According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 0.47 square miles (1.22 km2), including 0.47 square miles (1.20 km2) of land and 0.01 square miles (0.01 km2) of water (1.06%).[1][2]
Of the 1,797 households, 43.6% had children under the age of 18; 47.6% were married couples living together; 26.4% had a female householder with no husband present and 19.0% were non-families. Of all households, 14.7% were made up of individuals and 4.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.26 and the average family size was 3.59.[19]
28.4% of the population were under the age of 18, 10.9% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 8.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31.7 years. For every 100 females, the population had 90.6 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 86.7 males.[19]
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010American Community Survey showed that (in 2010inflation-adjusted dollars)median household income was $63,194 (with a margin of error of +/− $9,308) and the median family income was $65,625 (+/− $6,456). Males had a median income of $43,109 (+/− $6,443) versus $30,142 (+/− $9,427) for females. Theper capita income for the borough was $20,993 (+/− $2,145). About 12.0% of families and 11.4% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 20.4% of those under age 18 and 20.0% of those age 65 or over.[36]
Same-sex couples headed 8 households in 2010, a decline from the 11 counted in 2000.[37]
As of the2000 United States census[16] there were 5,779 people, 1,822 households, and 1,432 families residing in the borough. The population density was 12,043.7 inhabitants per square mile (4,650.1/km2). There were 1,889 housing units at an average density of 3,936.8 per square mile (1,520.0/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 61.17%White, 13.65%African American, 0.42%Native American, 3.15%Asian, 0.07%Pacific Islander, 13.70% fromother races, and 7.84% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 38.26% of the population.[34][35]
There were 1,822 households, out of which 44.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.7% weremarried couples living together, 20.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.4% were non-families. 17.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.17 and the average family size was 3.56.[34][35]
In the borough the population was spread out, with 29.6% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 32.8% from 25 to 44, 18.5% from 45 to 64, and 8.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.7 males.[34][35]
The median income for a household in the borough was $46,434, and the median income for a family was $49,405. Males had a median income of $31,951 versus $26,569 for females. Theper capita income for the borough was $16,410. About 7.9% of families and 10.0% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 14.4% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over.[34][35]
As part of the 2000 Census, 1.7% of Prospect Park's residents identified themselves as being ofAlbanian ancestry. This was the 11th-highest percentage of Albanian American people in any place in the United States with 1,000 or more residents identifying their ancestry.[38] In the same census, 3.2% of Prospect Park's residents identified themselves as being ofArab American ancestry. This was the sixth-highest percentage of Arab American people in any place in the United States with 1,000 or more residents identifying their ancestry.[39]
Prospect Park 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.[40] 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 elected directly 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.[6] The borough form of government used by Prospect Park 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.[41][42]
As of 2023[update], themayor of Prospect Park isDemocrat Mohamed Khairullah, whose term of office ends December 31, 2026. Khairullah was appointed to the office in 2005, after his predecessor Will Kubofcik vacated his seat to move out of the borough; he has since been elected to four full terms. Members of the Borough Council are Council President Mohammed A. Hussain (D, 2025), Robert Artis (D, 2023), Alaa Matari (D, 2024), Felicia Ortiz (D, 2023), Esther Perez (D, 2024) and Anand Shah (D, 2025).[3][43][44][45][46][47]
Samir Hayek resigned from office in July 2017, citing personal reason for leaving the seat expiring in December 2018.[48]
In September 2016, Esther Perez, who had previously served 12 years on the borough council, was selected to fill the seat expiring in December 2018 that had been held by Richard Esquiche until he resigned from office the previous month.[49] Perez was elected in November 2016 to serve the balance of the term of office.[50]
Prospect Park is located in the 9th Congressional District[51] and is part of New Jersey's 35th state legislative district.[52][53][54] Prior to the 2010 Census, Prospect Park had been part of the8th Congressional District, a change made by theNew Jersey Redistricting Commission that took effect in January 2013, based on the results of the November 2012 general elections.[55]
Passaic County is governed byBoard of County Commissioners, composed of seven members who are electedat-large to staggered three-year terms office on a partisan basis, with two or three seats coming up for election each year as part of the November general election in a three-year cycle. At a reorganization meeting held in January, the board selects a Director and Deputy Director from among its members to serve for a one-year term.[59] As of 2025[update], Passaic County's Commissioners are:
Constitutional officers, elected on a countywide basis are:Clerk Danielle Ireland-Imhof (D,Hawthorne, 2028),[72][73]Sheriff Thomas Adamo (D, Wayne, 2027)[74][75] and Surrogate Zoila S. Cassanova (D, Wayne, 2026).[76][77][68]
As of March 2011, there were a total of 3,139 registered voters in Prospect Park, of which 1,710 (54.5% vs. 31.0% countywide) were registered asDemocrats, 345 (11.0% vs. 18.7%) were registered asRepublicans and 1,084 (34.5% vs. 50.3%) were registered asUnaffiliated. There were no voters registered to other parties.[78] Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 53.5% (vs. 53.2% in Passaic County) were registered to vote, including 74.8% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 70.8% countywide).[78][79]
In the2012 presidential election, DemocratBarack Obama received 82.9% of the vote (1,744 cast), ahead of RepublicanMitt Romney with 16.5% (348 votes), and other candidates with 0.6% (12 votes), among the 2,130 ballots cast by the borough's 3,402 registered voters (26 ballots werespoiled), for a turnout of 62.6%.[80][81] In the2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 1,721 votes (75.9% vs. 58.8% countywide), ahead of RepublicanJohn McCain with 474 votes (20.9% vs. 37.7%) and other candidates with 15 votes (0.7% vs. 0.8%), among the 2,267 ballots cast by the borough's 3,387 registered voters, for a turnout of 66.9% (vs. 70.4% in Passaic County).[82] In the2004 presidential election, DemocratJohn Kerry received 1,325 votes (64.8% vs. 53.9% countywide), ahead of RepublicanGeorge W. Bush with 655 votes (32.0% vs. 42.7%) and other candidates with 22 votes (1.1% vs. 0.7%), among the 2,046 ballots cast by the borough's 3,270 registered voters, for a turnout of 62.6% (vs. 69.3% in the whole county).[83]
In the2013 gubernatorial election, DemocratBarbara Buono received 62.3% of the vote (690 cast), ahead of RepublicanChris Christie with 36.0% (398 votes), and other candidates with 1.7% (19 votes), among the 1,143 ballots cast by the borough's 3,502 registered voters (36 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 32.6%.[90][91] In the2009 gubernatorial election, DemocratJon Corzine received 743 ballots cast (66.1% vs. 50.8% countywide), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 310 votes (27.6% vs. 43.2%), IndependentChris Daggett with 33 votes (2.9% vs. 3.8%) and other candidates with 9 votes (0.8% vs. 0.9%), among the 1,124 ballots cast by the borough's 3,116 registered voters, yielding a 36.1% turnout (vs. 42.7% in the county).[92]
Forninth throughtwelfth grades, public school students attendManchester Regional High School, which also serves students fromHaledon andNorth Haledon.[99] As of the 2023–24 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 819 students and 60.0 classroom teachers (on anFTE basis), for astudent–teacher ratio of 13.7:1.[100] Seats on the high school district's nine-memberboard of education are allocated based on the population of the constituent districts, with two seats assigned to Prospect Park.[101]
As of May 2010[update], the borough had a total of 8.10 miles (13.04 km) of roadways, of which 6.56 miles (10.56 km) were maintained by the municipality and 1.54 miles (2.48 km) by Passaic County.[103]
The only significant road serving Prospect Park isCounty Route 504. It enters from Haledon, following Haledon Avenue along the borough's southwestern border with Haledon and Paterson. It then crosses completely into Paterson, turns onto Main Street and reenters Prospect Park for a brief stretch before exiting into Hawthorne.
^Kelleher, Lindsey."Prospect Park Councilman Samir Hayek resigning",The Record, July 28, 2017. Accessed January 10, 2018. "Councilman Samir Hayek is resigning from the Borough Council, according to the mayor.Prospect Park Mayor Mohamed Khairullah said Hayek submitted a letter of resignation to him on June 26. The letter, according to Khairullah, would go into effect this Saturday, July 29, and cited personal reasons for Hayek's resignation."
^abBoard of County Commissioners, Passaic County, New Jersey. Accessed June 21, 2022. "Passaic County is governed by a seven-member Board of County Commissioners. Each County Commissioner is elected at large for a three-year term. The board is headed by a director, who is selected for a one-year term at the board's annual reorganization meeting (at the first meeting of the year in January)."
^Bruce James, Passaic County, New Jersey. Accessed June 21, 2022.
^Prospect Park Board of Education Distritc Policy 0110 - Identification, Prospect Park School District, adopted January 4, 2022. Accessed February 10, 2024. "Purpose: The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades Kindergarten through eight in the Prospect Park School District. Composition: The Prospect Park School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Prospect Park."
^DeVencentis, Phil."Taxes are flat under Manchester Regional budget, but one town still sees big increase",The Record, May 16, 2024. Accessed February 10, 2024. "The Manchester Regional school board has approved a $31.7 million budget for next year in which the overall tax burden shared by three constituent towns will remain flat. But the smallest of those communities — Prospect Park — is not deriving any benefit. In fact, residents there will be hit by a hefty tax hike while those in Haledon and in North Haledon are getting their bills lowered.... Those figures are calculated using a funding formula that was created by the state Department of Education in August 2013. In simple terms, half of the tax burden is based on enrollment, and the other half on ratables."
^Guide to the Lini M. De Vries Papers ALBA.272, The Tamiment Library & Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives ofNew York University, March 29, 2012. Accessed January 27, 2015. "Lini M. De Vries (1905-1982) was born Lena Moerkerk on July 25, 1905, in Prospect Park, New Jersey, the eldest of two daughters of Elisabeth Moerkerk, a Dutch immigrant."
^Coutros, Evonne."Midland Park marking 75th anniversary of Johnny Vander Meer's double no-hitters",The Record, April 8, 2013. Accessed January 27, 2015. "Born Nov. 2, 1914, Vander Meer was an athlete from the time he was in elementary school. His father, Jacob — who worked at Paterson's United Piece and Dye Works — and mother, Katie, lived in Prospect Park until 1918, when they moved to their first home in Midland Park on Rea Avenue."
United States
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