Bethlehem Township, New Jersey
Encyclopedia
Bethlehem Township falls under the 'Northern New Jersey
' climate zone. According to the Office of the New Jersey State Climatologist at Rutgers University
, the Northern climate zone covers about one-quarter of New Jersey and consists mainly of elevated highlands and valleys which are part of the Appalachian Uplands. Surrounded by land, this region can be characterized as having a continental climate
with minimal influence from the Atlantic Ocean
, except when the winds contain an easterly component. Prevailing winds are from the southwest in summer and from the northwest in winter. Being in the northernmost portion of the state, and with small mountains up to 1,800 feet in elevation, the Northern Zone normally exhibits a colder temperature regime than other climate regions of the State of New Jersey. This difference is most dramatic in winter when average temperatures in the Northern Zone can be more than ten degrees Fahrenheit cooler than in the Coastal Zone. Annual snowfall averages 40 to 50 inches in the northern zone as compared with an average of 10-15 inches in the extreme south.
of 2000, there were 3,820 people, 1,266 households, and 1,092 families residing in the township. The population density
was 183.3 people per square mile (70.8/km²). There were 1,303 housing units at an average density of 62.5 per square mile (24.1/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 97.51% White, 0.86% African American, 0.10% Native American, 1.02% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.03% from other races
, and 0.42% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.62% of the population.
There were 1,266 households out of which 43.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 80.3% were married couples
living together, 3.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 13.7% were non-families. 10.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.02 and the average family size was 3.26.
In the township the population was spread out with 29.5% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 29.4% from 45 to 64, and 6.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 101.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.9 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $88,048, and the median income for a family was $92,768. Males had a median income of $69,063 versus $41,806 for females. The per capita income
for the township was $35,298. None of the families and 1.0% of the population were living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and 10.0% of those over 64.
Population density: 183 people per square mile.
Most common first ancestries reported in Bethlehem township:
German (25.2%), Italian (14.7%), Irish (14.4%), Polish (9.2%), English (7.6%), United States or American (6.1%), French (except Basque) (3.3%)
Most common places of birth for the foreign-born residents:
India (22%), Germany (18%), United Kingdom (12%), Austria (9%), Russia (7%), Poland (5%), Netherlands (4%)
form of government with a five-member Township Committee. The Township Committee is elected directly by the voters in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with one or two seats coming up for election each year. At an annual reorganization meeting, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and another as Deputy Mayor.
, members of the Bethlehem Township Committee are Mayor
John Graefe (2011), Deputy Mayor
John Jimenez (2011), Greg Glazar (2013), Jennifer McClurg (2012) and John Meehan (2011).
Mine Road is the location of the Bethlehem Township Municipal buildings.
based on the results of the 2010 Census.
. Schools in the district (with 2005-06 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics
) are Thomas B. Conley School for grades K - 5 (325 students) and Ethel Hoppock Middle School for grades 6 - 8 (298 students).
Public school students in grades 9 through 12 attend North Hunterdon High School
in Annandale
as part of the North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District
. North Hunterdon High School serves students from Bethlehem Township, Clinton Town
, Clinton Township
, Franklin Township
, Lebanon Borough
and Union Township
.
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...
' climate zone. According to the Office of the New Jersey State Climatologist at Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
, the Northern climate zone covers about one-quarter of New Jersey and consists mainly of elevated highlands and valleys which are part of the Appalachian Uplands. Surrounded by land, this region can be characterized as having a continental climate
Continental climate
Continental climate is a climate characterized by important annual variation in temperature due to the lack of significant bodies of water nearby...
with minimal influence from the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
, except when the winds contain an easterly component. Prevailing winds are from the southwest in summer and from the northwest in winter. Being in the northernmost portion of the state, and with small mountains up to 1,800 feet in elevation, the Northern Zone normally exhibits a colder temperature regime than other climate regions of the State of New Jersey. This difference is most dramatic in winter when average temperatures in the Northern Zone can be more than ten degrees Fahrenheit cooler than in the Coastal Zone. Annual snowfall averages 40 to 50 inches in the northern zone as compared with an average of 10-15 inches in the extreme south.
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 3,820 people, 1,266 households, and 1,092 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 183.3 people per square mile (70.8/km²). There were 1,303 housing units at an average density of 62.5 per square mile (24.1/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 97.51% White, 0.86% African American, 0.10% Native American, 1.02% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.03% 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 0.42% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.62% of the population.
There were 1,266 households out of which 43.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 80.3% 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, 3.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 13.7% were non-families. 10.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.02 and the average family size was 3.26.
In the township the population was spread out with 29.5% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 29.4% from 45 to 64, and 6.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 101.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.9 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $88,048, and the median income for a family was $92,768. Males had a median income of $69,063 versus $41,806 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 $35,298. None of the families and 1.0% of the population were living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and 10.0% of those over 64.
Population density: 183 people per square mile.
Most common first ancestries reported in Bethlehem township:
German (25.2%), Italian (14.7%), Irish (14.4%), Polish (9.2%), English (7.6%), United States or American (6.1%), French (except Basque) (3.3%)
Most common places of birth for the foreign-born residents:
India (22%), Germany (18%), United Kingdom (12%), Austria (9%), Russia (7%), Poland (5%), Netherlands (4%)
Surrounding communities
Local government
Bethlehem Township is governed under the TownshipTownship (New Jersey)
A township, in the context of New Jersey local government, refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government. As a political entity, a township is a full-fledged municipality, on par with any town, city, borough, or village, collecting property taxes and providing...
form of government with a five-member Township Committee. The Township Committee is elected directly by the voters in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with one or two seats coming up for election each year. At an annual reorganization meeting, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and another as Deputy Mayor.
, members of the Bethlehem Township Committee are Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
John Graefe (2011), Deputy Mayor
Deputy Mayor
Deputy mayor is an elective or appointive office of the second-ranking official in many local governments. Many elected deputy mayors are members of the city council who are given the title and serve as acting mayor in the mayor's absence...
John Jimenez (2011), Greg Glazar (2013), Jennifer McClurg (2012) and John Meehan (2011).
Mine Road is the location of the Bethlehem Township Municipal buildings.
Federal, state and county representation
Bethlehem Township is in the 7th Congressional district and is part of New Jersey's 23rd state legislative district. The legislative district was kept unchanged 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.
Education
Students in public school for grades K through 8 attend the schools of the Bethlehem Township School DistrictBethlehem Township School District
The Bethlehem Township School District is a community public school district that serves students in kindergarten through eighth grade from Bethlehem Township, in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States....
. Schools in the district (with 2005-06 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 Thomas B. Conley School for grades K - 5 (325 students) and Ethel Hoppock Middle School for grades 6 - 8 (298 students).
Public school students in grades 9 through 12 attend North Hunterdon High School
North Hunterdon High School
North Hunterdon High School is a four-year public high school located in Clinton Township, New Jersey, serving students from six municipalities in northern Hunterdon County as one of two high schools in the North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District...
in Annandale
Annandale, New Jersey
Annandale is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located within Clinton Township, in Hunterdon County, New Jersey. As of the United States 2000 Census, the CDP population was 1,276...
as part of the North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District
North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District
The North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District is a regional, four-year public high school district, that serves students in grades 9-12 from twelve municipalities in northern Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States....
. North Hunterdon High School serves students from Bethlehem Township, Clinton Town
Clinton, New Jersey
Clinton is a Town in Hunterdon County, New Jersey on the South Branch of the Raritan River. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 2,719....
, Clinton Township
Clinton Township, New Jersey
Clinton Township is a Township in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the township population was 13,478....
, Franklin Township
Franklin Township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 2,990 people, 1,091 households, and 890 families residing in the township. The population density was 130.7 people per square mile . There were 1,125 housing units at an average density of 49.2 per square mile...
, Lebanon Borough
Lebanon, New Jersey
Lebanon is a Borough in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the borough population was 1,358.Lebanon was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 26, 1926, from portions of Clinton Township, based on the results of a...
and Union Township
Union Township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 6,160 people, 1,666 households, and 1,162 families residing in the township. The population density was 324.8 people per square mile . There were 1,725 housing units at an average density of 90.9 per square mile...
.
Points of interest
Spruce Run State Park and Reservoir is a New Jersey park located near Bethlehem Township in close-by Clinton Township. It is possible to walk or bike to Spruce Run from Bethlehem Township.Notable residents
Notable current and former residents of Bethlehem Township include:- John T. BirdJohn T. BirdJohn Taylor Bird was an American Democratic Party politician and businessman who represented New Jersey's 3rd congressional district from 1869 to 1873....
(1829–1911), former member of the United States House of Representatives - Johnston CornishJohnston CornishJohnston Cornish was an American Democratic Party politician who represented in the U.S. Representative from 1893 to 1895.-Biography:...
(1858–1920), represented New Jersey's 4th congressional districtNew Jersey's 4th congressional districtNew Jersey's 4th Congressional District elects one member of congress by the first past the post method, it is currently represented by Republican Chris Smith. He has represented the district since 1981....
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...
from 1893-1895. - Major General Paul J. Glazar: former Adjutant General- New Jersey
- Anne Marie Letko (born 1969), two-time Olympian in 1996 and 2000
- Daniel MorganDaniel MorganDaniel Morgan was an American pioneer, soldier, and United States Representative from Virginia. One of the most gifted battlefield tacticians of the American Revolutionary War, he later commanded troops during the suppression of the Whiskey Rebellion.-Early years:Most authorities believe that...
(1736–1802), Revolutionary War general and a United States Representative from the State of Virginia - James ParkerJames Parker (New Jersey)James Parker was a United States Representative from New Jersey.-Biography:Parker was born in Bethlehem, New Jersey and moved to Perth Amboy after the Revolution. He graduated from Columbia College of Columbia University in New York City in 1793.Parker engaged in the management and settlement of...
(1776–1868), member of the House of Representatives from New Jersey - Colonel Charles StewartCharles Stewart-UK people:* Charles Stewart , Scottish-born merchant and officeholder involved in the Somersett Case* Charles William Stewart later Charles William Vane, 3rd Marquess of Londonderry...
: Irish immigrant, member of Hunterdon County Militia in 1771
External links
- Official Municipal Website
- Hunterdon County page for Bethlehem Township
- Bethlehem Township School District
- Data for the Bethlehem 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...
- North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District
- Hunterdon Land Trust Alliance