Tewksbury Township, New Jersey

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 31.699 square miles (82.101 km²), including 31.526 square miles (81.653 km²) of land and 0.173 square miles (0.448 km²) of water (0.55%).

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Apgars Corner, Bissell, Cokesbury, Fairmount, Farmersville, Fox Hill, Laurel Farms, Lower Fairmount, Mountainville, New Germantown, Oldwick, Pottersville, Sutton and Vernoy.

Census 2010

The 2010 United States Census counted 5,993 people, 2,189 households, and 1,769 families residing in the township. The population density was 190.1 per square mile (73.4/km²). The township contained 2,323 housing units at an average density of 73.7 per square mile (28.5/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 94.16% (5,643) White, 0.83% (50) Black or African American, 0.03% (2) Native American, 2.92% (175) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 0.82% (49) from other races, and 1.23% (74) from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 3.49% (209) of the population.

Out of a total of 2,189 households, 34.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.0% were married couples living together, 5.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.2% were non-families. 15.3% 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 2.74 and the average family size was 3.05.

In the township, 25.3% of the population were under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 15.2% from 25 to 44, 38.5% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47.3 years. For every 100 females the census counted 97.5 males, but for 100 females at least 18 years old, it was 96.7 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $160,224 (with a margin of error of +/- $13,609) and the median family income was $189,833 (+/- $21,901). Males had a median income of $128,177 (+/- $22,406) versus $90,833 (+/- $32,868) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $91,644 (+/- $13,544). About 0.9% of families and 1.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.3% 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 5,541 people, 1,986 households, and 1,662 families residing in the township. The population density was 175.2 people per square mile (67.6/km²). There were 2,052 housing units at an average density of 64.9 per square mile (25.0/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 96.82% White, 0.52% African American, 1.88% Asian, 0.27% from other races, and 0.51% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.53% of the population.

There were 1,996 households out of which 36.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 77.2% were married couples living together, 5.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.3% were non-families. 12.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.79 and the average family size was 3.05.

In the township the population was spread out with 26.2% under the age of 18, 3.6% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 33.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 97.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.7 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $135,649, and the median income for a family was $150,189. Males had a median income of $100,000 versus $57,500 for females. The per capita income for the township was $65,470. About 1.6% of families and 2.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.9% of those under age 18 and 1.5% of those age 65 or over.

Local government

Tewksbury Township is governed under the Township form of government. The five-member Township Committee is elected directly by the voters at-large in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats coming up for election each year as part of the November general election in a three-year cycle. At an annual reorganization meeting, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and another as Deputy Mayor.

As of 2016, members of the Tewksbury Township Committee are Mayor Peter Melick (R, term on committee ends December 31, 2018; term as mayor ends 2016), Deputy Mayor Dana Desiderio (R, term on committee ends 2018; term as deputy mayor ends 2016), Louis DiMare (R, 2016) and Shaun C. Van Doren (R, 2017) and William Voyce (R, 2016).

Federal, state and county representation

Tewksbury Township is located in the 7th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 23rd state legislative district. Prior to the 2011 reapportionment following the 2010 Census, Tewksbury Township had been in the 24th state legislative district.

New Jersey's Seventh Congressional District is represented by Leonard Lance (R, Clinton 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 23rd Legislative District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Michael J. Doherty (R, Washington Township, Warren County) and in the General Assembly by John DiMaio (R, Hackettstown) and Erik Peterson (R, Franklin Township, Hunterdon County). The Governor of New Jersey is Chris Christie (R, Mendham Township). The Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey is Kim Guadagno (R, Monmouth Beach).

Hunterdon County is governed by a five-member Board of Chosen Freeholders, who serve three-year terms of office at-large on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats up for election each year on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. At an annual reorganization meeting held each January, the freeholders select one member to serve as the board's Director and another to serve as Deputy Director. As of 2015, Hunterdon County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director John King (R; Raritan Township, 2015), Freeholder Deputy Director Suzanne Lagay (R; Holland Township, 2016), J. Matthew Holt (R; Clinton Town, 2015), John E. Lanza (R; Flemington, 2016) and Robert G. Walton (R; Hampton, 2017). Constitutional officers elected on a countywide basis are County Clerk Mary H. Melfi (R; Flemington, 2017), Sheriff Fredrick W. Brown (R; Alexandria Township, 2016) and Surrogate Susan J. Hoffman (R; Kingwood Township, 2018).

Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 4,425 registered voters in Tewksbury Township, of which 699 (15.8%) were registered as Democrats, 2,310 (52.2%) were registered as Republicans and 1,412 (31.9%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 4 voters registered to other parties.

In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 66.6% of the vote (2,291 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 32.0% (1,100 votes), and other candidates with 1.5% (51 votes), among the 3,478 ballots cast by the township's 4,628 registered voters (36 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 75.2%. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 60.7% of the vote (2,280 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 37.4% (1,403 votes) and other candidates with 1.0% (39 votes), among the 3,754 ballots cast by the township's 4,502 registered voters, for a turnout of 83.4%. In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 66.7% of the vote (2,321 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat John Kerry with 33.2% (1,156 votes) and other candidates with 0.6% (25 votes), among the 3,480 ballots cast by the township's 4,171 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 83.4.

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 77.8% of the vote (1,706 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 20.3% (445 votes), and other candidates with 1.9% (41 votes), among the 2,238 ballots cast by the township's 4,551 registered voters (46 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 49.2%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 66.7% of the vote (1,982 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 21.5% (638 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 10.4% (310 votes) and other candidates with 0.2% (5 votes), among the 2,971 ballots cast by the township's 4,434 registered voters, yielding a 67.0% turnout.

Education

The Tewksbury Township Schools is a public school district, which serves students in kindergarten through eighth grade. As of the 2014-15 school year, the district and its two schools had an enrollment of 941 students and 65.3 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 14.4:1. Schools in the district (with 2014-15 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Tewksbury Elementary School for grades K - 4 (310 students) and Old Turnpike School for pre-Kindergarten and grades 5 - 8 (346 students). Tewksbury Elementary School was recognized in 2011 as a Blue Ribbon School by the United States Department of Education.

The original elementary school, Sawmill, opened in 1951 and was sold in 2003 for $1 million to the Hunterdon County Educational Services Commission.

Public school students in ninth through twelfth grades attend Voorhees High School in Lebanon Township (although the mailing address is Glen Gardner), which also serves students from Califon Borough, Glen Gardner Borough, Hampton Borough, High Bridge Borough and Lebanon Township. As of the 2014-15 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 1,067 students and 88.4 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.1:1. The school is part of the North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District, which also includes students from Bethlehem Township, Clinton Town, Clinton Township, Franklin Township, Lebanon Borough and Union Township who attend North Hunterdon High School in Annandale.

Roads and highways

As of May 2010, the township had a total of 99.22 miles (159.68 km) of roadways, of which 82.81 miles (133.27 km) were maintained by the municipality, 15.39 miles (24.77 km) by Hunterdon County and 1.02 miles (1.64 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

Interstate 78 passes through the Township, and is accessible via Oldwick Road (County Route 523) at Exit 24. County Route 517 also passes through the Township.

Notable people

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