Audubon, New Jersey

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 1.504 square miles (3.897 km²), including 1.488 square miles (3.855 km²) of land and 0.016 square miles (0.042 km²) of water (1.08%).

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the borough include Orston.

Audubon borders Audubon Park, Haddon Heights, Haddon Township, Haddonfield, Mount Ephraim and Oaklyn.

Climate

The climate in the area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Audubon has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Census 2010

The 2010 United States Census counted 8,819 people, 3,600 households, and 2,293 families residing in the borough. The population density was 5,925.7 per square mile (2,287.9/km²). The borough contained 3,779 housing units at an average density of 2,539.2 per square mile (980.4/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 95.23% (8,398) White, 1.44% (127) Black or African American, 0.14% (12) Native American, 1.13% (100) Asian, 0.01% (1) Pacific Islander, 0.91% (80) from other races, and 1.15% (101) from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 3.29% (290) of the population.

Out of a total of 3,600 households, 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.7% were married couples living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.3% were non-families. 30.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the borough, 21.2% of the population were under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 30.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.4 years. For every 100 females the census counted 94.3 males, but for 100 females at least 18 years old, it was 91.9 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $73,193 (with a margin of error of +/- $4,305) and the median family income was $89,399 (+/- $4,881). Males had a median income of $61,732 (+/- $4,152) versus $48,036 (+/- $4,880) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $34,243 (+/- $1,815). About 3.6% of families and 6.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.6% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over.

Census 2000

As of the 2000 United States Census there were 9,182 people, 3,673 households, and 2,387 families residing in the borough. The population density was 6,162.3 people per square mile (2,379.3/km²). There were 3,813 housing units at an average density of 2,559.0 per square mile (988.1/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 97.34% White, 1.51% Hispanic or Latino, 0.52% African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.89% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.48% from other races, and 0.64% from two or more races.

There were 3,673 households out of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.6% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.0% were non-families. 30.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.16.

In the borough the population was spread out with 24.8% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 31.0% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 91.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.5 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $49,250, and the median income for a family was $59,115. Males had a median income of $45,650 versus $30,651 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $24,942. About 4.2% of families and 5.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.1% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over.

Local government

Audubon borough operates under the Walsh Act commission form of New Jersey municipal government. Three non-partisan commissioners are elected at-large to serve four-year terms of office on a concurrent basis in elections held as part of the May municipal election. Each commissioner is assigned a specific department to head in addition to their legislative functions and the commissioners select one member to serve as mayor.

As of 2016, the members of the Board of Commissioners are Mayor John J. Ward (Commissioner of Public Affairs and Public Safety), Jennifer Z. Dawson (Commissioner of Revenue and Finance) and Jon E. Martin (Commissioner of Public Works, Parks and Public Property), all of whom are serving concurrent terms of office that end in May 10, 2017.

Emergency services

The Audubon Police Department dates back to 1931, with Police Chief Frank Kelly chosen to lead the borough's first uniformed officers. As of 2013, the department's chief is Thomas J. Tassi.

The Audubon Fire Department is an all-volunteer unit with 75 members, responding to an average of 300 calls each year in Audubon and portions of surrounding communities.

Federal, state and county representation

Audubon is located in the 1st Congressional district and is part of New Jersey's 5th state legislative district.

New Jersey's First Congressional District is represented by Donald Norcross (D, Camden). New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Cory Booker (D, Newark, term ends 2021) and Bob Menendez (D, Paramus, 2019).

For the 2016–2017 session (Senate, General Assembly), the 5th Legislative District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Nilsa Cruz-Perez (D, Barrington) and in the General Assembly by Arthur Barclay (D, Camden) and Patricia Egan Jones (D, Barrington). The Governor of New Jersey is Chris Christie (R, Mendham Township). The Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey is Kim Guadagno (R, Monmouth Beach).

Camden County is governed by a Board of Chosen Freeholders, whose seven members chosen at-large in partisan elections to three-year terms office on a staggered basis, with either two or three seats coming up for election each year. As of 2015, Camden County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli, Jr. (Collingswood, term as freeholder ends December 31, 2017; term as director ends 2015), Freeholder Deputy Director Edward T. McDonnell (Pennsauken Township, term as freeholder ends 2016; term as deputy director ends 2015), Michelle Gentek (Gloucester Township, 2015), Ian K. Leonard (Camden, 2015), Jeffrey L. Nash (Cherry Hill, 2015), Carmen Rodriguez (Merchantville, 2016) and Jonathan L. Young, Sr. (Berlin Township, November 2015; serving the unexpired term of Scot McCray ending in 2017)

Camden County's constitutional officers, all elected directly by voters, are County clerk Joseph Ripa, Sheriff Charles H. Billingham, and Surrogate Patricia Egan Jones. The Camden County Prosecutor Mary Eva Colalillo was appointed by the Governor of New Jersey with the advice and consent of the New Jersey Senate (the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature).

Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 6,215 registered voters in Audubon, of which 2,418 (38.9% vs. 31.7% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 1,113 (17.9% vs. 21.1%) were registered as Republicans and 2,676 (43.1% vs. 47.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 8 voters registered to other parties. Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 70.5% (vs. 57.1% in Camden County) were registered to vote, including 89.4% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 73.7% countywide).

In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 2,718 votes (60.0% vs. 54.8% countywide), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 1,704 votes (37.6% vs. 43.5%) and other candidates with 70 votes (1.5% vs. 0.9%), among the 4,527 ballots cast by the borough's 6,618 registered voters, for a turnout of 68.4% (vs. 70.4% in Camden County). In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 2,806 votes (59.7% vs. 66.2% countywide), ahead of Republican John McCain with 1,778 votes (37.8% vs. 30.7%) and other candidates with 81 votes (1.7% vs. 1.1%), among the 4,701 ballots cast by the borough's 6,423 registered voters, for a turnout of 73.2% (vs. 71.4% in Camden County). In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 2,696 votes (56.3% vs. 61.7% countywide), ahead of Republican George W. Bush with 2,021 votes (42.2% vs. 36.4%) and other candidates with 40 votes (0.8% vs. 0.8%), among the 4,791 ballots cast by the borough's 6,091 registered voters, for a turnout of 78.7% (vs. 71.3% in the whole county).

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 62.0% of the vote (1,545 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 35.6% (886 votes), and other candidates with 2.4% (59 votes), among the 2,560 ballots cast by the borough's 6,650 registered voters (70 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 38.5%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Democrat Jon Corzine received 1,275 ballots cast (45.8% vs. 53.8% countywide), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 1,256 votes (45.1% vs. 38.5%), Independent Chris Daggett with 182 votes (6.5% vs. 4.5%) and other candidates with 47 votes (1.7% vs. 1.1%), among the 2,782 ballots cast by the borough's 6,221 registered voters, yielding a 44.7% turnout (vs. 40.8% in the county).

Education

The Audubon School District serves public school students in Kindergarten through twelfth grade. As of the 2011-12 school year, the district's three schools had an enrollment of 1,441 students and 117.6 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.25:1. Schools in the district (with 2011-12 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Haviland Avenue School (PreK-2; 275 students), Mansion Avenue School (3-6; 370) and Audubon High School (7-12; 796).

Students from Audubon Park attend the district's schools as part of a sending/receiving relationship established after Audubon Park closed its lone school in 1979. For grades 9-12, students from Mount Ephraim attend Audubon High School, as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Mount Ephraim Public Schools.

The two schools in Audubon, Haviland Avenue School and Mansion Avenue School had both served Kindergarten to sixth grade. This continued until the 2009-2010 school year when they were reconfigured so that Haviland is K-2 and Mansion serves grades 3-6.

Students from Audubon, and from all of Camden County, are eligible to attend the Camden County Technical Schools, a countywide public school district that serves the vocational and technical education needs of students at the high school and post-secondary level at Gloucester Township Technical High School in Gloucester Township or Pennsauken Technical High School in Pennsauken Township.

Roads and highways

As of May 2010, the borough had a total of 29.80 miles (47.96 km) of roadways, of which 22.16 miles (35.66 km) were maintained by the municipality, 6.44 miles (10.36 km) by Camden County and 1.20 miles (1.93 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

U.S. Route 30 (White Horse Pike) traverses for 0.9 miles (1.4 km) across the borough, connecting Oaklyn and Haddon Heights. Route 168 (Black Horse Pike) runs for 0.4 miles (0.64 km) from Mount Ephraim to Audubon Park, along the borough's border with Haddon Township.

Public transportation

NJ Transit bus service is available in the borough on routes 400 (between Sicklerville and Philadelphia), 403 (between Turnersville and Camden), 450 (between the Cherry Hill Mall and Camden), and 457 (between the Moorestown Mall and Camden).

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Audubon include: