East Brunswick is a township in Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The suburban bedroom community is part of the New York City metropolitan area and is located on the southern shore of the Raritan River, directly adjacent to the city of New Brunswick and located roughly 29 miles (47 km) away from New York City. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 49,715, its highest decennial count ever and an increase of 2,203 (+4.6%) from the 2010 census count of 47,512, which in turn reflected an increase of 756 (+1.6%) from the 46,756 counted in the 2000 census. East Brunswick was incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 28, 1860, from portions of both Monroe Township and North Brunswick Township. Portions of the township were taken to form Washington town within the township (February 23, 1870; became independent as South River on February 28, 1898), Helmetta (March 20, 1888), Milltown (January 29, 1889) and Spotswood (April 15, 1908). Since the 2000 census, the United States Census Bureau calculated that New Jersey's center of population was located in the township.