Runnemede was authorized to incorporate as a borough by an act of the
New Jersey Legislature on March 23, 1926, from portions of the now-defunct
Centre Township, and was then made independent based on the results of a referendum held on April 24, 1926. Acts enabling creation of the boroughs of
Bellmawr,
Mount Ephraim, and
Lawnside were passed during the same two-day period.[23] The derivation of the borough's name is uncertain, though claims that it derives from a Native American term for "running water" have been refuted and connections to General George Meade or to "rum we need" for a nearby tavern are probably apocryphal.[24] Sources have cited the name as coming from
Runnymede, England.[25]
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 2.11 square miles (5.45 km2), including 2.05 square miles (5.31 km2) of land and 0.05 square miles (0.14 km2) of water (2.56%).[1][2]
Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the borough include Glendora.[26]
Of the 3,370 households, 26.7% had children under the age of 18; 46.5% were married couples living together; 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present and 34.3% were non-families. Of all households, 28.8% were made up of individuals and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.11.[20]
20.9% of the population were under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 28.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.1 years. For every 100 females, the population had 92.6 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 89.5 males.[20]
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010
American Community Survey showed that (in 2010
inflation-adjusted dollars)
median household income was $53,454 (with a margin of error of +/− $4,014) and the median family income was $62,899 (+/− $4,849). Males had a median income of $43,016 (+/− $1,759) versus $38,854 (+/− $5,740) for females. The
per capita income for the borough was $26,260 (+/− $1,884). About 6.9% of families and 7.6% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 6.7% of those under age 18 and 11.4% of those age 65 or over.[35]
2000 census
As of the
2000 United States census[17] there were 8,533 people, 3,376 households, and 2,275 families residing in the borough. The population density was 4,084.2 inhabitants per square mile (1,576.9/km2). There were 3,510 housing units at an average density of 1,680.0 per square mile (648.7/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 91.77%
White, 3.76%
African American, 0.11%
Native American, 1.55%
Asian, 0.01%
Pacific Islander, 1.22% from
other races, and 1.58% from two or more races.
Hispanic or
Latino of any race were 3.59% of the population.[33][34]
There were 3,376 households, out of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.6% were
married couples living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.6% were non-families. 27.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.8% 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 3.08.[33][34]
In the borough the population was spread out, with 23.2% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.3 males.[33][34]
The median income for a household in the borough was $41,126, and the median income for a family was $50,127. Males had a median income of $37,705 versus $28,062 for females. The
per capita income for the borough was $19,143. About 3.1% of families and 5.6% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 5.1% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over.[33][34]
Economy
Mister Softee, an
ice cream truck franchiser with about 350 franchisees operating 600 trucks in 15 states, has been headquartered in Runnemede since 1958.[36]
Government
Local government
Runnemede 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.[37] 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.[7] The borough form of government used by Runnemede 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.[38][39]
As of 2023[update], the
mayor of Runnemede is
Democrat Nick Kappatos, whose term of office ends December 31, 2026. Members of the Borough Council are Council President Patricia Tartaglia Passio (D, 2023), Luis "Rich" Cepero (D, 2025), Robert Farrell (D, 2025), Eleanor M. Kelly (D, 2024), Craig Laubenstein (D, 2024) and John Ranieri (D, 2023).[4][40][41][42][43]
Federal, state and county representation
Runnemede is located in the 1st Congressional District[44] and is part of New Jersey's 5th state legislative district.[45][46][47]
Camden County is governed by a
Board of County Commissioners composed 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.[54] As of 2024[update], Camden County's Commissioners are:
Commissioner Director Louis Cappelli Jr. (
D,
Collingswood, 2026),[55]
Commissioner Deputy Director Edward T. McDonnell (D,
Pennsauken Township, 2025),[56]
Virginia Ruiz Betteridge (D,
Runnemede, 2025),[57]
Almar Dyer (D, Pennsauken Township, 2024),[58]
Melinda Kane (D,
Cherry Hill, 2024),[59]
Jeffrey L. Nash (D,
Winslow Township, 2024),[60] and
Jonathan L. Young Sr. (D,
Berlin Township, 2026).[61][54][62][63][64]
As of March 2011, there were a total of 5,547 registered voters in Runnemede, of which 2,902 (52.3%) were registered as
Democrats, 572 (10.3%) were registered as
Republicans and 2,070 (37.3%) were registered as
Unaffiliated. There were 3 voters registered as
Libertarians or
Greens.[72]
In the
2012 presidential election, Democrat
Barack Obama received 64.2% of the vote (2,348 cast), ahead of Republican
Mitt Romney with 34.9% (1,275 votes), and other candidates with 0.9% (32 votes), among the 3,694 ballots cast by the borough's 5,918 registered voters (39 ballots were
spoiled), for a turnout of 62.4%.[73][74] In the
2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 59.4% of the vote (2,388 cast), ahead of Republican
John McCain, who received around 37.0% (1,486 votes), with 4,021 ballots cast among the borough's 5,609 registered voters, for a turnout of 71.7%.[75] In the
2004 presidential election, Democrat
John Kerry received 59.4% of the vote (2,407 ballots cast), outpolling Republican
George W. Bush, who received around 42.9% (1,738 votes), with 4,050 ballots cast among the borough's 5,673 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 71.4.[76]
In the
2013 gubernatorial election, Republican
Chris Christie received 61.7% of the vote (1,202 cast), ahead of Democrat
Barbara Buono with 36.9% (719 votes), and other candidates with 1.4% (28 votes), among the 2,057 ballots cast by the borough's 5,835 registered voters (108 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 35.3%.[77][78] In the
2009 gubernatorial election, Democrat
Jon Corzine received 48.9% of the vote (1,096 ballots cast), ahead of both Republican
Chris Christie with 41.7% (933 votes) and Independent
Chris Daggett with 5.8% (131 votes), with 2,240 ballots cast among the borough's 5,584 registered voters, yielding a 40.1% turnout.[79]
Education
The
Runnemede Public School District serves students in
pre-kindergarten through
eighth grade.[80] As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of three schools, had an enrollment of 814 students and 68.5 classroom teachers (on an
FTE basis), for a
student–teacher ratio of 11.9:1.[81] Schools in the district (with 2018–19 enrollment data from the
National Center for Education Statistics[82]) are
Aline Bingham Elementary School[83] with 174 students in grades K–3,
Grace Downing Elementary School[84] with 167 students in grades K–3 and
Mary E. Volz Elementary and Middle School[85] with 469 students in grades 4–8.[86][87]
St. Teresa Regional School is a Pre-K–8 elementary school, that was once attended by Olympic Gold Medal-winning figure skater
Tara Lipinski, and operates under the auspices of the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden.[93][94]
Transportation
Roads and highways
As of May 2010[update], the borough had a total of 31.16 miles (50.15 km) of roadways, of which 25.32 miles (40.75 km) were maintained by the municipality, 2.34 miles (3.77 km) by Camden County and 1.17 miles (1.88 km) by the
New Jersey Department of Transportation and 2.33 miles (3.75 km) by the
New Jersey Turnpike Authority.[95]
The
New Jersey Turnpike is the most prominent highway which passes through Runnemede. The turnpike crosses through the northern part of the borough, and part of an interchange, Exit 3, is located within Runnemede. The interchange and toll gate are located near the boundary with Bellmawr, with a total of six lanes at the gate.[96]
^Riordan, Kevin.
"Runnemede: Name cloaked in mystery", Courier-Post, October 18, 2006. Accessed September 27, 2015. "When the a railway extension was proposed in 1877, the name "Mapleville" appeared on a survey showing the location of what is now Runnemede. But by the railroad's completion to present-day Blackwood in 1893, the name for the station in town was Runnemede. 'There are no definitive answers,' Leap writes."
^About Us,
Mister Softee. Accessed September 27, 2015. "By 1958 the company had outgrown the building in Philadelphia and moved to the current location in Runnemede, NJ."
^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.."
^Runnemede Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Runnemede Public School District. Accessed June 14, 2020. "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 Runnemede School District. Composition: The Runnemede School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Runnemede."
^Triton Regional High School 2015 Report Card Narrative,
New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed June 14, 2020. "Triton Regional is a community based high school and we value the support of our parents, community members and local businesses. Our students and staff are ambassadors of Runnemede, Bellmawr, and Gloucester Township and carry that honor with Mustang pride."
^District Home: Registration Info tab, Black Horse Pike Regional School District. Accessed June 3, 2016. "What school will you be attending? All Bellmawr and Runnemede residents attend Triton Regional High School. Gloucester Township residents Click Here to view the District Map."
^"Political Science Alumnus Highlights Internships as Path to Public Service Career",
Rowan University Student Affairs Blog, April 13, 2019. Accessed June 14, 2020. "Bill Moen, class of 2009, has always had a desire to serve his community. As the son of a Vietnam veteran and the grandson of two World War II veterans, he originally came to Rowan to pursue a career as a state trooper. But the Runnemede, NJ native (Camden County) quickly realized his passion was not enforcing the laws, but rather creating them."
^Kennedy, Charles Stuart.
"Interview with Ambassador Theresa A. Tull",
Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training Foreign Affairs Oral History Project, November 9, 2004. Accessed February 22, 2020. "TULL: I was born October 2nd, 1936 in Runnemede, New Jersey. I was born literally in the same house from which I left 26 years later to join the Foreign Service."