Clark, New Jersey


Clark is a township in southern Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 15,544, an increase of 788 from the 2010 census count of 14,756, which in turn reflected an increase of 159 from the 14,597 counted in the 2000 census.

History

The territory that would become Clark was originally a part of several early settlements. The Robinson Plantation House and The Squire Hartshorne House, buildings from the late 17th century, are remnants of the era. The Homestead Farm at Oak Ridge was the site of a skirmish preceding the Battle of Short Hills. In 1858, after the City of Rahway was incorporated, the area of present-day Clark was designated as the 5th Ward of Rahway. Clark was incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 23, 1864, from portions of Rahway. The township was named for Abraham Clark, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Portions of the township were taken to form Cranford and Winfield Township.
New Jersey Monthly magazine ranked Clark as its 33rd best place to live in its 2008 rankings of the "Best Places To Live" in New Jersey. In 2013, New Jersey Monthly magazine ranked Clark 174th in its rankings of "Best Places To Live" in New Jersey.
In July 2020, the Union County Prosecutor's Office opened an investigation into the Clark township police department and put the police chief and a captain on administrative leave after allegations of misconduct.
In March 2022, NJ Advance Media, a local newspaper, revealed a recording of Mayor Sal Bonaccorso using racial slurs when talking to members of the police department, despite him having previously denied doing so, and also saying women police officers were "disasters". The newspaper also reported that in January 2020, Clark Township had paid Clark police lieutenant Antonio Manata $400,000 to not reveal racist and sexist comments made by the Mayor and Chief of Police and to turn over the tapes he had recorded. On April 5, Bonaccorso admitted to using "hurtful and insensitive language" and apologized. The New Jersey Office of Public Integrity and Accountability subsequently took control of the Union County investigation.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 4.45 square miles, including 4.27 square miles of land and 0.18 square miles of water.
Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Ashbrook, Florence Mills, Lenox, Madison Hill and Picton.
The Rahway River Parkway along the Rahway River runs through the township. The Robinson's Branch Reservoir, also known as the Clark Reservoir, is the largest body of water in Union County and bisects the township diagonally.
The township borders Scotch Plains and Westfield to the west, Cranford and Winfield Township to the north, Linden and Rahway to the east, and Edison and Woodbridge Township in Middlesex County to the south.
An abandoned rail spur, the Bloodgood Branch of the Lehigh Valley Railroad, runs through Clark.

Demographics

2020 census

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 14,756 people, 5,562 households, and 4,038 families in the township. The population density was. There were 5,751 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup was 93.29% White, 0.84% Black or African American, 0.10% Native American, 3.71% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.15% from other races, and 0.88% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.50% of the population.
Of the 5,562 households, 30.2% had children under the age of 18; 60.4% were married couples living together; 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present and 27.4% were non-families. Of all households, 24.0% were made up of individuals and 12.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.15.
21.2% of the population were under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 23.6% from 25 to 44, 29.6% from 45 to 64, and 18.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.8 years. For every 100 females, the population had 92.6 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 88.8 males.
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that median household income was $80,959 and the median family income was $99,839. Males had a median income of $65,399 versus $49,649 for females. The per capita income for the township was $37,288. About 2.3% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.3% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over.
According to the 2009–2013 American Community Survey, the largest ancestry groups were:
As of the 2000 United States census there were 14,597 people, 5,637 households, and 4,126 families residing in the township. The population density was. There were 5,709 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the township was 95.61% White, 0.30% African American, 0.01% Native American, 2.75% Asian, 0.63% from other races, and 0.69% from two or more races. Also Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.67% of the population.
There were 5,637 households, out of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.4% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.8% were non-families. 24.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.07.
In the township the population was spread out, with 20.8% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 21.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.4 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $65,019, and the median income for a family was $77,291. Males had a median income of $54,543 versus $36,361 for females. The per capita income for the township was $29,883. About 1.0% of families and 1.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.0% of those under age 18 and 2.7% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

Clark Township is governed within the Faulkner Act, formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law, under the Mayor-Council system of municipal government, which is governed by a "strong mayor". The township is one of 71 municipalities statewide that use this form of government.The Clark Township Committee is comprised of seven members, who are all chosen on a partisan basis in even-numbered years as part of the November general election. Three members are elected at-large from the township as a whole and four are elected from wards. The three Council-at-large seats and Mayor come up to vote together, and then the four ward seats are up for vote two years later.
, the Mayor of Clark is Republican Angel Albanese, who was elected to serve the term of office ending December 31, 2028, that had been held by Sal Bonaccorso until he was forced to resign from office. Members of the Township Council are Council President Bill Smith, Council Vice President Frank G. Mazzarella, Jessica Hoff, Steven M. Hund, Jimmy Minniti, Patrick O'Connor, and Brian P. Toal.
In January 2025, Mayor Sal Bonaccorso, who had just been re-elected for his seventh term, pleaded guilty to charges of criminal misconduct and was required to step down from office; Council President Angel Albanese was chosen to serve on an interim basis until November 2025, when she was elected to fill the balance of the term of office and Jessica Hoff was chosen to fill the vacant at-large seat that had been held by Albanese.

Federal, state and county representation

Clark is located in New Jersey's 7th Congressional District, and is part of New Jersey's 22nd state legislative district.

Politics

As of March 27, 2024, there were a total of 11,952 registered voters in Clark Township, of which 3,240 were registered as Democrats, 3,956 were registered as Republicans and 4,650 were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 106 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens. Among the township's 2010 Census population, 69.1% were registered to vote, including 87.6% of those ages 18 and over.

Education

The Clark Public School District serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. As of the 2019–20 school year, the district, comprised of five schools, had an enrollment of 2,299 students and 184.7 classroom teachers, for a student–teacher ratio of 12.4:1. Schools in the district are
Clark Preschool with 20 students in Pre-K,
Frank K. Hehnly Elementary School with 551 students in grades K–5,
Valley Road Elementary School with 435 students in grades K–5,
Carl H. Kumpf Middle School with 518 students in grades 6–8 and
Arthur L. Johnson High School with 708 students in grades 9–12. Students from Garwood attend the district's high school as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Garwood Public Schools.
Students who excel in middle school have the opportunity to attend the Union County Magnet High School and the other programs of the Union County Vocational Technical Schools, which accept students from across the county on the basis of admissions examinations and applications.
Mother Seton Regional High School is an all-girls, private, Roman Catholic high school, operated under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark. St. John the Apostle School School is a co-ed K–12 school, also operated under the auspices of the same archdiocese. It was dedicated as a National Blue Ribbon school in 2011.
The Clark Scholarship Fund is a not-for-profit organization that has provided need-based scholarships to college-bound Clark residents since 1955, funded entirely by contributions from individuals and businesses.