Woodbury is a city in and the county seat of Gloucester County in the U.S. state of New Jersey.New Jersey County Map, New Jersey Department of State. Accessed December 22, 2022. The city, along with the rest of Gloucester County, is part of South Jersey and of the Philadelphia metropolitan area.New Jersey: 2020 Core Based Statistical Areas and Counties, United States Census Bureau. Accessed December 22, 2022. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 9,963, a decrease of 211 (−2.1%) from the 2010 census count of 10,174, which in turn reflected a decline of 133 (−1.3%) from the 10,307 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.
Woodbury was originally formed as a borough on March 27, 1854, within Deptford Township based on the results of a March 22, 1854, referendum. On January 2, 1871, Woodbury was reincorporated as a city based on the results of a referendum held that day.Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606–1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 141. Accessed May 30, 2024.
Inspira Health Network is based in Woodbury.Inspira Medical Center Woodbury , Inspira Health Network. Accessed November 12, 2013. The now-defunct Woodbury Country Club operated in Woodbury from 1897 to 2010, closing due to declining membership and mounting debt that led to its 2013 bankruptcy filing.Conaboy, Chelsea. "Plan would put houses on defunct Woodbury Country Club" , The Philadelphia Inquirer, August 23, 2010. Accessed November 12, 2013. "The country club, which was founded in 1897, filed for bankruptcy last summer, citing about $2.88 million in debt, then closed in October. Membership had been declining for years and couldn't support debt from a 1991 renovation."
The city had the 14th-highest property tax rate in New Jersey with an equalized rate of 4.582% as of 2020 compared to 3.212% in the county as a whole and a statewide average of 2.279%."Here are the 30 N.J. towns with the highest property tax rates" , NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, March 15, 2021. Accessed January 19, 2022. "The average equalized tax rate in New Jersey was 2.279 in 2020, according to data from the Department of Community Affairs. Here is the list of 30 New Jersey towns with the highest property tax rates.... 14. Woodbury Equalized tax rate in Woodbury, Gloucester County, was 4.582 in 2020 Average equalized tax rate in Gloucester County: 3.212"
History As recounted by historian William McMahon, the Native Americans called the place where the city of Woodbury is now located "Piscozackasing", or "place of the black burrs".
Woodbury was founded in 1683 by Henry Wood, a Quaker from North West England who left Great Britain due to religious persecution. Wood was incarcerated in Lancaster for practicing as a Quaker and left his home in Tottington near Bury, Lancashire in a boat to set up a community in the new world where he and his family could practice his religion freely. His surname and hometown inspired naming the city that he founded Woodbury.Samuels, Tanyanika. "Following Woodbury's Founder Henry Wood Fled Persecution. Another Wants To Recreate His Journey." , The Philadelphia Inquirer, June 23, 1998. Accessed July 9, 2012. "At the age of 80, after years of being jailed and harassed by British authorities for his Quaker beliefs, Henry Wood fled with his son to America and founded the city of Woodbury.... Wood's voyage in 1682 started in Bury, England and ended along the Delaware River."Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names , New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed November 4, 2015.Gannett, Henry. The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States, p. 330. United States Government Printing Office, 1905. Accessed November 4, 2015.
In 2000, Bury, England, and Woodbury were twinned as part of millennium celebrations in both countries. The twinning ceremony was the culmination of a week where more than 300 school children and college students, local dignitaries, and local residents from Bury took part in sporting and cultural events held in and around Woodbury. During the week, there was a symbolic meeting and reconciliation of the Vicar of Henry Wood's former church in Tottington and the Quaker meeting house in Woodbury and an ecumenical service attended by many of the residents and visitors.Staff. "An Overseas Trip to Bury a Hatchet; Woodbury Residents Will Visit the English Town From Which the Founder of Their Town Fled Persecution.", The Philadelphia Inquirer, February 4, 2001. Accessed September 2, 2025, via Newspapers.com. "The English church that persecuted Woodbury's founding father more than 300 years ago now plans to honor the Quaker who fled his homeland to start anew in South Jersey."
Paleontological discovery In 1787, a fossil bone recovered in Woodbury from local Cretaceous strata was discussed by the American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia.Dodson, Peter (1997). "American Dinosaurs." Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs. Edited by Phillip J. Currie and Kevin Padian. Academic Press. p. 10-13. The remains were only retrospectively identified as dinosaurian, as dinosaurs would not be scientifically recognized as a distinct group of reptiles until August 1841.
Recycling Woodbury was the first city in the United States to mandate recycling. This effort was led by then-councilman and later mayor Donald P. Sanderson in the 1970s, and an ordinance was finally passed in December 1980. The idea of towing a recycling trailer behind a trash collection vehicle to enable the collection of trash and recyclable material at the same time emerged. Sanderson was asked to speak in municipalities throughout the country and other towns and cities soon followed suit.Rhodes, Rosalee Polk. "Time as a public servant ends for 'father of recycling' His plan was modeled nationwide. He will retire as mayor." , The Philadelphia Inquirer, December 1, 2002. Accessed July 9, 2012. "Sanderson, a Republican from the city's Third Ward, was referring to the start of Woodbury's recycling program, which eventually would bring accolades from cities across the nation and the world. Initially, it was rebuffed by residents. When Sanderson introduced the curb pickup program in 1980, he said it almost made him the laughingstock of the town."
Historic district There are numerous contributing properties to the Broad Street Historic District encompassing Broad Street (located between Woodbury Creek and Courtland Street) Highland Mills, and Delaware Street (located between Broad and Wood streets) including the Gloucester County Courthouse, which was placed on the New Jersey Register of Historic Places (#1429) in 1988.New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places: Gloucester County , New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Historic Preservation Office, updated September 24, 2019. Accessed November 11, 2019.
Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city had a total area of 2.10 square miles (5.45 km2), including 2.02 square miles (5.23 km2) of land and 0.08 square miles (0.22 km2) of water (3.95%).
The city borders Deptford Township, West Deptford Township, and Woodbury Heights.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.
Climate Woodbury has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) typical of southern New Jersey with warm summers and cold winters.
Demographics
2020 census As of the 2020 census, Woodbury had a population of 9,963. The median age was 38.4 years. 23.4% of residents were under the age of 18 and 17.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 88.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 84.0 males age 18 and over.
100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 4,068 households in Woodbury, of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 34.8% were married-couple households, 19.4% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 37.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 4,532 housing units, of which 10.2% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.1% and the rental vacancy rate was 10.4%.
+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number Percent White 5,446 54.7% Black or African American 2,562 25.7% American Indian and Alaska Native 50 0.5% Asian 164 1.6% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 8 0.1% Some other race 799 8.0% Two or more races 934 9.4% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 1,578 15.8%
2010 census The 2010 United States census counted 10,174 people, 4,088 households, and 2,420 families in the city. The population density was . There were 4,456 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup was 66.01% (6,716) White, 24.91% (2,534) Black or African American, 0.23% (23) Native American, 1.28% (130) Asian, 0.28% (28) Pacific Islander, 3.19% (325) from other races, and 4.11% (418) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.66% (1,085) of the population.
Of the 4,088 households, 27.9% had children under the age of 18; 36.6% were married couples living together; 17.4% had a female householder with no husband present and 40.8% were non-families. Of all households, 35.3% 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 2.38 and the average family size was 3.10.
23.5% of the population were under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 25.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.0 years. For every 100 females, the population had 93.1 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 90.3 males.
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $58,629 (with a margin of error of +/− $4,598) and the median family income was $74,276 (+/− $7,880). Males had a median income of $57,019 (+/− $3,425) versus $37,363 (+/− $6,910) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $28,845 (+/− $2,571). About 7.8% of families and 11.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.7% of those under age 18 and 15.0% of those age 65 or over.DP03: Selected Economic Characteristics from the 2006–2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates for Woodbury city, Gloucester County, New Jersey , United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 9, 2012.
2000 census As of the 2000 United States census, there were 10,307 people, 4,051 households, and 2,588 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 4,310 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 72.45% White, 22.83% African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.99% Asian, 0.14% Pacific Islander, 1.28% from other races, and 2.10% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.94% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Woodbury city , United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 9, 2012.DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Woodbury city, New Jersey , United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 9, 2012.