Woodland Township, New Jersey

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 96.385 square miles (249.638 km²), including 94.558 square miles (244.905 km²) of land and 1.827 square miles (4.733 km²) of water (1.90%).

The township borders Bass River Township, Pemberton Township, Southampton Township, Tabernacle Township, Washington Township in Burlington County; and Barnegat Township, Lacey Township, Little Egg Harbor Township and Manchester Township in Ocean County.

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Bullock, Butlers Place, Chatsworth (the postal address for most of the residents of the township), DeCou Pond, Dukes Bridge, Four Mile Goose Pond, Hedger House, Johnson Place, Jones Mill, Lebanon, Long Causeway, Old Halfway, South Park and Woodmansie.

The township is one of 56 South Jersey municipalities that are included within the New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve, a protected natural area of unique ecology covering 1,100,000 acres (450,000 ha), that has been classified as a United States Biosphere Reserve and established by Congress in 1978 as the nation's first National Reserve. All of the township is included in the state-designated Pinelands Area, which includes portions of Burlington County, along with areas in Atlantic, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester and Ocean counties.

Census 2010

As of the census of 2010, there were 1,788 people, 476 households, and 358.9 families residing in the township. The population density was 18.9 per square mile (7.3/km²). There were 494 housing units at an average density of 5.2 per square mile (2.0/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 89.60% (1,602) White, 8.11% (145) Black or African American, 0.06% (1) Native American, 0.84% (15) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 0.45% (8) from other races, and 0.95% (17) from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.81% (86) of the population.

There were 476 households out of which 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.7% were married couples living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.6% were non-families. 17.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.76 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the township, the population was spread out with 20.2% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 37.4% from 45 to 64, and 10.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.3 years. For every 100 females there were 152.9 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and old there were 166.0 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $65,568 (with a margin of error of +/- $16,290) and the median family income was $96,875 (+/- $31,126). Males had a median income of $61,250 (+/- $11,359) versus $33,393 (+/- $4,757) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $33,552 (+/- $5,866). About 4.9% of families and 4.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.6% of those under age 18 and 9.7% of those age 65 or over.

Census 2000

As of the 2000 United States Census there were 1,170 people, 425 households, and 323 families residing in the township. The population density was 12.2 people per square mile (4.7/km²). There were 448 housing units at an average density of 4.7 per square mile (1.8/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 98.03% White, 0.60% African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.34% Asian, 0.17% from other races, and 0.77% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.20% of the population.

There were 425 households out of which 35.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.5% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.0% were non-families. 19.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.15.

In the township the population was spread out with 25.8% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 27.9% from 45 to 64, and 7.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 99.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.9 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $59,271, and the median income for a family was $65,972. Males had a median income of $43,654 versus $31,765 for females. The per capita income for the township was $26,126. About 2.0% of families and 2.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.9% of those under age 18 and 4.0% of those age 65 or over.

Local government

Woodland Township is governed under the Township form of government. The governing body is a three-member Township Committee, whose members are elected directly by the voters at-large in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with one seat 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.

As of 2016, the members of the Woodland Township Committee are Mayor Matthew Henrich (R, term on committee and as mayor ends December 31, 2016), Mark J. Herndon (R, term on committee ends 2018; term as deputy mayor ends 2016) and William DeGroff (R, 2017).

Federal, state and county representation

Woodland Township is located in the 3rd Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 8th state legislative district.

New Jersey's 3rd Congressional District is represented by Tom MacArthur (R, Toms River). 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 8th Legislative District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Dawn Marie Addiego (R, Evesham Township) and in the General Assembly by Maria Rodriguez-Gregg (R, Evesham Township) and Joe Howarth (R, Evesham Township). The Governor of New Jersey is Chris Christie (R, Mendham Township). The Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey is Kim Guadagno (R, Monmouth Beach).

Burlington County is governed by a Board of chosen freeholders, whose five members are elected at-large in partisan elections to three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats coming up for election each year. The board chooses a director and deputy director from among its members at an annual reorganization meeting held in January. As of 2015, Burlington County's Freeholders are Director Mary Ann O'Brien (R, Medford Township, 2017; Director of Administration and Human Services), Deputy Director Bruce Garganio (R, Florence Township, 2017; Director of Public Works and Health), Aimee Belgard (D, Edgewater Park Township, 2015; Director of Hospital, Medical Services and Education) Joseph Donnelly (R, Cinnaminson Township, 2016; Director of Public Safety, Natural Resources, and Education) and Joanne Schwartz (D, Southampton Township, 2015; Director of Health and Corrections). Constitutional officers are County Clerk Tim Tyler, Sheriff Jean E. Stanfield and Surrogate George T. Kotch.

Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 947 registered voters in Woodland Township, of which 153 (16.2% vs. 33.3% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 394 (41.6% vs. 23.9%) were registered as Republicans and 400 (42.2% vs. 42.8%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were no voters registered to other parties. Among the township's 2010 Census population, 53.0% (vs. 61.7% in Burlington County) were registered to vote, including 66.4% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 80.3% countywide).

In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 379 votes here (57.0% vs. 40.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 275 votes (41.4% vs. 58.1%) and other candidates with 6 votes (0.9% vs. 1.0%), among the 665 ballots cast by the township's 962 registered voters, for a turnout of 69.1% (vs. 74.5% in Burlington County). In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 396 votes here (55.4% vs. 39.9% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 300 votes (42.0% vs. 58.4%) and other candidates with 12 votes (1.7% vs. 1.0%), among the 715 ballots cast by the township's 953 registered voters, for a turnout of 75.0% (vs. 80.0% in Burlington County). In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 351 votes here (57.0% vs. 46.0% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 254 votes (41.2% vs. 52.9%) and other candidates with 8 votes (1.3% vs. 0.8%), among the 616 ballots cast by the township's 874 registered voters, for a turnout of 70.5% (vs. 78.8% in the whole county).

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 310 votes here (70.6% vs. 61.4% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 107 votes (24.4% vs. 35.8%) and other candidates with 8 votes (1.8% vs. 1.2%), among the 439 ballots cast by the township's 977 registered voters, yielding a 44.9% turnout (vs. 44.5% in the county). In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 307 votes here (60.9% vs. 47.7% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 160 votes (31.7% vs. 44.5%), Independent Chris Daggett with 28 votes (5.6% vs. 4.8%) and other candidates with 5 votes (1.0% vs. 1.2%), among the 504 ballots cast by the township's 950 registered voters, yielding a 53.1% turnout (vs. 44.9% in the county).

Education

The Woodland Township School District serves students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade at Chatsworth Elementary School. As of the 2014-15 school year, the district and its one school had an enrollment of 211 students and 14.7 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 14.4:1.

Public school students from Woodland Township in ninth through twelfth grades attend Seneca High School, located in Tabernacle Township, which also serves students from Shamong Township, Southampton Township and Tabernacle Townships. The school is part of the Lenape Regional High School District, which also serves students from Evesham Township, Medford Lakes, Medford Township and Mount Laurel Township at Shawnee High School. As of the 2014-15 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 1,199 students and 110.7 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.8:1.

Students from Woodland Township, and from all of Burlington County, are eligible to attend the Burlington County Institute of Technology, a countywide public school district that serves the vocational and technical education needs of students at the high school and post-secondary level at its campuses in Medford and Westampton Township.

Transportation

As of May 2010, the township had a total of 73.73 miles (118.66 km) of roadways, of which 44.75 miles (72.02 km) were maintained by the municipality, 15.47 miles (24.90 km) by Burlington County and 13.51 miles (21.74 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

Only two major state and county routes pass through Woodland. Route 70 runs along the northwestern border while Route 72 travels from the northwest to the southeast. CR 532 and CR 563 also pass through and intersect with each other in Chatsworth. Four Mile Circle is a traffic circle located at the junction of Route 70, Route 72, Buddtown Road (County Route 644), and New Lisbon Road (County Route 646).

The Garden State Parkway is accessible outside the township in neighboring Lacey, Barnegat, Stafford, Little Egg Harbor, and Bass River Townships.