Downe Township, New Jersey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Downe Township, New Jersey
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Township
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Fortescue Beach in Downe Township
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Location of Downe Township in Cumberland County highlighted in red (right). Inset map: Location of Cumberland County in New Jersey highlighted in red (left).
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Census Bureau map of Downe Township, New Jersey
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 Downe Township, New Jersey
Location in Cumberland County, New Jersey
Downe Township, New Jersey
Location in New Jersey
Downe Township, 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 | 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 |
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| Elevation | 0 ft (0 m) | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 1,399 | |
| • Estimate
(2023)
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1,382 | |
| • Rank | 517th of 565 in state 11th of 14 in county |
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| • Density | 28.9/sq mi (11.2/km2) | |
| • Density rank | 560th of 565 in state 14th of 14 in county |
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| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST)) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT)) | |
| ZIP Code | ||
| Area code(s) | 856 exchange: 785 | |
| FIPS code | 3401118220 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 0882061 | |
Downe Township is a township in Cumberland County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is part of the Vineland-Bridgeton metropolitan statistical area for statistical purposes. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 1,399, a decrease of 186 (−11.7%) from the 2010 census count of 1,585, which in turn reflected decline of 46 (−2.8%) from the 1,631 counted in the 2000 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 is not allowed to be sold by law.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Downe Township had a total area of 54.26 square miles (140.54 km2), including 48.40 square miles (125.36 km2) of land and 5.86 square miles (15.18 km2) of water (10.80%).
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 was once known as the "weakfish capital of the world", though the population of the fish has sharply declined, sharply impacting the economic vitality of the area.
The township borders the Cumberland County municipalities of Commercial Township, Lawrence Township and Millville, along with the Delaware Bay.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1810 | 1,501 | — | |
| 1820 | 1,749 | 16.5% | |
| 1830 | 1,923 | 9.9% | |
| 1840 | 1,920 | −0.2% | |
| 1850 | 2,341 | 21.9% | |
| 1860 | 3,114 | 33.0% | |
| 1870 | 3,385 | 8.7% | |
| 1880 | 1,687 | * | −50.2% |
| 1890 | 1,793 | 6.3% | |
| 1900 | 1,833 | 2.2% | |
| 1910 | 1,519 | −17.1% | |
| 1920 | 1,322 | −13.0% | |
| 1930 | 1,574 | 19.1% | |
| 1940 | 1,546 | −1.8% | |
| 1950 | 1,786 | 15.5% | |
| 1960 | 1,870 | 4.7% | |
| 1970 | 1,777 | −5.0% | |
| 1980 | 1,803 | 1.5% | |
| 1990 | 1,702 | −5.6% | |
| 2000 | 1,631 | −4.2% | |
| 2010 | 1,585 | −2.8% | |
| 2020 | 1,399 | −11.7% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 1,382 | −12.8% | |
| Population sources: 1810–2000 1810–1920 1840 1850–1870 1850 1870 1880–1890 1890–1910 1910–1930 1940–2000 2000 2010 2020 * = Lost territory in previous decade |
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2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 1,585 people, 646 households, and 435 families 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 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 or Latino of any race were 3.85% (61) of the population.
Of the 646 households, 21.8% had children under the age of 18; 52.0% were married couples living together; 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present and 32.7% were non-families. Of all households, 24.9% 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.
19.6% of the population were 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, the population had 97.9 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older 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.
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 Technical Education Center in Vineland, serving students from the entire county in its full-time technical training programs, which are offered without charge to students, paid for by tax dollars of those who are county residents.
Transportation
_at_Campbell_Street_and_Marts_Lane_in_Downe_Township,_Cumberland_County,_New_Jersey.jpg)
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.
