The borough had the 27th-highest property tax rate in New Jersey, with an equalized rate of 4.179% in 2020, compared to 3.470% in the county as a whole and a statewide average of 2.279%.[21]
History
Around 1800, Jonathon Haines built a glass factory in what is now Clementon, situated on a large hill across the street from the modern day Clementon Park. Large amounts of dirt, gravel and marl from the large hill the glass works were situated on were removed for use at a planned new post office in 1961. Sometime around 1811, Samuel Clement of
Haddonfield purchased the glass works and named them the Gloucester Glass works, and named the small settlement around the plant as Clementon village.[22] Haines remained as a superintendent and at some point repurchased the works from Clement.
The Borough of Clementon was created on February 13, 1925, from
Clementon Township, one of nine municipalities created from the now-defunct township, based on the results of a referendum held on March 17, 1925.[23][24]
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 1.95 square miles (5.05 km2), including 1.89 square miles (4.90 km2) of land and 0.06 square miles (0.15 km2) of water (2.97%).[1][2]
The borough is located on Clementon Lake, which is the site of the
Clementon Amusement Park. The amusement park was home to the Jack Rabbit, a wooden roller coaster constructed in 1919 by the
Philadelphia Toboggan Company. Though quite tame in comparison to modern steel coasters, it remained popular with park visitors. It was one of the oldest remaining coasters in the country when it was taken out of service in 2002[25] and ultimately demolished in 2007.
Of the 2,064 households, 26.5% had children under the age of 18; 36.5% were married couples living together; 16.6% had a female householder with no husband present and 40.6% were non-families. Of all households, 33.2% were made up of individuals and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.10.[18]
22.0% of the population were under the age of 18, 10.4% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 28.6% from 45 to 64, and 11.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.2 years. For every 100 females, the population had 94.3 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 90.6 males.[18]
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010
American Community Survey showed that (in 2010
inflation-adjusted dollars)
median household income was $40,185 (with a margin of error of +/− $4,676) and the median family income was $57,184 (+/− $7,155). Males had a median income of $40,987 (+/− $7,918) versus $34,063 (+/− $3,762) for females. The
per capita income for the borough was $22,597 (+/− $2,393). About 7.8% of families and 13.5% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 20.3% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over.[37]
2000 census
As of the
2000 United States census[15] there were 4,986 people, 1,978 households, and 1,246 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,636.3 inhabitants per square mile (1,017.9/km2). There were 2,206 housing units at an average density of 1,166.4 per square mile (450.3/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 82.23%
White, 11.57%
African American, 0.22%
Native American, 0.92%
Asian, 0.18%
Pacific Islander, 2.35% from
other races, and 2.53% from two or more races. 4.13% of the population were
Hispanic or
Latino of any race.[35][36]
There were 1,978 households, out of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.8% were
married couples living together, 15.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.0% were non-families. 29.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.13.[35][36]
In the borough the population was spread out, with 24.7% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 33.5% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.5 males.[35][36]
The median income for a household in the borough was $42,207, and the median income for a family was $50,963. Males had a median income of $33,879 versus $29,777 for females. The
per capita income for the borough was $18,510. 11.4% of the population and 9.3% of families were below the
poverty line. Out of the total population, 12.6% of those under the age of 18 and 14.8% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.[35][36]
Economy
Clementon is home to
Giambri's Quality Sweets, a long-established candy and chocolate maker that was founded in
South Philadelphia in 1942 and moved to New Jersey in the early 1970s.[38]
Government
Local government
Clementon is governed under the
borough form of New Jersey municipal government, which is used in 218 municipalities (of the 564) statewide, making it the most common form of government in New Jersey.[39] The governing body is comprised of a mayor and a borough council, with all positions elected
at-large on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. A mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The borough council is comprised of six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle.[6] The borough form of government used by Clementon is a "
weak mayor / strong council" government in which council members act as the legislative body with the mayor presiding at meetings and voting only in the event of a tie. The mayor can
veto ordinances subject to an
override by a two-thirds majority vote of the council. The mayor makes committee and liaison assignments for council members, and most appointments are made by the mayor with the advice and consent of the council.[40][41] A council president is selected annually from among their own members by the council and presides in the absence of the mayor. The council has all executive responsibilities not specifically assigned to the mayor.
As of 2023[update], the mayor of the Borough of Clementon is
Democrat Thomas J. Weaver, whose term of office ends December 31, 2023. Members of the Clementon Borough Council are Gwendolyn Cantwell (D, 2025), Robert L. Dorsey (D, 2024), Brenda Franks (R, 2023), Christopher McKelvey (D, 2024; elected to an unexpired term), Thomas Shaw (D, 2025) and Holly Strobl (D, 2023).[3][42][43][44][45][46]
Federal, state and county representation
Clementon is located in the 1st Congressional District[47] and is part of New Jersey's 6th state legislative district.[48]
Camden County is governed by a
Board of County Commissioners comprised of seven members chosen
at-large in partisan elections for three-year terms on a staggered basis by the residents of the county, with either two or three seats up for election each year as part of the November general election. At a reorganization meeting held in January after each election, the newly constituted Board of Commissioners selects one member to serve as Director and another as Deputy Director, each serving a one-year term in that role.[55] As of 2024[update], Camden County's Commissioners are:
Commissioner Director Louis Cappelli Jr. (
D,
Collingswood, 2026),[56]
Commissioner Deputy Director Edward T. McDonnell (D,
Pennsauken Township, 2025),[57]
Virginia Ruiz Betteridge (D,
Runnemede, 2025),[58]
Almar Dyer (D, Pennsauken Township, 2024),[59]
Melinda Kane (D,
Cherry Hill, 2024),[60]
Jeffrey L. Nash (D,
Winslow Township, 2024),[61] and
Jonathan L. Young Sr. (D,
Berlin Township, 2026).[62][55][63][64][65]
As of March 2011, there were a total of 2,945 registered voters in Clementon, of which 1,063 (36.1%) were registered as
Democrats, 407 (13.8%) were registered as
Republicans and 1,472 (50.0%) were registered as
Unaffiliated. There were 3 voters registered as
Libertarians or
Greens.[73]
In the
2012 presidential election, Democrat
Barack Obama received 67.6% of the vote (1,316 cast), ahead of Republican
Mitt Romney with 31.2% (607 votes), and other candidates with 1.3% (25 votes), among the 1,970 ballots cast by the borough's 3,289 registered voters (22 ballots were
spoiled), for a turnout of 59.9%.[74][75] In the
2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 61.9% of the vote (1,276 cast), ahead of Republican
John McCain, who received around 33.9% (700 votes), with 2,063 ballots cast among the borough's 3,049 registered voters, for a turnout of 67.7%.[76] In the
2004 presidential election, Democrat
John Kerry received 60.7% of the vote (1,183 ballots cast), outpolling Republican
George W. Bush, who received around 37.0% (721 votes), with 1,949 ballots cast among the borough's 2,780 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 70.1.[77]
In the
2013 gubernatorial election, Republican
Chris Christie received 58.3% of the vote (638 cast), ahead of Democrat
Barbara Buono with 39.3% (430 votes), and other candidates with 2.4% (26 votes), among the 1,141 ballots cast by the borough's 3,379 registered voters (47 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 33.8%.[78][79] In the
2009 gubernatorial election, Democrat
Jon Corzine received 48.3% of the vote (529 ballots cast), ahead of both Republican Chris Christie with 42.7% (468 votes) and Independent
Chris Daggett with 5.8% (63 votes), with 1,095 ballots cast among the borough's 2,950 registered voters, yielding a 37.1% turnout.[80]
As of May 2010[update], the borough had a total of 23.91 miles (38.48 km) of roadways, of which 15.10 miles (24.30 km) were maintained by the municipality, 7.82 miles (12.59 km) by Camden County and 0.99 miles (1.59 km) by the
New Jersey Department of Transportation.[90]
^"Here are the 30 N.J. towns with the highest property tax rates", NJ Advance Media for
NJ.com, March 15, 2021. Accessed January 19, 2022. "The average equalized tax rate in New Jersey was 2.279 in 2020, according to data from the Department of Community Affairs. Here is the list of 30 New Jersey towns with the highest property tax rates.... 27. Clementon Equalized tax rate in Clementon Borough, Camden County, was 4.179 in 2020 Average equalized tax rate in Camden County: 3.470"
^Hutchinson, Viola L.
The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed August 28, 2015. Source shows name as "Samuel Clements".
^Burrows, Danielle L.
Clementon, p. 5.
Arcadia Publishing. Accessed January 15, 2020. "On February 13, 1925, 'an Act to incorporate the Borough of Clementon in the County of Camden, and to fix the boundaries thereof,' was passed by the legislature, establishing Clementon as a borough comprised of just less than two square miles."
^Staff.
"High on Tsunami", Courier-Post, May 31, 2004. Accessed July 19, 2011. "Meanwhile, the park's original wooden coaster, the Jack Rabbit, one of the oldest wooden coasters in the country, is mothballed with no plans for its return.... Jack Rabbit, built in 1919, last ran in 2002. The old coaster eventually will be torn down."
^Giordano, Rita.
"N.J. candy-maker Giambri's wins business award, The Philadelphia Inquirer, October 27, 2014, backed up by the
Internet Archive as of January 11, 2016. Accessed October 26, 2016. "Their Giambri's Quality Sweets in Clementon was just named a New Jersey Family Business of the Year, an award now in its 22d year that is sponsored by the Rothman Institute of Entrepreneurship at Fairleigh Dickinson University, PNC Bank, and New Jersey Monthly."
^Full Biography, Congressman Donald Norcross. Accessed January 3, 2019. "Donald and his wife Andrea live in Camden City and are the proud parents of three grown children and grandparents of two."
^Biography of Bob Menendez,
United States Senate, January 26, 2015. "Menendez, who started his political career in Union City, moved in September from Paramus to one of Harrison's new apartment buildings near the town's PATH station.."
^Clementon Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Clementon School District. Accessed February 8, 2023. "Purpose: The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades Pre-Kindergarten through eight in the Clementon School District. Composition: The Clementon School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Clementon."
^Clementon School District 2015 Report Card Narrative,
New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed January 11, 2017. "The Clementon School District serves approximately 435 students in grades preschool through eight. These students all attend Clementon Elementary School. Clementon students in grades nine through twelve attend Overbrook High School in the Pine Hill School District."
^High School Information, Clementon School District. Accessed March 12, 2024. "CES 8th grade graduates and high school students living in the town of Clementon may attend high school at Overbrook High School located in the Pine Hill School District."
^Pine Hill Public Schools Choice District Profile 2020-21,
New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed March 12, 2024. "Pine Hill School District is composed of four schools which include Dr. Albert Bean Elementary School, John Glenn Elementary School, Pine Hill Middle School, and Overbrook High School. Students from both Clementon and Berlin Township School Districts join those residing in Pine Hill to attend Overbrook High School."
^Staff.
"Obituaries", The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, January 7, 1951. Accessed April 28, 2015. "Arthur R. Eldred, former Brooklynite, end the first Eagle Scout in America, died Thursday at his home in Clementon."
^Staff.
Manual of the Legislature of New Jersey, 1969, p. 402. J.A. Fitzgerald, 1969. Accessed March 27, 2017. "He has served as former Mayor, President of Board of Education and Borough Clerk, Borough of Clementon."