Burlington Township, New Jersey


Burlington Township is a township in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States and a suburb of Philadelphia. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 22,594, reflecting an increase of 2,300 from the 20,294 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 7,840 from the 12,454 counted in the 1990 Census.

History

Burlington was formed as a "Towne" by the West Jersey proprietors, and was interrelated to Burlington City during its early days. It was incorporated on February 21, 1798 by the Township Act of 1798, enacted by the New Jersey Legislature, as one of the initial group of 104 townships incorporated in New Jersey. Burlington City was reincorporated within the township as of March 14, 1851, at which time a portion of the township was annexed to the city. The township's name is a corruption of the English town of Bridlington.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 13.98 square miles, including 13.415 square miles of land and 0.565 square miles of water.
Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Deacons, Fountain Woods, Springside and Stevens.
The township borders Burlington City, Edgewater Park, Florence Township, Springfield Township, Westampton Township and Willingboro Township in Burlington County; and both Bristol and Bristol Township across the Delaware River in Pennsylvania.

Demographics

Census 2010

The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that median household income was $83,291 and the median family income was $101,967. Males had a median income of $60,587 versus $50,078 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $32,122. About 3.0% of families and 5.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.2% of those under age 18 and 6.9% of those age 65 or over.

Census 2000

As of the 2000 United States Census there were 20,294 people, 7,112 households, and 5,277 families residing in the township. The population density was 1,506.2 people per square mile. There were 7,348 housing units at an average density of 545.4 per square mile. The racial makeup of the township was 67.71% White, 24.49% African American, 0.16% Native American, 3.73% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.46% from other races, and 2.41% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.01% of the population.
There were 7,112 households out of which 40.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.0% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.8% were non-families. 21.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.18.
In the township the population was spread out with 27.2% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 35.4% from 25 to 44, 19.2% from 45 to 64, and 12.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.1 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $61,663, and the median income for a family was $70,958. Males had a median income of $49,290 versus $35,510 for females. The per capita income for the township was $24,754. About 3.4% of families and 5.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.7% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

has its headquarters in the township, having relocated from Burlington City in 1988.
The Marketplace at Burlington, formerly an indoor mall known as the Burlington Center Mall, offers a gross leasable area of, with plans to convert to an open-air format with of leasable space. The mall closed its doors on January 8, 2018, though Sears remained while the rest of the mall was closed because it owned a section of mall property. Sears closed on September 2, 2018.
The township's businesses and shopping destinations cause the daytime population to rise to as much as 35,000, a jump of 50% from the resident population of almost 23,000.

Government

Local government

Burlington Township is governed within the Faulkner Act, formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law, under the Mayor-Council form of municipal government, implemented based on the recommendations of a Charter Study Commission as of January 1, 1975. The township is one of 71 of 565 municipalities statewide that use this form of government. The governing body is comprised of a mayor and the seven-member Township Council, all of whom are elected at-large in partisan elections to four-year terms in office on a staggered basis as part of the November general election. Either three or four council seats are up for vote every other year in even years, with the mayoral seat up for vote during the same cycle where three council seats are up for vote.
, the Mayor of Burlington Township is Democrat Brian J. Carlin, whose term of office ends December 31, 2022. Members of the Burlington Township Council are Council President Robert W. Jung, President Pro Tem Patricia "Trish" Siboczy, Michael K. Cantwell, E.L. "Pete" Green, Joyce R. Howell, George M. Kozub and Carl M. Schoenborn.

Federal, state and county representation

Burlington Township is located in the 3rd Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 7th state legislative district. Prior to the 2010 Census, Burlington Township had been part of the 3rd Congressional District and the, a change made by the New Jersey Redistricting Commission that took effect in January 2013, based on the results of the November 2012 general elections.

Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 13,214 registered voters in Burlington Township, of which 5,382 were registered as Democrats, 2,160 were registered as Republicans and 5,664 were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 8 voters registered to other parties. Among the township's 2010 Census population, 58.5% were registered to vote, including 79.8% of those ages 18 and over.
In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 7,345 votes, ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 3,229 votes and other candidates with 103 votes, among the 10,744 ballots cast by the township's 14,146 registered voters, for a turnout of 76.0%. In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 7,266 votes, ahead of Republican John McCain with 3,692 votes and other candidates with 99 votes, among the 11,127 ballots cast by the township's 13,570 registered voters, for a turnout of 82.0%. In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 5,696 votes, ahead of Republican George W. Bush with 4,086 votes and other candidates with 72 votes, among the 9,931 ballots cast by the township's 12,351 registered voters, for a turnout of 80.4%.
In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 3,486 votes, ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 2,874 votes and other candidates with 76 votes, among the 6,570 ballots cast by the township's 14,162 registered voters, yielding a 46.4% turnout. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Democrat Jon Corzine received 3,483 ballots cast, ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 2,669 votes, Independent Chris Daggett with 283 votes and other candidates with 90 votes, among the 6,578 ballots cast by the township's 13,512 registered voters, yielding a 48.7% turnout.

Education

Public school students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade are educated in the Burlington Township School District, under superintendent Mary Ann Bell. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of four schools, had an enrollment of 3,761 students and 327.3 classroom teachers, for a student–teacher ratio of 11.5:1. Schools in the district are
B. Bernice Young Elementary School with 787 students in Pre-K to 2nd grade,
Fountain Woods Elementary School with 793 students in grades 3-5,
Burlington Township Middle School at Springside with 927 students in grades 6-8 and
Burlington Township High School with 1,190 students in grades 9-12.
The Burlington Township School District received notice in 2009 after a video posted on YouTube by a parent without school approval showed more than a dozen children at B. Bernice Young Elementary School singing a song praising President Barack Obama, which Conservative groups cited as a means of indoctrinating students to support the President. At the conclusion of the song, the children pump their fists and chant "hip, hip, hooray!" The song had been performed in conjunction with Black History Month activities and when the author of the book I Am Barack Obama visited the school the next month
Students from Burlington Township, and from all of Burlington County, are eligible to attend the Burlington County Institute of Technology, a countywide public school district that serves the vocational and technical education needs of students at the high school and post-secondary level at its campuses in Medford and Westampton Township.

Sports

In 2017, the 10U Cal Ripken baseball team from Burlington Township represented the Mid-Atlantic Region in the 10U Cal Ripken World Series, held in Hammond, Indiana.

Transportation

Roads and highways

, the township had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Burlington County and by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.
The New Jersey Turnpike passes through the township for from the river to Florence Township. While there is no turnpike interchange within the township's borders, it is accessible in neighboring Florence Township and Westampton Township.
Other roads that pass through Burlington Township include U.S. Route 130, Interstate 295 and County Road 541.

Public transportation

provides bus service in the city between Trenton and Philadelphia on the 409 route and between Burlington and Camden on the 413 and 419 routes.
The NJ Transit River Line light rail system provides transportation between the Trenton Transit Center in Trenton and the Walter Rand Transportation Center in Camden, with stops in Burlington City at Burlington South and Burlington Towne Centre, but not in Burlington Township itself.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Burlington Township include: