Haddon Township, New Jersey
Haddon Township is a township in Camden County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 15,407, an increase of 700 from the 2010 census count of 14,707, which in turn reflected an increase of 56 from the 14,651 counted in the 2000 census.
Under the terms of an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 23, 1865, Haddon Township was incorporated from portions of Newton Township. The following communities were subsequently created from the Haddon Township: Haddonfield, Collingswood, Woodlynne, Haddon Heights, Audubon and Oaklyn. The township was named for early settler Elizabeth Haddon.
Haddon Township allows the sale of alcohol, and has several bars and restaurants which serve alcoholic beverages, unlike the neighboring boroughs of Collingswood, Haddonfield and Haddon Heights which prohibit the sale of alcohol.
History
The township's first European settlers settled in the area of Newton Creek in 1681. In 1701, Elizabeth Haddon Estaugh, the daughter of John Haddon, arrived in the American colonies to oversee his large landholdings, which included areas that are now Collingswood, Haddon Township, and Haddonfield. Contemporary Newton Township included land that later became part of Audubon, Audubon Park, Camden, Collingswood, Gloucester City, Haddon Heights, Haddonfield, Oaklyn, and Woodlynne.Saddlertown
In the late 1830s, a runaway slave, who had taken the surname Saddler to avoid detection by his former master, came to New Jersey from a Maryland plantation with his wife and two daughters. Saddler worked for Cy Evans, a local Quaker farmer, from whom he bought five acres to farm. The area where Saddler settled became a predominantly black community known as Saddlertown, a stop on the Underground Railroad. Today, Saddlertown is racially diverse.Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, Haddon Township had a total area of 2.82 square miles, including 2.69 square miles of land and 0.13 square miles of water.Haddon Township has two exclaves, West Collingswood Heights and West Collingswood Extension. The downtown portion of the township is known as Westmont, a name probably derived from a noted harness racing horse. Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Crystal Lake, Cuthbert and Oakdale.
Haddon Township borders the Camden County municipalities of Audubon, Audubon Park, Camden, Cherry Hill, Collingswood, Gloucester City, Haddonfield, Mount Ephraim, and Oaklyn.
Demographics
2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 14,707 people, 6,226 households, and 3,860 families in the township. The population density was. There were 6,477 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup was 93.16% White, 1.50% Black or African American, 0.16% Native American, 2.71% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.11% from other races, and 1.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.95% of the population.Of the 6,226 households, 26.7% had children under the age of 18; 48.5% were married couples living together; 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present and 38.0% were non-families. Of all households, 32.3% were made up of individuals and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 3.04.
21.7% of the population were under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 28.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.8 years. For every 100 females, the population had 93.0 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 89.3 males.
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that median household income was $70,392 and the median family income was $90,156. Males had a median income of $60,221 versus $52,179 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $35,506. About 3.6% of families and 6.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.4% of those under age 18 and 9.9% of those age 65 or over.
2000 census
As of the 2000 United States census, there were 14,651 people, 6,207 households, and 3,891 families residing in the township. The population density was. There were 6,423 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the township was 95.42% White, 1.18% African American, 0.05% Native American, 2.01% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.56% from other races, and 0.74% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.54% of the population.There were 6,207 households, out of which 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.9% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.3% were non-families. 33.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the township, the population was spread out, with 22.6% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 20.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.4 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $51,076, and the median income for a family was $65,269. Males had a median income of $44,943 versus $32,967 for females. The per capita income for the township was $25,610. About 1.6% of families and 4.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.3% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Local government
Since 1950, Haddon Township has been governed under the Walsh Act with a governing body comprised of a three-member commission. The Township is one of 30 municipalities statewide governed under the commission form of government. Commission members are elected at-large on a non-partisan basis as part of the May municipal election to serve four-year concurrent terms of office. At a reorganization meeting held after the election, each commissioner is assigned responsibility for supervising a specific department. The commissioners select one of their members to serve as a part-time mayor, who presides over meetings but has no independent executive function. Haddon Township has had only three mayors in its history: William Rohrer, William J. Park. Jr.,, and Randall Teague., members of the Haddon Township Commission are
Mayor Randall W. "Randy" Teague,
Ryan Linhart and
Jim Mulroy ; all serving terms of office that end May 16, 2027. Linhart, Mulroy and Teague ran unopposed in the May 2023 municipal election, the fourth consecutive time that township candidates won election to four-year terms, without facing any challengers.
In November 2018, Ryan Linhart was appointed to fill the seat vacated by Paul Dougherty, who resigned the previous month before he pleaded guilty to a criminal charge.
Jim Mulroy was sworn into office in February 2017 to fill the seat vacated by John Foley, who resigned from office earlier that month.
Police, fire, and emergency services
Haddon Township has three fire districts, each governed by five elected fire commissioners. Fire District 1 is the Westmont and Bluebird section, protected by the Westmont Fire Company No. 1, which was established in 1902. The former Fire District 2 covered the West Collingswood Extension section. Since being dissolved, Haddon Township now contracts directly with the Borough of Collingswood Fire Department for fire protection in the Extension section. Fire District 3 is the Bettlewood, Heather Glen, Heather House and Heather Woods sections and it contracts with the Westmont Fire Company No. 1 for fire protection from District 1. Fire District 4 is the West Collingswood Heights section, protected by the West Collingswood Heights Fire Co., Westmont Fire Co. and West Collingswood Heights Fire Co. are both Haddon Township companies, but separate entities with their own chiefs.Ambulance service throughout the Township is also divided, mirroring the fire service.
The Westmont Fire Company No. 1 provides both fire and EMS services. Daniel F. Devitt has served as Chief since 2021.
Police coverage throughout the entire township is provided by the Haddon Township Police Department, which also provides services for Audubon Park. The department was established in 1926. As of 2017, it consists of 26 sworn officers.
Federal, state and county representation
Haddon Township is located in the 1st Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 6th state legislative district.Haddon Township does not have a dedicated postal ZIP Code, sharing the codes of Collingswood, Haddonfield, Audubon, Audubon Park, and Oaklyn.
Politics
As of March 2011, there were a total of 10,876 registered voters in Haddon Township, of which 4,408 were registered as Democrats, 2,036 were registered as Republicans and 4,415 were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 17 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens.In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 60.5% of the vote, ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 37.8%, and other candidates with 1.7%, among the 8,272 ballots cast by the township's 11,643 registered voters, for a turnout of 71.0%. In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 59.7% of the vote, ahead of Republican John McCain, who received around 37.4%, with 8,685 ballots cast among the township's 10,887 registered voters, for a turnout of 79.8%. In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 58.7% of the vote, outpolling Republican George W. Bush, who received around 39.8%, with 8,549 ballots cast among the township's 10,762 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 79.4.