Hi Nella, New Jersey

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, Hi-Nella borough had a total area of 0.231 square miles (0.597 km²), all of which was land.

Hi-Nella borders the Camden County municipalities of Gloucester Township, Somerdale and Stratford.

Census 2010

The 2010 United States Census counted 870 people, 377 households, and 216 families residing in the borough. The population density was 3,773.3 per square mile (1,456.9/km²). The borough contained 420 housing units at an average density of 1,821.6 per square mile (703.3/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 71.72% (624) White, 15.06% (131) Black or African American, 0.69% (6) Native American, 4.02% (35) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 5.63% (49) from other races, and 2.87% (25) from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 10.57% (92) of the population.

Out of a total of 377 households, 26.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.6% were married couples living together, 18.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.7% were non-families. 31.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.97.

In the borough, 20.2% of the population were under the age of 18, 13.9% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 27.8% from 45 to 64, and 9.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34.2 years. For every 100 females the census counted 89.1 males, but for 100 females at least 18 years old, it was 86.6 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $45,469 (with a margin of error of +/- $4,794) and the median family income was $53,750 (+/- $15,403). Males had a median income of $37,222 (+/- $14,117) versus $38,804 (+/- $7,870) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $23,678 (+/- $3,470). About 13.5% of families and 13.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.0% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.

Census 2000

As of the 2000 United States Census there were 1,029 people, 472 households, and 260 families residing in the borough. The population density was 4,536.9 people per square mile (1,727.4/km²). There were 495 housing units at an average density of 2,182.5 per square mile (831.0/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 71.04% White, 19.24% African American, 3.11% Asian, 4.37% from other races, and 2.24% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.90% of the population.

There were 472 households out of which 28.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 31.6% were married couples living together, 16.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.9% were non-families. 36.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.83.

In the borough the population was spread out with 25.0% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 36.3% from 25 to 44, 14.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 89.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.8 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $34,948, and the median income for a family was $38,393. Males had a median income of $32,308 versus $25,759 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $19,285. About 9.9% of families and 12.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.7% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over.

Local government

Hi-Nella is governed under the Borough form of New Jersey municipal government. The governing body consists of a Mayor and a Borough Council comprising six council members, with all positions elected at-large on a non-partisan basis as part of the November general election. A Mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The Borough Council consists of six members elected to serve four-year terms on a staggered basis, with three seats coming up for election in odd-numbered years in a four-year cycle. The Borough form of government used by Hi-Nella, the most common system used in the state, is a "weak mayor / strong council" government in which council members act as the legislative body with the mayor presiding at meetings and voting only in the event of a tie. The mayor can veto ordinances subject to an override by a two-thirds majority vote of the council. The mayor makes committee and liaison assignments for council members, and most appointments are made by the mayor with the advice and consent of the council.

As of 2016, the mayor of Hi-Nella is Democrat Meredith Dobbs, whose term of office ends December 31, 2019. Members of the Borough Council are Brian Cunningham (2017), Ann Fischer (2017), John Schaeffer (2017), Michael Segeren (2015) and Harry Uber (2017).

Federal, state and county representation

Hi-Nella is located in the 1st Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 6th state legislative district. Prior to the 2011 reapportionment following the 2010 Census, Hi-Nella had been in the 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 6th Legislative District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by James Beach (D, Voorhees Township) and in the General Assembly by Louis Greenwald (D, Voorhees Township) and Pamela Rosen Lampitt (D, Cherry Hill). 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 571 registered voters in Hi-Nella, of which 252 (44.1%) were registered as Democrats, 59 (10.3%) were registered as Republicans and 260 (45.5%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were no voters registered to other parties.

In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 66.1% of the vote (213 cast), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 30.4% (98 votes), and other candidates with 3.4% (11 votes), among the 326 ballots cast by the borough's 645 registered voters (4 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 50.5%. In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 67.5% of the vote (249 cast), ahead of Republican John McCain, who received around 29.3% (108 votes), with 369 ballots cast among the borough's 529 registered voters, for a turnout of 69.8%. In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 61.9% of the vote (216 ballots cast), outpolling Republican George W. Bush, who received around 37.5% (131 votes), with 349 ballots cast among the borough's 497 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 70.2.

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 59.6% of the vote (99 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 36.7% (61 votes), and other candidates with 3.6% (6 votes), among the 171 ballots cast by the borough's 658 registered voters (5 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 26.0%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 46.6% of the vote (90 ballots cast), ahead of both Democrat Jon Corzine with 46.1% (89 votes) and Independent Chris Daggett with 4.1% (8 votes), with 193 ballots cast among the borough's 544 registered voters, yielding a 35.5% turnout.

Education

Hi-Nella is a non-operating school district. For pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, public school students from Hi-Nella attend school in Stratford as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Stratford School District that has been phased in over a five-year period starting in 2012-13. As of the 2014-15 school year, the district and its two schools had an enrollment of 1,071 students and 71.6 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 15.0:1. Schools in the district (with 2014-15 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Parkview Elementary School with 372 students in pre-kindergarten through third grade and Samuel S. Yellin Elementary School with 486 students in grades 4 - 8.

Prior to that, Hi-Nella students in K-8 had previously attended the Oaklyn Public School District. With Hi-Nella ending its sending/receiving relationship under a phase-out that would see all Hi-Nella students out of Oaklyn's school by 2016-17, the Oaklyn district saw overall enrollment decline from 469 in 2011-12 to 384 in 2014-15, resulting in the loss of tuition revenue that had accounted for as much as 10% of Oaklyn's budget, causing significant strain on the district's budget.

For ninth grade through twelfth grade, public school students attend Sterling High School, a regional high school district that serves students from Magnolia, Somerdale and Stratford, along with the sending districts of Hi-Nella and Laurel Springs. The high school is located in Somerdale. As of the 2014-15 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 961 students and 71.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 13.4:1.

Prior to the establishment of this agreement with Sterling in 2012, Hi-Nella students attended Collingswood High School, which is much further away from Hi-Nella.

Transportation

As of May 2010, the borough had a total of 3.18 miles (5.12 km) of roadways, of which 2.32 miles (3.73 km) were maintained by the municipality and 0.86 miles (1.38 km) by Camden County.