South Hackensack, New Jersey
South Hackensack is a township in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 2,701, an increase of 323 from the 2010 census count of 2,378, which in turn reflected an increase of 129 from the 2,249 counted in the 2000 census.
History
South Hackensack was formed as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on November 15, 1935, replacing Lodi Township, based on the results of a referendum held November 5, 1935, which passed by a margin of 309 to 15. The township's name derives from its location relative to Hackensack.The territory that became South Hackensack was the "last unattractive portion" of Lodi Township that neighboring municipalities didn't want as it was "either rural areas or areas that the others did not want to include in their boundaries because they didn't want to pave the roads there or school the children" according to Kevin Wright, a local historian. The state government has occasionally proposed the merger of South Hackesack into its neighboring municipalities, however, there is very little desire for such a merger within the township's residents.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 0.75 square miles, including 0.72 square miles of land and 0.03 square miles of water.After several boroughs were formed within the limits of Lodi Township, what remains as South Hackensack is divided into three noncontiguous sections. The northeastern, primary residential section is adjacent to Hackensack, Little Ferry and Teterboro. A small western portion, known as Garfield Park, lies in between Garfield, Lodi, Wallington and Wood-Ridge, while a southern sliver containing only industrial properties lies in the Meadowlands between Carlstadt, Moonachie, and Ridgefield.
Along with other municipalities in the Bergen County area, South Hackensack is a suburb of New York City.
Demographics
2020 census
2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 2,378 people, 845 households, and 613 families in the township. The population density was. There were 879 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup was 72.08% White, 5.34% Black or African American, 0.34% Native American, 5.30% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 14.05% from other races, and 2.90% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 33.31% of the population.Of the 845 households, 32.3% had children under the age of 18; 49.0% were married couples living together; 16.4% had a female householder with no husband present and 27.5% were non-families. Of all households, 21.8% were made up of individuals and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.28.
22.0% of the population were under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 25.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.6 years. For every 100 females, the population had 95.4 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 93.5 males.
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that median household income was $70,500 and the median family income was $81,919. Males had a median income of $55,250 versus $33,472 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $30,777. About 3.4% of families and 6.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.7% of those under age 18 and 1.6% of those age 65 or over.
Same-sex couples headed 5 households in 2010, an increase from the 4 counted in 2000.
2000 census
As of the 2000 United States census there were 2,249 people, 811 households, and 593 families residing in the township. The population density was. There were 830 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the township was 82.93% White, 2.18% African American, 0.22% Native American, 5.74% Asian, 0.31% Pacific Islander, 6.31% from other races, and 2.31% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 15.07% of the population.As of the 2000 Census, 36.3% of township residents were of Italian ancestry, the 11th-highest percentage of any municipality in the United States, and fourth-highest in New Jersey, among all places with more than 1,000 residents identifying their ancestry.
There were 811 households, out of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.7% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.8% were non-families. 23.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.27.
In the township the population was spread out, with 19.7% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 31.4% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.6 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $57,917, and the median income for a family was $66,071. Males had a median income of $39,918 versus $32,344 for females. The per capita income for the township was $27,128. About 5.2% of families and 7.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.5% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Local government
South Hackensack is governed under the Township form of New Jersey municipal government, one of 141 municipalities statewide that use this form, the second-most commonly used form of government in the state. The Township Committee has five members, who are elected directly by the voters at-large in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats coming up for election each year as part of the November general election in a three-year cycle. At an annual reorganization meeting, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and another as Deputy Mayor. The Township Committee is composed entirely of residents from the main section of the township, although Garfield Park residents are active in the zoning and planning boards. While South Hackensack has its own police department serving all three portions of the township, the neighboring borough of Wallington provides other emergency services for Garfield Park., members of the Township Committee are Mayor James Anzevino, Deputy Luis Perdono, James Gary Brugger, Frank X. Cagas, and Yris Encarnacion.
Federal, state and county representation
South Hackensack is located in the 9th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 38th state legislative district.Politics
Education
Public school students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade are served by the South Hackensack School District at Memorial School. As of the 2023–24 school year, the district, comprised of one school, had an enrollment of 265 students and 24.5 classroom teachers, for a student–teacher ratio of 10.8:1.Students in public school for ninth through twelfth grades attend Hackensack High School as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Hackensack Public Schools, together with students from Rochelle Park. As of the 2023–24 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 1,726 students and 138.3 classroom teachers, for a student–teacher ratio of 12.5:1.
Public school students from the borough, and all of Bergen County, are eligible to attend the secondary education programs offered by the Bergen County Technical Schools, which include the Bergen County Academies in Hackensack, and the Bergen Tech campus in Teterboro or Paramus. The district offers programs on a shared-time or full-time basis, with admission based on a selective application process and tuition covered by the student's home school district.
Transportation
Roads and highways
, the township had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Bergen County and by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.Interstate 80 crosses the main portion of the township, while U.S. Route 46 skirts its southern border and County Route 503 goes along its eastern border.