Allentown, New Jersey
Encyclopedia
- This article is about the community in New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. For the article about the city in Lehigh ValleyLehigh ValleyThe Lehigh Valley, known officially by the United States Census Bureau as the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metropolitan area and referred to locally as The Valley and A-B-E, is a metropolitan region consisting of Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, and Carbon counties in eastern Pennsylvania and...
, PennsylvaniaPennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, see: Allentown, PennsylvaniaAllentown, PennsylvaniaAllentown is a city located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is Pennsylvania's third most populous city, after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and the 215th largest city in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 118,032 and is currently...
.
Allentown is a Borough
Borough (New Jersey)
A borough in the context of New Jersey local government refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government....
in Monmouth County
Monmouth County, New Jersey
Monmouth County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, within the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 630,380, up from 615,301 at the 2000 census. Its county seat is Freehold Borough. The most populous municipality is Middletown Township with...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 1,828.
Allentown was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature
New Jersey Legislature
The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and the Senate...
on January 29, 1889, from portions of Upper Freehold Township
Upper Freehold Township, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 4,282 people, 1,437 households, and 1,198 families residing in the township. The population density was 91.4 people per square mile . There were 1,501 housing units at an average density of 32.0 per square mile...
, based on the results of a referendum held that day.
Allentown's shopping district has antique and specialty shops, as well as restaurants. Many historic homes and historic buildings are located in the borough.
The borough received the 'Village Center' designation in 2002.
Geography
Allentown is located at 40.176049°N 74.584910°W (40.176049, -74.584910).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the borough has a total area of 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²), of which 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²) is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) (3.23%) is water.
Allentown borders Upper Freehold Township
Upper Freehold Township, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 4,282 people, 1,437 households, and 1,198 families residing in the township. The population density was 91.4 people per square mile . There were 1,501 housing units at an average density of 32.0 per square mile...
and Robbinsville Township.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 1,882 people, 708 households, and 526 families residing in the borough. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 3,097.1 people per square mile (1,191.2/km2). There were 718 housing units at an average density of 1,181.6 per square mile (454.5/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 90.65% White, 6.43% African American, 0.58% Native American, 0.64% Asian, 0.58% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.12% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.91% of the population.
There were 708 households out of which 36.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.1% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.6% were non-families. 21.3% 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 2.66 and the average family size was 3.13.
In the borough the population was spread out with 26.7% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 32.5% from 25 to 44, 25.8% from 45 to 64, and 9.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 89.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.9 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $71,193, and the median income for a family was $79,843. Males had a median income of $55,441 versus $38,667 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the borough was $29,455. About 1.0% of families and 2.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.6% of those under age 18 and 2.1% of those age 65 or over.
Local government
Allentown is governed under the BoroughBorough (New Jersey)
A borough in the context of New Jersey local government refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government....
form of New Jersey municipal government by a mayor and a six-member Borough Council. The mayor is directly elected by the voters to a four-year term of office. The six members of the Borough Council are elected in partisan elections to three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year.
Federal, state and county representation
Allentown is in the 4th Congressional district and is part of New Jersey's 30th state legislative district. The township was relocated to the 12th state legislative district based on the results of the 2010 Census. The new district will be in effect for the June 2011 primary and the November 2011 general election, with the state senator and assembly members elected taking office in the new district as of January 2012.Education
Students in public school for grades K through 12 attend the schools of the Upper Freehold Regional School DistrictUpper Freehold Regional School District
The Upper Freehold Regional School District is a regional school district in Monmouth County, New Jersey which provides educational services to students in grades K through 12.The district serves students from Allentown Borough, Upper Freehold Township...
, together with students from Upper Freehold Township
Upper Freehold Township, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 4,282 people, 1,437 households, and 1,198 families residing in the township. The population density was 91.4 people per square mile . There were 1,501 housing units at an average density of 32.0 per square mile...
. Millstone Township
Millstone Township, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 8,970 people, 2,708 households, and 2,426 families residing in the township. The population density was 244.0 people per square mile . There were 2,797 housing units at an average density of 76.1 per square mile...
sends students to the High School as part of a sending/receiving relationship
Sending/receiving relationship
A sending/receiving relationship is one in which a public school district sends some or all of its students to attend the schools of another district. This is often done to achieve costs savings in smaller districts or continues after districts have grown as part of a historical relationship...
. Schools in the district (with 2005-06 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics
National Center for Education Statistics
The National Center for Education Statistics is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance information in the United States...
) are Newell Elementry School and Stone Bridge Middle School with 1,113 students in pre-Kindergarten through eighth grade and Allentown High School
Allentown High School
Allentown High School is a public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from three communities in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States, as part of the Upper Freehold Regional School District. The school serves students from Allentown Borough and Upper Freehold...
which has an enrollment of 1,151 students in grades 9 - 12.
Transportation
By car, Allentown is about one hour southwest of ManhattanManhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
via the New Jersey Turnpike
New Jersey Turnpike
The New Jersey Turnpike is a toll road in New Jersey, maintained by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. According to the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association, the Turnpike is the nation's sixth-busiest toll road and is among one of the most heavily traveled highways in the United...
and about 50 minutes northeast of Philadelphia. Both Princeton
Princeton, New Jersey
Princeton is a community located in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It is best known as the location of Princeton University, which has been sited in the community since 1756...
and Trenton
Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton is the capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Trenton had a population of 84,913...
are easily accessible from Allentown.
Notable residents
Notable current and former residents of Allentown include:- William LongstreetWilliam LongstreetWilliam Longstreet was an inventor. He made a steamboat and improved the cotton gin.As a boy, he moved to Augusta, Georgia...
, (1759–1814), born in Allentown, inventor who designed the "breast-roller" of cotton ginCotton ginA cotton gin is a machine that quickly and easily separates cotton fibers from their seeds, a job formerly performed painstakingly by hand...
s, a portable sawmillSawmillA sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
, and builder of a small steamboatSteamboatA steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
that worked on the Savannah RiverSavannah RiverThe Savannah River is a major river in the southeastern United States, forming most of the border between the states of South Carolina and Georgia. Two tributaries of the Savannah, the Tugaloo River and the Chattooga River, form the northernmost part of the border...
. - Tom McCarthyTom McCarthy (broadcaster)Tom McCarthy is an American sports broadcaster. He is the play-by-play announcer for Philadelphia Phillies television broadcasts...
(1968), TV announcer for the Philadelphia PhilliesPhiladelphia PhilliesThe Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
. - George MiddletonGeorge Middleton (New Jersey)George Middleton was an American Democratic Party politician who represented New Jersey's 2nd congressional district from 1863 to 1865....
(1800–1888), represented New Jersey's 2nd congressional districtNew Jersey's 2nd congressional districtNew Jersey's Second Congressional District is currently represented by Republican Frank LoBiondo.-Counties and municipalities in the district:...
from 1863 to 1865. - John B. MontgomeryJohn B. MontgomeryJohn Berrien Montgomery was an officer in the United States Navy who served during the Mexican-American War and the American Civil War.-Biography:...
, (1794–1872), born in Allentown, United States NavyUnited States NavyThe United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
officer during the American Civil WarAmerican Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, and later commanded the Pacific SquadronPacific SquadronThe Pacific Squadron was part of the United States Navy squadron stationed in the Pacific Ocean in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Initially with no United States ports in the Pacific, they operated out of storeships which provided naval supplies and purchased food and obtained water from local...
. - William A. NewellWilliam A. NewellWilliam Augustus Newell , was an American physician and politician, who was a three-term member of the United States House of Representatives, served as a Republican as the 18th Governor of New Jersey, and as Governor of the Washington Territory from 1880-1884...
, (1817–1901) an American physician and politician. - George R. RobbinsGeorge R. RobbinsGeorge Robbins Robbins was an American Opposition Party/Republican Party politician who represented New Jersey's 2nd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1855 to 1859....
(1814–75), represented New Jersey's 2nd congressional districtNew Jersey's 2nd congressional districtNew Jersey's Second Congressional District is currently represented by Republican Frank LoBiondo.-Counties and municipalities in the district:...
in the United States House of RepresentativesUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from 1855 to 1859.
External links
- Allentown Borough web site
- Allentown business web site
- Upper Freehold Regional School District
- Data for the Upper Freehold Regional School District, National Center for Education StatisticsNational Center for Education StatisticsThe National Center for Education Statistics is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance information in the United States...