- Hunterdon County, New Jersey
Infobox U.S. County
county = Hunterdon County
state = New Jersey
map size = 100
founded = 1714
seat = Flemington | largest city = Flemington
area_total_sq_mi =438
area_land_sq_mi =430
area_water_sq_mi =8
area percentage = 1.79%
census yr = 2000
pop = 121989
density_km2 =110
web = www.co.hunterdon.nj.us
|Hunterdon County is a
county located in theU.S. state ofNew Jersey . As of the 2000 Census, the population is 121,989. It is part of theNew York Metropolitan Area . Itscounty seat is FlemingtonGR|6.Hunterdon County ranks as the 13th among the
highest-income counties in the United States with a per capita income of $36,370. It ranks fourth among U.S. counties for household income according to the most recent U.S. Census. Hunterdon County's median household income was $93,342, behind only Fairfax County andLoudoun County, Virginia andHoward County, Maryland . As of 2005, Hunterdon had the third-highest median property tax of any county in the nation at $6,988, the highest in New Jersey [ [http://www.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/sns-ap-property-taxes,0,1019265.story?coll=ny-top-headlines Suburbs Near NYC Have Highest Tax Bills] , "Newsday ",October 4 ,2006 Dead link|date=June 2008] [ [http://www.taxfoundation.org/publications/show/1888.html Property Taxes on Owner Occupied Housing by County, 2005] ,Tax Foundation , accessedOctober 4 ,2006 ] . As of theTax Foundation 's rankings based on 2006 data, Hunterdon had taken the top spot for highest median property tax at $7,999. [Woolsey, Matt. [http://www.forbes.com/2007/10/03/taxes-housing-property-forbeslife-cx_mw_1003realestate.html "America's Priciest Property Taxes"] , "Forbes ",October 3 ,2007 . AccessedJanuary 11 ,2008 . "The hardest hit? Homeowners in western New Jersey's Hunterdon County. Last year, the median yearly property tax bill amounted to a whopping $7,999 here, according to the Tax Foundation, a nonpartisan research group in Washington, D.C, which compiled data based on 2006 figures."] [ [http://www.taxfoundation.org/news/show/22609.html New York, New Jersey Homeowners Nation's Hardest Hit by Property Taxes] ,Tax Foundation press release datedSeptember 12 ,2007 . AccessedJanuary 11 ,2008 .]General
Transitioning from rural to suburban, Hunterdon County is an exurb on the western edge of New Jersey and home to
commuter s toNew York City and Philadelphia. The county seat, Flemington, is noted for theLindbergh kidnapping trial which convictedBruno Hauptmann of the murder ofaviator Charles Lindbergh's son. With growing towns and shopping areas, as well as relaxing rural areas, Hunterdon County is a far stretch from the urban areas associated with New Jersey.Politics
Hunterdon County is fiscally conservative and socially moderate. In the 2004 U.S. Presidential election,
George W. Bush carried the county by a 20.8% margin overJohn Kerry , with Kerry carrying the state by 6.7% over Bush. [ [http://www.njvoterinfo.org/2004presNJ.htm New Jersey Presidential Election Returns by County 2004] ,Eagleton Institute of Politics atRutgers University . AccessedAugust 31 ,2008 .] Hunterdon County is represented exclusively by Republican Freeholders and the majority of township committee and borough council seats are held by Republicans.Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 438
square mile s (1,134km² ), of which, 430 square miles (1,114 km²) of it is land and 8 square miles (20 km²) of it (1.79%) is water.Much of the county is hilly, the ground rising up slowly from the Delaware River. The highest points are two areas in Lebanon Township, one on the Morris County line, both reaching at least 1,060 feet (323 m) above sea level. The lowest elevation is where the Mercer County line reaches the
Delaware River , approximately 40 feet (12 m) above sea level.Adjacent counties
*
Warren County, New Jersey - north
*Morris County, New Jersey - northeast
*Somerset County, New Jersey - east
*Mercer County, New Jersey - southeast
*Bucks County, Pennsylvania - westDemographics
USCensusPop
1790=20153
1800=21261
1810=24556
1820=28604
1830=31060
1840=24789 |1840n=*
1850=28990
1860=33654
1870=36963
1880=38570
1890=35355
1900=34507
1910=33569
1920=32885
1930=34728
1940=36766
1950=42736
1960=54107
1970=69718
1980=87361
1990=107776
2000=121989
estimate=130783
estyear=2006
estref= [cite web
url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/34/34019.html
title=QuickFacts: Hunterdon County, New Jersey
publisher=U.S. Census Bureau
accessdate=2007-10-27]
footnote=* lost territory historical census data source: [cite web
url=http://www.wnjpin.net/OneStopCareerCenter/LaborMarketInformation/lmi01/poptrd5.htm
title=New Jersey Resident Population by County: 1880 - 1930] [cite web
url=http://fisher.lib.virginia.edu/collections/stats/histcensus/
title=Geostat Center: Historical Census Browser
publisher=University of Virginia Library
accessdate=2007-03-02] As of thecensus GR|2 of 2000, there were 121,989 people, 43,678 households, and 32,845 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 284 people per square mile (110/km²). There were 45,032 housing units at an average density of 105 per square mile (40/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 93.91% White, 2.25% Black or African American, 0.14% Native American, 1.92% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.75% from other races, and 0.99% from two or more races. 2.76% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 18.7% were of Italian, 17.3% German, 14.5% Irish, 8.4% English, 7.3% Polish and 5.1% American ancestry according toCensus 2000 .There were 43,678 households out of which 37.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.30% were married couples living together, 6.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.80% were non-families. 20.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.14.
In the county the population was spread out with 25.70% under the age of 18, 5.80% from 18 to 24, 31.30% from 25 to 44, 27.10% from 45 to 64, and 10.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 97.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.30 males.
Hunterdon County's median income for a household was $79,888, which makes it the fourth highest county in the country based on median household income. Median income for a family was $91,050. Males had a median income of $61,888 versus $40,852 for females. The
per capita income for the county was $36,370, which ranks as the thirteenth highest county in the country based on per capita income. About 1.60% of families and 2.60% of the population were below thepoverty line , including 2.10% of those under age 18 and 4.20% of those age 65 or over. As of October 2007, Hunterdon County now has the highest median property taxes in the United States.Government
Hunterdon County is governed by a five-member
Board of Chosen Freeholders . The members are elected at large on a staggered basis to serve three-year terms of office, with the three-year term of office starts (and ends) on January 1.The Freeholder Board is the center of legislative and administrative responsibility and, as such, performs a dual role. As legislators they draw up and adopt a budget, and in the role of administrators they are responsible for spending the funds they have appropriated.
As of 2008 , Hunterdon County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director [http://www.co.hunterdon.nj.us/official/ecp.htm Erik Peterson] (Milford), Freeholder Deputy Director [http://www.co.hunterdon.nj.us/official/mennen.htm William Mennen] (Tewksbury Township), [http://www.co.hunterdon.nj.us/official/holt.htm Matt Holt] (Clinton Town), [http://www.co.hunterdon.nj.us/official/gbm.htm George B. Melick] (Tewksbury Township) and [http://www.co.hunterdon.nj.us/official/sworen.htm Ronald Sworen] (Frenchtown). [ [http://www.co.hunterdon.nj.us/frholder/frehldrs.htm Hunterdon County Board of Chosen Freeholders] , accessedFebruary 22 ,2008 .]Municipalities
The following municipalities are located in Hunterdon County. The municipality type is listed in parentheses after the name, except where the type is included as part of the name.
Census-designated place s and other unincorporated communities are listed under their municipalities.
*Alexandria Township
*Bethlehem Township
*Bloomsbury (borough)
*Califon (borough)
*Clinton Township
**Annandale
*Clinton (town)
*Delaware Township
*East Amwell Township
*Flemington (borough)
*Franklin Township
*Frenchtown (borough)
*Glen Gardner (borough)
*Hampton (borough)
*High Bridge (borough)
*Holland Township
*Kingwood Township
*Lambertville (city)
*Lebanon Township
*Lebanon (borough)
*Milford (borough)
*Raritan Township
*Readington Township
**Whitehouse Station
*Stockton (borough)
*Tewksbury Township
*Union Township
*West Amwell Township
**RingoesPoints of interest
*
Hunterdon County Arboretum
* Solitude House Museum / Solitude Dam /Taylor's Falls / TISCO Headquarters 1742 inHigh Bridge, New Jersey
* The Red Mill (inClinton, New Jersey )Notable residents
*
Jack Cust , MLB Player for the Oakland Athletics
*Troy Glaus , MLB Player for the St. Louis Cardinals.
*Merv Griffin , producer of many game and talk shows, owned and lived on a farm inCalifon, New Jersey
*William Kirkpatrick , (1769-1832), born in Amwell, physician andUnited States Congressman from New York cite book | title = Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896 | publisher = Marquis Who's Who | location=Chicago | date = 1963]
*James W. Marshall , discoverer ofgold atSutter's Mill inCalifornia in 1848.
*Gary Vaynerchuk , Host of Wine Library TV
*Joe Piscopo , FormerSaturday Night Live cast memberReferences
ee also
* USS "Hunterdon County" (LST-838)
External links
* [http://www.co.hunterdon.nj.us/ Hunterdon County Official Website]
* [http://www.co.hunterdon.nj.us/map.htm Map of Hunterdon County]
* [http://www.hlta.org Hunterdon Land Trust Alliance]
* [http://www.hunterdoncountry.com HunterdonCountry.com]
* [http://www.riverballet.org River Ballet Company]
* [http://www.ourhunterdon.com OurHunterdon.com]
* [http://www.genealogybuff.com/nj/nj-hunterdon-obits.htm Hunterdon County Obituary Collection]
* [http://www.hunterdon-chamber.org/ Hunterdon County Chamber of Commerce Website]
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