Cherry Hill, New Jersey
Cherry Hill is a township within Camden County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As a suburb of Philadelphia, the township is part of the South Jersey and Delaware Valley regions. Cherry Hill Township grew during the mid-20th century suburbanization, becoming one of the Delaware Valley's main commercial centers, including the Cherry Hill Mall. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 74,553.
History
The area now known as Cherry Hill was originally settled by the Lenni-Lenape Native Americans before being displaced by the first settlers from England, namely Quaker followers of William Penn who arrived in the late 17th century.The first settlement was a small cluster of homes named Colestown, in the perimeters of what is now the Colestown Cemetery on the corner of Route 41 and Church Road. The municipality was incorporated on February 25, 1844, at a town meeting as part of Gloucester County as Delaware Township from half of the area of Waterford Township and became part of Camden County at its creation some two weeks later on March 13, 1844. Portions of the township were taken to form Stockton Township and Merchantville. At its territorial peak, Delaware Township included all of modern-day Cherry Hill Township, as well as the neighborhood of North Camden and the municipalities of Merchantville and Pennsauken.
Ellisburg, named for the Ellis family who settled the area, served as the social and political hub of Delaware Township. Now located at the intersection of King's Highway and Route 70, Ellisburg grow to include a general store, a blacksmith, residential homes and a tavern. The tavern, founded by Isaac Ellis, would later be bought by John Ilg and renamed the Ellisburg Inn. The inn became a popular stagecoach shop until 1881, when the railroad between Philadelphia and Medford was completed. Ellisburg was also the home of Delaware Township's first school, the Ellisburg School, which was built in 1831. The school also hosted town meetings until 1885, when the first town hall was built. The inn, general store and school were demolished in 1938 to make room for the Ellisburg traffic circle.
Large family farms grew around Delaware Township in the 19th century, supplied by Haddonfield, Merchantville, Colestown and Ellisburg, and powered by mills such as the Kay-Evans mill at present-day Croft Farm. Much of the produce was grown for the Campbell's Soup company in Camden.
The township's population and economy boomed after World War II and continued to increase until the 1980s. Today, the municipality's population is stable, with new development generally occurring in pockets of custom luxury houses or through the rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of commercial and industrial areas.
Origin of the name
Cherry Hill was a 19th-century farm on Kaighn Avenue, owned by Capt. Abraham M. Browning. The farm property, named Cherry Hill because of the cherry trees growing on the property, later became the Cherry Hill Inn, as well as an RCA office campus, and today's Cherry Hill Towers and Cherry Hill Estates housing developments.Adding to the prevalence of the Cherry Hill name and leading to the official name change from Delaware Township to Cherry Hill Township, developer Eugene Mori branded several properties using the name, starting with the Cherry Hill Inn and Cherry Hill Lodge hotels. Cherry Hill Shopping Center opened in 1961 opposite the old Cherry Hill Farm site, featuring 75 stores within a single enclosed space.
When the township sought a new post office, another New Jersey municipality in Hunterdon County was using the name Delaware Township. The United States Postal Service insisted on a name change, suggesting "Deltown". Delaware Township mayors Christian Weber and John Gilmour pursued public write-in campaigns to select possible titles and chose Cherry Hill from suggestions that included Chapel Hill, Cherry Valley and Delaware City. The name "Cherry Hill" was chosen by the township's citizens in a non-binding referendum in 1961 and was officially adopted on November 7, 1961.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 24.20 square miles, including 24.07 square miles of land and 0.12 square miles of water.Ashland, Barclay, Cherry Hill Mall, Ellisburg, Golden Triangle, Greentree, Kingston Estates and Springdale are unincorporated communities and census-designated places located within the township.
Other unincorporated communities, localities, neighborhoods, and place names located partially or completely within the township include Coffins Corner, Colwick, Cooperstown, Deer Park, Erlton, Freeman, Greenbrier, Huttons Hill, Locust Grove, Old Orchard, Point of Woods and Woodcrest.
The township's eastern border with Burlington County is defined by the Pennsauken Creek. The creek separates Cherry Hill from the communities of Maple Shade Township, Evesham Township, and Mount Laurel Township. The Cooper River forms the southern border with Collingswood, Haddon Township, Haddonfield Borough, Lawnside Borough and Somerdale, through the Maria Barnaby Greenwald Park and parallel to the east-west Route 70. To the north, Cherry Hill borders Merchantville Borough and Pennsauken Township, while Voorhees Township shares its southern border along County Route 544.
Demographics
Since 2010, the population increased after several decades of slow growth. As of 2020, the township was the state's 12th most populous municipality, and the largest in Camden County, after having been the state's 14th most-populous municipality and the county's second largest in the 2010 Census, having surpassed both Brick Township, as well as nearby Camden, within the previous decade, and was ranked 13th in 2000.The Asian American population in Cherry Hill is experiencing rapid growth, increasing by 25% from 7,661 in 2010 to 9,587 in the 2013–2017 American Community Survey, compared to 0.3% growth for the township as a whole during the same period. An extensive array of businesses owned by Korean Americans has emerged along Marlton Pike in Cherry Hill since 2010, with signage in Hangul ubiquitous along this stretch.
2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 71,045 people, 26,882 households, and 19,301 families in the township. The population density was. There were 28,452 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup was 78.06% White, 6.14% Black or African American, 0.11% Native American, 11.69% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.83% from other races, and 2.15% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.64% of the population.Of the 26,882 households, 31.2% had children under the age of 18; 58.6% were married couples living together; 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present and 28.2% were non-families. Of all households, 24.2% were made up of individuals and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.12.
23.0% of the population were under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 23.1% from 25 to 44, 29.5% from 45 to 64, and 17.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.1 years. For every 100 females, the population had 92.2 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 88.4 males.
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that median household income was $88,183 and the median family income was $105,786. Males had a median income of $72,128 versus $48,937 for females. The per capita income for the township was $41,252. About 3.0% of families and 4.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.9% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.
2000 census
As of the 2000 U.S. census, there were 69,965 people, 26,227 households, and 19,407 families residing in the township. The population density was. There were 27,074 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the township was 84.67% White, 8.87% Asian, 4.46% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.70% from other races, and 1.16% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.54% of the population.There were 26,227 households, out of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.8% were married couples living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.0% were non-families. 22.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the township, the population was spread out, with 23.5% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 26.6% from 45 to 64, and 18.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.2 males.
According to a 2010 estimate, the median income for a household in the township was $87,392, and the median income for a family was $104,983. Males had a median income of $82,325 versus $49,129 for females. The per capita income for the township was $43,192. About 2.6% of families and 4.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.8% of those under age 18 and 9.7% of those age 65 or over.
Climate
Cherry Hill features a temperate, humid subtropical climate, with mild winters, and receives approximately 58% of total possible sunshine annually. However, the weather is subject to changeable conditions. Occasional ice and significant snowfall usually melt within hours to days of falling. Summers are long, hot, and humid. The area can feel effects from Atlantic tropical storms. Precipitation is plentiful in all seasons.Economy
Cherry Hill is a corporate and employment hub. The township is the headquarters of TD Bank, N.A., whose US$350 billion in deposits in 2021 made it the eighth-largest American bank by deposits. On February 28, 2022, TD Bank, N.A. announced plans to acquire Memphis, Tennessee–based First Horizon Corp for US$13.4 billion. The combined entity will be based in Cherry Hill, and will constitute a Top 6 US bank. The deal is expected to close in 2023, pending approval by regulators in both the United States and Canada. The post-merger bank will have approximately US$600 billion in assets.Melitta USA has its coffee roasting plant in the township. The Courier-Post, the fifth-largest New Jersey–based newspaper, is published in Cherry Hill. Subaru of America's headquarters was also located in the township until 2018. Cherry Hill Mall, a principal shopping center in the Philadelphia metropolitan area, was the first enclosed shopping mall in the eastern United States, opening in October 1961.
Many residents of Cherry Hill also work elsewhere. Cherry Hill is an edge city within a half-hour commute to Philadelphia, Camden, Trenton or Princeton.