Vineland, New Jersey
Vineland is a city and the most populous municipality in Cumberland County, within the U.S. state of New Jersey. Bridgeton and Vineland are the two principal cities of the Vineland-Bridgeton metropolitan statistical area, which encompasses those cities and all of Cumberland County for statistical purposes and which constitutes a part of the Delaware Valley. The MSA had a population of 156,898 as of the 2010 census. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 60,780, its highest decennial count ever and an increase of 56 from the 60,724 recorded at the 2010 census, which in turn reflected an increase of 4,453 from the 56,271 counted in the 2000 census. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated that the city's population was 60,491 in 2022, ranking the city the 639th-most-populous in the country.
Vineland was incorporated on July 1, 1952, following the merger of Landis Township and Vineland Borough, which was approved by voters in a referendum held on February 5, 1952. Celebrations marking the merger included a parade and speeches by prominent figures, among them U.S. Senator Estes Kefauver. The city’s name reflects the intentions of its founder, who planned to use the land for grape cultivation.
Geographically, Vineland is located in South Jersey. It has large Italian-American and Hispanic-American populations.
History
purchased of land in 1861 and an additional in 1874, near Millville, along the West Jersey and Seashore Railroad line, which provided service between Camden and Cape May. He intended to establish an alcohol-free, utopian community based on agriculture and progressive ideals. The first houses were constructed in 1862, and rail service connected the settlement to Philadelphia and New York City. The population reached approximately 5,500 by 1865 and grew to 11,000 by 1875.Vineland was an early temperance town in which the sale of alcohol was prohibited. Landis required land purchasers to build a house on their property within one year of acquisition, to clear and cultivate of the often heavily wooded land each year, and to leave adequate space between houses and roads for the planting of flowers and shade trees along the town’s thoroughfares. Landis Avenue was constructed as a wide and approximately long road running east–west through the center of the community, with narrower streets intersecting it at right angles.
After determining that the soil in Vineland was well suited for grape cultivation, Charles K. Landis began advertising to attract Italian grape growers to the area. He offered land, on the condition that it be cleared and planted with grapevines. Thomas Bramwell Welch, founder of Welch's Grape Juice, purchased locally grown grapes to produce what he described as “unfermented wine,” or grape juice. The area’s sandy soil also supported the glassmaking industry and attracted companies such as Progresso Soup. During the first half of the 20th century, much of the city’s economy was centered on poultry farming, earning Vineland the nickname "The Egg Basket of America."
Vineland Poultry Laboratories was founded by Arthur Goldhaft. Goldhaft is credited with helping to popularize the phrase “a chicken in every pot” through his development of a fowl pox vaccine that saved millions of chickens from death. His work at Vineland Poultry Laboratories in Vineland contributed significantly to protecting the global poultry supply from fowlpox. The facility’s operations were closed by Lohmann Animal Health in 2007.
Vineland was home to New Jersey’s first school for people with intellectual disabilities, the Vineland Developmental Center, which now operates east and west campuses. The institution housed women with intellectual disabilities in fully staffed cottages. Henry H. Goddard, an American psychologist, coined the term "Moron" while serving as director of the Research Laboratory at the Training School for Backward and Feeble-minded Children in Vineland. The facility was well known enough that a 1955 pamphlet published by the American Prison Association described Vineland as "famous for its contributions to our knowledge of the feebleminded".
Vineland celebrated its 150th birthday in 2011. Mayor Robert Romano initially ordered a custom cake from Buddy Valastro of Carlo's Bake Shop in Hoboken; the business is featured in the TLC reality television series Cake Boss. After outcry from local business owners, the order was canceled and five Vineland bakeries donated elaborate cakes for the event as well as over 1,000 servings of cake for the celebration.
Since the 1970s, the city has held an annual dandelion festival. Introduced to the area by early Italian immigrants, dandelion greens are cultivated as a crop by farms in and around Vineland.
Barbara Kingsolver's 2018 novel Unsheltered is set in Vineland.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city had a total area of 68.99 square miles, including 68.39 square miles of land and 0.60 square miles of water. Of all the municipalities in New Jersey to hold the type of City, Vineland is the largest in total area.Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the city include Clayville, Hances Bridge, Leamings Mill, Menantico, North Vineland, Parvins Branch, South Vineland, Willow Grove and Pleasantville. That last community is not to be confused with the City of Pleasantville in Atlantic County.
Vineland borders the municipalities of Deerfield Township, Millville and Maurice River Township in Cumberland County; Buena and Buena Vista Township in Atlantic County; Franklin Township and Newfield Boro in Gloucester County; and Pittsgrove Township in Salem County. The city is approximately from the Atlantic Ocean.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, Vineland had a population of 60,780, representing a slight increase of 56 from the 60,724 recorded in the 2010 census.The population density was approximately 887.5 persons per square mile.
In terms of racial and ethnic composition: about 38.9 % of the population identified as White, 12.2 % as Black or African American, 2.1 % as Asian, 0.7 % as Native American / other races, and 2.8 % as two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised approximately 43.3 % of the total population.
The age distribution was: 0–17 years: 14,206; 18–64 years: 35,955; 65 years and older: 10,619.
Recent estimates (2023)
According to the 2023 American Community Survey, the estimated population was 60,692.The median age was about 38.8 years.
The median household income was approximately US\$65,854 and the estimated poverty rate was about 13.9 %.
Approximately 12.5 % of the population were foreign-born.
Housing & households
According to recent estimates, there were 21,945 households with an average of 2.7 persons per household.The median value of owner-occupied housing units was approximately US\$218,200.
Education & workforce
About 80.7 % of residents aged 25 years and older had at least a high school diploma and approximately 23.4 % had a bachelor’s degree or higher.For workers living in Vineland the average commute time was about 24 minutes.
Note on comparability
Some estimates are from the American Community Survey 5-year averages and thus are subject to sampling error; comparisons with 100 % data from the 2020 decennial census should be made with caution.Economy
Portions of the city are part of a joint Urban Enterprise Zone with Millville, one of 32 zones covering 37 municipalities statewide. Millville was selected in 1983 as one of the initial group of 10 zones chosen to participate in the program. In addition to other benefits to encourage employment and investment within the Zone, shoppers can take advantage of a reduced 3.3125% sales tax rate at eligible merchants. Established in October 1988, the city's Urban Enterprise Zone status expires in December 2023.The main street in Vineland is Landis Avenue. The traditional downtown area is located several blocks east and west of the intersection of Landis Avenue and the Boulevard. The Boulevard is a pair of roads that flank the main north–south railroad, which connected Vineland with Cape May to the south and Camden/Philadelphia to the north. After many years of decline, there has been much recent activity to restore the vitality of "The Avenue" and the center city area. New construction includes a new transportation center, courthouse, post office, elementary school / community center and sidewalk upgrades. In 2005, Vineland was designated a Main Street Community and, through the work of this group, money has been earmarked to continue this improvement through property and facade improvements, business retention and marketing.
Government
Local government
The City of Vineland is governed within the Faulkner Act, formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law, under the Mayor-Council, implemented based on the recommendations of a Charter Study Commission as of July 1, 1952, months after the city's formation. The city is one of 71 municipalities statewide that use this form of government. The governing body is a mayor, serving as the city's chief executive, and a five-member city council, serving as the city's legislature. The mayor and council are elected at-large to serve concurrent four-year terms of office in non-partisan elections held in leap years as part of the November general election. An ordinance passed by the council in 2011 shifted elections from May to November, effectively extending the term of those members serving at the time by six months., the mayor of Vineland is Anthony Fanucci who is in his third term, which ends December 31, 2028. Members of the Vineland city council are Council President Paul Spinelli, Council Vice President Cruz Gomez, Elizabeth Arthur, Scott English and Albert Vargas, all serving concurrent terms of office ending December31, 2028.
In November 2019, the city council appointed Elizabeth Arthur to fill the seat vacated by Angela Calakos following her resignation after announcing that she was moving out of the city. Arthur served on an interim basis until the November 2019 general election, when she was elected to serve the balance of the term office.
In January 2013, Ruben Bermudez took office as the city's first Hispanic mayor.