OCEAN TOWNSHIP, OCEAN COUNTY, NEW JERSEY

'Ocean Township' is a Township in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 6,450.
Ocean Township was incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 13, 1876, from portions of both Lacey Township and Union Township (now Barnegat Township. Portions of the township were taken to create Long Beach Township (March 23, 1899) and Island Beach (June 23, 1933)."The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 204.
Waretown (2000 Census population of 1,582) is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located within Ocean Township. All of Ocean Township is most commonly referred to as Waretown by local residents.^[1] The local custom is so widespread that it surprises some new residents that the official name is Ocean Township. Non-residents have been known to confuse Ocean Township with the Ocean Township of Monmouth County. There was a petition drive in 2006 to get a name change to Township of Waretown on the ballot but it failed to obtain enough signatures to get on the ballot.^[2]

Contents

Geography

Demographics

Government

Local government

Education

Transportation

References

Federal, state and county representation

External links

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 82.9 km² (32.0 mi²). 53.9 km² (20.8 mi²) of it is land and 29.1 km² (11.2 mi²) of it (35.07%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there were 6,450 people, 2,446 households, and 1,743 families residing in the township. The population density was 119.7/km² (310.1/mi²). There were 2,981 housing units at an average density of 55.3/km² (143.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the township was 97.33% White, 0.74% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.42% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.36% from other races, and 0.96% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.10% of the population.
There were 2,446 households out of which 33.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.5% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.7% were non-families. 23.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the township the population was spread out with 25.5% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 98.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.3 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $46,461, and the median income for a family was $55,379. Males had a median income of $39,149 versus $32,188 for females. The per capita income for the township was $22,830. About 5.6% of families and 7.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.1% of those under age 18 and 4.6% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

Ocean Township is sort of governed by a three-member Township Committee, elected on an at-large basis. The members are Mayor Daniel Van Pelt (Republican Party (United States)|R]], 2009), Deputy Mayor Tony Fonseca (R, 2007) and Committeeman Robert Kraft (R, 2008).^[3][4]

Education

For grades K through 6, public school students attend the Ocean Township School District, which serves 2,727 students in Pre-Kindergarten through 6th grade. Schools in the district (with 2004-05 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Waretown Elementary School with an enrollment of 361 students in pre-K to 3rd grade and Frederic A. Priff Elementary School with 253 students in grades 4 - 6.
Students in public school for grades 7 through 12, students attend the Southern Regional Middle School (grades 7 and 8) and Southern Regional High School (grades 9 - 12). These schools are part of the Southern Regional School District, which serves the five municipalities in the Long Beach Island Consolidated School District — Barnegat Light, Harvey Cedars, Long Beach Township, Ship Bottom and Surf City — along with students from Beach Haven and Stafford Township, together with the sending districts of Barnegat Township (grades 9 - 12 only) and Ocean Township. The current district population is approximately 4,000 students. Both schools are in Manahawkin.

Transportation

The Garden State Parkway (accessible via Exit 69) and U.S. Route 9 both pass through the township, as does County Route 532.

References

1. Ocean mayor visits other Ocean. Asbury Park Press. November 21, 2006
2. "Waretown activist plans to try again.", ''Ocean County Observer'', August 22, 2006.
3. 2007 Elected Officials of Ocean County, Ocean County, New Jersey. Accessed August 14, 2007.
4. 2007 Elected Officials of Ocean County, Ocean County, New Jersey. p. 7. Accessed August 14, 2007.

Federal, state and county representation

Ocean Township is in the Third Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 9th Legislative District.2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters, p. 62. Accessed August 30, 2006.

External links

★ Ocean Township website

★ Ocean Township School District

★

★ National Center for Education Statistics data for the Ocean Township School District

★ Southern Regional School District

★ Waretown Branch of Ocean County Library