Chester, New Jersey
Encyclopedia
Chester is a borough
in Morris County
, New Jersey
, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 1,649.
Chester Township
was established as a separate political entity on April 1, 1799, including the area of both the Township and the downtown Village area which came to be the Borough. The Borough of Chester was incorporated by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature
on April 3, 1930, based on the results of a referendum held on April 25, 1930, and is today a separate municipality surrounded entirely by Chester Township.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the borough has a total area of 1.5 square miles (3.9 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 1,635 people, 609 households, and 426 families residing in the borough. The population density
was 1,063.0 people per square mile (409.9/km2). There were 627 housing units at an average density of 407.6 per square mile (157.2/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 94.68% White, 0.80% African American, 1.71% Asian, 2.02% from other races, and 0.80% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.85% of the population.
There were 609 households out of which 34.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.6% were married couples
living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.9% were non-families. 23.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.0% 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 3.15.
In the borough the population was spread out with 24.8% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 25.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 100.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.7 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $80,398, and the median income for a family was $106,260. Males had a median income of $76,772 versus $45,833 for females. The per capita income
for the borough was $42,564. About 2.1% of families and 5.2% of the population were below the poverty line
, including 0.5% of those under age 18 and 5.8% of those age 65 or over.
form of New Jersey municipal government. The government consists of a Mayor and a Borough Council comprising six council members, with all positions elected at large. A Mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The Borough Council consists of six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year.
, the Mayor
of Chester Robert L. Davis. Members of the Chester Borough Council are Matthew Finney, Janet Hoven, Timothy Iversen, Gary Marshuetz, Jennifer Cooper Napolitano and James Robshaw.
created incentives for small towns of less than 10,000 inhabitants to combine with other cities. The goal was to reduce the overall cost of government and thereby offer some tax relief. "New Jersey has 21 counties, 566 municipalities and 616 school districts, and property taxes average $6,800 per homeowner, or twice the national average."
Chester Borough split from Chester Township in 1930 over the creation of sewer and water infrastructure in the more densely settled center of the municipality. The residents of the rural portions of the Township did not wish to financially support the construction and maintenance of a public sewer or water utility. Since that time rural Chester Township has relied upon individual private wells for water and septic systems for wastewater treatment while the Borough is primarily, although not entirely, served by public sewer and water. Concerns over the extension of utilities into the rural Township with the resultant potential for large scale growth served as an impediment to consolidation. The prohibition of utility extensions supported by the NJ State Plan and codified in the Highlands Water Protection Act, along with the development restrictions contained in the Highlands Act have lessened those concerns. Additionally, an aggressive land conservation program in the Township has resulted in over 40% of the 29 square miles (75.1 km²) Township being placed into permanent preservation, further lessening worries about potential over-development. The two municipalities currently share a common K-8 school district, volunteer fire department, library, first aid squad and other municipal services. Residents are concerned about the unknown costs of a merger and a disproportionate allocation of those costs.
The two mayors have publicly endorsed a cost/benefit analysis of a merger. Two past efforts failed so the towns are taking a slow and deliberate approach to determine the savings, if any.
based on the results of the 2010 Census. The new district is 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.
. In the 2008 Presidential Election
, Republican John McCain
received 61% of the vote, defeating Democrat Barack Obama
, who received around 38%. In the 2009 Gubernatorial Election
, Republican Chris Christie received 70% of the vote, defeating Democrat Jon Corzine
, who received around 22%.
, together with children from Chester Township
. Schools in the district (with 2009-10 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics
) are
Dickerson Elementary School (grades K-2; 413 students),
Bragg Intermediate School (3-5; 465), and
Black River Middle School (6-8; 499). Dickerson and Bragg Schools are located on County Route 510
, east of Chester Borough; Black River Middle School is on County Route 513
(North Road), north of Chester Borough.
Students in public school for grades nine through twelve in both communities attend West Morris Mendham High School
, part of the West Morris Regional High School District
, which serves students from the surrounding Morris County
school districts of Chester Borough, Chester Township, Mendham Borough, Mendham Township
and from Washington Township
.
local bus service was provided on the MCM4
and MCM5
routes until June 2010, until NJ Transit pulled the subsidy.
Chester is located at the point where County Route 513
(also known as old Route 24) and U.S. Route 206
intersect.
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 Morris County
Morris County, New Jersey
Morris County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, about west of New York City. According to the United States 2010 Census, the population was 492,276. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Morristown....
, 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 1,649.
Chester Township
Chester Township, New Jersey
Chester Township is a township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 7,838....
was established as a separate political entity on April 1, 1799, including the area of both the Township and the downtown Village area which came to be the Borough. The Borough of Chester was incorporated 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 April 3, 1930, based on the results of a referendum held on April 25, 1930, and is today a separate municipality surrounded entirely by Chester Township.
Geography
Chester is located at 40.785999°N 74.692904°W (40.785999, -74.692904).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 1.5 square miles (3.9 km²), all of it land.
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 1,635 people, 609 households, and 426 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 1,063.0 people per square mile (409.9/km2). There were 627 housing units at an average density of 407.6 per square mile (157.2/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 94.68% White, 0.80% African American, 1.71% Asian, 2.02% from other races, and 0.80% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.85% of the population.
There were 609 households out of which 34.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.6% 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, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.9% were non-families. 23.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.0% 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 3.15.
In the borough the population was spread out with 24.8% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 25.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 100.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.7 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $80,398, and the median income for a family was $106,260. Males had a median income of $76,772 versus $45,833 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 $42,564. About 2.1% of families and 5.2% of the population were below the poverty line
Poverty threshold
The poverty threshold, or poverty line, is the minimum level of income deemed necessary to achieve an adequate standard of living in a given country...
, including 0.5% of those under age 18 and 5.8% of those age 65 or over.
Local government
Chester 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. The government consists of a Mayor and a Borough Council comprising six council members, with all positions elected at large. A Mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The Borough Council consists of six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year.
, the Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Chester Robert L. Davis. Members of the Chester Borough Council are Matthew Finney, Janet Hoven, Timothy Iversen, Gary Marshuetz, Jennifer Cooper Napolitano and James Robshaw.
Merger discussion with Chester Township
In 2007, New Jersey Governor Jon CorzineJon Corzine
Jon Stevens Corzine is the former CEO of Goldman Sachs and of MF Global, and a one time American politician, who served as the 54th Governor of New Jersey from 2006 to 2010. A Democrat, Corzine served five years of a six-year U.S. Senate term representing New Jersey before being elected Governor...
created incentives for small towns of less than 10,000 inhabitants to combine with other cities. The goal was to reduce the overall cost of government and thereby offer some tax relief. "New Jersey has 21 counties, 566 municipalities and 616 school districts, and property taxes average $6,800 per homeowner, or twice the national average."
Chester Borough split from Chester Township in 1930 over the creation of sewer and water infrastructure in the more densely settled center of the municipality. The residents of the rural portions of the Township did not wish to financially support the construction and maintenance of a public sewer or water utility. Since that time rural Chester Township has relied upon individual private wells for water and septic systems for wastewater treatment while the Borough is primarily, although not entirely, served by public sewer and water. Concerns over the extension of utilities into the rural Township with the resultant potential for large scale growth served as an impediment to consolidation. The prohibition of utility extensions supported by the NJ State Plan and codified in the Highlands Water Protection Act, along with the development restrictions contained in the Highlands Act have lessened those concerns. Additionally, an aggressive land conservation program in the Township has resulted in over 40% of the 29 square miles (75.1 km²) Township being placed into permanent preservation, further lessening worries about potential over-development. The two municipalities currently share a common K-8 school district, volunteer fire department, library, first aid squad and other municipal services. Residents are concerned about the unknown costs of a merger and a disproportionate allocation of those costs.
The two mayors have publicly endorsed a cost/benefit analysis of a merger. Two past efforts failed so the towns are taking a slow and deliberate approach to determine the savings, if any.
Federal, state and county representation
Chester Borough is in the 11th Congressional district and is part of New Jersey's 24th state legislative district. The borough was relocated to the 25th state legislative district by the New Jersey Apportionment CommissionNew Jersey Apportionment Commission
The New Jersey Apportionment Commission is a constitutionally-created ten-member commission responsible for apportioning the forty districts of the New Jersey Legislature. The commission is convened after each decennial U.S. Census, and the districts are to be in use for the legislative elections...
based on the results of the 2010 Census. The new district is 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.
Politics
In recent years, on the national and state levels, Chester Borough leans very strongly toward the Republican PartyRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
. In the 2008 Presidential Election
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
, Republican John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
received 61% of the vote, defeating Democrat Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, who received around 38%. In the 2009 Gubernatorial Election
New Jersey gubernatorial election, 2009
The New Jersey gubernatorial election of 2009 took place on November 3, 2009. Democratic Governor Jon Corzine was running for a second term and was being challenged by Republican Chris Christie, Independent Christopher Daggett and nine others, in addition to several write-in candidates...
, Republican Chris Christie received 70% of the vote, defeating Democrat Jon Corzine
Jon Corzine
Jon Stevens Corzine is the former CEO of Goldman Sachs and of MF Global, and a one time American politician, who served as the 54th Governor of New Jersey from 2006 to 2010. A Democrat, Corzine served five years of a six-year U.S. Senate term representing New Jersey before being elected Governor...
, who received around 22%.
Education
Students in grades K-8 attend the Chester Township Public School DistrictChester Township Public School District
The Chester Township Public School District is a fully accredited elementary district responsible for the education of students in kindergarten through eighth grades...
, together with children from Chester Township
Chester Township, New Jersey
Chester Township is a township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 7,838....
. Schools in the district (with 2009-10 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
Dickerson Elementary School (grades K-2; 413 students),
Bragg Intermediate School (3-5; 465), and
Black River Middle School (6-8; 499). Dickerson and Bragg Schools are located on County Route 510
County Route 510 (New Jersey)
County Route 510 is a county highway in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The highway extends from North Road in Chester to McCarter Highway in Newark.A separate, westbound portion of CR 510 stretches through Morristown.-Morris County:...
, east of Chester Borough; Black River Middle School is on County Route 513
County Route 513 (New Jersey)
County Route 513 is a county highway in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The highway extends from Kingwood Avenue in Frenchtown to Lakeside Road in West Milford...
(North Road), north of Chester Borough.
Students in public school for grades nine through twelve in both communities attend West Morris Mendham High School
West Morris Mendham High School
West Morris Mendham High School is a four-year comprehensive regional public high school that serves students in ninth though twelfth grade as part of the West Morris Regional High School District. The school is located in Mendham Borough, New Jersey, United States...
, part of the West Morris Regional High School District
West Morris Regional High School District
The West Morris Regional High School District is a regional public high school district in New Jersey that serves students from the surrounding Morris County communities of Chester Borough , Chester Township , Mendham Borough , Mendham Township and from Washington Township...
, which serves students from the surrounding Morris County
Morris County, New Jersey
Morris County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, about west of New York City. According to the United States 2010 Census, the population was 492,276. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Morristown....
school districts of Chester Borough, Chester Township, Mendham Borough, Mendham Township
Mendham Township, New Jersey
Mendham Township is an affluent township in Morris County, in the central portion of northern New Jersey, United States, located more than due west of New York City. As of the 2000 United States Census, the township population was 5,400...
and from Washington Township
Washington Township, Morris County, New Jersey
Washington Township is a Township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 18,533. It's one of six municipalities in the state of New Jersey with the name Washington. Washington, New Jersey, in fact is only away...
.
Transportation
New Jersey TransitNew Jersey Transit
The New Jersey Transit Corporation is a statewide public transportation system serving the United States state of New Jersey, and New York, Orange, and Rockland counties in New York State...
local bus service was provided on the MCM4
PABCO Transit, Inc
PABCO Transit, Inc., doing business under the Morris County Metro brand, is a public transport company based in Dover, New Jersey operating local bus service in Morris County for New Jersey Transit. The company was originally called Passaic - Athena Bus Lines which operated service in Passaic and...
and MCM5
PABCO Transit, Inc
PABCO Transit, Inc., doing business under the Morris County Metro brand, is a public transport company based in Dover, New Jersey operating local bus service in Morris County for New Jersey Transit. The company was originally called Passaic - Athena Bus Lines which operated service in Passaic and...
routes until June 2010, until NJ Transit pulled the subsidy.
Chester is located at the point where County Route 513
County Route 513 (New Jersey)
County Route 513 is a county highway in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The highway extends from Kingwood Avenue in Frenchtown to Lakeside Road in West Milford...
(also known as old Route 24) and U.S. Route 206
U.S. Route 206
U.S. Route 206 is a long north–south United States highway in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, United States. Only about a half a mile of its length is in Pennsylvania; the Milford-Montague Toll Bridge carries it over the Delaware River into New Jersey, where it is the remainder of the route...
intersect.
External links
- Chester Borough website
- Chester Township Public School District
- Data for the Chester Township Public 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...
- West Morris Mendham High School
- West Morris Regional High School District
- Regional area newspaper