Encompassing the northernmost portion of New Jersey, the 5th is largely suburban and includes some of the most scenic and affluent areas of the state. It stretches from northern Bergen County west through Passaic and the hill-enclosed regions of Sussex County, crossing parts of the Appalachian Mountains and running south into Warren County. Property values and income levels are among the highest in the state, and no municipality has more than 30,000 residents. The scenic back country of Sussex and Warren counties traditionally has been rural but grew 13 percent in the 1990s as young professionals from New York City moved to the area.
Warren County continues to experience significant housing development.
Politically, the 5th tends to vote Republican, although most voters are registered independent. While Rep. Roukema has won by large margins, GOP support has been slipping in presidential elections. Republican strength lies more in the growing areas to the west than in older areas in Bergen County. At the local level, pockets of Democratic strength include Phillipsburg in south Warren County and sections of Bergen County, where races are often close. The 1998 elections resulted in some Democratic victories at the local level in Bergen and Warren counties.