Land for Sale in Burlington County, NJ

Burlington County is New Jersey's largest county by land area, 820 square miles with 461,860 residents (2020 census), and much of its south and east lies in the Pine Barrens. Land there is governed by the Pinelands Commission's Comprehensive Management Plan, which sharply limits building in the protected core. Before you buy an acre of Burlington County woods, find out which Pinelands management area it is in.

Burlington County at a glance

County seat: Mount Holly. Municipalities include Pemberton, Washington (the largest by area, at 102.71 square miles), Bass River, Medford, Woodland and Tabernacle.
2020 population 461,860; about 820 square miles, the largest county in New Jersey by land area.
The Pine Barrens cover a large part of southern and eastern Burlington County.
Most of the 42,000-acre Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst lies in the county.
The Pinelands Preservation Area is about 39% of the Pinelands Area and is the most heavily restricted.

The Burlington County land market

The western part of the county is suburban and farmland near Philadelphia, with in-fill lots and farm acreage. The south and east are Pinelands: wooded, sandy parcels, cranberry bogs and blueberry farms. A low price on a Pinelands parcel can reflect building restrictions. Buyers should treat the Pinelands zoning as the first filter on any parcel in Pemberton, Medford, Tabernacle, Shamong, Southampton, Woodland, Bass River or Washington townships.

Pinelands Commission rules

New Jersey's Pinelands Protection Act created the Pinelands Commission, and its Comprehensive Management Plan (CMP) sets land-use standards that local zoning must follow. In the Preservation Area, no new residential development is permitted except one-acre lots in designated infill areas and "cultural housing" on minimum 3.2-acre lots for property owned by families before 1979. In Special Agricultural Production Areas, only farm-related housing on 40 acres and cultural housing exceptions are allowed. Other management areas allow more, with density and septic standards that vary.

To offset the restrictions, owners in the Preservation Area and Agricultural Production Areas receive Pinelands Development Credits, which can be sold to developers in Regional Growth Areas once the land is deed restricted. A state PDC Bank buys and resells credits. Ask whether credits were already severed from a parcel, because a sold credit means the parcel is deed restricted. Confirm the parcel's management area on the Pinelands Land Capability Map and with the Commission before you pay.

Septic, wetlands and fire

Pinelands septic standards and wetland buffers limit where a house can go, so get a septic design and wetland delineation before you buy. The pine forests burn, so fire risk and insurance are factors. Many parcels are on sand roads, so confirm legal access.

Before you buy land in Burlington County

The parcel's Pinelands management area and what it allows.
Whether Pinelands Development Credits were severed or deed restrictions apply.
Local zoning for the municipality, which must conform to the CMP.
Septic design, wetlands and buffers.
Legal access, fire risk and utilities.

Land due diligence checklist How to verify legal access to land

Frequently asked questions

Can I build a house on Pinelands land?

It depends on the management area. In the Preservation Area new residential development is largely prohibited, with limited exceptions. Check the parcel with the Pinelands Commission before you buy.

What are Pinelands Development Credits?

Credits allocated to landowners in restricted areas that can be sold to developers elsewhere, after which the land is deed restricted from further development.

Is Burlington County the largest county in New Jersey?

It is the largest by land area, at about 799 square miles of land.