Lincoln Park, New Jersey

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 6.910 square miles (17.898 km²), including 6.380 square miles (16.525 km²) of land and 0.530 square miles (1.373 km²) of water (7.67%).

Census 2010

The 2010 United States Census counted 10,521 people, 4,001 households, and 2,593 families residing in the borough. The population density was 1,649.0 per square mile (636.7/km²). The borough contained 4,145 housing units at an average density of 649.7 per square mile (250.9/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 86.26% (9,075) White, 1.83% (193) Black or African American, 0.20% (21) Native American, 7.38% (776) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 2.26% (238) from other races, and 2.07% (218) from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 9.59% (1,009) of the population.

Out of a total of 4,001 households, 26.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.0% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.2% were non-families. 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.09.

In the borough, 18.6% of the population were under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 32.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44.0 years. For every 100 females the census counted 94.4 males, but for 100 females at least 18 years old, it was 91.7 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $87,530 (with a margin of error of +/- $5,142) and the median family income was $98,709 (+/- $5,538). Males had a median income of $71,440 (+/- $4,204) versus $56,761 (+/- $3,088) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $38,807 (+/- $2,824). About 4.3% of families and 4.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.3% of those under age 18 and 1.9% of those age 65 or over.

Census 2000

As of the 2000 United States Census there were 10,930 people, 4,026 households, and 2,705 families residing in the borough. The population density was 1,624.2 people per square mile (627.1/km²). There were 4,110 housing units at an average density of 610.8 per square mile (235.8/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 90.07% White, 1.75% African American, 0.12% Native American, 5.29% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.30% from other races, and 1.46% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 5.79% of the population.

There were 4,026 households out of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.2% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.8% were non-families. 26.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the borough the population was spread out with 20.3% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 33.7% from 25 to 44, 25.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 92.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.8 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $69,050, and the median income for a family was $77,307. Males had a median income of $51,651 versus $36,292 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $30,389. About 1.9% of families and 2.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.7% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.

Local government

The Borough of Lincoln Park is governed within the Faulkner Act (formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law) under the Mayor-Council Plan F system of municipal government, implemented based on the recommendations of a Charter Study Commission as of January 1, 1971. The governing body consists of a Mayor and a seven-member Borough Council, with three council seats elected at-large and four from wards, with all positions chosen in partisan elections held in even-numbered years as part of the November general election. Each council member is elected to a four-year term on a staggered basis, with the four ward seats up for vote simultaneously and the three at-large seats and the mayoral seat up for election together two years later.

As of 2016, the Mayor of Lincoln Park is Republican David A. Runfeldt, whose term of office ends on December 31, 2018. Members of the Borough Council are Council President Raymond T. Kerwin (R; Ward III, 2016), Robert Cardillo (R; at-large, 2018), Gary Gemian (R; Ward I, 2016), Daniel W. Moeller (R; at-large, 2018), Ellen Ross (R; Ward II, 2016), Ann Thompson (R; at-large, 2018) and James A. Wild (R; Ward IV, 2016).

Federal, state and county representation

Lincoln Park is located in the 11th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 26th state legislative district.

New Jersey's Eleventh Congressional District is represented by Rodney Frelinghuysen (R, Harding Township). 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 26th Legislative District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Joseph Pennacchio (R, Montville) and in the General Assembly by BettyLou DeCroce (R, Parsippany-Troy Hills) and Jay Webber (R, Morris Plains). The Governor of New Jersey is Chris Christie (R, Mendham Township). The Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey is Kim Guadagno (R, Monmouth Beach).

Morris County is governed by a seven-member Board of Chosen Freeholders, who are elected at-large to three-year terms on a staggered basis, with either two or three seats up for election each year as part of the November general election. The Freeholder Board sets policies for the operation of six super-departments, more than 30 divisions plus authorities, commissions, boards and study committees. Actual day-to-day operation of departments is supervised by County Administrator, John Bonanni. As of 2016, Morris County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director Kathryn A. DeFillippo (Roxbury Township, term ends December 31, 2016), Deputy Freeholder William "Hank" Lyon (Montville, 2017), Douglas Cabana (Boonton Township, 2016), John Cesaro (Parsippany-Troy Hills Township, 2018), Thomas J. Mastrangelo (Montville, 2016) Christine Myers (Mendham Township, 2018), and Deborah Smith (Denville, 2018). Constitutional officers are County Clerk Ann F. Grossi (Parsippany-Troy Hills Township, 2018), Sheriff Edward V. Rochford (Morris Plains, 2016) and Surrogate John Pecoraro (Mendham Borough, 2019).

Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 6,421 registered voters in Lincoln Park, of which 1,371 (21.4%) were registered as Democrats, 2,088 (32.5%) were registered as Republicans and 2,955 (46.0%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 7 voters registered to other parties.

In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 53.4% of the vote (2,301 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 45.7% (1,967 votes), and other candidates with 0.9% (39 votes), among the 4,340 ballots cast by the borough's 6,735 registered voters (33 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 64.4%. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 53.2% of the vote (2,745 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 44.8% (2,311 votes) and other candidates with 1.3% (69 votes), among the 5,162 ballots cast by the borough's 6,711 registered voters, for a turnout of 76.9%. In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 56.9% of the vote (2,767 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat John Kerry with 42.1% (2,047 votes) and other candidates with 0.6% (40 votes), among the 4,864 ballots cast by the borough's 6,635 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 73.3.

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 68.0% of the vote (1,857 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 29.9% (818 votes), and other candidates with 2.1% (57 votes), among the 2,783 ballots cast by the borough's 6,632 registered voters (51 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 42.0%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 56.7% of the vote (1,762 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 34.8% (1,081 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 7.3% (226 votes) and other candidates with 0.9% (28 votes), among the 3,108 ballots cast by the borough's 6,518 registered voters, yielding a 47.7% turnout.

Education

The Lincoln Park Public Schools serves students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. As of the 2011-12 school year, the district's two schools had an enrollment of 873 students and 66.8 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 13.07:1. Schools in the district (with 2011-12 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Lincoln Park Elementary School for grades preK-4 (514 students) and Lincoln Park Middle School for grades 5-8 (339 students).

For ninth through twelfth grades, Lincoln Park public school students attend Boonton High School in Boonton as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Boonton Public Schools, with Lincoln Park students accounting for a majority of students at the high school. The two districts have sought to sever the more than 50-year-old relationship, citing cost savings that could be achieved by both districts and complaints by Lincoln Park that it is granted only one seat on the Boonton Public Schools' Board of Education. In April 2006, the Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Education rejected the request. As of 2011-12 there were about 55 students from the borough attending the schools of the Morris County Vocational School District, which are the Morris County School of Technology in Denville; The Academy for Mathematics, Science, and Engineering in Rockaway at Morris Hills High School; and the Academy for Law and Public Safety in Butler at Butler High School.

Lincoln Park was formerly the home for The Craig School, a private coeducational day school serving students in second through twelfth grade. The school has an enrollment of 160 students split between the Lower School (grades 3-8), in Mountain Lakes, and the Upper School (grades 9-12), located in Lincoln Park until the end of the 2012-13 school year. As of September 2013, the Craig School high school program is located at Boonton High School.

Roads and highways

As of May 2010, the borough had a total of 45.16 miles (72.68 km) of roadways, of which 39.40 miles (63.41 km) were maintained by the municipality and 5.76 miles (9.27 km) by Morris County.

Public transportation

NJ Transit provides train service at the Lincoln Park station providing service on the Montclair-Boonton Line to Newark Broad Street Station and New York Penn Station, with connecting service to Hoboken Terminal.

NJ Transit provides local bus service on the 871 route. NJ Transit had provided service on the MCM1 route until 2010, when subsidies to the local provider were eliminated as part of budget cuts.

Lakeland Bus Lines offers limited service on its Route 46 route between Dover and the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan.

Media

Lincoln Park is served by New York City television stations. It is served by the newspapers The Star-Ledger, Daily Record and The Record.

Notable people

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