Buena ( )Capuzzo, Jill P. "Driving Mower, Bus or Car, 9-Year-Old Has Town Jumpy", The New York Times, July 25, 2003. Accessed July 1, 2011. "Here in Buena (pronounced BYOO-na), a typical day for the nine-member police force used to mean responding to a few traffic violations, a complaint about someone trying to pass a bad check or some disturbances at the local bar."Staff. "Answer Guy", The Press of Atlantic City, November 30, 2008. Accessed July 1, 2011. "My husband and I moved to New Jersey from North Carolina a few years ago. I assumed that Buena was pronounced 'bwayna,' but we learned that people here pronounce it 'byoona.' Why is that?"Unusual Buena Vista, Buena Vista Township. Accessed February 12, 2015. is a borough in Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The borough, and all of Atlantic County, is part of South Jersey and the Atlantic City-Hammonton metropolitan statistical area, which in turn is included in the Philadelphia metropolitan area.New Jersey: 2020 Core Based Statistical Areas and Counties, United States Census Bureau. Accessed February 1, 2023.

As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 4,501, a decrease of 102 (−2.2%) from the 2010 census count of 4,603, which in turn reflected an increase of 730 (+18.8%) from the 3,873 counted in the 2000 census.Table 7. Population for the Counties and Municipalities in New Jersey: 1990, 2000 and 2010, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, February 2011. Accessed May 1, 2023.

History Charles K. Landis was a land developer who was the driving force behind the creation of Hammonton and Vineland. Landis also had a hand in establishing other small communities, including Landisville, in Buena Borough. He planned to make it county seat of a new county called Landis County, which would incorporate land from the surrounding counties. However, the locals were against this, and began calling him "King Landis".Friends of Historic Vineland . Frank De Maio, M.D. Accessed August 29, 2007.

Buena was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on September 1, 1948, from portions of Buena Vista Township. The borough was reincorporated on May 18, 1949.Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. Accessed May 1, 2026. The borough derives its name from Buena Vista Township, which in turn was named for the 1847 Battle of Buena Vista during the Mexican–American War.Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed August 28, 2015.

In 1979, local resident Madeline Barrale authored a 115-page book illustrating the borough's history. Buena Borough celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1999 with the 1st Annual "Buena Day" at Bruno Melini Park. In 2002, the St. Padre Pio Shrine was erected by Italian-American farmers in the Landisville section of Buena and has attracted what was described by The New York Times as a "steady stream of Catholics" who come to pray at the site.Coyne, Kevin. "At a Shrine, Inspiration and Memories", The New York Times, September 16, 2006. Accessed July 21, 2011. "Since it opened four years ago, the St. Padre Pio Shrine has drawn a steady stream of Catholics who stop to pray before a six-foot bronze statue of a mystical, wildly popular Capuchin friar who was treated skeptically at first by the church, then ultimately made a saint."

Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 7.57 square miles (19.62 km2), including 7.57 square miles (19.61 km2) of land and <0.01 square miles (<0.01 km2) of water (0.01%).

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the borough include Landisville and Minotola, each of which had postal facilities established with those names in 1871 and 1897, respectively.History , Borough of Buena. Accessed September 2, 2013.Locality Search, State of New Jersey. Accessed May 21, 2015.

The borough borders the municipalities of Buena Vista Township in Atlantic County; Vineland in Cumberland County; and Franklin Township in Gloucester County.Areas touching Buena, MapIt. Accessed March 22, 2020.Atlantic County District Map, Atlantic County, New Jersey. Accessed July 9, 2024.New Jersey Municipal Boundaries, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed November 15, 2019.

The borough is one of 56 South Jersey municipalities that are included within the New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve, a protected natural area of unique ecology covering , that has been classified as a United States Biosphere Reserve and established by Congress in 1978 as the nation's first National Reserve.The Pinelands National Reserve, New Jersey Pinelands Commission. Accessed November 18, 2013. Part of the borough is included in the state-designated Pinelands Area, which includes portions of Atlantic County, along with areas in Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester and Ocean counties.Pinelands Municipalities, New Jersey Pinelands Commission, April 2003. Accessed November 18, 2013.

Unexpected Road was named the seventh wackiest street name according to a 2006 poll by Car Connection website.See the entry for September 19 on Ben Scott, Schott's Miscellany Calendar 2009 (New York: Workman Publishing Company, 2008).

Demographics

2020 census As of the 2020 census, Buena had a population of 4,501. The median age was 40.1 years. 22.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 16.9% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 92.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 89.9 males age 18 and over.

82.9% of residents lived in urban areas, while 17.1% lived in rural areas.

There were 1,766 households in Buena, of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 40.7% were married-couple households, 17.4% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 31.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 28.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 1,923 housing units, of which 8.2% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.1%.

+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number Percent White 2,800 62.2% Black or African American 369 8.2% American Indian and Alaska Native 34 0.8% Asian 82 1.8% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 4 0.1% Some other race 674 15.0% Two or more races 538 12.0% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 1,449 32.2%

2010 census The 2010 United States census counted 4,603 people, 1,723 households, and 1,160 families in the borough. The population density was . There were 1,855 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup was 73.50% (3,383) White, 9.43% (434) Black or African American, 0.74% (34) Native American, 1.78% (82) Asian, 0.07% (3) Pacific Islander, 11.62% (535) from other races, and 2.87% (132) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 29.42% (1,354) of the population.

Of the 1,723 households, 30.7% had children under the age of 18; 43.6% were married couples living together; 17.0% had a female householder with no husband present and 32.7% were non-families. Of all households, 27.5% were made up of individuals and 15.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.23.

24.9% of the population were under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 25.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.4 years. For every 100 females, the population had 92.4 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 88.3 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $53,060 (with a margin of error of +/− $14,830) and the median family income was $60,398 (+/− $6,199). Males had a median income of $47,439 (+/− $6,193) versus $35,700 (+/− $8,353) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $23,044 (+/− $2,700). About 8.2% of families and 11.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.6% of those under age 18 and 9.9% of those age 65 or over., United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 8, 2013.

2000 census As of the 2000 United States census there were 3,873 people, 1,454 households, and 978 families residing in the borough. The population density was . There were 1,553 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the borough was 77.28% White, 7.64% African American, 0.52% Native American, 0.44% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 10.53% from other races, and 3.56% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 23.65% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Buena borough, New Jersey , United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 8, 2013., United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 8, 2013.

As of the 2000 Census, 33.5% of Buena residents were of Italian ancestry, the 22nd-highest percentage of any municipality in the United States and ninth-highest in New Jersey, among all places with more than 1,000 residents identifying their ancestry.Italian Communities , EPodunk. Accessed July 1, 2011.

There were 1,454 households, out of which 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.0% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.7% were non-families. 28.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.23.

In the borough the population was spread out, with 25.7% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 30.1% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.1 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $35,679, and the median income for a family was $44,352. Males had a median income of $37,985 versus $23,788 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $16,717. About 11.8% of families and 18.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.1% of those under age 18 and 14.1% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government