Paulsboro is a borough situated on the banks of the Delaware River in Gloucester County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, within the Philadelphia metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 6,196, an increase of 99 (+1.6%) from the 6,097 recorded at the 2010 census, which in turn had reflected a decline of 63 (−1.0%) from the 6,160 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. Paulsboro and surrounding Gloucester County constitute part of South Jersey.
Paulsboro was formed as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 2, 1904, from portions of Greenwich Township.Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 140. Accessed May 30, 2024.Honeyman, Abraham Van Doren. Index-analysis of the Statutes of New Jersey, 1896-1909: Together with References to All Acts, and Parts of Acts, in the 'General Statutes' and Pamphlet Laws Expressly Repealed: and the Statutory Crimes of New Jersey During the Same Period, p. 210. New Jersey Law Journal Publishing Company, 1910. Accessed September 16, 2015. It was named for Samuel Phillip Paul, son of a settler.Profile for Paulsboro, New Jersey, NJ , EPodunk. Accessed October 31, 2013.Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed September 16, 2015.
History
18th century
Paulsboro is the home of Fort Billingsport, the first land purchase made by the United States, acquired on July 5, 1776, the day after the signing of the Declaration of Independence.Colimore, Edward. , The Philadelphia Inquirer, December 10, 2007. Accessed September 16, 2015. "Identified on a British map 230 years ago as a "rebel fort," the site was the nation's first federal land purchase, made the day after the Declaration of Independence."
19th century Samuel P. Paul House, home of the borough’s namesake, was constructed in 1810.Tobia, Darren. "New Paulsboro Walking Tour is a Journey through New Jersey's History", Preservation New Jersey, March 21, 2026. Accessed March 28, 2026.
Paulsboro is the location of the Tinicum Island Rear Range Light house, first lit on the night of December 31, 1880.
20th century In 1997, a local citizens' group was established with the purpose of providing tours and public access to the structure. The lighthouse is one of New Jersey's few publicly accessible aids to navigation and is the centerpiece of Paulsboro's cultural revitalization.Roncace, Kelly. "Inland lighthouses such as Tinicum, Finns Point and East Point guide sailors through rivers and bays", Gloucester County Times, July 22, 2012. Accessed November 7, 2012. "Many miles north of the Delaware Bay on the coast of the Delaware River in Paulsboro is the Tinicum Rear Range Lighthouse. First illuminated on New Year's Eve in 1880, this 85-foot, cast iron, skeletal structure, works in conjunction with the Tinicum Front Range Light, also referred to as the Billingsport Front Light."
The East Jefferson Street Railroad Bridge over Mantua Creek was built in 1917Automation of Movable Bridges Presentation by Conrail, American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association. Accessed November 10, 2019. and rebuilt in 1940 for the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines (PRSL). It is now part of Conrail's Penns Grove Secondary.
21st century
On November 30, 2012, the East Jefferson Street Railroad Bridge buckled, causing seven cars of a freight train to derail. One of the four tanker cars that fell into the creek was punctured, leaking thousands of gallons of vinyl chloride. Homes in the borough had to be evacuated and dozens of people went to hospitals as a precautionary measure due to exposure to the chemicals.Warner, Dave, via Reuters. "New Jersey bridge collapse derails freight train; chemical leaks", Chicago Tribune, November 30, 2012. Accessed December 1, 2012. Some residents in the area have filed suit against Conrail and CSX in Pennsylvania State Court having "complained about respiratory and bronchial related illnesses, headaches, eye and skin irritations and multiple other symptoms.""Press Release - Paulsboro Residents file Lawsuit Against Conrail and CSX for Damages Related to Hazardous Chemical Accident" , December 11, 2012. Accessed December 20, 2012
In March 2013, Conrail announced that the bridge would be replaced with an expected September 2014 operational date. Normally, between March 1 and November 30 the bridge is left in the open position for maritime traffic and closed when trains approach. It will remain locked in the closed position until the bridge is replaced.Kotzker, Dari. "Bridge Damaged in Paulsboro Derailment Will Be Replaced", NJTV, March 4, 2013. Accessed November 10, 2019.Forand, Rebecca. "Paulsboro train derailment: Conrail to replace bridge that collapsed", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, March 1, 2013, updated January 17, 2019. Accessed November 10, 2019. "The railroad bridge that collapsed following a train derailment that caused a subsequent chemical release last year, will be replaced. But Mantua Creek, the waterway that flows below the bridge, will remain closed to boaters for more than a year." In September 2013, another less serious derailment took place along the border of Gibbstown (in Greenwich Township) and Paulsboro, with one car leaving the tracks on a train consisting mostly of empty tanker cars.Forand, Rebecca. "Train derailment near scene of Paulsboro crash raises fears, calls for regulations", South Jersey Times, September 16, 2013. Accessed October 31, 2013. "Less than a mile from where a train derailed and spilled a dangerous chemical into the air last November, a second train derailed Monday, reiterating calls for greater rail industry safety and regulations."
Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 2.63 square miles (6.81 km2), including 1.92 square miles (4.98 km2) of land and 0.71 square miles (1.83 km2) of water (26.81%).
Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely in the borough include Billingsport.Locality Search, State of New Jersey. Accessed May 21, 2015.
Paulsboro borders the Gloucester County municipalities of East Greenwich Township, Greenwich Township, and West Deptford Township. It also borders the Delaware River.Municipalities within Gloucester County, NJ, Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission. Accessed November 7, 2019.New Jersey Municipal Boundaries, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed November 7, 2019.
Demographics
2020 census As of the 2020 census, Paulsboro had a population of 6,196. The median age was 35.2 years. 26.8% of residents were under the age of 18 and 12.1% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 89.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 84.4 males age 18 and over.
100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 2,315 households in Paulsboro, of which 36.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 29.5% were married-couple households, 20.4% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 39.9% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 27.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 2,639 housing units, of which 12.3% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 4.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.6%.
+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number Percent White 2,713 43.8% Black or African American 2,347 37.9% American Indian and Alaska Native 42 0.7% Asian 66 1.1% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 7 0.1% Some other race 408 6.6% Two or more races 613 9.9% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 914 14.8%
2010 census The 2010 United States census counted 6,097 people, 2,286 households, and 1,591 families in the borough. The population density was . There were 2,533 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup was 54.49% (3,322) White, 36.72% (2,239) Black or African American, 0.34% (21) Native American, 0.71% (43) Asian, 0.07% (4) Pacific Islander, 2.35% (143) from other races, and 5.33% (325) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.89% (542) of the population.
Of the 2,286 households, 33.9% had children under the age of 18; 33.7% were married couples living together; 28.1% had a female householder with no husband present and 30.4% were non-families. Of all households, 25.7% were made up of individuals and 9.5% 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 3.16.
28.3% of the population were under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33.7 years. For every 100 females, the population had 88.4 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 82.4 males.
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $43,846 (with a margin of error of +/− $9,449) and the median family income was $61,147 (+/− $5,392). Males had a median income of $51,923 (+/− $6,640) versus $37,826 (+/− $5,863) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $21,061 (+/− $2,252). About 8.2% of families and 12.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.6% of those under age 18 and 9.9% of those age 65 or over.DP03: Selected Economic Characteristics from the 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates for Paulsboro borough, Gloucester County, New Jersey , United States Census Bureau. Accessed November 7, 2012.
2000 census As of the 2000 census, there were 6,160 people, 2,353 households, and 1,614 families residing in the borough. The population density was . There were 2,628 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the borough was 63.56% White, 31.64% African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.32% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 1.31% from other races, and 2.82% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.35% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Paulsboro borough, New Jersey , United States Census Bureau. Accessed November 7, 2012.DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Paulsboro borough, Gloucester County, New Jersey , United States Census Bureau. Accessed November 7, 2012.
There were 2,353 households, out of which 33.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.0% were married couples living together, 24.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.4% were non-families. 26.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.15.
In the borough, the population was spread out, with 28.8% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.7 males.