Eatontown, New Jersey


Eatontown is a borough in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 13,597, an increase of 888 from the 2010 census count of 12,709, which in turn reflected a decline of 1,299 from the 14,008 counted in the 2000 census.
The community that is now Eatontown was originally incorporated as Eatontown Township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 4, 1873, from portions of [Ocean Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey|Monmouth County, New Jersey|Ocean Township] and Shrewsbury Township. Portions of the township were taken to form West Long Branch and Oceanport. Eatontown was reincorporated as a borough on March 8, 1926, replacing Eatontown Township, based on the results of a referendum held on April 13, 1926. The borough was named for Thomas Eaton, an early settler who built a mill.
The United States Army's Fort Monmouth operated in Eatontown from 1917 until its closure in September 2011, based on recommendations from the Base Realignment and Closure Commission. It was home to the United States Army Materiel Command's Communication and Electronics Command. Fort Monmouth was also home to the United States Military Academy Preparatory School, which trains approximately 250 students per year to enter as freshmen at the United States Military Academy at West Point.
In the center of Eatontown is the Monmouth Mall, located at the intersection of Route 35 and Route 36, featuring a variety of stores, restaurants, and a 15-screen cineplex, with a gross leasable area of. Celebrity chef Bobby Flay previously owned a restaurant in Eatontown.
As of 2025, the Monmouth mall was torn down, but some stores were retained, i.e., Barnes & Noble and Macy's.
WWW eatontownnj.com

History

Eatontown's history is documented in the book Eatontown and Fort Monmouth.
In 1670, Thomas Eaton surveyed the area and constructed a grist mill in present-day Wampum Lake Park.
From the book Eatontown and Fort Monmouth:
By 1796, a village had developed across from Eaton's mill, with a tannery and general store on the east side of the Red Bank Turnpike . A tavern for the New York - Philadelphia stage coach trade was built on what would become the intersection of Main and Broad Streets. A second stage coach stop was established in Mechanicsville on the ocean-bound road. This village would later be called West Long Branch.
By 1850, Eaton's village had grown to include four stores on Main Street and nearly forty homes. The Eatontown Steamboat Company built docks on Oceanport Creek to ship milled flour and other farm produce up the South Shrewsbury River to markets in New York City. Entrepreneur James P. Allaire built a four-story stone warehouse at the docks, from which he shipped his bog iron forged at the Howell Works 15 miles away.

In 1886, a mob broke into the jail and removed a black man, Samuel "Mingo Jack" Johnson, who was being held for the alleged rape of a white woman. The mob brutally beat and then hanged Johnson, the father of five. Later events show that it was extremely unlikely that Johnson was guilty of the crime. In 2012, mayor Gerald Tarantolo issued a public apology for the failure of security at the jail.
In 2020, Eatontown was to celebrate its 350th anniversary, but most of the activities were delayed due to COVID-19 concerns.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 5.89 square miles, including 5.84 square miles of land and 0.05 square miles of water.
The Unincorporated community of Locust Grove is located within the borough.
The borough borders the Monmouth County municipalities of Shrewsbury on the north, Oceanport to the northeast, West Long Branch to the east, Ocean Township to the south and Tinton Falls to the west.

Demographics

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 12,709 people, 5,319 households, and 3,138 families in the borough. The population density was 2,181.5 per square mile. There were 5,723 housing units at an average density of 982.3 per square mile. The racial makeup was 71.29% White, 12.41% Black or African American, 0.28% Native American, 8.67% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 3.64% from other races, and 3.62% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.36% of the population.
Of the 5,319 households, 26.3% had children under the age of 18; 41.2% were married couples living together; 13.4% had a female householder with no husband present and 41.0% were non-families. Of all households, 34.2% 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 2.32 and the average family size was 3.02.
20.7% of the population were under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 28.5% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.6 years. For every 100 females, the population had 97.2 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 93.4 males.
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that median household income was $60,188 and the median family income was $77,846. Males had a median income of $56,086 versus $43,750 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $35,200. About 6.4% of families and 9.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.7% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census there were 14,008 people, 5,780 households, and 3,444 families residing in the borough. The population density was. There were 6,341 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the borough was 73.29% White, 11.61% African American, 0.34% Native American, 9.32% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 2.31% from other races, and 3.10% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.62% of the population.
There were 5,780 households, out of which 28.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.8% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.4% were non-families. 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the borough the population was spread out, with 22.9% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 35.0% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.2 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $53,833, and the median income for a family was $69,397. Males had a median income of $49,508 versus $35,109 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $26,965. About 3.5% of families and 5.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.3% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

Eatontown is governed under the borough form of New Jersey municipal government, one of 218 municipalities statewide that use this form, the most commonly used form of government in the state. The governing body is comprised of the mayor and the borough council, with all positions elected at-large on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. The mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The borough council includes 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. The borough form of government used by Eatontown 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.
, the mayor of Eatontown is Democrat Anthony Talerico Jr., whose term of office ends on December 31, 2026. Members of the Borough Council are Council President Virginia M. East, Meir Araman, Candace Faust, Maria Grazia Escalante, Danielle M. Jones and Carl Lawson.
Jackie Severinsen was appointed to fill the seat expiring in December 2024 that became vacant following the death of Everett D. Lucas in July 2023. Severinsen served on an interim basis until the November 2023 general election, when Carl Lawson was elected to serve the remainder of the term of office.
In January 2019, Democrat Tonya Rivera was selected from a list of three candidates nominated by the Eatontown Democratic committee to fill the seat expiring in December 2020 that had been held by Bridget Harris until she resigned from office the previous month; Rivera served until the November 2019 general election, when voters chose a candidate to fill the balance of the term of office. In April 2019, the Democratic municipal committee selected Gregory Loxton to fill the seat expiring in December 2021 that had been held by Lisa Murphy until she resigned from office in March 2019; Loxton also served until the November 2019 general election, when voters chose a candidate to fill the balance of the term of office. In the November 2019 general election, Republicans were elected to fill the two full three-year terms, a single two-year unexpired term and two one-year unexpired terms. The three members elected to unexpired terms took office in November after the results were certified; Palenzuela stepped down from office in December and was replaced in January 2020 by Hope Corcoran.

Federal and state representation

Eatontown is located in New Jersey's 4th congressional district and is part of New Jersey's 11th state legislative district.

Education

Students in public school for pre-kindergarten through eighth grade attend the Eatontown Public Schools. The district includes three elementary schools and a middle school. As of the 2022–23 school year, the district, comprised of four schools, had an enrollment of 980 students and 98.9 classroom teachers, for a student–teacher ratio of 9.9:1. Schools in the district are
Meadowbrook Elementary School with 235 students in grades PreK–1,
Woodmere Elementary School with 323 students in grades PreK / 2–4,
Margaret L. Vetter Elementary School with 222 students in grades PreK / 5–6 and
Memorial Middle School with 178 students in grades 7–8.
Public school students in ninth through twelfth grades attend Monmouth Regional High School, located in Tinton Falls. The high school is part of the Monmouth Regional High School District, which also serves students from Shrewsbury Township and Tinton Falls. As of the 2022–23 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 938 students and 93.1 classroom teachers, for a student–teacher ratio of 10.1:1. Seats on the nine-member board of education for the high school district are allocated based on the population of the constituent municipalities, with three seats allocated to Eatontown.
Eatontown is also home to Hawkswood School, a school founded in 1976 that serves the educational needs of disabled students in the area "with complex, multiple disabilities, including autism".

Transportation

Roads and highways

, the borough had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Monmouth County and by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.
Several state highways pass through Eatontown. These include Route 18 in the southwestern part of the borough, Route 35 and Route 36 in the center of the borough, and Route 71 in the north. Major county roads that pass through Eatontown include County Route 537 and County Route 547.
The Garden State Parkway, the largest highway in Monmouth County, is accessible just outside the borough in neighboring Tinton Falls at exit 105.

Public transportation

NJ Transit provides local bus transportation on the 831 and 832 routes.

Complete Streets

Created in May 2018, the goal of the Eatontown Complete Streets Advisory Committee is to establish a walkable and bikeable community that is safe and accessible for people of all ages and abilities.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Eatontown include: