Monroe Township, Middlesex County, New Jersey
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Monroe Township is a township located in Middlesex County, New Jersey. As of the 2000 census, the township had a total population of 27,999. Monroe Township is governed under the Faulkner Act (Mayor-Council) system of municipal government.
History
Monroe Township was founded in 1838 and named in honor of the U.S. President James Monroe. For many decades, it was largely a farming community; when parts of the township blossomed into the more densely-packed neighborhoods of Helmetta, Jamesburg, and Spotswood in the late nineteenth century, they seceded. Railroads came into Monroe from just about the very beginning, starting with the Camden & Amboy Rail Road in the 1830s and 1840s, and other railroads soon wormed their way into Monroe as well. Two (or three) of those railroads crossed each other near the water mill of James Buckelew, and the area where this occurred became the town of Jamesburg. After a tobacco mill for the Helme tobacco company was built next to Camden and Amboy tracks (possibly then Pennsylvania Railroad tracks), the company town of Helmetta came into being.
In 1905, Bernarr Macfadden, the then-famous proponent of physical culture, came to the part of Monroe near Helmetta and Spotswood, and attempted to set up a camp called "Physical Culture City", where he could teach his beliefs in relative peace. However, in 1907, Macfadden was arrested on pornography charges, and the camp dissolved. The area of this camp became the Outcalt neighborhood.
Meanwhile, the New Jersey State Home for Boys, later the Training School for Boys, was established near Jamesburg. At first, the purpose may have been to care for orphans; however, by the mid-20th century, its purpose was to incarcerate juvenile delinquents, and this gained it the status of a "juvenile jail" that few people wanted to live near, especially as it had no fence until the 1990s. Now the State Home has a fence running around it.
The township's largely agrarian landscape began to turn more suburban between 1960 and 1968, when the New Jersey Turnpike opened up exit 8a in the south of Monroe, in conjunction with the effort to develop the Leisure World age-restricted community Rossmoor. Since then, at least four more communities for senior citizens have joined Rossmoor: Concordia, Clearbrook, Whittingham, and The Ponds.
At the same time, and over the next few decades, suburbs for people of all ages spread into the northern parts of Monroe Township, prompting the expansion of several schools and the construction of a couple of new ones. Since 1980, in addition to the age restricted communities, Monroe has added a few shopping centers, a synagogue or two, a recreation center, a library, and a large number of senior citizens.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 108.9 km² (42.0 mi²). 108.6 km² (41.9 mi²) of it is land and 0.3 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.24% water.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there are 27,999 people, 12,536 households, and 8,236 families residing in the township. The population density is 257.8/km² (667.6/mi²). There are 13,259 housing units at an average density of 122.1/km² (316.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the township is 93.31% White, 2.93% African American, 0.06% Native American, 2.34% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 0.68% from other races, and 0.60% from two or more races. 2.38% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 12,536 households out of which 15.9% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.6% are married couples living together, 3.9% have a female householder with no husband present, and 34.3% are non-families. 32.0% of all households are made up of individuals and 28.0% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.15 and the average family size is 2.70.
In the township the population is spread out with 16.0% under the age of 18, 4.2% from 18 to 24, 16.3% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 43.5% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 59 years. For every 100 females there are 84.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 79.3 males.
The median income for a household in the township is $53,306, and the median income for a family is $68,479. Males have a median income of $56,431 versus $35,857 for females. The per capita income for the township is $31,772. 3.3% of the population and 1.3% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 2.9% of those under the age of 18 and 3.0% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.de:Monroe Township (Middlesex County, New Jersey)