| Irvington, New Jersey | |
|---|---|
| — Township — | |
| Map of Irvington in Essex County. Inset: Essex County highlighted in the State of New Jersey. | |
| Census Bureau map of Irvington, New Jersey | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New Jersey |
| County | Essex |
| Incorporated | March 27, 1874 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Township |
| • Mayor | Wayne Smith (term ends 2014)[1] |
| • Administrator | Wayne Bradley[2] |
| Area[3] | |
| • Total | 2.96 sq mi (7.7 km2) |
| • Land | 2.96 sq mi (7.7 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation[4] | 154 ft (47 m) |
| Population (2010 Census)[5][6] | |
| • Total | 53,926 |
| • Density | 18,218.2/sq mi (7,003.4/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 07111[7] |
| Area code(s) | 862/973 |
| FIPS code | 34-34450[8][9] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0877363[10] |
| Website | http://www.irvington.net |
Irvington is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township had a total population of 53,926, a decline of 11.2% from the 60,695 residents enumerated in the 2000 Census.[5]
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Irvington is located at (40.725651, -74.232076).[11]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 2.96 square miles (7.7 km2), all of its land.[3]
It is bordered by Maplewood to the west, Newark to the east, Hillside to the south, South Orange to the northwest, and Union to the southwest.
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 1,677 |
|
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| 1900 | 5,255 |
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| 1910 | 11,877 | 126.0% | |
| 1920 | 25,480 | 114.5% | |
| 1930 | 56,733 | 122.7% | |
| 1940 | 55,328 | −2.5% | |
| 1950 | 59,201 | 7.0% | |
| 1960 | 59,379 | 0.3% | |
| 1970 | 59,743 | 0.6% | |
| 1980 | 61,493 | 2.9% | |
| 1990 | 61,018 | −0.8% | |
| 2000 | 60,695 | −0.5% | |
| 2010 | 53,926 | −11.2% | |
| Population sources: 1930-1990[12] 2000[13] 2010[5][6][14][13][15] |
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As of the 2010 United States Census Bureau, there were 53,926 people, 20,093 households, and 12,837 families residing in the township. The racial makeup of the township was 5.6% White, 85.4% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 5.4% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.6% of the population.[6]
As of the census[8] of 2000, there were 60,695 people, 22,032 households, and 14,408 families residing in the township. The population density was 20,528.3 people per square mile (7,917.1/km2). There were 24,116 housing units at an average density of 8,156.5 per square mile (3,145.7/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 8.97% White, 81.66% African American, 0.24% Native American, 1.10% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 3.68% from other races, and 4.24% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.38% of the population.[13]
As part of the 2000 Census, 81.66% of Irvington's residents identified themselves as being Black or African American. This was one of the highest percentages of African American people in the United States, and the third-highest in New Jersey (behind Lawnside at 93.6%, and East Orange at 89.46%) of all places with 1,000 or more residents identifying their ancestry.[16]
There were 22,032 households out of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 30.2% were married couples living together, 27.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.6% were non-families. 29.3% 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 2.74 and the average family size was 3.39.[13]
In the township the population was spread out with 28.0% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 32.3% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 7.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 87.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.5 males.[13]
The median income for a household in the township was $36,575, and the median income for a family was $41,098. Males had a median income of $32,043 versus $27,244 for females. The per capita income for the township was $16,874. About 15.8% of families and 17.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.9% of those under age 18 and 12.2% of those age 65 or over.[13]
Irvington experienced the crack epidemic of the 1980s and the city still struggles with the aftermath today. The city still has a violent crime rate six times higher than New Jersey overall and a murder rate eight times higher than statewide statistics. As of 2007, the New Jersey State Police reported that Irvington had a violent crime rate of 22.4 incidents per 1,000 population, the highest of all 15 major urban areas in the state.[17]
Clinton Township, which included what is now Irvington, Maplewood and parts of Newark and South Orange, was created on April 14, 1834.[18] The area was known as Camptown until the mid-1800s. In 1850, after Stephen Foster published his ballad, Camptown Races, residents were concerned that the activities described in the song would be associated with their community. The town was renamed, Irvingtown, in honor of Washington Irving.[19]
Irvington was incorporated as an independent village on March 27, 1874, from portions of Clinton Township.[19] What remained of Clinton Township was absorbed into Newark on March 5, 1902.[18] On March 2, 1898, Irvington was incorporated as a Town, replacing Irvington Village.[18] Laws approved in Trenton in both 1903 and 1908 that would have annexed Irvington to Newark were rejected by local voters.[18]
The 1967 Newark riots hastened an exodus of families from that city, many of them moving the few short blocks to Irvington. Until 1965, Irvington was almost exclusively white. By 1980, the town was nearly 40% black, by 1990 it was 70%. On July 1, 1980, Fred Bost, the first black to serve on the Town Council, was sworn in as East Ward Councilman.[20] Michael G. Steele, the town's first black mayor, was elected in 1990, followed by Sara B. Bost in 1994. The current Mayor is Wayne Smith.[19]
Irvington is governed under the Faulkner Act (Mayor-Council) form of municipal government. The mayor and the seven-member council are elected in non-partisan elections held every other year on the second Tuesday in May to four-year terms of office. The mayor and the three at-large seats are elected together and two years later the four ward seats are elected. The council selects a president, first vice president and second vice president from among its members at a reorganization meeting held after each election.[21] The council is the legislative body of the township and needs a ⅔ majority to make changes to the budget submitted by the mayor. The mayor is the township's chief executive and is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations and submitting a budget, but is not eligible to vote on the council and is not required to attend its meetings.[22]
As of 2011[update], the mayor of Irvington is Wayne Smith. Members of the Township Council are President John Sowell (West Ward), First Vice President Quinzell R. McKenzie (East Ward), Second Vice President D. Bilal Beasley (At-Large), Lebby C. Jones (At-Large), Sandra R. Jones (South Ward), David Lyons (North Ward) and Andrea C. McElroy (At-Large).[22]
Irvington is in the 10th Congressional district and is part of New Jersey's 28th state legislative district.[23] The legislative district was kept unchanged by the New Jersey Apportionment Commission based on the results of the 2010 Census.[24]
New Jersey's Tenth Congressional District is represented by Donald M. Payne (D, Newark). New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).
28th District of the New Jersey Legislature, which is represented in the New Jersey Senate by Ronald Rice (D, Newark) and in the New Jersey General Assembly by Ralph R. Caputo (D, Belleville) and Cleopatra Tucker (D, Newark).[25] The Governor of New Jersey is Chris Christie (R, Mendham).[26] The Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey is Kim Guadagno (R, Monmouth Beach).[27]
Essex County's County Executive is Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr.[28] The executive, along with the Board of Chosen Freeholders administer all county business. The county's Board of Chosen Freeholders consists of nine members, four elected on an at-large basis and one from each of five wards, who serve terms of office on a concurrent basis.[29] As of 2011 Essex County's Freeholders are Freeholder President Blonnie R. Watson (at large)[30], Freeholder Vice President Ralph R. Caputo (District 5)[31], Rufus I. Johnson (at large)[32], Donald M. Payne, Jr. (at large)[33], Patricia Sebold (at large)[34], Samuel Gonzalez (District 1)[35], D. Bilal Beasley (District 2)[36], Carol Y. Clark (District 3)[37] and Linda Lordi Cavanaugh (District 4).[38][39]
In recent years, on the national level, Irvington leans strongly toward the Democratic Party. In 2008, Democrat Barack Obama received 97% of the vote here, defeating Republican John McCain.[40]
The Irvington Public Schools serve students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. The district is one of 31 Abbott Districts statewide.[41] As of the 2009-10 school year, the district's 12 schools had an enrollment of 7,976 students.[42] Schools in the district (with 2009-10 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[43]) are Augusta Preschool Academy (301 students), eight K-5 elementary schools — Berkeley Terrace School (461), Chancellor Avenue School (443), Florence Avenue School (544), Grove Street School (363), Madison Avenue School (311), Thurgood G. Marshall School (397), Mount Vernon Avenue School (1,330) and University Elementary School (532) — both Union Avenue Middle School (791) and University Middle School (711) for grades 6-8, along with Irvington High School (1,521) for grades 9-12. Irvington High School was the 287th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 322 schools statewide, in New Jersey Monthly magazine's September 2010 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", after being ranked 307th in 2008 out of 316 schools.[44]
Portions of Irvington are part of an Urban Enterprise Zone. In addition to other benefits to encourage employment within the Zone, shoppers can take advantage of a reduced 3½% sales tax rate (versus the 7% rate charged statewide).[45]
Irvington is served by New Jersey Transit bus routes 107 to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan; the 1, 13, 25, 27, 37, 39, 42, 70, 90 and 94 to Newark; and local service on the 26, 96 and 979 routes.[46]
Scheduled airline service is available at Newark Liberty International Airport in neighboring Newark and Elizabeth.
Taxi service is provided primarily by Red Top Taxi and Irvington Cab, the two largest cab companies in the town. Numerous smaller companies (often "gypsy cabs") are also available.
A few major roads pass through Irvington. Local roads include County Road 509 and Route 124. Major highways include I-78 which passes through very briefly along the southeastern border at Exit 54. The Garden State Parkway also runs through the center and is accessible from Exit 143 and Exit 144.
Notable current and former residents of Irvington include:
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