Bellmawr, New Jersey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bellmawr, New Jersey
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Borough
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Big Timber Creek in Bellmawr
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| Motto(s):
Progress Never Stops
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Location of Bellmawr in Camden County highlighted in red (right). Inset map: Location of Camden County in New Jersey highlighted in orange (left).
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Census Bureau map of Bellmawr, New Jersey
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 Bellmawr, New Jersey
Location in Camden County, New Jersey
Bellmawr, New Jersey
Location in New Jersey
Bellmawr, New Jersey
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  New Jersey |
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| County | Camden | |
| Incorporated | April 21, 1926 | |
| Named for | Ernest C. Bell | |
| Government | ||
| • Type | Borough | |
| • Body | Borough Council | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 3.11 sq mi (8.05 km2) | |
| • Land | 2.98 sq mi (7.73 km2) | |
| • Water | 0.12 sq mi (0.32 km2) 3.92% | |
| Area rank | 329nd of 565 in state 12th of 37 in county |
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| Elevation | 66 ft (20 m) | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 11,707 | |
| • Estimate
(2023)
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11,724 | |
| • Rank | 216th of 565 in state 11th of 37 in county |
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| • Density | 3,923.3/sq mi (1,514.8/km2) | |
| • Density rank | 168th of 565 in state 21st of 37 in county |
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| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST)) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT)) | |
| ZIP Codes |
08031, 08099
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| Area code(s) | 856 | |
| FIPS code | 3400704750 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 0885154 | |
Bellmawr (pronounced "BELL-mar") is a borough in Camden County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 11,707, an increase of 124 (+1.1%) from the 2010 census count of 11,583, which in turn reflected an increase of 321 (+2.9%) from the 11,262 counted in the 2000 census.
Bellmawr is home to the main post office for the area, one of the largest in the state of New Jersey, handling an average of 4.5 million pieces of mail daily.
Contents
History
Bellmawr was authorized to incorporate as a borough on March 23, 1926, from portions of the now-defunct Centre Township, and was made independent based on the results of a referendum held on April 21, 1926. The boroughs of Mount Ephraim, Runnemede and Lawnside were also created in the same two-day period. The borough was named for Ernest C. Bell, who owned a farm in the area.
In late October 2001, the Bellmawr post office was closed due to possible anthrax contamination in the wake of the 2001 anthrax attacks. The office was re-opened several days later, in early November, after testing negative for anthrax.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 3.11 square miles (8.05 km2), including 2.98 square miles (7.73 km2) of land and 0.12 square miles (0.32 km2) of water (3.92%).
The borough borders the municipalities of Barrington, Brooklawn, Gloucester City, Haddon Heights, Mount Ephraim, and Runnemede in Camden County; and Deptford Township and Westville, both in Gloucester County.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1930 | 1,123 | — | |
| 1940 | 1,250 | 11.3% | |
| 1950 | 5,213 | 317.0% | |
| 1960 | 11,853 | 127.4% | |
| 1970 | 15,618 | 31.8% | |
| 1980 | 13,721 | −12.1% | |
| 1990 | 12,603 | −8.1% | |
| 2000 | 11,262 | −10.6% | |
| 2010 | 11,583 | 2.9% | |
| 2020 | 11,707 | 1.1% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 11,724 | 1.2% | |
| Population sources:1930–2000 1930 1940–2000 2000 2010 2020 |
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2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 11,583 people, 4,670 households, and 3,068 families in the borough. The population density was 3,887.7 per square mile (1,501.0/km2). There were 4,883 housing units at an average density of 1,638.9 per square mile (632.8/km2). The racial makeup was 86.44% (10,012) White, 2.46% (285) Black or African American, 0.15% (17) Native American, 5.86% (679) Asian, 0.06% (7) Pacific Islander, 3.38% (392) from other races, and 1.65% (191) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.68% (890) of the population.
Of the 4,670 households, 26.3% had children under the age of 18; 47.5% were married couples living together; 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present and 34.3% were non-families. Of all households, 29.4% were made up of individuals and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.06.
20.3% of the population were under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 27.9% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.3 years. For every 100 females, the population had 95.9 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 93.8 males.
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $56,182 (with a margin of error of ± $3,809) and the median family income was $66,947 (± $3,353). Males had a median income of $47,251 (± $3,082) versus $39,932 (± $4,677) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $25,961 (± $1,460). About 7.3% of families and 9.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.9% of those under age 18 and 4.0% of those age 65 or over.
Education
The Bellmawr School District serves public school students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. As of the 2019–20 school year, the district, comprised of three schools, had an enrollment of 1,225 students and 99.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.3:1. Schools in the district (with 2019–20 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Bellmawr Park Elementary School with 476 students in grades Pre-K–4, Ethel M. Burke Elementary School with 248 students in grades K–4 and Bell Oaks Upper Elementary School with 484 students in grades 5–8.
For ninth through twelfth grades, public-school students attend Triton Regional High School in neighboring Runnemede, one of three high schools that are part of the Black Horse Pike Regional School District. The other communities in the district are Gloucester Township and Runnemede. As of the 2019–2020 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 1,154 students and 91.4 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.6:1. The two other schools in the district are Highland Regional High School and Timber Creek Regional High School, which serve students from Gloucester Township, based on their address. The district is governed by a nine-member board of education that oversees the operation of the district; seats on the board are allocated to the constituent municipalities based on population, with one seat allocated to Bellmawr.
Students from Bellmawr, and from all of Camden County, are eligible to attend the Camden County Technical Schools, a countywide public school district that serves the vocational and technical education needs of students at the high school and post-secondary level at Gloucester Township Technical High School in the Sicklerville section of Gloucester Township or Pennsauken Technical High School in Pennsauken Township. Students are accepted based on district admission standards and costs of attendance and transportation are covered by the home district of each student.
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Regional School in Barrington was formed in September 2008 through a merger of Bellmawr's Annunciation Regional School and Barrington's St. Francis de Sales Regional School. With an enrollment of about 150 students, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden announced in June 2009 that the newly combined school would be closed.
Transportation
Roads and highways
As of May 2010[update], the borough had a total of 45.98 miles (74.00 km) of roadways, of which 34.87 miles (56.12 km) were maintained by the municipality, 5.62 miles (9.04 km) by Camden County, 4.57 miles (7.35 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and 0.92 miles (1.48 km) by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.
The New Jersey Turnpike is the most prominent highway passing through Bellmawr. It crosses the southern part of the borough, and part of interchange 3 is located within Bellmawr. Both the interchange and the toll gate (which features six lanes at the gate) runs along the border with Runnemede. Bellmawr also hosts the interchange between the "North-South Freeway" (Route 42 / Interstate 76) and Interstate 295. Additional significant roads that pass through Bellmawr include Route 168 and a very small portion of U.S. Route 130. The only major county road that passes through Bellmawr is County Route 551 Spur in the western part of the borough.
Public transportation
NJ Transit bus service is available in the borough on the 400 route between Sicklerville and Philadelphia.
Notable people
People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Bellmawr include:
- Rob Andrews (born 1957), congressman who served for 24 years as the U.S. representative for New Jersey's 1st congressional district
- Walter Rand (1919–1995), politician who served in both the New Jersey General Assembly and New Jersey Senate who focused on transportation issues
- Joseph J. Roberts (born 1952), politician who served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1987 to 2010, who was Speaker of the Assembly from 2006 to 2010
- Buddy Robinson (born 1991), professional ice hockey player with the Calgary Flames
- Eric Robinson (born 1995), ice hockey winger for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League
