Raritan Township, New Jersey


Raritan Township is a township in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 22,185, reflecting an increase of 2,376 from the 19,809 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 4,193 from the 15,616 counted in the 1990 Census. The southeast part of the township is in the Amwell Valley, while the northwestern part is on the Hunterdon Plateau.
Raritan was incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 2, 1838, from portions of the now-defunct Amwell Township. Flemington was formed within the township on March 14, 1870, and became an independent borough on April 7, 1910. Portions of the township were ceded to East Amwell Township in 1854 and 1897.
The township's name is derived from the Raritan tribe, a Native American band of Lenape people. The name of the tribe is said to mean "forked river", "stream overflows" or "point on a tidal river".

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 37.690 square miles, including 37.527 square miles of land and 0.163 square miles of water.
Raritan Township completely surrounds Flemington, making it part one of 21 pairs of "doughnut towns" in the state, where one municipality entirely surrounds another. It borders the municipalities of Clinton Township, Delaware Township, East Amwell Township, Franklin Township and Readington Township in Hunterdon County; and Hillsborough Township in Somerset County.
Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include: Cloverhill, Copper Hill, Croton, Flemington Junction, Klinesville, Larisons Corners, Muirhead, Reaville, as well as Bartles Corners, Gary Corner, Mount Carmel, Rockefellows Mills, Thachers Hill and Voorhees Corner.

Demographics

Census 2010

The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that median household income was $109,941 and the median family income was $130,514. Males had a median income of $95,123 versus $62,229 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $48,782. About 2.0% of families and 4.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.6% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over.

Census 2000

As of the 2000 United States Census there were 19,809 people, 6,939 households, and 5,391 families residing in the township. The population density was 523.5 people per square mile. There were 7,094 housing units at an average density of 187.5 per square mile. The racial makeup of the township was 93.22% White, 1.23% African American, 0.09% Native American, 3.50% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.68% from other races, and 1.27% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.79% of the population.
There were 6,939 households out of which 43.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.2% were married couples living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.3% were non-families. 18.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.24.
In the township the population was spread out with 29.3% under the age of 18, 4.6% from 18 to 24, 32.6% from 25 to 44, 24.7% from 45 to 64, and 8.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.0 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $85,996, and the median income for a family was $96,336. Males had a median income of $69,485 versus $41,911 for females. The per capita income for the township was $38,919. About 1.2% of families and 2.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.6% of those under age 18 and 2.9% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

Raritan Township is governed under the Township form of government, one of 141 municipalities statewide that use the Township form. The Township Committee is comprised of five members, who are elected directly by the voters at-large in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats coming up for election each year as part of the November general election in a three-year cycle. At an annual reorganization meeting, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and another as Deputy Mayor. The mayor presides at Township Committee meetings and votes as a member of the Committee, but has no other special powers under the township form of government law. All legislative and executive powers, including the power of appointments, are exercised by the committee as a whole.
, members of the Raritan Township Committee are Mayor Jeff Kuhl, Deputy Mayor Karen Gilbert, Gary Hazard, Scott MacDade and Louis C. Reiner.

Federal, state and county representation

Raritan Township is located in the 7th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 16th state legislative district. Prior to the 2010 Census, Raritan Township had been part of 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 15,130 registered voters in Raritan Township, of which 3,008 were registered as Democrats, 4,944 were registered as Republicans and 7,166 were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 12 voters registered to other parties.
In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 57.8% of the vote, ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 41.2%, and other candidates with 1.0%, among the 11,834 ballots cast by the township's 16,049 registered voters, for a turnout of 73.7%. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 54.7% of the vote, ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 43.5% and other candidates with 1.0%, among the 12,261 ballots cast by the township's 15,254 registered voters, for a turnout of 80.4%. In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 59.7% of the vote, outpolling Democrat John Kerry with 39.7% and other candidates with 0.7%, among the 11,265 ballots cast by the township's 13,693 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 82.3.
In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 74.1% of the vote, ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 24.5%, and other candidates with 1.5%, among the 7,595 ballots cast by the township's 16,003 registered voters, for a turnout of 47.5%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 64.8% of the vote, ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 25.9%, Independent Chris Daggett with 7.4% and other candidates with 0.6%, among the 8,396 ballots cast by the township's 14,991 registered voters, yielding a 56.0% turnout.

Education

Students in public school for pre-kindergarten through eighth grade attend the Flemington-Raritan Regional School District, which also serves children from the neighboring community of Flemington. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprising six schools, had an enrollment of 3,079 students and 327.8 classroom teachers, for a student–teacher ratio of 9.4:1. The district consists of four K - 4 elementary schools, one intermediate school for grades 5 and 6 and a middle school for grades 7 and 8. Schools in the district are
Barley Sheaf School,
Copper Hill School,
Francis A. Desmares School,
Robert Hunter School,
Reading-Fleming Intermediate School and
J. P. Case Middle School. Raritan Township is allocated seven of the nine seats on the regional district's board of education.
Public school students in ninth through twelfth grades attend Hunterdon Central Regional High School, part of the Hunterdon Central Regional High School District, which serves students in central Hunterdon County from Raritan Township and from Delaware Township, East Amwell Township, Flemington and Readington Township. As of the 2018–19 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 2,844 students and 238.8 classroom teachers, for a student–teacher ratio of 11.9:1. Seats on the high school district's nine-member board of education are allocated based in the population of the five constituent municipalities who participate in the school district, with three seats allocated to Raritan Township.
Eighth grade students from all of Hunterdon County are eligible to apply to attend the high school programs offered by the Hunterdon County Vocational School District, a county-wide vocational school district that offers career and technical education at its campuses in Raritan Township and at programs sited at local high schools, with no tuition charged to students for attendance.

Transportation

, the township had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Hunterdon County and by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.
Major roads in Raritan Township include Route 12, Route 31 and U.S. Route 202.
Major county roads that go through the township include CR 514, CR 523 and CR 579.
The closest Interstate highway is Interstate 78 in neighboring Clinton and Franklin Townships.

Public transportation

The Hunterdon County LINK provide local bus service on Route 14 between Lambertville and Flemington; Route 15 between Flemington and Hampton; Routes 16 / 19 / 21 which operate to / from Flemington; Route 17 / 18 between Milford and Clinton; and Route 23 between Flemington and Bridgewater Commons Mall / Somerville.

Rail service

The Black River and Western Railroad is a historic short-line railroad that passes through the township. It operates today as a heritage railway.
The Norfolk Southern Railway's Lehigh Line, runs through most of the northeast part of Raritan Township close to its northeast boundary.

Notable people

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