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Manchester Township, New Jersey
Township
Township of Manchester
Historical marker commemorating the site of the Hindenburg disaster in Manchester Township
Historical marker commemorating the site of the Hindenburg disaster in Manchester Township
Nickname(s): 
The Great Pine City
Map of Manchester Township in Ocean County. Inset: Location of Ocean County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
Map of Manchester Township in Ocean County. Inset: Location of Ocean County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
Census Bureau map of Manchester Township, New Jersey
Census Bureau map of Manchester Township, New Jersey
Country  United States
State  New Jersey
County Ocean
Incorporated April 6, 1865
Named for Manchester, England
Government
 • Type Faulkner Act (mayor–council)
 • Body Township Council
Area
 • Total 82.51 sq mi (213.70 km2)
 • Land 81.42 sq mi (210.87 km2)
 • Water 1.09 sq mi (2.83 km2)  1.32%
Area rank 9th of 565 in state
3rd of 33 in county
Elevation
154 ft (47 m)
Population
 • Total 45,115
 • Estimate 
(2019)
43,723
 • Rank 45th of 566 in state
5th of 33 in county
 • Density 527.7/sq mi (203.7/km2)
 • Density rank 442nd of 566 in state
28th of 33 in county
Time zone UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Codes
08733 and 08759
Area code(s) 732
FIPS code 3402943140
GNIS feature ID 0882077
Website

Manchester Township is a township in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. The township is noted for containing the Lakehurst Naval Air Station, the site of the infamous Hindenburg disaster of May 6, 1937. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 43,070, reflecting an increase of 4,142 (+10.6%) from the 38,928 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 2,952 (+8.2%) from the 35,976 counted in the 1990 Census. The 2010 population was the highest recorded in any decennial census.

Manchester Township was incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 6, 1865, from portions of Dover Township (now Toms River Township). Portions of the township were taken to form Lakehurst on April 7, 1921. The township was named by William Torrey for Manchester, England.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 82.694 square miles (214.177 km2), including 81.620 square miles (211.395 km2) of land and 1.074 square miles (2.782 km2) of water (1.30%).

Cedar Glen Lakes (with a 2010 Census population of 1,421), Cedar Glen West (1,267), Crestwood Village (7,907), Leisure Knoll (2,490), Leisure Village West (3,493), Pine Lake Park (8,707) and Pine Ridge at Crestwood (2,369) are all unincorporated communities and census-designated places (CDPs) located within Manchester Township. Leisure Village West-Pine Lake Park had been a combined CDP through the 2000 United States Census and was split as of the 2010 enumeration.

Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Beckerville, Boyds Hotel, Brainards, Brick Yards, Buckingham, Giberson, Goose Pond, Horican, Keswick Grove, Old Halfway, Pasadena, Pine Lake Park Estates, Ridgeway, Roosevelt City and Whiting.

The township borders Berkeley Township, Jackson Township, Lacey Township, Plumsted Township and Toms River Township in Ocean County; and both Pemberton Township and Woodland Township in Burlington County. The township completely surrounds the independent borough of Lakehurst, making it part of 21 pairs of "doughnut towns" in the state, where one municipality entirely surrounds another.

Manchester's largest development, Pine Lake Park, is known for its man-made lake, Pine Lake, built in the 1970s.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1870 1,102
1880 1,057 −4.1%
1890 1,057 0.0%
1900 1,033 −2.3%
1910 1,112 7.6%
1920 1,034 −7.0%
1930 1,009 −2.4%
1940 918 −9.0%
1950 1,758 91.5%
1960 3,779 115.0%
1970 7,550 99.8%
1980 27,987 270.7%
1990 35,976 28.5%
2000 38,928 8.2%
2010 43,070 10.6%
2019 (est.) 43,723 1.5%
Population sources:
1870-2000 1870-1920
1870 1880-1890
1890-1910 1910-1930
1930-1990 2000 2010
* = Lost territory in previous decade.

Census 2020

The 2020 United States census counted 45,115 people in the Township.

Census 2010

As of the census of 2010, there were 43,070 people, 22,840 households, and 11,694 families residing in the township. The population density was 527.7 per square mile (203.7/km2). There were 25,886 housing units at an average density of 317.2 per square mile (122.5/km2)*. The racial makeup of the township was 92.00% (39,623) White, 3.84% (1,654) Black or African American, 0.09% (38) Native American, 1.78% (768) Asian, 0.02% (10) Pacific Islander, 1.11% (479) from other races, and 1.16% (498) from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.79% (2,062) of the population.

There were 22,840 households out of which 9.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.5% were married couples living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 48.8% were non-families. 45.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 36.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.85 and the average family size was 2.55.

In the township, the population was spread out with 10.3% under the age of 18, 3.7% from 18 to 24, 12.6% from 25 to 44, 23.3% from 45 to 64, and 50.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 65.1 years. For every 100 females there were 74.5 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and old there were 71.9 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $37,942 (with a margin of error of +/- $1,492) and the median family income was $54,114 (+/- $1,831). Males had a median income of $51,366 (+/- $2,772) versus $39,427 (+/- $3,352) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $27,264 (+/- $754). About 4.2% of families and 7.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.9% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over.

Census 2000

As of the 2000 United States Census there were 38,928 people, 20,688 households, and 10,819 families residing in the township. The population density was 471.3 people per square mile (182.0/km2). There were 22,681 housing units at an average density of 274.6 per square mile (106.0/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 94.34% White, 3.06% African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.87% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.69% from other races, and 0.91% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.63% of the population.

There were 20,688 households, out of which 9.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.8% were married couples living together, 5.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.7% were non-families. 45.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 39.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.85 and the average family size was 2.53.

In the township the population was spread out, with 10.7% under the age of 18, 3.5% from 18 to 24, 13.4% from 25 to 44, 17.8% from 45 to 64, and 54.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 68 years. For every 100 females, there were 73.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 70.1 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $29,525, and the median income for a family was $43,363. Males had a median income of $41,181 versus $30,523 for females. The per capita income for the township was $22,409. About 3.0% of families and 5.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.5% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

2018-09-19 14 05 09 View east along New Jersey State Route 37 (Lakehurst Road) just east of Bone Hill Road and Buckingham Drive in Manchester Township, Ocean County, New Jersey
Route 37 eastbound in Manchester Township

Roads and highways

As of May 2010, the township had a total of 168.51 miles (271.19 km) of roadways, of which 109.71 miles (176.56 km) were maintained by the municipality, 43.56 miles (70.10 km) by Ocean County and 15.24 miles (24.53 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

Route 70 passes through the heart of the township while Route 37 goes through in the east. CR 530 travels along Route 70 and then veers off to the east, while CR 539 goes from north to south. In addition, both CR 547 and CR 571 run through the northeastern part.

No limited access roads run through the municipality, but the closest ones are accessible in neighboring communities such as the Garden State Parkway in Toms River, Berkeley and Lacey townships and Interstate 195 in Jackson Township.

Public transportation

Ocean Ride local service is provided on the OC1 Whiting, OC1A Whiting Express and OC2 Manchester routes.

Education

Front View of MTHS
Manchester Township High School

The Manchester Township School District serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. As of the 2020–21 school year, the district, comprised of six schools, had an enrollment of 2,922 students and 277.7 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.5:1. Schools in the district (with 2020–21 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Manchester Township Elementary School with 565 students in grades K-5, Ridgeway Elementary School with 415 students in grades PreK-5, Whiting Elementary School with 248 students in grades PreK-5, Manchester Township Middle School with 643 students in grades 6-8, Manchester Township High School with 1,000 students in grades 9-12 and Regional Day School with 54 students in grades PreK-12, which serves low incidence handicapped children. Students from neighboring Lakehurst attend the district's high school as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Lakehurst School District. As of 2012, Lakehurst has been considering the possibility of sending its students to Jackson Liberty High School, as part of a prospective agreement with the Jackson School District under which students would gain access to a broader range of academic programs and which could result in annual savings of $400,000 per year off of the $2 million that the Lakehurst district spends annually for the 150 students it sends to the Manchester district.

St. Mary Academy in Manahawkin, a K-8 school of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Trenton, is in the area. From 1997, until 2019 it operated as All Saints Regional Catholic School and was collectively managed by five churches, with one being St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Whiting. In 2019 St. Mary Church in Barnegat took entire control of the school, which remained on the same Manahawkin campus, and changed its name. The other churches no longer operate the school but still may send students there.

Notable people

See also (related category): People from Manchester Township, New Jersey

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Manchester Township include:

  • Joe Cinderella (1927-2012), jazz guitarist.
  • George A. Krol (born 1956), former United States Ambassador to Belarus.
  • Kevin Malast (born 1986), former football linebacker who played in the NFL for the Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans.
  • George Tuska (1916-2009), comic book and newspaper comic strip artist.
  • Andrew Valmon (born 1965), Olympic gold medal-winning runner.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Municipio de Manchester (Nueva Jersey) para niños

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