Dennis Township, New Jersey
Encyclopedia
Dennis Township is a township
in Cape May County
, New Jersey
, United States
. It is part of the Ocean City
Metropolitan Statistical Area. The township population
was 6,492 as of the United States 2000 Census. As of 2009, the estimated township population was 5,768.
Dennis Township was incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature
on March 1, 1827, from portions of Upper Township
. Portions of the township were taken to form Sea Isle City borough
(May 22, 1882) and Woodbine
(March 3, 1903).
New Jersey Monthly
magazine ranked Dennis Township as its 20th best place to live in its 2008 rankings of the "Best Places To Live" in New Jersey.
, the township has a total area of 64.3 square miles (166.5 km²), of which, 61.3 square miles (158.8 km²) of it is land and 2.9 square miles (7.5 km²) of it is water
. The total area is 4.57% water.
Dennisville
is the most important unincorporated community in Dennis Township. Ocean View
is served as ZIP code
08230.
Dennis Township borders Cumberland County
, Upper Township
, Woodbine Borough
, Sea Isle City
, Middle Township
, and the Delaware Bay
.
of 2000, there were 6,492 people, 2,159 households, and 1,737 families residing in the township. The population density
was 105.8 people per square mile (40.9/km²). There were 2,327 housing units at an average density of 37.9 per square mile (14.6/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 97.43% White, 0.96% African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.43% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.62% from other races
, and 0.46% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.51% of the population.
There were 2,159 households out of which 41.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.9% were married couples
living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.5% were non-families. 15.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.91 and the average family size was 3.24.
In the township the population was spread out with 28.3% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 30.6% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 96.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.4 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $56,595, and the median income for a family was $61,445. Males had a median income of $41,404 versus $31,329 for females. The per capita income
for the township was $21,455. About 4.0% of families and 5.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.6% of those under age 18 and 4.2% of those age 65 or over.
form of government with a five-member Township Committee. The Township Committee is elected directly by the voters in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with one or two seats coming up for election each year. At an annual reorganization meeting, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and another as Deputy Mayor. The Committee members serve in a part-time capacity and receive an annual salary.
The governing body originally consisted of three elected officials, one of which would be elected by the membership to serve as the Mayor. In 1989 voters approved a ballot question to increase the membership from three members to five members, and in November 1990 the voters elected two additional Committee members. In January 1991 a full Committee of five members was sworn into office. At that same meeting the governing body established the position of Township Administrator.
As of 2008, members of the Dennis Township Committee are Mayor
John Murphy (term ends December 31, 2010), Deputy Mayor
Dennis M. Crippen (2008), former Mayor Ruth J. Blessing (2010), Al Dicicco (2009), and Brian O'Connor (2008).
Dennis Township is in the
serve students in Kindergarten through eighth grade. As of the 2005-06 school year, the district had a combined enrollment of 755 students. Schools in the district are
Dennis Township Primary School for grades K-2,
Dennis Township Elementary School for grades 3-5 and
Dennis Township Middle School for grades 6-8.
Students in public school for grades 9-12 attend Middle Township High School
in Cape May Court House
, as part of a sending/receiving relationship
with the Middle Township Public Schools
.
Many students also attend the Cape May County Technical High School
in Crest Haven as an alternate to MTHS.
Township (New Jersey)
A township, in the context of New Jersey local government, refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government. As a political entity, a township is a full-fledged municipality, on par with any town, city, borough, or village, collecting property taxes and providing...
in Cape May County
Cape May County, New Jersey
-Climate:Being the southernmost point in New Jersey, Cape May has fairly mild wintertime temperatures. Contrary to that, the summertime has lower temperatures than most places in the state, making the county a popular place to escape the heat. It is in zone 7a/7b, which is the same as parts of...
, 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
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is part of the Ocean City
Ocean City, New Jersey
Ocean City is a city in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States. It is the principal city of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Cape May County. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 11,701...
Metropolitan Statistical Area. The township population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
was 6,492 as of the United States 2000 Census. As of 2009, the estimated township population was 5,768.
Dennis Township was incorporated as a township 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 March 1, 1827, from portions of Upper Township
Upper Township, New Jersey
Upper Township is a large township in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area. The township population was 12,115 as of the United States 2000 Census...
. Portions of the township were taken to form Sea Isle City borough
Sea Isle City, New Jersey
Sea Isle City is a city in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 2,114. Visitors raise the population to as much as 40,000 during the peak summer season from Memorial Day...
(May 22, 1882) and Woodbine
Woodbine, New Jersey
Woodbine is a borough in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2000 United States Census, the borough population was 2,716....
(March 3, 1903).
New Jersey Monthly
New Jersey Monthly
New Jersey Monthly is a monthly glossy publication featuring issues of possible interest to residents of the United States state of New Jersey...
magazine ranked Dennis Township as its 20th best place to live in its 2008 rankings of the "Best Places To Live" in New Jersey.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited 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 township has a total area of 64.3 square miles (166.5 km²), of which, 61.3 square miles (158.8 km²) of it is land and 2.9 square miles (7.5 km²) of it is water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
. The total area is 4.57% water.
Dennisville
Dennisville, New Jersey
Dennisville is an unincorporated area in Dennis Township, in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its postal ZIP Code is 08214....
is the most important unincorporated community in Dennis Township. Ocean View
Ocean View, New Jersey
Ocean View is an unincorporated area located within Dennis Township in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States. The area is served as United States Postal Service ZIP code 08230....
is served as ZIP code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
08230.
Dennis Township borders Cumberland County
Cumberland County, New Jersey
Cumberland County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 Census, the population is 156,898. Its county seat is Bridgeton. Cumberland County is named for Prince William, Duke of Cumberland....
, Upper Township
Upper Township, New Jersey
Upper Township is a large township in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area. The township population was 12,115 as of the United States 2000 Census...
, Woodbine Borough
Woodbine, New Jersey
Woodbine is a borough in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2000 United States Census, the borough population was 2,716....
, Sea Isle City
Sea Isle City, New Jersey
Sea Isle City is a city in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 2,114. Visitors raise the population to as much as 40,000 during the peak summer season from Memorial Day...
, Middle Township
Middle Township, New Jersey
Middle Township is a township in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 16,405....
, and the Delaware Bay
Delaware Bay
Delaware Bay is a major estuary outlet of the Delaware River on the Northeast seaboard of the United States whose fresh water mixes for many miles with the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. It is in area. The bay is bordered by the State of New Jersey and the State of Delaware...
.
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 6,492 people, 2,159 households, and 1,737 families residing in the township. 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 105.8 people per square mile (40.9/km²). There were 2,327 housing units at an average density of 37.9 per square mile (14.6/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 97.43% White, 0.96% African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.43% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.62% 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 0.46% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.51% of the population.
There were 2,159 households out of which 41.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.9% 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, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.5% were non-families. 15.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.91 and the average family size was 3.24.
In the township the population was spread out with 28.3% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 30.6% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 96.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.4 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $56,595, and the median income for a family was $61,445. Males had a median income of $41,404 versus $31,329 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 township was $21,455. About 4.0% of families and 5.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.6% of those under age 18 and 4.2% of those age 65 or over.
Local government
Dennis Township is governed under the TownshipTownship (New Jersey)
A township, in the context of New Jersey local government, refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government. As a political entity, a township is a full-fledged municipality, on par with any town, city, borough, or village, collecting property taxes and providing...
form of government with a five-member Township Committee. The Township Committee is elected directly by the voters in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with one or two seats coming up for election each year. At an annual reorganization meeting, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and another as Deputy Mayor. The Committee members serve in a part-time capacity and receive an annual salary.
The governing body originally consisted of three elected officials, one of which would be elected by the membership to serve as the Mayor. In 1989 voters approved a ballot question to increase the membership from three members to five members, and in November 1990 the voters elected two additional Committee members. In January 1991 a full Committee of five members was sworn into office. At that same meeting the governing body established the position of Township Administrator.
As of 2008, members of the Dennis Township Committee are Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
John Murphy (term ends December 31, 2010), Deputy Mayor
Deputy Mayor
Deputy mayor is an elective or appointive office of the second-ranking official in many local governments. Many elected deputy mayors are members of the city council who are given the title and serve as acting mayor in the mayor's absence...
Dennis M. Crippen (2008), former Mayor Ruth J. Blessing (2010), Al Dicicco (2009), and Brian O'Connor (2008).
Federal, state and county representation
Dennis Township is in the 2nd Congressional district.Dennis Township is in the
Education
The Dennis Township Public SchoolsDennis Township Public Schools
The Dennis Township Public Schools are a community public school district that serves students in Kindergarten through eighth grade from Dennis Township, in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States....
serve students in Kindergarten through eighth grade. As of the 2005-06 school year, the district had a combined enrollment of 755 students. Schools in the district are
Dennis Township Primary School for grades K-2,
Dennis Township Elementary School for grades 3-5 and
Dennis Township Middle School for grades 6-8.
Students in public school for grades 9-12 attend Middle Township High School
Middle Township High School
Middle Township High School is a four-year public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Middle Township in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Middle Township Public Schools...
in Cape May Court House
Cape May Court House, New Jersey
Cape May Court House is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located within Middle Township, in Cape May County, New Jersey. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the United States 2000 Census, the CDP population was 4,704...
, 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...
with the Middle Township Public Schools
Middle Township Public Schools
The Middle Township Public Schools are a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in kindergarten through twelfth grade from Middle Township, in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States....
.
Many students also attend the Cape May County Technical High School
Cape May County Technical High School
Cape May County Technical High School, located in Cape May Court House, New Jersey, provides education to students from grades 9 through 12 from Cape May County, New Jersey as part of the Cape May County Technical School District....
in Crest Haven as an alternate to MTHS.
Notable resident
Notable current and former residents of Dennis Township include:- Jeff Van Drew, member of the New Jersey SenateNew Jersey SenateThe New Jersey Senate was established as the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. From 1844 until 1965 New Jersey's counties elected one Senator, each. Under the 1844 Constitution the term of office was three years. The 1947...
who represents the 1st legislative district.
External links
- Dennis Township website
- Dennis Township Public Schools
- Data for the Dennis Township Public Schools, 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...
- The Cape May County Gazette Local community newspaper
- The Beachcomber