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West Long Branch, New Jersey
Borough
Borough of West Long Branch
Murry Guggenheim House
Map of West Long Branch in Monmouth County. Inset: Location of Monmouth County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
Map of West Long Branch in Monmouth County. Inset: Location of Monmouth County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
Census Bureau map of West Long Branch, New Jersey
Census Bureau map of West Long Branch, New Jersey
Country  United States
State  New Jersey
County Monmouth
Incorporated May 5, 1908
Government
 • Type Borough
 • Body Borough Council
Area
 • Total 2.89 sq mi (7.49 km2)
 • Land 2.86 sq mi (7.40 km2)
 • Water 0.04 sq mi (0.09 km2)  1.25%
Area rank 342nd of 565 in state
23rd of 53 in county
Elevation
26 ft (8 m)
Population
 • Total 8,097
 • Estimate 
(2019)
7,881
 • Rank 284th of 566 in state
22nd of 53 in county
 • Density 2,832.9/sq mi (1,093.8/km2)
 • Density rank 223rd of 566 in state
26th of 53 in county
Time zone UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Code
07764
Area code(s) 732 and 908 (cell)
FIPS code 3402579310
GNIS feature ID 0885437
Website

West Long Branch is a borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 8,097, reflecting a decline of 161 (-1.9%) from the 8,258 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 568 (+7.4%) from the 7,690 counted in the 1990 Census. It is the home of Monmouth University.

History

Prior to being called West Long Branch, the area had been called Mechanicsville from the 18th century through the Civil War, and then Branchburg in the 1870s. The name West Long Branch appears in the 1889 Wolverton Atlas of Monmouth County, and seems to have derived its name from its proximity to a section of the Shrewsbury River.

In 1908, the residents of what was the West Long Branch section of Eatontown thought that they were not getting a fair return on their taxes. A request was made that the West Long Branch section be separated from Eatontown. The Township of Eatontown strongly resisted as there were several large estates in the West Long Branch section that were a source of considerable taxes. An act of the New Jersey Legislature was passed on April 7, 1908, and the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders authorized an election. On May 5, 1908, the referendum was held in West Long Branch, with voters approving the separation. The borough takes its name from Long Branch, which in turn takes its name from the "long branch" or south branch of the Shrewsbury River.

Geography

West Long Branch
House on Cedar Avenue

According to the United States Census Bureau, West Long Branch had a total area of 2.894 square miles (7.496 km2), including 2.858 square miles (7.403 km2) of land and 0.036 square miles (0.093 km2) of water (1.24%).

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the borough include Norwood Park.

The borough borders the Monmouth County municipalities of Eatontown, Long Branch, Ocean Township and Oceanport.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1910 879
1920 1,686 91.8%
1930 1,686 0.0%
1940 2,030 20.4%
1950 2,739 34.9%
1960 5,337 94.9%
1970 6,845 28.3%
1980 7,380 7.8%
1990 7,690 4.2%
2000 8,258 7.4%
2010 8,097 −1.9%
2019 (est.) 7,881 −2.7%
Population sources: 1910-1920
1910 1910-1930
1930-1990 2000 2010

Census 2010

As of the census of 2010, there were 8,097 people, 2,384 households, and 1,757 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,832.9 per square mile (1,093.8/km2). There were 2,528 housing units at an average density of 884.5 per square mile (341.5/km2)*. The racial makeup of the borough was 94.45% (7,648) White, 2.21% (179) Black or African American, 0.06% (5) Native American, 1.19% (96) Asian, 0.01% (1) Pacific Islander, 0.95% (77) from other races, and 1.12% (91) from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.03% (407) of the population.

There were 2,384 households out of which 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.0% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.3% were non-families. 21.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.23.

In the borough, the population was spread out with 19.6% under the age of 18, 25.4% from 18 to 24, 16.7% from 25 to 44, 24.7% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32.4 years. For every 100 females there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and old there were 88.1 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $96,369 (with a margin of error of +/- $15,449) and the median family income was $114,250 (+/- $13,662). Males had a median income of $75,634 (+/- $8,441) versus $49,483 (+/- $5,714) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $32,822 (+/- $3,260). About 5.0% of families and 8.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.0% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over.

Census 2000

As of the 2000 United States Census there were 8,258 people, 2,448 households, and 1,860 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,859.9 people per square mile (1,103.3/km2). There were 2,535 housing units at an average density of 877.9 per square mile (338.7/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 94.22% White, 2.23% African American, 0.07% Native American, 1.21% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.50% from other races, and 1.73% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.92% of the population.

There were 2,448 households, out of which 35.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.9% were married couples living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.0% were non-families. 21.3% 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 2.77 and the average family size was 3.25.

In the borough the population was spread out, with 21.8% under the age of 18, 22.1% from 18 to 24, 21.1% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.7 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $71,852, and the median income for a family was $80,127. Males had a median income of $59,638 versus $34,000 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $27,651. About 3.1% of families and 4.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.0% of those under age 18 and 3.2% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

Roads and highways

2018-05-25 13 54 08 View east along New Jersey State Route 36 at New Jersey State Route 71 (Monmouth Road) in West Long Branch, Monmouth County, New Jersey
Route 36 in West Long Branch

As of May 2010, the borough had a total of 36.65 miles (58.98 km) of roadways, of which 27.84 miles (44.80 km) were maintained by the municipality, 5.19 miles (8.35 km) by Monmouth County and 3.62 miles (5.83 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

Route 36 and Route 71 intersect in the borough.

Public transportation

NJ Transit provides local bus service on the 831 and 837 routes. The nearest train service is available at the Long Branch station on the North Jersey Coast Line.

Education

Woodrow Wilson Hall, West Long Branch, NJ - south view
Wilson Hall at Monmouth University

The West Long Branch Public Schools serves students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade from West Long Branch. Students from Allenhurst, Interlaken and Loch Arbour attend the district's school as part of sending/receiving relationships, in which students attend on a tuition basis. As of the 2020–21 school year, the district, comprised of two schools, had an enrollment of 571 students and 65.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 8.7:1. Schools in the district (with 2020–21 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Betty McElmon Elementary School with 319 students in pre-Kindergarten through fourth grade and Frank Antonides School with 243 students in fifth through eighth grades.

For ninth through twelfth grades, public school students attend Shore Regional High School, a regional high school located in West Long Branch that also serves students from the constituent districts of Monmouth Beach, Oceanport and Sea Bright. As of the 2019–20 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 633 students and 55.9 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.3:1. Seats on the board of education for the high school district are allocated based on the population of the constituent municipalities, with four of the nine seats assigned to West Long Branch.

Established in 1933, Monmouth University is a four-year private university on a 155-acre (0.63 km2) campus, with 5,600 students and 232 full-time faculty. The campus is notable for the Great Hall at Shadow Lawn, a National Historic Landmark that was used in the 1982 film Annie.

Notable people

See also (related category): People from West Long Branch, New Jersey

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with West Long Branch include:

  • Holly Black (born 1971), author of the Spiderwick series of books.
  • Chester Bowman (1901-1936), sprinter who competed in the 1924 Summer Olympics.
  • Bessie Clayton (c. 1875-1948), toe-tap dancer.
  • Stephen Donaldson (1946-1996), LGBT rights and prison reform activist.
  • Clarkson Sherman Fisher (1921-1997), federal judge who served as a councilmember in West Long Branch and later as Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey.
  • Jon Herington (born 1954), jazz guitarist.
  • Steve Holeman (born 1967), head coach of the Lamar Lady Cardinals soccer team.
  • Hubert T. Parson (1872-1940), businessman who served as president of the F. W. Woolworth Company.
  • Elise Primavera (born 1955), author and illustrator of children's books, including The Secret Order of the Gumm Street Girls.
  • Arthur Pryor (1870-1942), trombone virtuoso, bandleader, and soloist with the Sousa Band who was a prolific composer of band music, best known for "The Whistler and His Dog".
  • T. M. Stevens (born 1951), bassist.
  • Jordan Woolley (born 1981), actor.
  • Jimmy Zoppi (born 1954), musician and voice actor.

See also

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