Atlantic County, New Jersey

Atlantic County, New Jersey
Seal
Location in the state of New Jersey
New Jersey's location in the U.S.
Founded	1837
Seat	Mays Landing
Largest city	Egg Harbor Township
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	671 sq mi (1,738 km²) 561 sq mi (1,453 km²) 110 sq mi (285 km²), 16.44%
Population  - (2010)  - Density	274,549 489/sq mi (188.9/km²)
Website	www.aclink.org

Atlantic County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 Census, the population is 274,549. Its county seat is Mays Landing.

This county is associated with (though not officially a part of) the Delaware Valley area as well as the Atlantic City–Hammonton Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

All of what is known today as Atlantic County was once called Egg Harbor Township, the eastern half of the original County of Gloucester. Named as an official district as early as 1693, it was bounded on the north by the Little Egg Harbor River (now known as the Mullica River), and on the south by the Great Egg Harbor River and its southern branch the Tuckahoe River. Its eastern boundary was the Atlantic Ocean, but the western boundary in the South Jersey interior was not fixed until 1761.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 671 square miles (1,737.9 km²), of which 561 square miles (1,453.0 km²) is land and 110 square miles (284.9 km²) (16.44%) is water.Atlantic County is located in the Atlantic Coastal Plain in the southeastern tip of New Jersey.

Topographically, much of Atlantic County is low-lying and flat. The highest elevation, approximately 150 feet (50 m) above sea level, is found at two areas next to the NJ Transit passenger rail line just east of Hammonton. Sea level is the lowest point.

Adjacent counties

• Burlington County, New Jersey – north
• Camden County, New Jersey – northwest
• Cape May County, New Jersey – south
• Cumberland County, New Jersey – southwest
• Gloucester County, New Jersey – northwest
• Ocean County, New Jersey – northeast

National protected areas

• Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge (part)
• Great Egg Harbor Scenic and Recreational River (part)

Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1840	8,726		—
1850	8,961		2.7%
1860	11,786		31.5%
1870	14,093		19.6%
1880	18,704		32.7%
1890	28,836		54.2%
1900	46,402		60.9%
1910	71,894		54.9%
1920	83,914		16.7%
1930	124,823		48.8%
1940	124,066		−0.6%
1950	132,399		6.7%
1960	160,880		21.5%
1970	175,043		8.8%
1980	194,119		10.9%
1990	224,327		15.6%
2000	252,552		12.6%
2010	274,549		8.7%
historical census data source:

As of the census of 2000, there were 252,552 people, 95,024 households, and 63,190 families residing in the county. The population density was 450 people per square mile (174/km²). There were 114,090 housing units at an average density of 203 per square mile (79/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 68.36% White, 17.63% Black or African American, 0.26% Native American, 5.06% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 6.06% from other races, and 2.58% from two or more races. 12.17% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 18.6% were of Italian, 13.0% Irish, 9.5% German and 5.2% English ancestry according to Census 2000.

There were 95,024 households out of which 31.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.50% were married couples living together, 14.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.50% were non-families. 27.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.16.

In the county the population was spread out with 25.30% under the age of 18, 8.10% from 18 to 24, 30.60% from 25 to 44, 22.40% from 45 to 64, and 13.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 93.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $43,933, and the median income for a family was $51,710. Males had a median income of $36,397 versus $28,059 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,034. About 7.60% of families and 10.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.80% of those under age 18 and 10.50% of those age 65 or over.

As of 2010 the racial and ethnic makeup of the county was 58.59% Non-Hispanic whites, 14.89% Non-Hispanic blacks, 1.19% Hispanic blacks, 0.18% Non-Hispanic Native Americans, 0.21% Hispanic Native Americans, 7.50% Asians, 0.03% Pacific Islanders, 0.17% Non-Hispanics of some other race, 1.87% non-Hispanics reporting two or more races and a total of 16.84% Hispanics or Latinos.

Government and politics

The Atlantic County Courthouse in Mays Landing in 2006

In 1974, Atlantic County voters changed the county governmental form under the Optional County Charter Law to the County executive form. The charter provides for a popularly-elected executive and for a nine-member Board of Chosen Freeholders, responsible for legislation. The freeholders are elected to staggered three-year terms in partisan elections. Five of the freeholders represent equally-populated districts; four are elected from the county on an at-large basis. Republicans contol eight of the nine seats.

Dennis Levinson (R) is Atlantic County's Executive. The Current Board of Chosen Freeholders Members are:

• Chairman Frank D. Formica, Freeholder District 2, including Atlantic City (part), Egg Harbor Township (part), Longport, Margate, Somers Point and Ventnor. (2012)
• Frank V. Giordano, Freeholder At-Large (2012)
• James A. Bertino, Freeholder District 5, including Buena Borough, Buena Vista Township, Corbin City, Egg Harbor City, Estell Manor, Folsom, Hamilton Township (part), Hammonton, Mullica Township and Weymouth. (2012)
• Richard Dase, Freeholder District 4, including Absecon, Brigantine, Galloway Township and Port Republic. (2013)
• Charles T. Garrett, Freeholder District 1, including Atlantic City (part), Egg Harbor Township (part) and Pleasantville. (2013)
• Alexander C. Marino, , Freeholder At-Large (2014)
• Joseph J. McDevitt, Freeholder At-Large (2013)
• John W. Risley, Freeholder At-Large (2014)
• Frank Sutton, Freeholder District 3, including Egg Harbor Township (part), Hamilton Township (part), Linwood and Northfield. (2014)

The head of the Atlantic County Sheriff's Office is elected to serve a three year term. There currently are no term limits in place. The current Sheriff, Frank X. Balles (R), took office on January 1, 2009.

In state and national elections, Atlantic County is a reliably Democratic county, in contrast to the other three counties on the Jersey Shore, Monmouth, Ocean, and Cape May Counties, which tend to lean heavily Republican. In the 2004 U.S. Presidential election, John Kerry carried Atlantic by a 5.9% margin over incumbent George W. Bush, with Kerry winning by 6.7% statewide over Bush. In 2008, the county voted for Barack Obama by a 15% margin over John McCain, with Obama winning New Jersey by 15.5% over McCain. Atlantic County has backed the Democratic nominee in every Presidential election since 1992. However, in the 2009 Gubernatorial Election, Republican Chris Christie received 48% of the vote, defeating Democrat Jon Corzine, who received around 45%.

Municipalities

Index map of Atlantic County (click to see index key)

• Absecon (city)
• Atlantic City (city)
• Brigantine (city)
• Buena Vista Township (township)
  • Collings Lakes
  • Richland
• Buena (borough)
• Corbin City (city)
• Egg Harbor City (city)
• Egg Harbor Township (township)
• Estell Manor (city)
• Folsom (borough)
• Galloway Township (township)
  • Pomona
• Hamilton Township (township)
  • Mays Landing
• Hammonton (town)
• Linwood (city)
• Longport (borough)
• Margate City (city)
• Mullica Township (township)
  • Elwood-Magnolia
• Northfield (city)
• Pleasantville (city)
• Port Republic (city)
• Somers Point (city)
• Ventnor City (city)
• Weymouth Township (township)

Education

Institutions of higher education in Atlantic County include:

• Atlantic Cape Community College in Mays Landing serves students from both Atlantic County and Cape May County.
• Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, in Pomona
• Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey at Atlantic Cape Community College, in Mays Landing – For more information on this program please visit http://www.rutgersataccc.org.

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Atlantic County, New Jersey

External links

• Atlantic County website
• History of Atlantic County, New Jersey
• Rutgers at Atlantic Cape Community College