Oceanport, New Jersey

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 3.798 square miles (9.838 km²), including 3.180 square miles (8.237 km²) of land and 0.618 square miles (1.600 km²) of water (16.27%).

The borough borders the Monmouth County municipalities of Little Silver to the northwest, Long Branch to the east, Eatontown to the southwest and West Long Branch to the southeast. It shares a water border to the northeast with Monmouth Beach and forms a peninsula, jutting into the Shrewsbury River.

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names within the borough include Elkwood Park, Fort Monmouth, Gooseneck Point, Port-au-peck and Sands Point.

Census 2010

The 2010 United States Census counted 5,832 people, 2,227 households, and 1,597 families residing in the borough. The population density was 1,833.7 per square mile (708.0/km²). The borough contained 2,390 housing units at an average density of 751.5 per square mile (290.2/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 93.36% (5,445) White, 3.00% (175) Black or African American, 0.05% (3) Native American, 1.59% (93) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 0.67% (39) from other races, and 1.32% (77) from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 4.05% (236) of the population.

Out of a total of 2,227 households, 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.7% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.3% were non-families. 24.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.12.

In the borough, 23.4% of the population were under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 21.0% from 25 to 44, 32.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44.4 years. For every 100 females the census counted 96.6 males, but for 100 females at least 18 years old, it was 93.5 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $89,208 (with a margin of error of +/- $18,245) and the median family income was $108,958 (+/- $21,795). Males had a median income of $60,038 (+/- $12,383) versus $49,415 (+/- $5,095) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $52,252 (+/- $9,172). About 3.1% of families and 4.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.2% of those under age 18 and 2.5% of those age 65 or over.

Census 2000

As of the 2000 United States Census there were 5,807 people, 2,043 households, and 1,554 families residing in the borough. The population density was 1,802.1 people per square mile (696.3/km²). There were 2,114 housing units at an average density of 656.0 per square mile (253.5/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 95.71% White, 1.96% African American, 0.07% Native American, 0.79% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.55% from other races, and 0.90% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.07% of the population.

There were 2,043 households out of which 35.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.0% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.9% were non-families. 21.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.18.

In the borough the population was spread out with 24.5% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 27.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 98.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.0 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $71,458, and the median income for a family was $85,038. Males had a median income of $57,955 versus $39,718 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $33,356. About 1.8% of families and 2.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.1% of those under age 18 and 3.5% of those age 65 or over.

Sports

Monmouth Park, a thoroughbred horse race track, is home to the annual Haskell Invitational Handicap. The choice to put the track in this small community in 1946 was made because of its prime location at the shore and its accessibility for New Yorkers and North Jersey folk who make up the majority of the track crowd. The Haskell Invitational Stakes, which next to the Triple Crown is horse racing's biggest event, takes place each year in August. In October 2007, Oceanport's Monmouth Park hosted the Breeders' Cup, attracting nearly 70,000 fans over the two days of the event. Monmouth Park implemented a stormwater collection system in 2010, after the track had been repeatedly fined by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection for polluting the Branchport Creek section of the Shrewsbury River with fecal contamination that washed off from the areas surrounding the track after rainstorms. As of Summer 2014, parts of the Shrewsbury River in Oceanport remain posted by the Monmouth County Health Department with "Polluted Water - Avoid Contact" signs due to continued release of horse waste by Monmouth Park Racetrack.

Telephone service

The community is in area codes 732 and 848 for landlines, Oceanport is served by the 222, 389, 229, 544 and 542 exchanges. Mobile service is through area codes 732/848 and area code 908.

Local government

Oceanport 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 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 three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle. The Borough form of government used by Oceanport, 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 Oceanport Borough is John F. "Jay" Coffey, II, whose term of office ends December 31, 2019, having run in the 2015 election as a write-in candidate. Members of the Borough Council are Council President Joseph A. Irace (R, 2016), Stuart E. Briskey (R, 2016; elected to serve an unexpired term), Patricia Cooper (R, 2018), Richard A. Gallo (2017), Ellynn M. Kahle (R, 2017) and John A. Patti (R, 2018).

In a special meeting held in August 2015, the Borough Council selected Stuart Briskey from a list of three candidates nominated by the Republican municipal committee to fill the seat expiring in December 2016 that had been held by Council President Robert Lynch until his resignation from office the previous month. Briskey served on an interim basis until the November 2015 general election, when he was elected to serve the balance of the term of office.

In March 2015, councilmember Jerry Bertekap resigned from office, leaving a vacancy in the term expiring December 2015. The Borough Council selected John Patti the following month to fill Bertekap's vacant seat.

In November 2013, Christopher Paglia was selected by the borough council from among three candidates offered by the Republican committee and appointed to fill the vacant seat of William Johnson, who had resigned to take a position with Monmouth County.

Oceanport is a participating municipality in an initiative to study regionalization of their municipal police force with one or more municipalities. The borough received a grant from the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs in the amount of $40,950 along with the Boroughs of Fair Haven, Little Silver, Shrewsbury and Rumson to hire professional consultants to conduct the study on their behalf. A report delivered in July 2008 recommended that Fair Haven, Little Silver and Rumson should consider a network of shared police services, with consideration of inclusion of Oceanport and Shrewsbury deferred to a second phase.

Federal, state and county representation

Oceanport is located in the 6th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 13th state legislative district. Prior to the 2011 reapportionment following the 2010 Census, Oceanport had been in the 12th state legislative district. Prior to the 2010 Census, Oceanport had been part of the 12th Congressional District, a change made by the New Jersey Redistricting Commission that took effect in January 2013, based on the results of the November 2012 general elections.

New Jersey's Sixth Congressional District is represented by Frank Pallone (D, Long Branch). 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 13th Legislative District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Joseph M. Kyrillos (R, Middletown Township) and in the General Assembly by Amy Handlin (R, Middletown Township) and Declan O'Scanlon (R, Little Silver). The Governor of New Jersey is Chris Christie (R, Mendham Township). The Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey is Kim Guadagno (R, Monmouth Beach).

Monmouth County is governed by a Board of Chosen Freeholders consisting of five members who are elected at-large to serve three year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats up for election each year as part of the November general election. At an annual reorganization meeting held in the beginning of January, the board selects one of its members to serve as Director and another as Deputy Director. As of 2014, Monmouth County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director Lillian G. Burry (R, Colts Neck Township; term ends December 31, 2014), Freeholder Deputy Director Gary J. Rich, Sr. (R, Spring Lake; 2014), Thomas A. Arnone (R, Neptune City; 2016), John P. Curley (R, Middletown Township; 2015) and Serena DiMaso (R, Holmdel Township; 2016). Constitutional officers elected on a countywide basis are County Clerk M. Claire French (Wall Township), Sheriff Shaun Golden (Farmingdale) and Surrogate Rosemarie D. Peters (Middletown Township).

Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 4,331 registered voters in Oceanport, of which 990 (22.9%) were registered as Democrats, 1,219 (28.1%) were registered as Republicans and 2,122 (49.0%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were no voters registered to other parties.

In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 59.8% of the vote (1,836 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 39.1% (1,200 votes), and other candidates with 1.0% (32 votes), among the 3,087 ballots cast by the borough's 4,379 registered voters (19 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 70.5%. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 56.9% of the vote (1,982 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 40.4% (1,408 votes) and other candidates with 1.1% (40 votes), among the 3,481 ballots cast by the borough's 4,475 registered voters, for a turnout of 77.8%. In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 60.5% of the vote (2,078 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat John Kerry with 38.3% (1,316 votes) and other candidates with 0.6% (28 votes), among the 3,433 ballots cast by the borough's 4,317 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 79.5.

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 75.2% of the vote (1,455 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 23.3% (452 votes), and other candidates with 1.5% (29 votes), among the 1,966 ballots cast by the borough's 4,336 registered voters (30 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 45.3%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 65.9% of the vote (1,615 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 26.2% (641 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 6.5% (159 votes) and other candidates with 0.7% (17 votes), among the 2,450 ballots cast by the borough's 4,401 registered voters, yielding a 55.7% turnout.

Education

Students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade in public school are educated by the Oceanport School District, which also serves students from Sea Bright, a non-operating school district. As of the 2014-15 school year, the district and its two schools had an enrollment of 629 students and 56.1 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.2:1. Schools in the district (with 2014-15 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Wolf Hill Elementary School with 340 students in pre-Kindergarten through 4th grade and Maple Place Middle School with 288 students in grades 5 - 8.

For ninth through twelfth grades, public school students attend Shore Regional High School, a regional high school that also serves students from the constituent districts of Monmouth Beach, Sea Bright and West Long Branch. The high school is located in West Long Branch and is part of the Shore Regional High School District. As of the 2014-15 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 630 students and 58.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.9:1.

Roads and highways

As of 2010, Oceanport had a total of 31.26 miles (50.31 km) of roadways, of which 25.47 miles (40.99 km) were maintained by the borough, 5.46 miles (8.79 km) by Monmouth County and 0.33 miles (0.53 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

Route 71 and County Route 33 pass through Oceanport.

Public transportation

NJ Transit has a nearby limited-service stop at the Monmouth Park station for Monmouth Park Racetrack, offering seasonal service from May through October on the North Jersey Coast Line. NJ Transit local bus service is provided on the 831 route.

Notable people

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