The borough is a
dry town where alcohol cannot legally be sold.[21][22]
History
Island Heights was incorporated as a borough by an act of the
New Jersey Legislature on May 6, 1887, from portions of Dover Township (now
Toms River Township), based on the results of a referendum held on November 18, 1886.[23][24]
Island Heights takes its name from two sources: it originally was an island. It is situated by a steep bluff rising 60 feet (18 m) above the
Toms River.[25] It was originally known as Doctor Johnson's island, being included in the patent granted to him in 1680. In the century before the
American Revolutionary War, it was known as Dillon's Island, probably for James Dillon, a prominent man in Toms River. The land was purchased by John Imlay of
Allentown, who sold it in 1794 to Issac Gulick. In 1797, Gulick and his wife Abagail sold it to Abraham and George Parker. In 1799, the Parker brothers sold it to Abel Middleton of
Upper Freehold Township.[26]
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 0.92 square miles (2.38 km2), including 0.61 square miles (1.58 km2) of land and 0.31 square miles (0.80 km2) of water (33.59%).[1][2]
Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the borough include Long Point.[27]
Of the 683 households, 25.0% had children under the age of 18; 57.0% were married couples living together; 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present and 28.7% were non-families. Of all households, 22.0% were made up of individuals and 9.2% 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 2.88.[18]
18.5% of the population were under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 21.0% from 25 to 44, 35.9% from 45 to 64, and 17.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47.0 years. For every 100 females, the population had 91.4 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 90.2 males.[18]
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010
American Community Survey showed that (in 2010
inflation-adjusted dollars)
median household income was $77,269 (with a margin of error of +/− $5,616) and the median family income was $96,458 (+/− $21,090). Males had a median income of $75,234 (+/− $7,830) versus $47,045 (+/− $11,606) for females. The
per capita income for the borough was $39,493 (+/− $4,086). About 5.6% of families and 5.7% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 7.8% of those under age 18 and 1.2% of those age 65 or over.[41]
2000 census
As of the
2000 United States census[15] there were 1,751 people, 705 households, and 497 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,909.2 inhabitants per square mile (1,123.2/km2). There were 807 housing units at an average density of 1,340.8 per square mile (517.7/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 97.77%
White, 0.11%
African American, 0.46%
Native American, 0.63%
Asian, 0.06% from
other races, and 0.97% from two or more races.
Hispanic or
Latino of any race were 1.37% of the population.[38][39]
There were 705 households, out of which 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.0% were
married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.4% were non-families. 24.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.97.[38][39]
In the borough the population was spread out, with 22.4% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 29.2% from 45 to 64, and 17.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.4 males.[38][39]
The median income for a household in the borough was $61,125, and the median income for a family was $72,596. Males had a median income of $47,500 versus $38,375 for females. The
per capita income for the borough was $26,975. About 2.6% of families and 4.1% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 3.5% of those under age 18 and 9.1% of those age 65 or over.[38][39]
Government
Local government
Island Heights is governed under the
Faulkner Act form of municipal government, formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law, within the
Small Municipality (Plan A), enacted by direct petition as of July 1, 1974.[42] The borough is one of 18 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form of government, which is available to municipalities with a population below 12,000 at the time of adoption.[43] The governing body is comprised of the Mayor and the six-member Borough Council, whose members are elected in
non-partisan elections held as part of the November general election. The mayor is directly elected to a four-year term of office. Councilmembers serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle.[6][44] As the result of an ordinance passed unanimously by the borough council in July 2011, the borough shifted its nonpartisan elections from May to November.[45]
As of 2022[update], the
Mayor of Island Heights Borough is E. Steve Doyle, whose term of office ends on December 31, 2022. Borough Council members are Council President Susan Thompson (2024), Robert Baxter (2022), Alan Fumo (2022; elected to serve an unexpired term), Brian Gabriel (2023), Lynn Pendleton (2023), Rolf J. Weber (2024).[3][46][47][48][49][50][51][52]
In May 2019, Lynn Pendleton was appointed to fill the seat expiring in December 2020 that had been held by Sean Asay until he resigned from office.[53] Pendeton was elected in the November 2019 general election to serve the balance of the term of office.[51]
Brian Taboada, who had been serving a term ending in 2014, announced at an August 2013 council meeting that he would be stepping down from office to focus on school obligations.[54]
Emergency services
The borough is protected by the Island Heights Volunteer Fire Company, which was established in 1895 and the Island Height Volunteer First Aid Squad established in 1950.[55]
Federal, state, and county representation
Island Heights is located in the 4th Congressional District[56] and is part of New Jersey's 10th state legislative district.[57][58][59]
Ocean County is governed by a
Board of County Commissioners composed of five members who are elected on an
at-large basis in partisan elections and serving staggered three-year terms of office, with either one or two seats coming up for election each year as part of the November general election. At an annual reorganization held in the beginning of January, the board chooses a director and a deputy director from among its members.[66] As of 2024[update], Ocean County's Commissioners (with party affiliation, term-end year and residence) are:
Constitutional officers elected on a countywide basis are:
Clerk Scott M. Colabella (R, 2025, Barnegat Light),[74][75]
Sheriff Michael G. Mastronardy (R, 2025; Toms River)[76][77] and
Surrogate
Jeffrey Moran (R, 2028,
Beachwood).[78][79][80]
Politics
Island Heights vote by party in presidential elections
Island Heights has been a largely Republican leaning jurisdiction in presidential elections. All GOP presidential candidates since 1948 have won the borough, with six of those campaigns breaking 70% of the vote.
As of March 2011, there were a total of 1,329 registered voters in Island Heights, of which 285 (21.4%) were registered as
Democrats, 415 (31.2%) were registered as
Republicans and 629 (47.3%) were registered as
Unaffiliated. There were no voters registered to other parties.[97] Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 79.4% (vs. 63.2% in Ocean County) were registered to vote, including 97.4% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 82.6% countywide).[97][98]
In the
2013 gubernatorial election, Republican
Chris Christie received 67.5% of the vote (459 cast), ahead of Democrat
Barbara Buono with 30.1% (205 votes), and other candidates with 2.4% (16 votes), among the 703 ballots cast by the borough's 1,303 registered voters (23 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 54.0%.[99][100] In the
2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 59.8% of the vote (453 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat
Jon Corzine with 32.6% (247 votes), Independent
Chris Daggett with 6.5% (49 votes) and other candidates with 0.9% (7 votes), among the 757 ballots cast by the borough's 1,346 registered voters, yielding a 56.2% turnout.[101]
The Island Heights Historic District is a 280-acre (110 ha)
historic district roughly bounded by Toms River, Summit and River Avenues in the borough. It was added to the
National Register of Historic Places on February 29, 1980, for its significance in architecture, recreation and religion. The district includes 244
contributing buildings. The artist
John F. Peto's studio features
Queen Anne style architecture and is now a museum. St. Gertrude's Mission Church originally had wooden shingles. The Grenley House is also known as the "Gingerbread House" and features elaborated scrollsawn woodwork.[104]
Historic district sign
St. Gertrude's Mission Church
Grenley House
Education
The
Island Heights School District serves public school students in
kindergarten through
sixth grade at Island Heights Elementary School.[105] As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of one school, had an enrollment of 129 students and 13.2 classroom teachers (on an
FTE basis), for a
student–teacher ratio of 9.8:1.[106] In the 2016–17 school year, Island Heights had the 14th-smallest enrollment of any school district in the state, with 126 students.[107] Island Heights Elementary School was one of nine schools in New Jersey honored in 2020 by the
National Blue Ribbon Schools Program, which recognizes high student achievement.[108][109]
As of May 2010[update], the borough had a total of 12.18 miles (19.60 km) of roadways, of which 9.28 miles (14.93 km) were maintained by the municipality, 2.73 miles (4.39 km) by Ocean County and 0.17 miles (0.27 km) by the
New Jersey Department of Transportation.[119]
New Jersey Route 37 is the main highway serving Island Heights. Route 37 brushes the north edge of the borough, heading east towards Seaside Heights and west towards Lakehurst. Route 37 also provides access to
New Jersey Route 35,
U.S. Route 9 and the
Garden State Parkway, among other major highways.
^Mayor and Council Newsletter, Borough of Island Heights, July 19, 2011. Accessed January 23, 2015. "After first reading and introduction of Ordinance 2011 – 09, the Mayor and Council Members unanimously approved an ordinance to change the regular municipal elections currently held in May to the general election date in November."
^Mayor and Council Meeting Minutes for May 14, 2019, Borough of Island Heights. Accessed February 24, 2020. "Resolution 2019-103 Accepting the Resignation of Sean Asay... Resolution 2019-105 Appointing Lynn Pendleton to fill the unexpired term of Councilman Sean Asay"
^Mayor and Council Newsletter - Council Meeting, Borough of Island Heights, August 20, 2013. Accessed October 16, 2013. "Council Member Brian Taboada stated it is with great regrets that he informs the borough of his resignation from the Island Heights borough council."
^History, Island Heights Volunteer Fire Company Station 53. Accessed July 26, 2016. "The Island Heights Volunteer Fire Company No. 1 was organized on February 14th, 1895 by a group of residents who realized the need for fire protection in the community."
^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.."
^Guion, Payton.
"These 43 N.J. school districts have fewer than 200 students", NJ Advance Media for
NJ.com, September 2017. Accessed January 30, 2020. "Based on data from the state Department of Education from the last school year and the Census Bureau, NJ Advance Media made a list of the smallest of the small school districts in the state, excluding charter schools and specialty institutions.... 14. Island Heights Borough Enrollment: 126 Grades: K-6 County: Ocean"
^Clark, Adam.
"9 N.J. schools just won a huge national honor", NJ Advance Media for
NJ.com, September 24, 2020. Accessed September 27, 2020. "Nine New Jersey public schools have been awarded the national Blue Ribbon designation, one of the highest honors in education. The schools were recognized Thursday by the U.S. Department of Education for high student achievement."
^Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for the Central Regional School District,
New Jersey Department of Education, June 30, 2019. Accessed July 23, 2020. "The School District is a Type II district located in the County of Ocean, State of New Jersey. As a Type II district, the School District functions independently through a Board of Education. The Board is comprised of nine members appointed to three-year terms. These terms are staggered so that three members’ terms expire each year. The District provides a full range of educational services appropriate to junior and senior high schools for students of the Boroughs of Island Heights, Ocean Gate, Seaside Heights, Seaside Park and the Township of Berkeley, Ocean County, New Jersey."
^Board Members, Central Regional School District. Accessed January 21, 2020.
^Collins, Karyn D.
"Area man living out an actor's dream life", Asbury Park Press, September 15, 1991. Accessed December 25, 2023, via
Newspapers.com. "Glenn Taranto has come a long way since the days when he walked the boards as a member of the drama club at the old St. Joseph High School in Toms River (now known as Monsignor Donovan High School), performing in his high school's productions of musicals like South Pacific and 1776. These days, Taranto, 32, whose parents, Elizabeth and Louis Sr., still live in Island Heights, is living a dream performing in one of the hottest off-Broadway plays to ever hit New York as well as performing in a showcase or workshop production of a play he wrote."