Elmer was incorporated as a borough by an act of theNew Jersey Legislature on January 28, 1893, from portions ofPittsgrove Township andUpper Pittsgrove Township, based on the results of a referendum held four days earlier.[23] The borough was named forLucius Elmer a former judge who helped obtain a post office for the community during his service as Congressman.[24][25]
Elmer is adry town where alcohol is not permitted to be sold legally.[26][27]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 0.91 square miles (2.37 km2), including 0.89 square miles (2.31 km2) of land and 0.02 square miles (0.05 km2) of water (2.20%).[2][3]
The2010 United States census counted 1,395 people, 536 households, and 391 families in the borough. The population density was 1,612.3 inhabitants per square mile (622.5/km2). There were 577 housing units at an average density of 666.9 per square mile (257.5/km2). The racial makeup was 94.05% (1,312)White, 2.15% (30)Black or African American, 0.57% (8)Native American, 0.79% (11)Asian, 0.00% (0)Pacific Islander, 1.29% (18) fromother races, and 1.15% (16) from two or more races.Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.15% (44) of the population.[19]
Of the 536 households, 31.3% had children under the age of 18; 51.5% were married couples living together; 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present and 27.1% were non-families. Of all households, 22.2% were made up of individuals and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.00.[19]
22.8% of the population were under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 26.5% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.1 years. For every 100 females, the population had 95.7 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 96.5 males.[19]
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010American Community Survey showed that (in 2010inflation-adjusted dollars)median household income was $65,417 (with a margin of error of +/− $8,616) and the median family income was $78,661 (+/− $5,812). Males had a median income of $51,685 (+/− $7,458) versus $41,042 (+/− $9,148) for females. Theper capita income for the borough was $29,065 (+/− $2,585). About 7.8% of families and 6.5% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 8.7% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.[38]
As of the2000 United States census[16] there were 1,384 people, 524 households, and 385 families residing in the borough. The population density was 1,599.5 inhabitants per square mile (617.6/km2). There were 557 housing units at an average density of 643.7 per square mile (248.5/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 97.25%White, 0.65%African American, 0.51%Asian, 0.72% fromother races, and 0.87% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 1.52% of the population.[36][37]
There were 524 households, out of which 35.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.0% weremarried couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.5% were non-families. 22.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.06.[36][37]
In the borough the population was spread out, with 24.4% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.5 males.[36][37]
The median income for a household in the borough was $46,172, and the median income for a family was $58,438. Males had a median income of $39,896 versus $27,583 for females. Theper capita income for the borough was $21,356. About 4.6% of families and 5.3% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 6.2% of those under age 18 and 3.3% of those age 65 or over.[36][37]
Elmer is governed under theborough form of New Jersey municipal government, which is used in 218 municipalities (of the 564) statewide, making it the most common form of government in New Jersey.[39] The governing body is comprised of the mayor and the borough council, with all positions electedat-large on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. The mayor is electeddirectly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The borough council includes six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle.[7] The borough form of government used by Elmer is a "weak mayor / strong council" government in which council members act as the legislative body with the mayor presiding at meetings and voting only in the event of a tie. The mayor canveto ordinances subject to anoverride by a two-thirds majority vote of the council. The mayor makes committee and liaison assignments for council members, and most appointments are made by the mayor with the advice and consent of the council.[40][41]
As of 2022[update], themayor of Elmer Borough isDemocrat Joseph P. Stemberger, whose term of office expires on December 31, 2023. Members of the Elmer Borough Council are Council President Lewis M. Schneider (R, 2024), Lynda Davis (R, 2022), Bruce Foster (R, 2023), Cynthia L. Nolan (R, 2023), Steven A. Schalick (R, 2022) and James W. Zee, III (R, 2024).[4][42][43][44][45]
In February 2019, the borough council selected Bruce Foster from three candidates nominated by the Republican municipal committee to fill the seat expiring in December 2020 that became vacant following the resignation of R. Matthew Richards the previous month.[46] Foster served on an interim basis until the November 2019 general election, when he was elected to serve the balance of the term of office.[45]
Salem County is governed by a five-memberBoard of County Commissioners who are electedat-large to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats coming up for election each year. At an annual reorganization meeting held in the beginning of January, the board selects a Director and a Deputy Director from among its members.[54] As of 2025[update], Salem County's Commissioners (with party, residence, and term-end year listed in parentheses) are:
As of March 2011, there were a total of 852 registered voters in Elmer, of whom 201 (23.6% vs. 30.6% countywide) were registered asDemocrats, 253 (29.7% vs. 21.0%) were registered asRepublicans and 397 (46.6% vs. 48.4%) were registered asUnaffiliated. There was one voter registered to another party.[62] Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 61.1% (vs. 64.6% in Salem County) were registered to vote, including 79.1% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 84.4% countywide).[62][63]
In the2012 presidential election, RepublicanMitt Romney received 60.4% of the vote (356 cast), ahead of DemocratBarack Obama with 38.0% (224 votes), and other candidates with 1.5% (9 votes), among the 593 ballots cast by the borough's 875 registered voters (4 ballots werespoiled), for a turnout of 67.8%.[64][65] In the2008 presidential election, RepublicanJohn McCain received 375 votes (56.4% vs. 46.6% countywide), ahead of DemocratBarack Obama with 261 votes (39.2% vs. 50.4%) and other candidates with 15 votes (2.3% vs. 1.6%), among the 665 ballots cast by the borough's 892 registered voters, for a turnout of 74.6% (vs. 71.8% in Salem County).[66] In the2004 presidential election, RepublicanGeorge W. Bush received 414 votes (62.4% vs. 52.5% countywide), ahead of DemocratJohn Kerry with 242 votes (36.5% vs. 45.9%) and other candidates with 5 votes (0.8% vs. 1.0%), among the 663 ballots cast by the borough's 904 registered voters, for a turnout of 73.3% (vs. 71.0% in the whole county).[67]
United States presidential election results for Elmer 2024[68] 2020[69] 2016[70] 2012[71] 2008[72] 2004[73]
In the2013 gubernatorial election, RepublicanChris Christie received 75.5% of the vote (329 cast), ahead of DemocratBarbara Buono with 21.8% (95 votes), and other candidates with 2.8% (12 votes), among the 440 ballots cast by the borough's 897 registered voters (4 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 49.1%.[74][75] In the2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 234 votes (53.8% vs. 46.1% countywide), ahead of DemocratJon Corzine with 155 votes (35.6% vs. 39.9%), IndependentChris Daggett with 38 votes (8.7% vs. 9.7%) and other candidates with 5 votes (1.1% vs. 2.0%), among the 435 ballots cast by the borough's 876 registered voters, yielding a 49.7% turnout (vs. 47.3% in the county).[76]
Previously the municipality was served by theElmer School District, an elementary school district.[78] As of May 2010, Elmer students began attending the schools of the Pittsgrove Township School District at all elementary levels as part of a fullsending/receiving relationship in which the former Elmer School became integrated into the district and Elmer and Pittsgrove Township students began to attend school together throughout their education.[79][80][81] Initially this was done as part of a fullsending/receiving relationship from Elmer to Pittsgrove Township.[79] The Elmer School District fully dissolved after the 2016–17 school year[82] and was absorbed by the Pittsgrove Township district, which paid $620,000 to acquire the Elmer School facility. The state forgave the remaining $2.8 million that was owed by the Elmer district.[83]
As of the 2023–24 school year, the district, comprised of five schools, had an enrollment of 1,680 students and 142.9 classroom teachers (on anFTE basis), for astudent–teacher ratio of 11.8:1.[84] Schools in the district (with 2023–24 enrollment data from theNational Center for Education Statistics[85]) are Norma Elementary School[86] with 131 students in grades PreK–K, Elmer Elementary School[87] with 197 students in grades 1–2, Olivet Elementary School[88] with 351 students in grades 3–5, Pittsgrove Township Middle School[89] with 483 students in grades 6–8 andA.P. Schalick High School[90] with 478 students in grades 9–12.[91][92][93][94]
As of May 2010[update], the borough had a total of 9.54 miles (15.35 km) of roadways, of which 5.18 miles (8.34 km) were maintained by the municipality, 3.67 miles (5.91 km) by Salem County and 0.69 miles (1.11 km) by theNew Jersey Department of Transportation.[95]
^Kuperinsky, Amy."'The Jewel of the Meadowlands'?: N.J.'s best, worst and weirdest town slogans", NJ Advance Media forNJ.com, January 22, 2015. Accessed July 12, 2016. "Elmer, a borough 40 minutes outside Philadelphia in Salem County, calls itself 'The Small Town with the Big Welcome.' The 'small' refers to the one-square-mile size and population of 1,351."
^abElected Officials, Borough of Elmer. Accessed August 1, 2022. "Elmer is governed by a Mayor and six Borough Council members. The Mayor serves a four year term and Council serves three-year terms."
^LaGorce, Tammy."A Trio of Events With Music in Many Moods",The New York Times, May 25, 2012. Accessed January 17, 2013. "The Appel Farm Arts and Music Festival, to be held June 2 in Elmer from 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., draws more famous names, most of them closely aligned with the adult-alternative genre.... Now in its 23rd year, the festival delivers fans by the thousands to the 60-acre grassy site in Salem County; its artistic director, Sean Timmons, is expecting close to 5,000 this year."
^History, Elmer Borough. Accessed July 29, 2016. "The town was named after Judge Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Elmer, a jurist respected state-wide, who had presided over Salem County's then-famous Treadway murder case and also produced the first compendium of New Jersey state statutes. As a Congressman, Elmer was largely responsible for securing a post office for the town."
^Meeting Minutes for February 13, 2019, Borough of Elmer. Accessed February 20, 2020. "Council Vacancy: Motion Davis second Zee to accept the resignation of Councilman R. Matthew Richards with regret effective January 31, 2019. Councilman Zee discussed three candidates recommended by the Republican Committee.... Swearing in and Oath of Office: Bruce Foster was administered the oath of office for Borough Council Member by the Clerk, Sarah Walker. Foster took the seat of Richards for the rest of the meeting."
^abDailey, Jennifer."Elmer and Pittsgrove school districts to merge through send and receive agreement",Today's Sunbeam, June 17, 2009. Accessed February 18, 2025. "The Elmer Board of Education voted unanimously during its school board meeting here Tuesday night to merge with Pittsgrove through a full send and receive agreement. The agreement could have Elmer and Pittsgrove students attending school together."
^Elmer Elementary School 2014 Report Card Narrative,New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed March 8, 2015. "The Elmer School has been part of the Pittsgrove Township School District for 4 years. Previously the Borough of Elmer's Kindergarten through fourth grade children attended school at the Elmer School while the rest of their students participated in a send/receive agreement with Pittsgrove Township Schools for grades five through twelve. A full send/receive agreement with the Elmer Borough Board of Education was reached for the 2010-2011 school year. All students from both Pittsgrove and Elmer attend school together from preschool through twelfth grade. Elmer Elementary School now houses 200 Pittsgrove and Elmer students in grades one and two."
^Education, Elmer Borough. Accessed February 18, 2025. "As of July 31, 2017, there is no longer an Elmer Board of Education."
^Gallo, Bill Jr."Merger means N.J. has one less school district and $2.8M debt was 'forgiven'", NJ Advance Media forNJ.com, August 3, 2017. Accessed February 18, 2025. "As part of the consolidation, Pittsgrove purchased the Elmer School building for $620,000, officials said.... As part of the consolidation approval, it was agreed that the $2.8 million that Elmer schools owed to the state would be forgiven."
^Schools, Pittsgrove Township School District. Accessed February 18, 2025. "Pittsgrove Township School District is comprised of five schools and is located in Salem County in Southern New Jersey. Our student body consists of approximately 2000 students in grades Pre-K through 12."
United States
New Jersey
Salem.jpg)
_just_east_of_Oak_Street_in_Elmer%2c_Salem_County%2c_New_Jersey.jpg)
