According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 62.501 square miles (161.875 km2), including 61.284 square miles (158.724 km2) of land and 1.217 square miles (3.151 km2) of water (1.95%).[2][3]
Other unincorporated communities, localities, and places located partially or completely within the township includeBirmingham,Browns Mills Junction,Comical Corner, Commercial Corner, Deep Hollow, Earlys Crossing, Hanover Furnace, Lower Mill, Magnolia, Mary Ann Furnace, Mount Misery,New Lisbon,Ong's Hat, South Pemberton Township, Upper Mill, Upton, and Whitesbog.[1][34]
The township is one of 56South Jersey municipalities that are included within thePinelands National Reserve, a protected natural area of unique ecology covering 1,100,000 acres (450,000 ha), that has been classified as a United States Biosphere Reserve and established by Congress in 1978 as the nation's first National Reserve.[39] Part of the township is included in the state-designated Pinelands Area, which includes portions of Burlington County, along with areas inAtlantic,Camden,Cape May,Cumberland,Gloucester andOcean counties.[40]
Of the 9,997 households, 30.6% had children under the age of 18; 48.8% were married couples living together; 15.7% had a female householder with no husband present and 29.2% were non-families. Of all households, 23.2% were made up of individuals and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.22.[22]
24.6% of the population were under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 27.0% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36.5 years. For every 100 females, the population had 99.2 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 97.1 males.[22]
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010American Community Survey showed that (in 2010inflation-adjusted dollars)median household income was $63,309 (with a margin of error of +/− $5,246) and the median family income was $73,757 (+/− $4,726). Males had a median income of $49,446 (+/− $2,760) versus $38,713 (+/− $3,404) for females. Theper capita income for the township was $26,240 (+/− $1,523). About 7.9% of families and 10.7% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 15.8% of those under age 18 and 5.8% of those age 65 or over.[52]
As of the2000 census,[19] there were 28,691 people, 10,050 households, and 7,487 families residing in the township. The population density was 465.2 inhabitants per square mile (179.6/km2). There were 10,778 housing units at an average density of 174.8 per square mile (67.5/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 66.03%White, 23.12%African American, 0.46%Native American, 3.18%Asian, 0.08%Pacific Islander, 2.89% fromother races, and 4.24% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 8.63% of the population.[50][51]
There were 10,050 households, out of which 37.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.3% weremarried couples living together, 15.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.5% were non-families. 20.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.22.[50][51]
In the township, the population was spread out, with 27.6% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 9.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.7 males.[50][51]
The median income for a household in the township was $47,394, and the median income for a family was $52,860. Males had a median income of $36,572 versus $26,689 for females. Theper capita income for the township was $19,238. About 6.2% of families and 9.3% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 12.5% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.[50][51]
Portions of the township are part of anUrban Enterprise Zone (UEZ), one of 32 zones covering 37 municipalities statewide. Pemberton Township was selected in 1996 as one of a group of seven zones added to participate in the program.[53] In addition to other benefits to encourage employment and investment within the UEZ, shoppers can take advantage of a reduced 3.3125%sales tax rate (half of the6+5⁄8% rate charged statewide) at eligible merchants.[54] Established in May 1996, the township's Urban Enterprise Zone status expires in May 2027.[55] Since its inception, more than 180 township businesses have participated, raising nearly $30 million in revenues that have been reinvested into businesses in the UEZ.[56]
Pemberton Township is governed within theFaulkner Act (formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law) under theMayor-Council form of municipal government (Plan 1), implemented based on the recommendations of aCharter Study Commission as of January 1, 1991, changing from a five-memberTownship Committee form based on the results of a referendum passed by voters in 1989.[57][58][59] The township is one of 71 municipalities (of the 564) statewide governed under the Mayor-Council form.[60] The governing body is comprised of the Mayor and the five-member Township Council, all of whom are electedat-large in partisan elections to serve four-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either two seats (and the mayoral seat) or three seats up for election during even-numbered years as part of the November general election.[58][8][61]
Voters approved a November 2006 referendum to change from having all five council seats up for vote simultaneously to a system in which the elections are staggered every two years. Under the terms of the change, the two candidates receiving the highest number of votes in the November 2010 election would serve full four-year terms, with the three other winners serving two-year terms.[62] As the three winners with the lowest number of votes in the 2010 election, the terms of Rick Prickett, Sherry Scull and Diane Stinney ended in December 2012.[63]
Sherry Scull resigned from office in August 2015 due to issues related to her state pension.[64] In September, the Township Council selected Thomas J. Cathers Sr., from a list of three candidates nominated by the Democratic municipal committee to fill the seat on an interim basis. In the November general election, Republican Jack Tompkins was elected to fill the balance of the term through December 2016.[65]
In March 2016, the Township Council appointed former councilmember Kenneth Cartier to fill the seat expiring in December 2016 that became vacant following the death of Diane Stinney.[66]
In March 2018, Elisabeth McCartney was appointed to fill the seat expiring December 2020 that became vacant following the resignation of Kenneth Cartier, who announced that he was moving out of the township.[67] McCartney served on an interim basis until the November 2018 general election, when she was elected to serve the balance of the term of office.[68]
As of 2023[update], theMayor of Pemberton Township isRepublican Jack K. Tompkins, whose term of office ends December 31, 2026.[4] Members of the Pemberton Township Council are Paul C. Detrick (D, 2024), Daniel Dewey Sr. (R, 2026), Donovan Gardner (D, 2024), Elisabeth McCartney (D, 2024) and Joshua Ward (R, 2026).[69][70][71][72]
The police department consists of 57 officers and is headed by Chief David Jantas.[73]
Burlington County's Constitutional Officers are:Clerk Joanne Schwartz (D,Southampton Township, 2028)[91][92]Sheriff James H. Kostoplis (D,Bordentown, 2025)[93][94] and Surrogate Brian J. Carlin (D, Burlington Township, 2026).[95][96]
As of March 2011, there were a total of 13,972 registered voters in Pemberton Township, of which 4,639 (33.2% vs. 33.3% countywide) were registered asDemocrats, 2,433 (17.4% vs. 23.9%) were registered asRepublicans and 6,893 (49.3% vs. 42.8%) were registered asUnaffiliated. There were 7 voters registered asLibertarians orGreens.[103] Among the township's 2010 Census population, 50.1% (vs. 61.7% in Burlington County) were registered to vote, including 66.4% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 80.3% countywide).[103][104]
In the2012 presidential election, DemocratBarack Obama received 6,304 votes here (65.3% vs. 58.1% countywide), ahead of RepublicanMitt Romney with 3,157 votes (32.7% vs. 40.2%) and other candidates with 105 votes (1.1% vs. 1.0%), among the 9,657 ballots cast by the township's 14,741 registered voters, for a turnout of 65.5% (vs. 74.5% in Burlington County).[105][106] In the2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 6,680 votes here (63.9% vs. 58.4% countywide), ahead of RepublicanJohn McCain with 3,566 votes (34.1% vs. 39.9%) and other candidates with 143 votes (1.4% vs. 1.0%), among the 10,461 ballots cast by the township's 14,378 registered voters, for a turnout of 72.8% (vs. 80.0% in Burlington County).[107] In the2004 presidential election, DemocratJohn Kerry received 5,223 votes here (55.7% vs. 52.9% countywide), ahead of RepublicanGeorge W. Bush with 4,025 votes (42.9% vs. 46.0%) and other candidates with 93 votes (1.0% vs. 0.8%), among the 9,379 ballots cast by the township's 13,510 registered voters, for a turnout of 69.4% (vs. 78.8% in the whole county).[108]
United States Gubernatorial election results for Pemberton Township[109]
In the2013 gubernatorial election, RepublicanChris Christie received 3,060 votes here (57.9% vs. 61.4% countywide), ahead of DemocratBarbara Buono with 2,092 votes (39.6% vs. 35.8%) and other candidates with 69 votes (1.3% vs. 1.2%), among the 5,284 ballots cast by the township's 14,549 registered voters, yielding a 36.3% turnout (vs. 44.5% in the county).[110][111] In the2009 gubernatorial election, DemocratJon Corzine received 2,879 ballots cast (49.8% vs. 44.5% countywide), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 2,536 votes (43.9% vs. 47.7%), IndependentChris Daggett with 235 votes (4.1% vs. 4.8%) and other candidates with 99 votes (1.7% vs. 1.2%), among the 5,782 ballots cast by the township's 14,409 registered voters, yielding a 40.1% turnout (vs. 44.9% in the county).[112]
United States Senate election results for Pemberton Township1[109]
ThePemberton Township School District serves students inpre-kindergarten throughtwelfth grade.[113][114] The district is the singular district for most of the township, except for portions on the Fort Dix entity of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst;[115] the school district is one of three choices for K-12 students on the property of the base.[116]
Students from Pemberton Township, and from all of Burlington County, are eligible to attend theBurlington County Institute of Technology, a countywide public school district that serves the vocational and technical education needs of students at the high school and post-secondary level at its campuses inMedford andWestampton.[136]
Pemberton Township was the location of the main campus ofRowan College at Burlington County, formerly known asBurlington County College (BCC), the county'scommunity college, having moved to its first permanent site in Pemberton Township in 1971.[137] It was the main campus until 2015 when all Pemberton Campus classes were transferred toMount Laurel. The last part of the Pemberton Campus closed in summer 2019.[138]
Pemberton Township is provided fire protection through an agreement with the Pemberton Township Fire Department (Burlington County Stations 181 [Browns Mills], 182 [Presidential Lakes] & 183 [Country Lakes]) and the Goodwill Fire Department (Burlington County Station 191).[139]
Emergency Medical Services are provided through Capital Health Systems Basic Life Support Service. The agreement is provided at no cost to the taxpayers or the township, but the provider does bill your medical insurance for the services.[140]
As of May 2010[update], the township had a total of 222.55 miles (358.16 km) of roadways, of which 168.39 miles (271.00 km) were maintained by the municipality, 47.41 miles (76.30 km) by Burlington County and 6.75 miles (10.86 km) by theNew Jersey Department of Transportation.[141]
^abcHistory, Pemberton Township. Accessed May 13, 2020. "Within its sixty four (64) square miles today may be found numerous smaller communities, among them Birmingham, Browns Mills, Magnolia, New Lisbon and Whitesbog."
^DeMarco, Megan."Voters to decide whether to merge two Princetons into one",The Star-Ledger, November 3, 2011. Accessed January 8, 2017. "There are 22 sets of 'doughnut towns' in New Jersey, those where one town wraps around the other town". Note that following voter approval of the Princeton merger, 21 pairs of "doughnut towns" remain.
^Raum, John O.The History of New Jersey: From Its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time, Volume 1, p. 265, J. E. Potter and company, 1877. Accessed July 29, 2013. "Pemberton township in 1850 had a population of 2,866; in 1860, 2,672; and in 1870, 2,743. The thriving village of Pemberton is in this township and contained a population in 1870 of 797; the celebrated Brown's Mills are also here. There are also the villages called Mary Ann, Ong's Hat, Comical Corner, Hanover, and Birmingham." The 1870 population for Pemberton Township includes the borough's population of 797.
^Urban Enterprise Zone, Pemberton Township. Accessed November 19, 2019. "In Pemberton Township, since the Urban Enterprise Zone's inception, 184 private sector employers have participated in the program and investing $29,243,948 in the participating businesses."
^abLocal Government Mayor-Council Plan, Township of Pemberton. Accessed July 6, 2022. "Pemberton Township's form of government is the 'Mayor-Council Plan' under the Optional Charter Plan (Faulkner Act), NJSA 40:69A. The Township is governed by an elected Council and an elected Mayor which serve for a term of four years."
^DeCastro, Lavinia."Three ballot questions approved",Courier-Post, November 8, 2006. Accessed November 29, 2013. "In Pemberton Township, voters decided to authorize staggering the terms for township council members. Currently, all five council terms expire at the same time. The ordinance will go into effect at the next general election, conducted in November 2010. The two council members who receive the highest number of votes in that election will serve four-year terms through 2014."
^Zimmaro, Mark."Democrats win complete control of Pemberton Township Council",Burlington County Times, November 7, 2012. Accessed November 29, 2013. "This year's election was slightly different for township voters. Previously, all five council seats and the mayor's seat were on the ballot in the same election year and ran on four-year cycles. That was until the 2010 election, when voters approved a referendum to stagger the terms of the seats, causing three council seats to expire in 2012. Those seats were held by Democrats Sherry Scull and Diane Stinney and Republican Rick Prickett."
^Levinsky, David."Pemberton Township Council to choose replacement for Scull",Burlington County Times, August 31, 2015. "The Township Council will have plenty of latitude when deciding who should fill the seat vacated by Democrat Sherry Scull.Scull resigned from the council Aug. 11, citing a New Jersey pension rule that forced her to step down in order to receive her pension from the township school district."
^Krebs, Rose."Newcomer elected to Pemberton Township council to fill unexpired term"[permanent dead link],Burlington County Times, November 3, 2015. Accessed November 14, 2015. "Republican Jack Tompkins defeated Democrat Thomas J. Cathers Sr. by a 943 to 899 vote, according to unofficial results.... Cathers, 69, was appointed to the council Sept. 2 to fill the seat left vacant in August by Democrat Sherry Scull, who stepped down citing a New Jersey pension rule that forced her to step down in order to receive her pension from the township school district."
^Pemberton Township Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Pemberton Township School District. Accessed January 1, 2023. "Purpose: The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades Pre-Kindergarten through twelve in the Pemberton Township School District. Composition: The Pemberton Township School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Pemberton Township and Pemberton Borough."
^abDistrict Overview, Pemberton Township School District. Accessed May 13, 2020. "Pemberton Township Schools serves approximately 5,000 students from Pemberton Township, Pemberton Borough and Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. With a dedicated early childhood education center serving 3 and 4 year-old pre-kindergarten students, seven elementary schools (grades kindergarten through 5th), two middle schools (one for grade 6, another for grades 7 and 8), and high school (grades 9-12), Pemberton Township Schools provide a quality, comprehensive education for all students."
^What We Do: History,New Jersey Schools Development Authority. Accessed March 1, 2022. "In 1998, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled in theAbbott v. Burke case that the State must provide 100 percent funding for all school renovation and construction projects in special-needs school districts. According to the Court, aging, unsafe and overcrowded buildings prevented children from receiving the "thorough and efficient" education required under the New Jersey Constitution.... Full funding for approved projects was authorized for the 31 special-needs districts, known as 'Abbott Districts'."
^Staff."Brothers Share the Key to Their NFL Success \ It's School, Said Ed and Irv Smith, Pemberton Grads.",Philadelphia Inquirer, May 16, 1999. Accessed January 30, 2012. "At 6 feet, 4 inches and 253 pounds, Ed Smith, a tight end for the Cleveland Browns, is a force to be reckoned with. The same is said of his brother Irv, who at 6-foot-3 and 262 pounds will play the same position next season for the reborn NFL team. But when 'The Boss' calls, 'we had better listen,' said Ed Smith, 29, the older of the two brothers from Browns Mills."
^Staff."Football Recruits Sign Today; Notre Dame Reaps Top Prep Harvest",The Washington Post, February 8, 1989. Accessed May 12, 2011. "Notre Dame has received oral commitments from 17 of the 161 players given all-America status by SuperPrep, including the top-rated prospects in two of the magazine's nine categories: quarterback Rick Mirer of Goshen, Ind., and tight end Irv Smith of Pemberton, N.J."
^Abdou, Nyier."N.J. farm growing blueberry not seen for decades",The Star-Ledger, July 2, 2009. Accessed May 12, 2011. "The commercial blueberry was first cultivated in the New Jersey Pinelands by Elizabeth Coleman White, the daughter of a local cranberry farmer, and agricultural scientist Frederick Coville. White's farm, known as Whitesbog Village, in Pemberton Township, is still farmed by the same family as J.J. White, Inc."
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