slices of Essex and Union. It features large Hispanic communities, high renter rates, and strong Democratic performance shaped by city machines and labor coalitions.

Representative: see Clerk of the U.S. House. Outlook: Safe Democratic.

1. Includes parts of: Hudson, Essex, Union

NJ-09: Bergen–Passaic–Hudson triangle

NJ-09 bridges inner-ring suburbs and legacy industrial cities, with diverse communities across southern Bergen and Passaic and a small Hudson footprint. Democratic advantages in cities meet competitive suburbs that can swing margins based on turnout and local issues.

Representative: see Clerk of the U.S. House. Outlook: Likely Democratic; watch education-split suburban shifts and community-based turnout.

1. Includes parts of: Bergen, Passaic, Hudson

NJ-10: Essex–Union–Hudson anchor

Centered on Newark and neighboring towns, NJ-10 is a Democratic stronghold with robust civic institutions, faith networks, and year-round organizing capacity. Turnout varies by cycle, but Democratic general-election outcomes are consistent given the urban base.

Representative: see Clerk of the U.S. House. Outlook: Safe Democratic.

1. Includes parts of: Essex, Union, Hudson

NJ-11: Morris–Essex–Passaic suburbs

Once a Republican bastion, NJ-11 has moved toward Democrats with the suburban pivot. The shift is strongest in college-educated Morris and Essex communities. Margins have steadied in mid-to-high single digits in recent federal cycles. Off-year dynamics can still compress results.

Representative: see Clerk of the U.S. House. Outlook: Likely Democratic barring a strong national Republican wave.

1. Includes parts of: Morris, Essex, Passaic

NJ-12: Mercer–Middlesex–Somerset corridor

Anchored by Princeton–Trenton in Mercer and extending into Middlesex and Somerset, NJ-12 reflects an “eds-and-meds” and research-heavy economy with high educational attainment. The district votes reliably Democratic. University communities, state workers, and diverse suburbs drive turnout.

Representative: see Clerk of the U.S. House. Outlook: Safe to likely Democratic.

1. Includes much of: Mercer; portions of Middlesex, Somerset

Key metrics explained: PVI, 'Biden +X', turnout

A few simple measures can help you read a district quickly without getting lost in jargon. After this section, you’ll know how PVI differs from a single-cycle margin and why turnout archetypes matter for expectations.

1. PVI (Partisan Voting Index) compares how a district votes relative to the nation over the last two presidential cycles (Cook Political Report). It gives a baseline lean (e.g., D+3 means 3 points more Democratic than the U.S. average).
2. “Biden +X” or “Trump +X” refers to who carried the district in a particular election year by X points. It is a one-cycle snapshot that can diverge from PVI if the year was unusually favorable to one party.
3. Turnout and incumbency can bend results around both measures. Use PVI for baseline and cycle margins for momentum/context, then check FEC filings and Census basics for funding and population anchors (FEC; U.S. Census Bureau).

How to interpret PVI vs single-cycle margins

Think of PVI as the district’s climate and a single-cycle margin as the day’s weather. For example, an NJ district with D+2 PVI that shows “Biden +6” in 2020 likely benefited from that year’s environment and turnout. A midterm might pull margins closer to the D+2 baseline. Use PVI to set expectations and single-cycle results to judge recent movement.

Turnout archetypes: urban, suburban, exurban

Urban districts (e.g., NJ-08, NJ-10) tend to produce high Democratic baselines with turnout spikes driven by city mobilization and local machines. Suburban districts (NJ-05, NJ-07, NJ-11, NJ-12) hinge on education splits, property taxes, and incumbency, producing swing margins that reflect national tides. Exurban and rural-leaning areas (NJ-02, portions of NJ-04 and NJ-07) reward consistent ground games, with late deciders and lower-propensity voters making close races volatile.

Demographics and geographic trends shaping NJ politics

Community change—who’s moving in, which industries are growing, and how families commute—shapes how districts evolve. By tying communities of interest to county corridors, you can anticipate where turnout and issue salience might shift.

North Jersey’s inner-ring suburbs have diversified and grown more college-educated, drawing Democrats upward in places like Bergen, Essex, and parts of Morris. Outer North/West counties such as Sussex and Warren have remained more Republican.

Central Jersey’s Middlesex and Somerset have seen continued growth in South Asian and Hispanic communities. That trend bolsters Democratic strength even as property-tax and public-safety debates can narrow margins in off-years.

In South Jersey, the shore-to-interior divide remains pronounced. Ocean is trending strongly Republican, while Camden-based districts stay deeply Democratic.

North vs South Jersey and the suburban pivot

The 2016–2020 period accelerated a suburban pivot across North and Central Jersey—especially in districts like NJ-05 and NJ-11—while South Jersey’s partisan geography hardened: deep-blue Camden/Gloucester versus red-trending Ocean/shore exurbs. These macro-trends continue to define the battleground of NJ-07 and explain why NJ-05 and NJ-11 are “likely” blue but still sensitive to wave conditions.

Communities of interest and coalition-building

Coalitions in New Jersey increasingly reflect layered communities of interest: Hispanic populations in Hudson/Passaic and Middlesex; Orthodox Jewish communities concentrated in Ocean (e.g., Lakewood) and parts of Passaic; and growing South Asian populations across Middlesex and Somerset. Effective campaigns meet voters where they are—faith hubs, transit corridors, and language communities—translating local institutions into turnout that decides close seats.

Frequently asked questions about NJ congressional districts

Here are concise answers to the questions readers ask most, with official links to go deeper.

1. How many congressional districts are in New Jersey, and did that number change after the 2020 Census? New Jersey has 12 U.S. House districts, unchanged following the 2020 Census and apportionment (U.S. Census Bureau; Clerk of the U.S. House).
2. Who draws New Jersey’s congressional map and when does it change? A 13-member bipartisan commission draws the map. New lines follow each decennial Census and apply through the decade’s elections unless courts intervene (Princeton Gerrymandering Project; U.S. Census Bureau).
3. How can I quickly find my NJ congressional district and current representative using official sources? Use the NJ OGIS interactive map for your district number, then confirm the current representative on the Clerk of the U.S. House roster. Check deadlines at the NJ Division of Elections.
4. What’s the difference between Cook PVI and a “Biden +X” cycle margin when judging a district? PVI is a multi-cycle baseline vs. the national vote. “Biden/Trump +X” is a single-year result that can be above or below the baseline depending on the environment (Cook Political Report).
5. Which counties are included in each NJ congressional district? See the 2022 NJ congressional districts layer and downloadable files from NJ OGIS for authoritative county/municipality inclusion. Use our snapshots above for quick anchors.
6. Which New Jersey districts are most likely to be competitive in 2026 and why? NJ-07 is the most consistently competitive given its mixed suburban–exurban profile. NJ-05 and NJ-11 can tighten in a strong Republican wave. NJ-03 competitiveness depends on incumbency and the national mood.
7. What is “the line” in New Jersey politics, and does it impact congressional primaries? “The line” refers to county party endorsement columns on primary ballots that can confer visibility and slate advantages. Recent reforms and litigation have altered its use in some cycles, but ballot design and endorsements can still shape primaries.
8. Where can I download official NJ congressional district shapefiles for mapping and analysis? From the NJ Office of GIS 2022 Congressional Districts page, which offers interactive maps, PDFs, and open data shapefiles.
9. How often are congressional districts redrawn, and what triggers those changes? Every 10 years following the U.S. Census, to rebalance districts to equal population (U.S. Census Bureau).
10. What’s the best way to compare fundraising and turnout across NJ districts using official data? Use the FEC data portal to compare receipts/expenditures by committee and the NJ Division of Elections for turnout and certified results by county/district.
11. How do New Jersey’s congressional districts differ from state legislative (Assembly/Senate) districts? Congressional districts elect one U.S. House member (12 total). State legislative districts are separate lines (40 LDs), each electing one state senator and two assemblymembers on a different cycle and map.

Sources and further reading

1. Clerk of the U.S. House – New Jersey member roster: https://clerk.house.gov/members?state=NJ
2. U.S. Census Bureau – Congressional apportionment and redistricting overview: https://www.census.gov/topics/public-sector/congressional-apportionment.html
3. Princeton Gerrymandering Project – New Jersey redistricting overview: https://gerrymander.princeton.edu/redistricting/reform/nj
4. NJ Office of GIS – 2022 Congressional Districts (interactive map, PDFs, shapefiles): https://njogis-newjersey.opendata.arcgis.com/datasets/njogis::congressional-districts-2022/about
5. New Jersey Division of Elections – Voter tools, deadlines, results: https://www.nj.gov/state/elections/
6. Cook Political Report – Partisan Voting Index (PVI) explainer: https://www.cookpolitical.com/pvi
7. Federal Election Commission – Campaign finance data portal: https://www.fec.gov/data/