Waldwick, New Jersey
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Waldwick is a borough located in Bergen County, New Jersey. As of the 2000 census, the borough had a total population of 9,622.
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Geography
Waldwick is located at 41°0'47" North, 74°7'20" West (41.013109, -74.122311)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 5.4 km² (2.1 mi²). 5.4 km² (2.1 mi²) of it is land and 0.48% is water.
History
Inhabited since pre-Colombian times by the Lenni Lenape Indian tribe, the region surrounding Waldwick was first explored by Europeans when a Dutch trading expedition landed near there c. 1610. With the creation of the Nieuw Amsterdam colony in 1624, the present site of the borough, along with the rest of northeastern New Jersey, became a Dutch possession. During the period from 1624-1664 it was sparsely developed by Dutch settlers, mainly for agricultural purposes. With the annexation of Nieuw Amsterdam by the English in 1664 came a nearly instant increase in immigration to the region and the development of several settlements in and around the present borders of the borough.
On the eve of the Revolutionary War, Waldwick and the surrounding area constituted a small settlement called Franklin Township; in fact, George Washington is recorded as having slept in an inn in Waldwick in 1777. As the township grew in the years following the war, the western portion of Franklin Township broke away and named itself Orvil Township, in honor of its chief surveyor; not long after, the Erie Railroad created a stop in the township, bringing about the first major population boom in the region's history. Still later, around the 1870s, the area constituting modern-day Ridgewood broke away from Orvil, probably due to political differences; not too long afterwards, Orvil Township as a municipality began to fade. In 1919, a council of citizens voted to incorporate the remainder of Orvil Township; a committee selected the name "Waldwick" (A Light in the Woods), and in January of that year, John W. Quackenbush was elected the borough's first mayor.
Since that time, Waldwick has undergone a transformation from sleepy railroad hamlet to prosperous suburban town. The borough is home to approximately 10,000 citizens, many employed in the New York metropolitan area. It boasts two elementary schools, one junior high school, and one high school.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 9,622 people, 3,428 households, and 2,677 families residing in the borough. The population density is 1,786.1/km² (4,616.2/mi²). There are 3,495 housing units at an average density of 648.8/km² (1,676.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the borough is 92.68% White, 0.59% African American, 0.04% Native American, 4.52% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 1.31% from other races, and 0.85% from two or more races. 5.31% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 3,428 households out of which 36.3% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.5% are married couples living together, 7.8% have a female householder with no husband present, and 21.9% are non-families. 18.7% of all households are made up of individuals and 10.6% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.81 and the average family size is 3.22.
In the borough the population is spread out with 25.5% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 38 years. For every 100 females there are 94.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 92.0 males.
The median income for a household in the borough is $75,532, and the median income for a family is $82,208. Males have a median income of $60,671 versus $37,145 for females. The per capita income for the borough is $30,733. 2.1% of the population and 1.3% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 1.7% of those under the age of 18 and 3.0% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
External links
- Waldwick official website (http://www.waldwickpd.org/)