Location of Wantage Township in
Sussex County highlighted in yellow (right). Inset map: Location of Sussex County in
New Jersey highlighted in black (left).
Census Bureau map of Wantage Township, New Jersey.
Wantage Township was formed as a precinct on May 30, 1754, from portions of
Newton Township. It was incorporated as a
township on February 21, 1798, as part of the state's initial group of 104 townships. Boundary exchanges were made with
Frankford Township in both 1826 and 1834. Portions of the township were taken on October 14, 1891 to form the Borough of Deckertown (renamed
Sussex borough in 1902).[21] The township was named for
Wantage, England.[22]
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 67.48 square miles (174.78 km2), including 66.76 square miles (172.91 km2) of land and 0.72 square miles (1.87 km2) of water (1.07%).[1][2] The township is located in the
Kittatinny Valley which is a section of the
Great Appalachian Valley that stretches for 700 miles (1,100 km) from Canada to Alabama.
Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include
Beemerville, Colesville, Hanford, Lake Neepaulin, Lake Rutherford, Lewisburg, Libertyville, Martins, Mount Salem, Papakating, Plumbsock,
Quarryville, Rockport, Roys and Woodbourne.[23]
Rutan Hill, also called Volcanic Hill, located near the Beemerville section of Wantage Township, is New Jersey's only volcanic site that was last active over 440 million years ago.[24]
Rivers and streams in Wantage are tributaries in the
Wallkill River watershed, and include:
Of the 3,910 households, 34.7% had children under the age of 18; 66.8% were married couples living together; 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present and 20.3% were non-families. Of all households, 15.8% were made up of individuals and 6.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.90 and the average family size was 3.25.[18]
25.0% of the population were under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 22.5% from 25 to 44, 32.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.2 years. For every 100 females, the population had 98.6 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 96.7 males.[18]
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010
American Community Survey showed that (in 2010
inflation-adjusted dollars)
median household income was $72,270 (with a margin of error of +/− $7,478) and the median family income was $78,934 (+/− $9,462). Males had a median income of $55,509 (+/− $8,605) versus $41,013 (+/− $3,999) for females. The
per capita income for the borough was $29,266 (+/− $2,047). About 4.3% of families and 3.5% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 4.0% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.[40]
2000 census
As of the
2000 United States census[14] there were 10,387 people, 3,441 households, and 2,856 families residing in the township. The population density was 154.8 inhabitants per square mile (59.8/km2). There were 3,663 housing units at an average density of 54.6 per square mile (21.1/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 97.10%
White, 0.65%
African American, 0.06%
Native American, 0.67%
Asian, 0.01%
Pacific Islander, 0.41% from
other races, and 1.10% from two or more races.
Hispanic or
Latino of any race were 2.89% of the population.[38][39]
There were 3,441 households, out of which 43.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.5% were
married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.0% were non-families. 13.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.02 and the average family size was 3.33.[38][39]
In the township the population was spread out, with 29.4% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 8.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.0 males.[38][39]
The median income for a household in the township was $58,440, and the median income for a family was $65,339. Males had a median income of $42,697 versus $30,160 for females. The
per capita income for the township was $22,488. About 4.2% of families and 4.9% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 5.7% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.[38][39]
Government
Local government
Wantage Township is governed under the
Township form of New Jersey municipal government, one of 141 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form, the second-most commonly used form of government in the state.[41] The governing body is comprised of the Township Committee, whose three members are elected directly by the voters
at-large in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with one seat coming up for election each year as part of the November general election in a three-year cycle.[6][42] At an annual reorganization meeting, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and another as Deputy Mayor.
As of 2022[update], members of the Wantage Township Committee are
Mayor Jon Morris (
R, term on committee and as mayor ends December 31, 2023), Deputy Mayor William Gaechter (R, term on committee ends 2024; term as deputy mayor ends 2023) and Ronald Bassani (R, 2025).[3][43][44][45][46]
Federal, state and county representation
Wantage Township is located in the 5th Congressional District[47] and is part of New Jersey's 24th state legislative district.[48][49][50]
Sussex County is governed by a
Board of County Commissioners whose five members are elected
at-large in partisan elections on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats coming up for election each year. At an annual reorganization meeting held in the beginning of January, the board selects a Commissioner Director and Deputy Director from among its members, with day-to-day supervision of the operation of the county delegated to a County Administrator.[57] As of 2024[update], Sussex County's Commissioners are:
Constitutional officers elected on a countywide basis are:
Clerk Jeffrey M. Parrott (R, Wantage Township, 2026),[63]
Sheriff Michael F. Strada (R,
Hampton Township, 2025)[64] and
Surrogate
Gary R. Chiusano (R, Frankford Township, 2028).[65]
Politics
As of March 2011, there were a total of 7,397 registered voters in Wantage Township, of which 969 (13.1% vs. 16.5% countywide) were registered as
Democrats, 3,315 (44.8% vs. 39.3%) were registered as
Republicans and 3,104 (42.0% vs. 44.1%) were registered as
Unaffiliated. There were 9 voters registered as
Libertarians or
Greens.[66] Among the township's 2010 Census population, 65.1% (vs. 65.8% in Sussex County) were registered to vote, including 86.8% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 86.5% countywide).[66][67]
In the
2012 presidential election, Republican
Mitt Romney received 3,269 votes (62.8% vs. 59.4% countywide), ahead of Democrat
Barack Obama with 1,800 votes (34.6% vs. 38.2%) and other candidates with 119 votes (2.3% vs. 2.1%), among the 5,203 ballots cast by the township's 7,467 registered voters, for a turnout of 69.7% (vs. 68.3% in Sussex County).[68] In the
2008 presidential election, Republican
John McCain received 3,454 votes (62.2% vs. 59.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 1,987 votes (35.8% vs. 38.7%) and other candidates with 74 votes (1.3% vs. 1.5%), among the 5,551 ballots cast by the township's 7,319 registered voters, for a turnout of 75.8% (vs. 76.9% in Sussex County).[69] In the
2004 presidential election, Republican
George W. Bush received 3,300 votes (67.0% vs. 63.9% countywide), ahead of Democrat
John Kerry with 1,564 votes (31.7% vs. 34.4%) and other candidates with 48 votes (1.0% vs. 1.3%), among the 4,928 ballots cast by the township's 6,500 registered voters, for a turnout of 75.8% (vs. 77.7% in the whole county).[70]
In the
2013 gubernatorial election, Republican
Chris Christie received 70.0% of the vote (2,107 cast), ahead of Democrat
Barbara Buono with 27.0% (812 votes), and other candidates with 3.0% (89 votes), among the 3,038 ballots cast by the township's 7,582 registered voters (30 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 40.1%.[71][72] In the
2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 2,602 votes (63.7% vs. 63.3% countywide), ahead of Democrat
Jon Corzine with 999 votes (24.5% vs. 25.7%), Independent
Chris Daggett with 388 votes (9.5% vs. 9.1%) and other candidates with 59 votes (1.4% vs. 1.3%), among the 4,084 ballots cast by the township's 7,192 registered voters, yielding a 56.8% turnout (vs. 52.3% in the county).[73]
As of May 2010[update], the township had a total of 172.15 miles (277.05 km) of roadways, of which 119.72 miles (192.67 km) were maintained by the municipality, 35.31 miles (56.83 km) by Sussex County and 17.12 miles (27.55 km) by the
New Jersey Department of Transportation.[89]
^
abMayor & Committee, Wantage Township. Accessed April 23, 2023. "Wantage Township is governed by three elected committee members. The mayor is selected by the committee members each year."
^Lewis, J. Volney and Kümmel, Henry B. (1940). Bulletin 50: Geologic Series. The Geology of New Jersey. Trenton, New Jersey: Bureau of Geology and Topography. : 109.
^DeMarco, Megan.
"Voters to decide whether to merge two Princetons into one", The Star-Ledger, November 3, 2011. Accessed January 8, 2017. "There are 22 sets of 'doughnut towns' in New Jersey, those where one town wraps around the other town". Note that following voter approval of the Princeton merger, 21 pairs of "doughnut towns" remain.
^Home Page, Wantage Township. Accessed March 11, 2020. "The township completely surrounds Sussex borough and borders the municipalities of Frankford Township, Hardyston Township, Lafayette Township, Montague Township, Sandyston Township, and Vernon Township in Sussex County; and Greenville and Minisink in Orange County, New York."
^Biography, Congressman Josh Gottheimer. Accessed January 3, 2019. "Josh now lives in Wyckoff, New Jersey with Marla, his wife who was a federal prosecutor, and their two young children, Ellie and Ben."
^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.."
^About County Government,
Sussex County, New Jersey. Accessed May 1, 2022. "Sussex County is governed by five (5) Commissioners who are elected by the voters of Sussex County. Each serves on the county’s Board of County Commissioners for a term of three (3) years, after which time they can seek re‐election or retire.... The Commissioners are elected at‐large to serve three‐year staggered terms. The five Commissioners elect a director from among themselves to run their meetings and to serve as a spokesperson for the board."
^Sussex-Wantage Regional Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Sussex-Wantage Regional School District. Accessed January 22, 2022. "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 Sussex-Wantage Regional School District. Composition: The Sussex-Wantage Regional School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Sussex Borough and Wantage Township."
^Sussex-Wantage Regional School District 2014 Report Card Narrative,
New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed June 18, 2020. "Our district serves over 1,200 students in three schools: Pre-School through Grade 2 in the Clifton E. Lawrence School, Grades 3–5 in the Wantage School, and Grades 6–8 in the Sussex Middle School. Our students attend High Point Regional High School in Grade 9, along with students from the Lafayette and Frankford Township School Districts."
^High Point Regional High School 2016 Report Card Narrative,
New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed June 18, 2020. "High Point Regional High School is a comprehensive high school serving the diversified needs of the five surrounding municipalities of Branchville, Frankford, Lafayette, Sussex and Wantage. In addition, we are in a send/receive relationship with the Montague school district."
^"2019-20 School Profile", High Point Regional High School. Accessed June 18, 2020. "Located 63 miles northwest of Manhattan in bucolic Sussex, County NJ, High Point serves students from six municipalities: Branchville, Lafayette, Frankford, Montague, Sussex, and Wantage."
^Judson Kilpatrick,
Gettysburg National Military Park. Accessed October 20, 2015. "Hugh Judson Kilpatrick, more commonly referred to as Judson Kilpatrick, was born on his family farm in Wantage Township, near Deckertown, New Jersey."
^Watry, Greg,
"Ex-Wantage resident is Playboy's 'Miss March'", New Jersey Herald, April 5, 2014. Accessed March 7, 2024. "Growing up in the sticks of Sussex County, Britt Linn spent her childhood like any country girl.... Now a full-time model in New York City, she recently graced the centerfold pages of Playboy as Miss March 2014. 'Growing up in Sussex County was the ideal place,' the 23-year-old former Wantage resident said."