St. Padre Pio Shrine, 2011
Buena’s story
Buena in pictures
Census counts: 2,640 in 1950, 4,501 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2008 and 5 maps from 1890 on.
Explore the history →
Photo: Dwainwr123 at English Wikipedia · Public domain
Population
4,529
2025 Census estimate · +0.3% since 2020
Typical home
$320K
−2.9% in a year
Household income
$80K
median
Median age
36.2
years
Jobs based here
753
A commuter town
TownGrade
C−
#407 of 466 in NJ
Is Buena a good place to live?
Buena grades C− overall, 407th of 466 graded towns in New Jersey, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. 13% of its land is conserved. On the other side, its public schools trail 86% of New Jersey towns on state tests and graduation. Only 31 of New Jersey’s 530 towns score lower on walkability. 26% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Buena, below the New Jersey town median (45%) and near the median of U.S. towns (29%). Buena's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 85% of U.S. towns.
A commuter town
94% of working residents leave Buena for work
Where Buena’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
753jobs based in Buena
6%of working residents work in town
15 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Buena grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New Jersey), ordered by how far Buena is from typical.
SchoolsDOpen →Cost of livingC−Open →HealthInspira Medical Center Vineland 8.2 miles awayB+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.9 of 20; 6.5% of households have no car; 0.7% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 33% of U.S. communities; hurricanes tops the listB+Open →Jobs & income$80K median household incomeB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trailA−Open →History2 notable people born hereCOpen →Civic life2.3 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsC−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Buena: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Buena, and how to reach them.
PowerAtlantic City Electric25.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterBuena Borough Mua water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpBuena Borough Drop-off CenterTown’s haulerTown site
Register to voteOnlineIn New Jersey you can register online until 21 days before Election Day, in person until 21 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 21 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereAtlantic County ClerkAtlantic County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2026
ZIP codes08341, 08326, 08360, 0831008341 37% · 08326 35% · 08360 15% · 08310 12%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Buena.
Buena has home values falling while New Jersey’s rise, has added a third more jobs in ten years and is healthy by national standards but behind most towns in New Jersey.
SchoolsD
Buena’s grade for schools is a D
Its public schools are run by the Buena Regional School District. Its one school is below.
14%of NJ districts it outscoresDSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dr. J.P. Cleary Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades 3–5 | Grades 3–5 | 320 | D |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NJ on state tests and graduation
HousingCost of living grade C−
Buena’s typical home value is about $320K
Values fell 2.9% in the past year while the New Jersey typical home rose 4%. At about $320K, home values are up 15% in five years, against a rise of 35% across New Jersey.
The typical Buena home is worth about $320,000, 44% below the New Jersey typical home. The median rent in Buena is $1,156 a month.
$320KZillow home value
| Buena | New Jersey towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,156 a month | $1,780 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 71% | 77% | 73% |
Typical home value
Buena$320K
New Jersey$575K
Market temperature
149
days on market
96.3%
sale-to-list price
−2.9%
value change, 1 year
7
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
With 0.4 jobs for every working resident, most of Buena’s workers commute out
Jobs based here grew from 571 in 2013 to 753.
Most working residents leave Buena for work: only 6% work in town. Jobs based in Buena grew to 753 in 2023, 182 more than in 2013. Buena’s average trip to work is 31 minutes.
6%work in town
| Buena | New Jersey towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 31 minutes | 30 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $80,000 | $113,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 8.7% | 6% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 5.6% | 6.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Buena6%
Vineland25%
Atlantic City4%
Millville4%
Egg Harbor Township3%
15 mi
median commute distance
753
jobs based in Buena
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 32% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthB+
Buena is healthier than 73% of U.S. towns
Within New Jersey it is less healthy than 71% of the 468 graded towns: New Jersey sets a high bar.
Buena tracks New Jersey closely on all 32 CDC measures. 17% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Buena.
73%healthier than U.S. townsB+Health Grade
| Buena | New Jersey towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 16% | 23% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 28% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 15% | 17% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 32% | 35% |
32 measures vs. New Jersey
0 better32 too close to call0 worse
Inspira Medical Center Vineland
8.2 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
29th
percentile among NJ towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Buena has four seasons and pleasant summers
Buena has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 87°, January nights drop to 25° and about 22 inches of snow falls in a winter.
22″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter26–45°
Spring42–64°
Summer64–85°
Fall46–67°
Oct 22
typical first frost
Apr 24
typical last frost
+2.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B+
Low risk in Buena, with hurricanes at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 67% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 6 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Buena.
33risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
HurricanesInland floodingStrong wind
6
paid flood claims since 1979
8
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
#332for trails in NJ
12.6%
conserved · 607 of 4,820 acres
1.3 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Bruno Melini Park | — | 13 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 210 attractions →Pine Barrens and 138 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Buena. Close and well known come first.
Big draw19 mi Park & preservePine Barrens
Big draw30 mi MuseumUSS New Jersey
Big draw28 mi Stadium & arenaLincoln Financial Field
Big draw28 mi Stadium & arenaXfinity Mobile Arena
Big draw31 mi Ancient siteIndependence Hall3.0M visitors a year
Big draw33 mi MuseumEastern State PenitentiarySources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Pine Barrens: Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0 · USS New Jersey: Camera Operator: PH3 BRYANT, Public domain · Lincoln Financial Field: The original uploader was Betp at French Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0 · Xfinity Mobile Arena: Jen Smith, CC BY 3.0 · Independence Hall: Mys 721tx, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Eastern State Penitentiary: Davidt8, Public domain
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Keep exploring
Everything we know about Buena
19pages on Buena
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Buena
Rowan College of South Jersey-Cumberland CampusCommunity college · Public · Vineland8.6 mi$5,160 in-state tuitionAtlantic Cape Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Mays Landing14.9 mi$6,068 in-state tuition
About 8 of every 100 Buena residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Jersey.
About Buena
Borough in Atlantic County, New Jersey, US
Buena ( BEW-nə) 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. 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.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 7.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 121 ft
- ZIP code
- 08310
Buena’s neighbors
One town shares a border with Buena.
Buena Vista TownshipBuena
How the neighbors grade
| Town | NJ rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buena | #407 | C− | C− | — | D | B+ |
| Buena Vista Township | #415 | D | C− | — | D | B− |
Buena and Buena Vista Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Buena with a neighbor →
Questions about Buena
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Buena, NJ a good place to live?
Buena grades C− overall, better than 16% of U.S. towns and #407 of 466 in New Jersey. It grades B+ for health and D for schools. Schools is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Buena, NJ expensive?
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.