Cumberland County, New Jersey

Geography

According to the 2010 Census, the county had a total area of 677.62 square miles (1,755.0 km²), including 483.70 square miles (1,252.8 km²) of land (71.4%) and 193.92 square miles (502.3 km²) of water (28.6%).

Cumberland is a low-lying, generally featureless coastal county, with many salt marshes near the Delaware Bay. The highest elevation is at one of 12 areas in Upper Deerfield Township that stand approximately 140 feet (43 m) above sea level; the lowest elevation is sea level.

Adjacent counties

¹across Delaware Bay; no land border

Census 2010

The 2010 United States Census counted 156,898 people, 51,931 households, and 36,559 families residing in the county. The population density was 324.4 per square mile (125.3/km²). The county contained 55,834 housing units at an average density of 115.4 per square mile (44.6/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 62.74% (98,430) White, 20.23% (31,741) Black or African American, 1.11% (1,746) Native American, 1.22% (1,907) Asian, 0.04% (59) Pacific Islander, 11.15% (17,492) from other races, and 3.52% (5,523) from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 27.06% (42,457) of the population.

Out of a total of 51,931 households, 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.2% were married couples living together, 18.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.6% were non-families. 24% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.79 and the average family size was 3.26.

In the county, 24% of the population were under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36.5 years. For every 100 females the census counted 106.2 males, but for 100 females at least 18 years old, it was 106.9 males.

Census 2000

As of the 2000 United States Census there were 146,438 people, 49,143 households, and 35,186 families residing in the county. The population density was 299 people per square mile (116/km²). There were 52,863 housing units at an average density of 108 per square mile (42/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 65.88% White, 20.20% Black or African American, 0.97% Native American, 0.95% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 9.08% from other races, and 2.85% from two or more races. 19.00% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Among those residents listing their ancestry, 15.6% of residents were of Italian, 12.1% German, 10.7% Irish and 8.4% English ancestry according to Census 2000.

There were 49,143 households out of which 34.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.70% were married couples living together, 17.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.40% were non-families. 23.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.19.

In the county, the population was spread out with 25.40% under the age of 18, 8.50% from 18 to 24, 31.20% from 25 to 44, 21.90% from 45 to 64, and 13.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 104.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $39,150, and the median income for a family was $45,403. Males had a median income of $35,387 versus $25,393 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,376. About 11.3% of families and 15.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.1% of those under age 18 and 12.9% of those age 65 or over.

County

Cumberland County is governed by a Board of Chosen Freeholders consisting of seven members. Each Freeholder is assigned responsibility for one of the County's departments. These individuals are elected at large by the citizens of Cumberland County in partisan elections and serve staggered three-year terms in office, with two or three seats coming up for election each year.

As of 2015, members of the Cumberland County Board of Chosen Freeholders (with party affiliation, residence and term-end year listed in parentheses) are:

Then-Freeholder Director Bill Whelan, whose term was to run to December 2014, announced in July 2013 that he was resigning from office. Later that month, Joe Derella was chosen to replace Whelan as director, while the vacant seat was filled by Vineland resident Carlos Mercado.

Freeholder Louis N. Magazzu, whose term was to expire in 2012, announced his resignation on August 2, 2011, after a series of explicit pictures that he had sent to a woman he had known were leaked to a website and published on the Internet. Magazzu apologized to the public and to his family, and announced his resignation immediately.

Constitutional offers are Clerk Celeste Riley (R, Bridgeton, 2019), Sheriff Robert A. Austino (D, Vineland, 2017) and Surrogate Douglas M. Rainear (D, Upper Deerfield Township, 2018).

Cumberland County is a part of Vicinage 15 of the New Jersey Superior Court (along with Gloucester County and Salem County), seated in Woodbury in Gloucester County; the Assignment Judge for Vicinage 15 is the Honorable Georgia M. Curio. The Cumberland County Courthouse is in Bridgeton.

Federal and state representation

The 2nd Congressional District includes all of Cumberland County. New Jersey's Second Congressional District is represented by Frank LoBiondo (R, Ventnor City).

The county is part of the 1st and 3rd Districts in the New Jersey Legislature. For the 2016–2017 session (Senate, General Assembly), the 1st Legislative District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Jeff Van Drew (D, Dennis Township) and in the General Assembly by Bob Andrzejczak (D, Middle Township) and R. Bruce Land (D, Vineland). For the 2016–2017 session (Senate, General Assembly), the 3rd Legislative District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Stephen M. Sweeney (D, West Deptford Township) and in the General Assembly by John J. Burzichelli (D, Paulsboro) and Adam Taliaferro (D, Woolwich Township).

The New Jersey Department of Corrections operates three correctional facilities in the county. They are Bayside State Prison, South Woods State Prison, and Southern State Correctional Facility. In 2007, while the state was preparing to close Riverfront State Prison in Camden, it considered establishing a fourth state prison in Cumberland County.

Politics

Cumberland County tends to lean towards the Democratic party. In the 2004 U.S. Presidential election, John Kerry carried the county by a 6.6% margin over George W. Bush.

Municipalities

Municipalities in Cumberland County (with most 2010 Census data for population, housing units and area) are:

Airports

The following public-use airports are located in Cumberland County:

Roads and highways

As of 2010, the county had a total of 1,271.74 miles (2,046.67 km) of roadways, of which 643.65 miles (1,035.85 km) were maintained by the local municipality, 539.14 miles (867.66 km) by Cumberland County and 88.95 miles (143.15 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

Cumberland is served only by state and county routes. Major county routes that pass through include CR 540, CR 548 (only in Maurice River), CR 550, CR 552, CR 553 and CR 555.

State routes include Route 47, Route 49, Route 55, Route 56, Route 77 and Route 347.

Route 55 is the only limited access road in the county which provides access to Interstate 76, Interstate 295, and the Philadelphia area to the north.

Climate and weather

In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Bridgeton have ranged from a low of 25 °F (−4 °C) in January to a high of 87 °F (31 °C) in July, although a record low of −13 °F (−25 °C) was recorded in January 1985 and a record high of 101 °F (38 °C) was recorded in July 1966. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.94 inches (75 mm) in February to 4.30 inches (109 mm) in March.

Wineries