The area has a rich and well-preserved history from the colonial era and Revolutionary War. The economy has faced challenges, although some new investment is attracting business and visitors into the downtown areas, notably Millville. Violent crime rates remain surprisingly high for this type of area and educational attainment is low. The cost of living is the lowest by far among New Jersey metropolitan areas. Services and amenities are sparse locally, but the area is strategically located between the Delaware Valley and beaches to the east.

The flat coastal plain contains marshes and tidewater creeks, with areas of agriculture and mixed pine and deciduous forests inland. The climate is continental with a strong marine influence. Summer days are usually pleasant because of breezes off the Delaware Bay and Atlantic Ocean, but hot, humid spells occur annually. Winters are cool, cloudy, and wet, with some moderation from nearby water and a little from the Appalachians to the northwest. Winter is a mix of rain and snow, with coastal “noreaster” storms moving up the coast from the south bringing heavy rains and winter snows. First freeze is late October, last is mid-April.