Runnemede, New Jersey

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 2.115 square miles (5.477 km²), including 2.057 square miles (5.327 km²) of land and 0.058 square miles (0.150 km²) of water (2.74%).

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the borough include Glendora.

The borough borders Barrington, Bellmawr, Gloucester Township, and Magnolia. Runnemede also borders Deptford in Gloucester County.

Census 2010

The 2010 United States Census counted 8,468 people, 3,370 households, and 2,214 families residing in the borough. The population density was 4,117.2 per square mile (1,589.7/km²). The borough contained 3,548 housing units at an average density of 1,725.1 per square mile (666.1/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 88.52% (7,496) White, 4.72% (400) Black or African American, 0.30% (25) Native American, 2.63% (223) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 2.18% (185) from other races, and 1.64% (139) from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 6.09% (516) of the population.

Out of a total of 3,370 households, 26.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.5% were married couples living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.3% were non-families. 28.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.11.

In the borough, 20.9% of the population were under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 28.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.1 years. For every 100 females the census counted 92.6 males, but for 100 females at least 18 years old, it was 89.5 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $53,454 (with a margin of error of +/- $4,014) and the median family income was $62,899 (+/- $4,849). Males had a median income of $43,016 (+/- $1,759) versus $38,854 (+/- $5,740) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $26,260 (+/- $1,884). About 6.9% of families and 7.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.7% of those under age 18 and 11.4% of those age 65 or over.

Census 2000

As of the 2000 United States Census there were 8,533 people, 3,376 households, and 2,275 families residing in the borough. The population density was 4,084.2 people per square mile (1,576.4/km²). There were 3,510 housing units at an average density of 1,680.0 per square mile (648.4/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 91.77% White, 3.76% African American, 0.11% Native American, 1.55% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.22% from other races, and 1.58% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.59% of the population.

There were 3,376 households out of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.6% were married couples living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.6% were non-families. 27.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the borough the population was spread out with 23.2% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 92.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.3 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $41,126, and the median income for a family was $50,127. Males had a median income of $37,705 versus $28,062 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $19,143. About 3.1% of families and 5.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.1% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Mister Softee, an ice cream truck franchiser with about 350 franchisees operating 600 trucks in 15 states, has been headquartered in Runnemede since 1958.

Local government

Runnemede 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 Runnemede, 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 Runnemede is Democrat Nick Kappatos, whose term of office ends December 31, 2018. Members of the Borough Council are Robert "Bob" Farrell (D, 2016), Eleanor M. Kelly (D, 2018), Craig Laubenstein (D, 2018), Patricia Tartaglia Passio (D, 2017), John Ranieri (D, 2017) and Michael J. Root (D, 2016).

Federal, state and county representation

Runnemede 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 5,547 registered voters in Runnemede, of which 2,902 (52.3%) were registered as Democrats, 572 (10.3%) were registered as Republicans and 2,070 (37.3%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 3 voters registered to other parties.

In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 64.2% of the vote (2,348 cast), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 34.9% (1,275 votes), and other candidates with 0.9% (32 votes), among the 3,694 ballots cast by the borough's 5,918 registered voters (39 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 62.4%. In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 59.4% of the vote (2,388 cast), ahead of Republican John McCain, who received around 37.0% (1,486 votes), with 4,021 ballots cast among the borough's 5,609 registered voters, for a turnout of 71.7%. In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 59.4% of the vote (2,407 ballots cast), outpolling Republican George W. Bush, who received around 42.9% (1,738 votes), with 4,050 ballots cast among the borough's 5,673 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 71.4.

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 61.7% of the vote (1,202 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 36.9% (719 votes), and other candidates with 1.4% (28 votes), among the 2,057 ballots cast by the borough's 5,835 registered voters (108 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 35.3%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Democrat Jon Corzine received 48.9% of the vote (1,096 ballots cast), ahead of both Republican Chris Christie with 41.7% (933 votes) and Independent Chris Daggett with 5.8% (131 votes), with 2,240 ballots cast among the borough's 5,584 registered voters, yielding a 40.1% turnout.

Education

The Runnemede Public School District serves students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. As of the 2014-15 school year, the district and its three schools had an enrollment of 1,200 students and 69.6 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 17.2:1. Schools in the district (with 2014-15 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Aline Bingham Elementary School (grades PreK-3; 204 students), Grace Downing Elementary School (K-3; 158) and Mary E. Volz Elementary and Middle School (4-8; 482).

For ninth through twelfth grades, public school students attend Triton Regional High School, one of three high schools that are part of the Black Horse Pike Regional School District, which also serves students from Bellmawr Borough and Gloucester Township. As of the 2014-15 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 1,230 students and 90.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 13.7:1. The two other schools in the district are Highland Regional High School and Timber Creek Regional High School, which serve students from Gloucester Township, based on their address.

St. Teresa Regional School is a PreK-8 elementary school, that was once attended by Olympic Gold Medal-winning figure skater Tara Lipinski, and operates under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden.

Roads and highways

As of May 2010, the borough had a total of 31.16 miles (50.15 km) of roadways, of which 25.32 miles (40.75 km) were maintained by the municipality, 2.34 miles (3.77 km) by Camden County and 1.17 miles (1.88 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and 2.33 miles (3.75 km) by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.

Various state highways pass through Runnemede, including Route 168 and Route 41, which intersect in the borough. The North-South Freeway (Route 42) passes through the northwest briefly, but without any connections between the freeway and the borough. The New Jersey Turnpike passes through the northern part, which houses part of an interchange: Exit 3. The interchange and toll gate are located near the boundary with Bellmawr, with a total of six lanes at the gate.

Major county roads include CR 544 which runs along the southern border.

Public transportation

NJ Transit bus service between the borough and Philadelphia is available on the 400 route, with local service available on the 455 route.

Notable people

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