Rossmoor is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Monroe Township, Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 census, the CDP's population was 2,992,
Rossmoor is a gated age-restricted co-op, active adult community. Rossmoor covers just off Exit 8A of the New Jersey Turnpike (Interstate 95). It has 2,303 residences, encircling a championship golf course. The community offers a wide selection of living space, from smaller units of , to larger units with of living space, with its architecture primarily being American Colonial in style. Many residents continue to work in the area or commute to New York City. Express buses stop at Rossmoor for the 55-minute ride to the Port Authority Bus Terminal on 42nd Street in Midtown Manhattan.
History
The concept of a "Senior Community" was an unknown entity in the building trade of the early 1960s. But a man from California had already begun to change that by building three successful “Senior Communities” in Southern California. And then – in 1963 - this 47 year old builder was about to repeat his California success in New Jersey on the east coast. That person was Ross Cortese who started our community and after whom it is named. Through his contacts and research in 1962–63, Ross Cortese identified an area in central New Jersey that seemed to have all the right factors. He purchase available farm land directly adjacent to the New Jersey Turnpike (whose initial 118 miles had just been built between 1950 and 1952.) The land was near a large Country Club (the Forsgate Club), in business since 1931, which had already been successful in attracting a good clientele and which might also be available for purchase. He made sure to offer amenities that would attract buyers, and then he marketed the concept to the surrounding public.
In 1963, Arthur Phillips, Esq., then a young lawyer with offices in the Heritage Building near what is now Rossmoor's North Gate, was hired by Cortese to act as attorney for the purchase of the necessary acreage. The purchase was a huge tract of land, covering the area that now includes today's Adult Communities of Clearbrook, Concordia, Encore, the Ponds, Whittingham and all the Forsgate land including the Forsgate Country Club. Each Village was to have its own clubhouse and golf course. Total cost was expected to be $500 million. On May 8, 1964, the plans for the property were made public. The work on Village #1 began in earnest soon afterwards, and the Farmland appearance of Monroe changed abruptly. The last 6 months of 1966 was when construction began in earnest.
Over a 25-year period Rossmoor Village One was built out. As each section was completed a new sub association was established. Today there are 18 sub-associations called Mutuals in Village One (now known as Rossmoor). Rossmoor is overseen by a master association Board of Governors made up of each Mutual's presidents. Together they assure the care and operation of the communities infrastructure and amenities and provide needed administrative and maintenance services to each Mutual and thus every owner.
Although only one of the original five villages were ever developed by Mr. Cortese's company the spirit of his plan did eventually come to fruition through the construction of multiple active adult communities on the original land. His idea expanded even further into Monroe Township providing more and more affordable adult active housing options.
Geography
Rossmoor is in southern Middlesex County, along the western edge of Monroe Township. It is bordered to the north by Forsgate and to the west by Cranbury Township. The New Jersey Turnpike passes just west of the community's border, with Exit 8A at the community's northwestern corner. New Brunswick, the Middlesex county seat, is to the north, and Newark is to the north, while Trenton is to the southwest.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Rossmoor CDP has a total area of , of which , or 1.46%, are water. 1960 1970<br> 1980 1990 2000<br> 2010 2020
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| align-fn = center
Rossmoor first appeared as a census designated place in the 1990 U.S. census.
!Pop 2010
!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" |Pop 2020
!% 2000
!% 2010
!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" |% 2020
|-
|White alone (NH)
|3,050
|2,445
|style='background: #ffffe6; |2,343
|97.48%
|91.71%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |78.31%
|-
|Black or African American alone (NH)
|30
|113
|style='background: #ffffe6; |181
|0.96%
|4.24%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |6.05%
|-
|Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)
|3
|2
|style='background: #ffffe6; |7
|0.10%
|0.08%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.23%
|-
|Asian alone (NH)
|16
|26
|style='background: #ffffe6; |239
|0.51%
|0.98%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |7.99%
|-
|Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)
|0
|0
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0
|0.00%
|0.00%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.00%
|-
|Other race alone (NH)
|1
|0
|style='background: #ffffe6; |4
|0.03%
|0.00%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.13%
|-
|Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)
|13
|10
|style='background: #ffffe6; |39
|0.42%
|0.38%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |1.30%
|-
|Hispanic or Latino (any race)
|16
|70
|style='background: #ffffe6; |179
|0.51%
|2.63%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |5.98%
|-
|Total
|3,129
|2,666
|style='background: #ffffe6; |2,992
|100.00%
|100.00%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |100.00%
|}
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Rossmoor had a population of 2,992. The median age was 72.7 years. 0.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 76.7% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 58.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 57.7 males age 18 and over.
100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 2,127 households in Rossmoor, of which 1.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 28.3% were married-couple households, 16.2% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 52.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 61.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 51.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 2,131 households, out of which none had children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.8% were married couples living together, 2.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 62.9% were non-families. 61.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 56.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.40 and the average family size was 2.03.