Fairfield Township, Cumberland County, New Jersey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Fairfield Township, New Jersey
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Township
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| Township of Fairfield | |
Trinity African Methodist Episcopal Church
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Fairfield Township highlighted in Cumberland County. Inset map: Cumberland County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
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Census Bureau map of Fairfield Township, Cumberland County, New Jersey
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 Fairfield Township, New Jersey
Location in Cumberland County, New Jersey
Fairfield Township, New Jersey
Location in New Jersey
Fairfield Township, New Jersey
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  New Jersey |
| County | Cumberland |
| Formed | May 12, 1697 |
| Incorporated | February 21, 1798 |
| Named for | Fairfield, Connecticut |
| Government | |
| • Type | Township |
| • Body | Township Committee |
| Area | |
| • Total | 43.82 sq mi (113.50 km2) |
| • Land | 41.12 sq mi (106.50 km2) |
| • Water | 2.70 sq mi (7.00 km2) 6.17% |
| Area rank | 45th of 565 in state 5th of 14 in county |
| Elevation | 16 ft (5 m) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 6,295 |
| • Estimate
(2019)
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5,911 |
| • Rank | 335th of 566 in state 6th of 14 in county |
| • Density | 152.6/sq mi (58.9/km2) |
| • Density rank | 522nd of 566 in state 9th of 14 in county |
| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT)) |
| ZIP Code |
08320 - Fairton
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| Area code(s) | 856 exchange: 575 |
| FIPS code | 3401122350 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0882059 |
| Website | |
Fairfield Township is a township in Cumberland County, New Jersey, United States. It is part of the Vineland-Millville- Bridgeton Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area for statistical purposes. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 6,295, reflecting an increase of 12 (+0.2%) from the 6,283 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 584 (+10.2%) from the 5,699 counted in the 1990 Census.
Fairfield Township was formed by Royal charter on May 12, 1697, from portions of the Cohansey Township area, while still part of Salem County, and was formed as a precinct in the newly created Cumberland County on January 19, 1748. It was incorporated on February 21, 1798, as one of the initial group of 104 townships in the state by an act of the New Jersey Legislature. Portions of the township were taken to form Downe Township (September 26, 1772), Millville Township (February 24, 1801) and Lawrence Township (February 17, 1885).
The name Fairfield refers to its original settlers, who were émigrés from Fairfield, Connecticut who settled in the area in 1697. The oldest Presbyterian church in South Jersey is said to date to June 1697. There is a plaque and an old cemetery which indicates the original log building. When it was first created as one of Cumberland County's original six townships, it included land that would later become Commercial Township, Downe Township, Lawrence Township and Millville.
Contents
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 43.950 square miles (113.830 km2), including 41.260 square miles (106.864 km2) of land and 2.690 square miles (6.966 km2) of water (6.12%).
Fairton (with a 2010 Census population of 1,264) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within Fairfield Township.
Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Back Neck, Ben Davis Point, Clarks Pond, Fordville, Gouldtown, Lanings Wharf, Mulfords Landing, New England Crossroads and Sea Breeze and Tindells Landing.
The township has three primary population centers: Sea Breeze, Fairton (originally named Bumbridge) and Gouldtown, an old African American community from the segregation period.
Fairfield Township borders Lawrence Township, Millville, Deerfield Township, Upper Deerfield Township, Bridgeton, Hopewell Township, Greenwich Township, and the Delaware Bay.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1810 | 2,279 | — | |
| 1820 | 1,869 | −18.0% | |
| 1830 | 1,812 | −3.0% | |
| 1840 | 1,935 | 6.8% | |
| 1850 | 2,133 | 10.2% | |
| 1860 | 2,448 | 14.8% | |
| 1870 | 3,011 | 23.0% | |
| 1880 | 3,215 | 6.8% | |
| 1890 | 1,688 | −47.5% | |
| 1900 | 1,911 | 13.2% | |
| 1910 | 1,629 | −14.8% | |
| 1920 | 1,514 | −7.1% | |
| 1930 | 1,848 | 22.1% | |
| 1940 | 1,977 | 7.0% | |
| 1950 | 2,932 | 48.3% | |
| 1960 | 3,916 | 33.6% | |
| 1970 | 4,990 | 27.4% | |
| 1980 | 5,693 | 14.1% | |
| 1990 | 5,699 | 0.1% | |
| 2000 | 6,283 | 10.2% | |
| 2010 | 6,295 | 0.2% | |
| 2019 (est.) | 5,911 | −6.1% | |
| Population sources: 1810-2000 1810-1920 1840 1850-1870 1850 1870 1880-1890 1890-1910 1910-1930 1930-1990 2000 2010 * = Lost territory in previous decade |
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Census 2010
As of the census of 2010, there were 6,295 people, 1,882 households, and 1,357 families residing in the township. The population density was 152.6 per square mile (58.9/km2). There were 2,058 housing units at an average density of 49.9 per square mile (19.3/km2)*. The racial makeup of the township was 37.49% (2,360) White, 47.53% (2,992) Black or African American, 5.10% (321) Native American, 0.44% (28) Asian, 0.03% (2) Pacific Islander, 4.58% (288) from other races, and 4.83% (304) from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.84% (808) of the population.
There were 1,882 households out of which 24.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.6% were married couples living together, 21.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.9% were non-families. 24.1% of all households 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 2.67 and the average family size was 3.14.
In the township, the population was spread out with 17.8% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 32.5% from 25 to 44, 27.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.0 years. For every 100 females there were 139.4 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and old there were 148.8 males.
Fairfield Township had the highest percentage of Native Americans in any municipality in New Jersey, at 5.10% in the 2010 Census.
The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $46,895 (with a margin of error of +/- $3,014) and the median family income was $55,286 (+/- $4,900). Males had a median income of $45,333 (+/- $4,287) versus $32,763 (+/- $2,703) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $20,619 (+/- $1,444). About 6.7% of families and 10.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.1% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.
Census 2000
As of the 2000 United States Census there were 6,283 people, 1,751 households, and 1,322 families residing in the township. The population density was 148.6 people per square mile (57.4/km2). There were 1,915 housing units at an average density of 45.3 per square mile (17.5/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 41.41% White, 47.43% African American, 5.08% Native American, 0.56% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 2.39% from other races, and 3.10% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.87% of the population.
There were 1,751 households, out of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.7% were married couples living together, 18.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.5% were non-families. 20.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.19.
In the township the population was spread out, with 19.8% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 36.4% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 10.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 146.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 161.7 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $37,891, and the median income for a family was $41,326. Males had a median income of $31,858 versus $23,931 for females. The per capita income for the township was $17,547. About 6.9% of families and 11.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.9% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.
Transportation
_at_Cumberland_County_Route_553_(Gouldtown-Woodruff_Road)_in_Fairfield_Township,_Cumberland_County,_New_Jersey.jpg)
Roads and highways
As of May 2010[update], the township had a total of 74.45 miles (119.82 km) of roadways, of which 30.89 miles (49.71 km) were maintained by the municipality, 39.90 miles (64.21 km) by Cumberland County and 3.66 miles (5.89 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.
New Jersey Route 49 is the main highway serving Fairfield Township. County Route 553 also traverses the township.
Public transportation
NJ Transit offers service on the 553 route between Upper Deerfield Township and Atlantic City.
Education
The Fairfield Township School District serves public school students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. The district opened the new Fairfield Township School in September 2006, consolidating all grades into a single building located at 375 Gouldtown-Woodruff Road in the Gouldtown section of the township. As of the 2019–20 school year, the district, comprised of one school, had an enrollment of 554 students and 54.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.3:1.
Public school students in ninth through twelfth grades attend Cumberland Regional High School, which also serves students from Deerfield Township, Greenwich Township, Hopewell Township, Shiloh Borough, Stow Creek Township and Upper Deerfield Township. As of the 2019–20 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 998 students and 78.3 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.7:1. The high school district has a nine-member board of education, with board seats allocated to the constituent municipalities based on population, with each municipality assigned a minimum of one seat; Deerfield Township has one seat on the board.
Students are also eligible to attend Cumberland County Technology Education Center in Vineland, serving students from the entire county in its full-time technical training programs, which are offered without charge to students who are county residents.
Notable people
People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Fairfield Township include:
- Nathaniel Clark Burt (1825-1874), Presbyterian clergyman.
- Harold Gould (1924-2012), baseball pitcher with the Philadelphia Stars in the Negro leagues from 1947 to 1948.
- John T. Nixon (1820–1889), represented New Jersey's 1st congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1859 to 1863.
- Theophilus Gould Steward (1843-1924), author, educator, and clergyman, who was a U.S. Army chaplain and Buffalo Soldier of 25th U.S. Colored Infantry.
See also
In Spanish: Municipio de Fairfield (condado de Cumberland, Nueva Jersey) para niños
