Mount Ephraim, New Jersey

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 0.900 square miles (2.332 km²), including 0.881 square miles (2.282 km²) of land and 0.019 square miles (0.050 km²) of water (2.16%).

Mount Ephraim borders Audubon, Bellmawr, Brooklawn, Gloucester City, Haddon Heights and Haddon Township.

Weather

On September 4, 2012, at 6:31 p.m., a tornado touched down in Mount Ephraim, causing damage to trees and homes in the immediate vicinity. It was categorized as F-0 by the National Weather Service, with winds topping out at 70 mph, making it the first tornado recorded in the state in more than a year.

Census 2010

The 2010 United States Census counted 4,676 people, 1,909 households, and 1,193 families residing in the borough. The population density was 5,307.9 per square mile (2,049.4/km²). The borough contained 2,010 housing units at an average density of 2,281.6 per square mile (880.9/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 93.56% (4,375) White, 2.14% (100) Black or African American, 0.09% (4) Native American, 0.68% (32) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 2.27% (106) from other races, and 1.26% (59) from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 5.33% (249) of the population.

Out of a total of 1,909 households, 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.6% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.5% were non-families. 31.2% 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 2.45 and the average family size was 3.11.

In the borough, 20.6% of the population were under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 29.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.1 years. For every 100 females the census counted 93.4 males, but for 100 females at least 18 years old, it was 92.4 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $61,331 (with a margin of error of +/- $6,103) and the median family income was $73,955 (+/- $4,630). Males had a median income of $51,049 (+/- $3,914) versus $41,087 (+/- $3,242) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $29,885 (+/- $5,190). About 5.6% of families and 6.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.9% of those under age 18 and 10.4% of those age 65 or over.

Census 2000

As of the 2000 United States Census there were 4,495 people, and 1,174 families residing in the borough. The population density was 5,100.1 people per square mile (1,972.2/km²). There were 1,881 housing units at an average density of 2,134.2 per square mile (825.3/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 97.51% White, 0.40% African American, 0.07% Native American, 0.62% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.65% from other races, and 0.73% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.98% of the population.

There were 1,818 households out of which 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.1% were married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.4% were non-families. 30.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.5% 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 3.13.

In the borough the population was spread out with 22.3% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 30.1% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 93.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.3 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $44,824, and the median income for a family was $59,468. Males had a median income of $41,455 versus $30,359 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $21,150. About 2.0% of families and 4.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.7% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over.

Local government

Mount Ephraim has been governed under the Walsh Act by a three-member commission, since 1935. Three commissioners are elected at-large in nonpartisan elections held as part of the May municipal election to serve concurrent terms of office. Each commissioner is assigned a department to oversee as part of their elected service.

As of May 2015, Mount Ephraim's commissioners are Mayor Joseph Wolk (Commissioner of Revenue and Finance), Andrew Gilmore (Commissioner of Public Affairs and Public Safety) and Michael "Traz" Tovinsky (Commissioner of Public Works, Parks and Public Property), all of whom are serving concurrent terms of office that end May 15, 2019.

Federal, state and county representation

Mount Ephraim 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 3,110 registered voters in Mount Ephraim, of which 1,402 (45.1%) were registered as Democrats, 403 (13.0%) were registered as Republicans and 1,305 (42.0%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were no voters registered to other parties.

In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 60.7% of the vote (1,278 cast), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 37.7% (793 votes), and other candidates with 1.7% (35 votes), among the 2,131 ballots cast by the borough's 3,320 registered voters (25 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 64.2%. In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 58.6% of the vote (1,334 cast), ahead of Republican John McCain, who received around 37.6% (855 votes), with 2,275 ballots cast among the borough's 3,086 registered voters, for a turnout of 73.7%. In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 58.8% of the vote (1,309 ballots cast), outpolling Republican George W. Bush, who received around 39.9% (888 votes), with 2,228 ballots cast among the borough's 2,982 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 74.7.

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 62.9% of the vote (753 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 35.9% (430 votes), and other candidates with 1.3% (15 votes), among the 1,222 ballots cast by the borough's 3,353 registered voters (24 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 36.4%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Democrat Jon Corzine received 47.3% of the vote (621 ballots cast), ahead of both Republican Chris Christie with 42.7% (560 votes) and Independent Chris Daggett with 6.2% (81 votes), with 1,312 ballots cast among the borough's 3,127 registered voters, yielding a 42.0% turnout.

Education

The Mount Ephraim Public Schools serve students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. As of the 2011-12 school year, the district's two schools had an enrollment of 443 students and 30.7 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 14.43:1. Schools in the district (with 2011-12 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Mary Bray Elementary School (grades PreK-4; 246 students) and Raymond W. Kershaw School (grades 5-8; 197 students).

For ninth through twelfth grades, public school students attend Audubon High School, in Audubon, as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Audubon School District.

Roads and highways

As of May 2010, the borough had a total of 16.67 miles (26.83 km) of roadways, of which 13.25 miles (21.32 km) were maintained by the municipality, 2.35 miles (3.78 km) by Camden County and 1.07 miles (1.72 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

Interstate 76 (providing access to Philadelphia and to Interstate 295) and U.S. Route 130 are both accessible across borough lines in Gloucester City.

Public transportation

Mount Ephraim is served by two NJ Transit bus lines. Service between the borough and Philadelphia is available on the 400 route, with local service on the 457 route between the Moorestown Mall and Camden.