Money Island, New Jersey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Money Island, New Jersey
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 Money Island, New Jersey
Location in Cumberland County, New Jersey
Money Island, New Jersey
Location in New Jersey
Money Island, New Jersey
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  New Jersey |
| County | Cumberland |
| Townships | Downe |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.23 sq mi (0.59 km2) |
| • Land | 0.16 sq mi (0.42 km2) |
| • Water | 0.07 sq mi (0.17 km2) |
| Elevation | 0 ft (0 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 22 |
| • Density | 134.97/sq mi (51.99/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−04:00 (EDT) |
| FIPS code | 34-47006 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2806138 |
Money Island is a small community in New Jersey. It is known as an unincorporated community and a census-designated place (CDP). This means it's a group of homes and businesses that are not officially a town or city, but the government counts its population.
Money Island is the smallest and most distant of five rural communities in Downe Township. This area is part of Cumberland County. The community sits right on the shore of the Delaware Bay. It is also on the southern side of Nantuxent Creek. You can find Money Island in the southwest corner of New Jersey.
Contents
History of Money Island
The story of Money Island began in the late 1930s. This is when the main road leading to the area was built. After the road was finished, the first homes started to appear in the 1940s. This helped the community grow over time.
Facing Environmental Challenges
Money Island is a community that has faced many challenges. It has been greatly affected by sea level rise. This means the ocean water is slowly getting higher. The community also suffered a lot of damage from Hurricane Sandy. This was a very strong storm that hit the area.
Because of these challenges, people have different ideas about what to do. One idea is to join the Blue Acres buy-out program. This program is part of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's plan called managed retreat. Managed retreat means helping people move away from areas that are at high risk from rising waters or storms.
Money Island's Seafood Industry
Even with its challenges, Money Island is still important for seafood. It is the second most important port in southern New Jersey for landing seafood. A "landing port" is where fishing boats bring their catch to shore.
The Money Island Marina is still open. There are also more than a dozen businesses that catch or raise seafood. These businesses sell about $20 million worth of seafood each year. Some of the seafood caught here includes oysters, blue claw crabs, soft-shell crabs, menhaden, conch, and eels. Horseshoe crabs were once harvested for medical research, but this stopped after 2016.
Helping the Environment
Many groups are working together to help Money Island. These groups include The Nature Conservancy, BaySave, the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary, and Rutgers University. They are doing research projects to help stabilize the shoreline. "Shoreline stabilization" means trying to stop the land from washing away. They are working to protect the community from the effects of rising water.
Community Life and Recovery
By June 2016, the number of people living in Money Island full-time had dropped. Fewer than 20 people lived there, and only about 10 of the original 40-plus houses were still lived in.
In 2019, a book called The Drowning of Money Island was released. It was written by Andrew S. Lewis. The book shared the story of Tony Novak and his efforts to help the community find ways to keep going.
The community faced tough times during 2020 and 2021. Some residents moved away, and the area's buildings were damaged by storms. Local businesses that relied on fishing faced difficulties. A local business owner, Tony Novak, moved his office to Money Island. He started a new group called Nantuxent Group to help with recovery efforts.
As of the end of 2022, some businesses like the marina, bait shop, charter boats, boat rental, and crab business were closed to the public. In November 2022, Money Island had fewer than 5 people living there all year round.
Demographics
The population of Money Island is counted by the United States census. As of the 2020 United States census, there were 22 people living in Money Island.
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 2020 | 22 | — | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 2020 |
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