Downe Township, New Jersey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Downe Township, New Jersey
Township
Township of Downe
Downe Township highlighted in Cumberland County. Inset map: Cumberland County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
Census Bureau map of Downe Township, New Jersey
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Country	United States
State	New Jersey
County	Cumberland
Royal charter	January 19, 1748
Incorporated	February 21, 1798
Government
• Type	Township
• Body	Township Committee
Area
• Total	54.26 sq mi (140.54 km2)
• Land	48.40 sq mi (125.36 km2)
• Water	5.86 sq mi (15.18 km2)  10.80%
Area rank	30th of 565 in state 3rd of 14 in county
Elevation	0 ft (0 m)
Population  (2010 Census)
• Total	1,585
• Estimate  (2019)	1,447
• Rank	510th of 566 in state 11th of 14 in county
• Density	32.6/sq mi (12.6/km2)
• Density rank	559th of 566 in state 14th of 14 in county
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Code	08315 - Dividing Creek 08321 - Fortescue 08345 - Newport 08349 - Port Norris, New Jersey
Area code(s)	856 exchange: 785
FIPS code	3401118220
GNIS feature ID	0882061

Downe Township is a township in Cumberland County, New Jersey, United States. It is part of the Vineland-Millville-Bridgeton Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area for statistical purposes. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 1,585, reflecting a decline of 46 (−2.8%) from the 1,631 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn declined by 71 (-4.2%) from the 1,702 counted in the 1990 Census.

What is now Downe Township was formed by Royal charter on January 19, 1748, as Downes Township, from portions of Fairfield Township. Downe Township was incorporated as one of New Jersey's initial 104 townships by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798. Portions of the township were taken to form Commercial Township on February 27, 1874. Downe Township is a dry township where alcohol cannot be sold.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 54.268 square miles (140.552 km²), including 48.606 square miles (125.888 km²) of land and 5.662 square miles (14.664 km²) of water (10.43%).

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Beadons Point, Beaver Dam, Dividing Creek, Dragston, Egg Island Point, False Egg Island Point, Fortescue, Gandys Beach, Little Neck, Money Island (surrounded by the Gandy's Beach nature preserve), Nantuxent Point, Newport, Newport Landing, Newport Neck, Newport Station, Shaws Mill, The Glades and Turkey Point.

Fortescue is known as the "weakfish capital of the world".

The township borders Lawrence Township, Millville, Commercial Township, and the Delaware Bay.

Demographics

Census 2010

As of the census of 2010, there were 1,585 people, 646 households, and 435 families residing in the township. The population density was 32.6 per square mile (12.6/km²). There were 996 housing units at an average density of 20.5 per square mile (7.9/km²)^*. The racial makeup of the township was 92.62% (1,468) White, 2.59% (41) Black or African American, 0.50% (8) Native American, 0.25% (4) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 1.64% (26) from other races, and 2.40% (38) from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.85% (61) of the population.

There were 646 households out of which 21.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.0% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.7% were non-families. 24.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the township, the population was spread out with 19.6% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 20.3% from 25 to 44, 33.2% from 45 to 64, and 20.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47.6 years. For every 100 females there were 97.9 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and old there were 98.6 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $45,250 (with a margin of error of +/- $5,437) and the median family income was $49,471 (+/- $9,499). Males had a median income of $36,739 (+/- $5,543) versus $32,841 (+/- $8,768) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $20,428 (+/- $2,019). About 6.7% of families and 14.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.5% of those under age 18 and 13.0% of those age 65 or over.

Census 2000

As of the 2000 United States Census there were 1,631 people, 658 households, and 438 families residing in the township. The population density was 32.1 people per square mile (12.4/km²). There were 1,134 housing units at an average density of 22.3 per square mile (8.6/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 91.05% White, 4.84% African American, 1.47% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.98% from other races, and 1.47% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.37% of the population.

There were 658 households, out of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.1% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.3% were non-families. 27.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.3% 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 3.03.

In the township the population was spread out, with 23.5% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 27.0% from 45 to 64, and 18.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 107.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.7 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $34,667, and the median income for a family was $39,375. Males had a median income of $35,000 versus $26,397 for females. The per capita income for the township was $17,366. About 11.5% of families and 13.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.1% of those under age 18 and 14.4% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

CR 553 in Downe Township

As of May 2010^[update], the township had a total of 54.68 miles (88.00 km) of roadways, of which 21.99 miles (35.39 km) were maintained by the municipality and 32.69 miles (52.61 km) by Cumberland County.

County Route 553 and County Route 555 are the main roads serving Downe Township.

Education

The Downe Township School District serves public school students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade at Downe Township School. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of one school, had an enrollment of 186 students and 17.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.9:1. In the 2016–17 school year, Downe had the 38th smallest enrollment of any school district in the state, with 185 students.

Public school students in ninth through twelfth grades attend Bridgeton High School in Bridgeton, as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Bridgeton Public Schools. As of the 2018–19 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 1,404 students and 112.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.5:1.

Students are also eligible to attend Cumberland County Technology Education Center in Vineland, serving students from the entire county in its full-time technical training programs, which are offered without charge to students who are county residents.