Metuchen, New Jersey
Metuchen is a suburban borough in Middlesex County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The borough is a commuter town of New York City, located in the heart of the Raritan Valley region within the New York Metropolitan area. The borough, along with Edison, is a regional commercial hub for Central New Jersey. The borough is northeast of New Brunswick, southwest of Newark, southwest of Jersey City, and southwest of Manhattan. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 15,049, an increase of 1,475 from the 2010 census count of 13,574, which in turn reflected an increase of 734 from the 12,840 counted in the 2000 census.
Metuchen was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 20, 1900, from portions of Raritan Township. Metuchen's Main Street won Great American Main Street of the Year in 2023.
History
The earliest residents of the area were the Raritan people of the Lenape Native Americans, who lived in the area and travelled through it to the shore. In 1646, Chief Matouchin was part of a group that included 1,200 warriors.Until 1870, what is now Metuchen was part of Woodbridge Township. The settlers in the western part of the township developed their own separate identity, because they were so far removed from the main settlement of Woodbridge. The name "Metuchen" first appeared in 1688/1689, and its name was derived from the name of a Native American chief, whose name was variously spelled as Matouchin or Matochshegan. In 1701, an overseer of roads was appointed for "Metuchen district". In 1705, Main Street was laid out at the same time as the road from Metuchen to Woodbridge, which one source calls a "reworking of the original road".
Sometime between 1717 and 1730, a meeting house was constructed for weekday meetings conducted by the pastor of the Woodbridge Presbyterian Church. In 1756, Metuchen Presbyterians succeeded in forming their own congregation, attesting to their growing numbers. In 1770, the congregations merged, with Metuchen getting 2/5 of the pastor's services and Woodbridge 3/5; by 1772, Metuchen had grown sufficiently to warrant half of his time. In 1793, the two churches again separated.
Metuchen was little changed from the late 18th to the early 19th century. A map from 1799 shows ten buildings in the center of the community along Main Street. By 1834, a Presbyterian church, a store, two taverns and about a dozen dwellings could be found. The opening of the Middlesex and Essex Turnpike in 1806, and the Perth Amboy and Bound Brook Turnpike in 1808 did not spur growth. Not until the beginning of the railroad era did commercial and residential development surge.
In 1836, the New Jersey Railroad was completed to New Brunswick. The construction of a station at Main Street made it inevitable that this would develop as the principal street. A business section soon began to appear between Middlesex Avenue and the railroad tracks, and commercial and service establishments gradually began to assume a more modern aspect.
The second half of the 19th century was a period of social, cultural and religious diversification in Metuchen. Between 1859 and 1866 the Reformed Church was organized, the first Catholic mass was celebrated and St. Luke's Episcopal Church was founded. In 1870 both the Building and Loan Association and the library opened, the same year that Raritan Township was incorporated. As the largest village in the new township, Metuchen naturally became its commercial and cultural center and acquired substantial political control. In 1873, the town hosted Howard Newton Fuller and the Rutgers College Glee Club in the first-ever performance of their alma mater. In 1879, the literary and debating society was formed, and in 1883 the Village Improvement Society. By 1882, Metuchen School #15 had an enrollment of 256 pupils, and by 1885 the New Jersey Gazette listed 37 businesses.
The decade of the 1890s was a period of expansion for public utilities. In 1894, telegraph service was begun and in 1897 telephone service begun by the N.Y. and N.J. Telephone Company. In the same year the Midland Water Company began operation and supplied hydrants for "newly formed" volunteer fire companies. In 1899, a new street lighting system was installed. At about the same time a bicycling organization was formed, the Metuchen Wheelmen, which lobbied for improved roads. Trolley service began in 1900. In addition, commerce had grown to such an extent that the New Brunswick Directory listed 91 businesses in 1899.
Metuchen attracted an influx of artists, literary figures and noted intellectuals during this time, acquiring the nickname "the Brainy Boro". One of the Borough's two post offices is named Brainy Boro Station.
The new century began with the borough's incorporation, in 1900.
On November 19, 1981, Metuchen became the Seat of the newly established Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen. The diocese includes Hunterdon, Middlesex, Somerset and Warren counties and more than 500,000 Catholics.
Metuchen Borough Hall, dedicated in 2005, replaced a structure built in 1924 during the City Beautiful movement.
From 1948 until 2004, the Ford Motor Company manufactured seven million Ford and Mercury vehicles, including the Ford Mustang, at Edison Assembly, which was named for Metuchen until 1980.
In 2022, Metuchen was nominated as one of the eight semifinalists for the 2023 Great American Main Street Award. They later won the award.
American Girl's 2023 "Girl of the Year" character, Kavi Sharma, is described as being from Metuchen. She is the first "Girl of the Year" doll of South Asian ancestry.
In April 2024, Metuchen was named by Money Magazine as the best place to live in New Jersey and one of the best to live in the country.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 2.85 square miles, including 2.85 square miles of land and <0.01 square miles of water.The Borough of Metuchen is completely surrounded by Edison, making it part of 21 pairs of "doughnut towns" in the state, where one municipality entirely surrounds another.
Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Jefferson Park and Robinvale.
Metuchen has been a state-designated "town center" since 1996 and "transit village" since 2001. The borough has been recognized for its smart growth development. Plans to build a residential and commercial center with 700 parking spaces on a parking lot adjacent to the train station were announced in July 2014.
Demographics
2020 census
The 2020 United States census counted 15,049 people and 5,255 households in the borough. There were 6,053 housing units. The racial makeup was 63.71% White, 4.66% Black or African American, 0.24% Native American, 18.88% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.02% from other races, and 9.44% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.03% of the population.Of the 5,255 households, 26.1% had children under the age of 18; 65.6% were married couples living together and 22.2% had a female householder with no husband present. The average household size was 2.83 and the average family size was 3.35.
The Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5 Year Data showed that median household income was $141,915 and the median family income was $163,438. The per capita income for the borough was $61,344. About 1.7% of families and 3.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.1% of those under age 18 and 10.2% of those age 65 or over.
2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 13,574 people, 5,243 households, and 3,744 families in the borough. The population density was 4,910.4 per square mile. There were 5,440 housing units at an average density of 1,967.9 per square mile. The racial makeup was 77.92% White, 4.88% Black or African American, 0.07% Native American, 12.96% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.39% from other races, and 2.76% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.89% of the population.Of the 5,243 households, 33.6% had children under the age of 18; 58.3% were married couples living together; 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present and 28.6% were non-families. Of all households, 23.9% were made up of individuals and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.10.
24.2% of the population were under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 29.7% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.1 years. For every 100 females, the population had 93.1 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 88.2 males.
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that median household income was $94,410 and the median family income was $126,123. Males had a median income of $78,974 versus $57,271 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $46,949. About 1.9% of families and 2.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.8% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 65 or over.
2000 census
As of the 2000 United States census there were 12,840 people, 4,992 households, and 3,584 families residing in the borough. The population density was. There were 5,104 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the borough was 93.30% White, 3.38% African American, 0.10% Native American, 7.23% Asian, 1.12% from other races, and 1.86% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.96% of the population.There were 4,992 households, out of which 32.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.8% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.2% were non-families. 23.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the borough the population was spread out, with 23.3% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 25.2% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.1 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $75,546, and the median income for a family was $85,022. Males had a median income of $58,125 versus $43,097 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $36,749. About 3.4% of families and 3.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.6% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.