Stafford Township, New Jersey
Encyclopedia
Transportation
Stafford is served by a few major roads. CR 539County Route 539 (New Jersey)
County Route 539, abbreviated CR 539, is a county highway in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The highway extends from Main Street in Tuckerton to U.S. Route 130 in Cranbury Township. However, signage on CR 539 suggests that it crosses U.S...
passes through in the western part. U.S. Route 9 passes north-south through the center of the township and Route 72 is the main artery that passes from the northwest to the southeast. The Garden State Parkway
Garden State Parkway
The Garden State Parkway is a 172.4-mile limited-access toll parkway that stretches the length of New Jersey from the New York line at Montvale, New Jersey, to Cape May at New Jersey's southernmost tip. Its name refers to New Jersey's nickname, the "Garden State." Most New Jersey residents refer...
also passes through and intersects with Route 72 at Exit 63.
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 22,532 people, 8,535 households, and 6,435 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 484.3 people per square mile (187.0/km²). There were 11,522 housing units at an average density of 247.6 per square mile (95.6/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 96.79% White, 0.74% African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.96% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.51% 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 0.88% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.41% of the population.
There were 8,535 households out of which 31.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.6% 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, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.6% were non-families. 20.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the township the population was spread out with 23.8% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 18.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 94.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.8 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $52,269, and the median income for a family was $59,072. Males had a median income of $44,706 versus $30,687 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 $25,397. About 2.3% of families and 4.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.0% of those under age 18 and 6.1% of those age 65 or over.
Local government
Stafford Township is governed by a Faulkner ActFaulkner Act (New Jersey)
The Optional Municipal Charter Law or Faulkner Act provides New Jersey municipalities with a variety of models of local government. This legislation is called the Faulkner Act in honor of the late Bayard H...
form of New Jersey municipal government under the Small Municipality
Faulkner Act (Small Municipality)
The Faulkner Act, or Optional Municipal Charter Law, provides for New Jersey municipalities to adopt a Small Municipality form of government...
plan by a Mayor and Six Township Council members. The Mayor and Council members are elected to three-year terms on a concurrent basis in partisan elections, with terms of all current elected officials ending on June 30, 2009. The Mayor can vote on all issues. This seven-member governing body is empowered to enact local ordinances, to levy municipal taxes and conduct the affairs of the community.
The current mayor of Stafford Township is John Spodofora. Members of the Stafford Township Council are Kathleen Corbett, William Fessler, Robert Kusznikow, Joanne Sitek, and Stan Rutkowski.
Federal, state and county representation
Stafford Township is in the 3rd Congressional district and is part of New Jersey's 9th Legislative District.Education
For grades K through 6, public school students attend the Stafford Township School DistrictStafford Township School District
The Stafford Township School District is a community public school district that serves students in Pre-Kindergarten through Sixth grade from Stafford Township, in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States....
, which serves 2,727 students in Pre-Kindergarten through 6th grade. Schools in the district (with 2008-09 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 Ronald L. Meinders Primary Learning Center with 295 students in Pre-K and kindergarten, Ocean Acres School with 511 students and
Oxycocus School with 217 students, which both serve grades 1 to 2, McKinley Avenue School with 716 students in grades 3 and 4, and
Stafford Intermediate School
Stafford Intermediate School
Stafford Township Intermediate School is a public primary school in Stafford Township, New Jersey. It serves fifth and sixth grade students.It also has a place called the Stafford Township Arts Center that is connected to the school and is held to run assemblies...
which has an enrollment of 744 students in grades 5 and 6.
For grades 7 through 12, public school students attend the Southern Regional Middle School (grades 7 and 8) and Southern Regional High School
Southern Regional High School
Southern Regional High School is a regional public high school in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States, serving students in grades 9 - 12 and operating as part of the Southern Regional School District. The school is located on of wooded land, upon which future projects are to be completed...
(grades 9 - 12). These schools are part of the Southern Regional School District
Southern Regional School District
The Southern Regional School District is a regional public school district in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States, serving students in grades 7–12...
, which serves the five municipalities in the Long Beach Island Consolidated School District
Long Beach Island Consolidated School District
The Long Beach Island Consolidated School District is a regional consolidated public school district which serves students in kindergarten through sixth grade from five communities bordering the Atlantic Ocean on Long Beach Island, in Ocean County, New Jersey...
— Barnegat Light
Barnegat Light, New Jersey
Barnegat Light is a Borough in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the borough population was 574. The borough borders the Atlantic Ocean on Long Beach Island and is home to Barnegat Lighthouse....
, Harvey Cedars
Harvey Cedars, New Jersey
Harvey Cedars is a Borough in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the borough population was 337. The borough borders the Atlantic Ocean on Long Beach Island....
, Long Beach Township
Long Beach Township, New Jersey
Long Beach Township is a Walsh Act Township in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the township population was 3,051....
, Ship Bottom
Ship Bottom, New Jersey
Ship Bottom is a Borough in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the borough population was 1,156. The borough is located on Long Beach Island and borders the Atlantic Ocean....
and Surf City
Surf City, New Jersey
Surf City is a borough in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 1,205. The borough borders the Atlantic Ocean on Long Beach Island....
— along with students students from Beach Haven
Beach Haven, New Jersey
Beach Haven is a Borough in Ocean County, New Jersey in the United States. The borough is located on Long Beach Island and borders the Atlantic Ocean...
and Stafford Township and Ocean Township
Ocean Township, Ocean County, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 6,450 people, 2,446 households, and 1,743 families residing in the township. The population density was 310.1 people per square mile . There were 2,981 housing units at an average density of 143.3 per square mile...
who attend as part of 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...
s. The current district population is approximately 3,000 students. Both schools are in the Manahawkin
Manahawkin, New Jersey
Manahawkin is a census-designated place and unincorporated area contained within Stafford Township, in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. Manahawkin translates to 'land of good corn' although this has been disputed by recent scholars claiming that it translate to “fertile land sloping into...
section of the township.
Also seated in Manahawkin is the Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Science
Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Science
The Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Science is a comprehensive, selective magnet public high school with a focus on marine and environmental science that is part of the Ocean County Vocational School District...
. It is located on a hill on the outskirts of the Southern Regional School District. MATES is a comprehensive and challenging career high school. It is part of the Ocean County Vocational School District.
Notable residents
Notable current and former residents of Stafford Township include:- Doc CramerDoc CramerRoger Maxwell Cramer [Doc] was an American center fielder and left-handed batter in Major League Baseball who played for four American League teams from 1929 to 1948.-Career:...
(1905–90), center fielderCenter fielderA center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball fielding position between left field and right field...
who played for four American LeagueAmerican LeagueThe American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
teams from 1929 to 1948. - Clark HarrisClark HarrisClark Harris is an American football long snapper and tight end for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
(born 1984), long snapperLong snapperIn American football and Canadian football, the term long snapper refers to a player who is a specialized center during punts, field goals, and extra point attempts. His job is to snap the ball as quickly and accurately as possible....
/ tight endTight endThe tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
for the Cincinnati BengalsCincinnati BengalsThe Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
. - Paul JohnsonPaul Marshall Johnson, Jr.Paul Marshall Johnson, Jr. was an American helicopter engineer who lived in Saudi Arabia. He was a native of both Stafford and Eagleswood, New Jersey...
(1955–2004), a native of Stafford Township, was beheaded in Saudi ArabiaSaudi ArabiaThe Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
by a group connected to Al-QaedaAl-QaedaAl-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
. - William A. NewellWilliam A. NewellWilliam Augustus Newell , was an American physician and politician, who was a three-term member of the United States House of Representatives, served as a Republican as the 18th Governor of New Jersey, and as Governor of the Washington Territory from 1880-1884...
(1817–1901), Governor of New JerseyGovernor of New JerseyThe Office of the Governor of New Jersey is the executive branch for the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of Governor is an elected position, for which elected officials serve four year terms. While individual politicians may serve as many terms as they can be elected to, Governors cannot be...
who represented the state in the United States House of RepresentativesUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
. - Martin Truex, Jr. (born 1980), a NASCARNASCARThe National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
Sprint Cup driver who currently pilots the #56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota CamryToyota CamryThe Toyota Camry is a series of mid-size automobiles manufactured by Toyota since 1982, and sold in the majority of automotive markets throughout the world...
lived in the Mayetta section of Stafford. His brother, Ryan TruexRyan TruexRyan Truex is a NASCAR driver. He currently drives the #20 Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Nationwide Series.-Early Racing Career:...
(born 1992), also competes in NASCAR.
External links
- Stafford Township website
- Stafford Township School District
- Data for the Stafford Township 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...
- Stafford Township Volunteer Fire Company Station 47
- Southern Regional School District
- Ocean County Vocational Technical School District
- Stafford Branch of Ocean County Library