Wanaque () is a

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English language, English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History ...

in Passaic County, in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 11,317, an increase of 201 (+1.8%) from the 2010 census count of 11,116, which in turn reflected an increase of 850 (+8.3%) from the 10,266 counted in the 2000 census.

History

Wanaque was incorporated as an independent borough on February 23, 1918, when Pompton Township was split up into three boroughs, along with Bloomingdale and Ringwood, and affirmed by a referendum held on March 22, 1918.Snyder, John P
''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968''
Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 211. Accessed May 30, 2024. The borough's name ''Wanaque'' (original pronunciation 'Wa Na Kee') is thought to have been derived from a

Lenni Lenape The Lenape (, , ; ), also called the Lenni Lenape and Delaware people, are an Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands, who live in the United States and Canada. The Lenape's historical territory included present-day northeastern Del ...

Native American word meaning "land of sassafras".

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the borough had a total area of 9.33 square miles (24.15 km²), including 8.07 square miles (20.89 km²) of land and 1.26 square miles (3.26 km²) of water (13.50%). Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the borough include

Haskell Haskell () is a general-purpose, statically typed, purely functional programming language with type inference and lazy evaluation. Designed for teaching, research, and industrial applications, Haskell pioneered several programming language ...

, Lake Inez, Lake Washington, Meadow Brook Lake, Midvale, Ramapo Lake, Rotten Pond, Stephens Lake and Upper Midvale. Both Wanaque (formerly Midvale) and Haskell have their own ZIP Codes and are served by separate post offices. The borough borders the municipalities of Bloomingdale, Pompton Lakes and Ringwood in Passaic County; and

Oakland Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major West Coast port, Oakland is ...

Bergen County Bergen County is the List of counties in New Jersey, most populous County (United States), county in the U.S. state of New Jersey.2010 United States census counted 11,116 people, 4,018 households, and 3,026 families in the borough. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was 1,391.2 per square mile (537.1/km²). There were 4,184 housing units at an average density of 523.7 per square mile (202.2/km²). The racial makeup was 87.48% (9,724)

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 3.07% (341) Black or African American, 0.40% (45) Native American, 4.65% (517) Asian, 0.01% (1)

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 2.25% (250) from other races, and 2.14% (238) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.67% (1,075) of the population. Of the 4,018 households, 30.7% had children under the age of 18; 61.1% were married couples living together; 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present and 24.7% were non-families. Of all households, 20.0% were made up of individuals and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.07. 20.6% of the population were under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 30.2% from 45 to 64, and 18.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.8 years. For every 100 females, the population had 91.6 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 90.2 males. The Census Bureau's 2006–2010

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...

showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars)

median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of und ...

was $89,459 (with a margin of error of +/− $5,457) and the median family income was $98,081 (+/− $7,333). Males had a median income of $62,454 (+/− $4,289) versus $49,421 (+/− $6,017) for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the borough was $37,579 (+/− $3,293). About 1.0% of families and 2.6% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 3.3% of those under age 18 and 0.8% of those age 65 or over.

Same-sex couples A same-sex relationship is a romantic or sexual relationship between people of the same sex. ''Same-sex marriage'' refers to the institutionalized recognition of such relationships in the form of a marriage; civil unions may exist in countries ...

headed 20 households in 2010, a decline from the 22 counted in 2000.

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census there were 10,266 people, 3,444 households, and 2,689 families residing in the borough. The population density was . There were 3,500 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the borough was 90.67%

, 1.51%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.34% Native American, 3.62% Asian, 0.03%

, 2.06% from other races, and 1.77% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 5.40% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Wanaque borough, New Jersey

. Accessed August 30, 2012.DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Wanaque borough, Passaic County, New Jersey
,

. Accessed August 30, 2012. There were 3,444 households, out of which 37.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.2% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.9% were non-families. 16.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.86 and the average family size was 3.23. In the borough the population was spread out, with 24.4% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 31.7% from 25 to 44, 25.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.4 males. The median income for a household in the borough was $66,113, and the median income for a family was $71,127. Males had a median income of $43,675 versus $33,380 for females. The

for the borough was $25,403. About 2.6% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the

, including 3.5% of those under age 18 and 4.1% of those age 65 or over.

Law and government

Local government

Wanaque is governed under the

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. The governing body is comprised of the mayor and the borough council, with all positions elected

at-large At large (''before a noun'': at-large) is a description for members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent a whole membership or population (notably a city, county, state, province, nation, club or association), rather tha ...

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.''2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book'',

Rutgers University Rutgers University ( ), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of three campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's C ...

Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, March 2013, p. 169. The borough form of government used by Wanaque 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 can

veto A veto is a legal power to unilaterally stop an official action. In the most typical case, a president (government title), president or monarch vetoes a bill (law), bill to stop it from becoming statutory law, law. In many countries, veto powe ...

ordinances subject to an override 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. , the

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

of Wanaque Borough is Republican Daniel Mahler, whose term of office ends December 31, 2026. Members of the Borough Council are Thomas Balunis (R, 2024), Dominick Cortellessa (R, 2025), Edward Leonard (R, 2025), Donald Pasquariello (R, 2023), Bridget A. Pasznik (R, 2024), and Robert Pettet (R, 2023).Mayor and Council
Borough of Wanaque. Accessed April 17, 2023.''Passaic County 2022 Directory''

Passaic County, New Jersey Passaic County ( or ) is a county in the U.S. state of New Jersey that is part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, the county was the state's eighth-most-populous county,

. Accessed March 1, 2023.2022 General Election November 8, 2022 Summary Report Passaic County Official Results

, updated December 7, 2022. Accessed January 1, 2023.2021 General Election November 2, 2021 Official Results
Passaic County, New Jersey, updated November 18, 2021. Accessed January 1, 2022.November 3, 2020 Summary Report Official Results
Passaic County, New Jersey, updated November 20, 2020. Accessed January 1, 2021.

Federal, state, and county representation

Wanaque is located in the 5th Congressional District2022 Redistricting Plan

New Jersey Redistricting Commission The New Jersey Redistricting Commission is a constitutional body of the government of New Jersey tasked with redrawing the state's Congressional election districts after each decade's census. Like Arizona, Idaho, Hawaii, Montana, and Washington ...

, December 8, 2022. and is part of New Jersey's 26th state legislative district.Municipalities Sorted by 2023-2031 Legislative District

New Jersey Department of State The secretary of state of New Jersey oversees the Department of State, which is one of the original state offices. The Secretary is responsible for overseeing New Jersey State Council on the Arts, artistic, cultural, and New Jersey Historical Com ...

. Accessed September 1, 2023.

Politics

As of March 2011, there were a total of 7,085 registered voters in Wanaque, of which 1,646 (23.2% vs. 31.0% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 2,191 (30.9% vs. 18.7%) were registered as Republicans and 3,243 (45.8% vs. 50.3%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 5 voters registered as

Libertarians Libertarianism (from ; or from ) is a political philosophy that holds freedom, personal sovereignty, and liberty as primary values. Many libertarians believe that the concept of freedom is in accord with the Non-Aggression Principle, according ...

or Greens.Voter Registration Summary - Passaic

Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed January 16, 2013. Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 63.7% (vs. 53.2% in Passaic County) were registered to vote, including 80.3% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 70.8% countywide). In the 2012 presidential election, Republican

Mitt Romney Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is an American businessman and retired politician. He served as a United States Senate, United States senator from Utah from 2019 to 2025 and as the 70th governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 ...

received 51.7% of the vote (2,633 cast), ahead of Democrat

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

with 47.2% (2,400 votes), and other candidates with 1.1% (55 votes), among the 5,132 ballots cast by the borough's 7,472 registered voters (44 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 68.7%. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican

John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American statesman and United States Navy, naval officer who represented the Arizona, state of Arizona in United States Congress, Congress for over 35 years, first as ...

received 2,798 votes (52.1% vs. 37.7% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 2,428 votes (45.2% vs. 58.8%) and other candidates with 46 votes (0.9% vs. 0.8%), among the 5,374 ballots cast by the borough's 7,117 registered voters, for a turnout of 75.5% (vs. 70.4% in Passaic County). In the 2004 presidential election, Republican

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...

received 2,452 votes (55.1% vs. 42.7% countywide), ahead of Democrat

John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician, and diplomat who served as the 68th United States secretary of state from 2013 to 2017 in the Presidency of Barack Obama#Administration, administration of Barac ...

with 1,876 votes (42.1% vs. 53.9%) and other candidates with 39 votes (0.9% vs. 0.7%), among the 4,451 ballots cast by the borough's 6,132 registered voters, for a turnout of 72.6% (vs. 69.3% in the whole county). In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican

Chris Christie Christopher James Christie (born September 6, 1962) is an American politician and former United States Attorney, federal prosecutor who served as the 55th governor of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018. A member of the Republican Party (United States) ...

received 66.1% of the vote (2,107 cast), ahead of Democrat

Barbara Buono Barbara A. Buono (born July 28, 1953) is an American politician who served in the New Jersey Senate from 2002 to 2014, where she represented the 18th Legislative District. She served from 2010 to 2012 as the Majority Leader in the Senate, succ ...

with 32.7% (1,042 votes), and other candidates with 1.2% (38 votes), among the 3,235 ballots cast by the borough's 7,614 registered voters (48 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 42.5%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 1,802 votes (53.1% vs. 43.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat

Jon Corzine Jon Stevens Corzine ( ; born January 1, 1947) is an American financial executive and retired politician who served as a United States Senator from New Jersey from 2001 to 2006, and the 54th governor of New Jersey from 2006 to 2010. Corzine ran f ...

with 1,338 votes (39.4% vs. 50.8%), Independent Chris Daggett with 194 votes (5.7% vs. 3.8%) and other candidates with 34 votes (1.0% vs. 0.9%), among the 3,396 ballots cast by the borough's 6,887 registered voters, yielding a 49.3% turnout (vs. 42.7% in the county).

Education

The Wanaque Borough Schools serves students in public school for

pre-kindergarten Pre-kindergarten (also called pre-K or PK) is a voluntary classroom-based preschool program for children below the age of five in the United States, Canada, Turkey and Greece (when kindergarten starts). It may be delivered through a preschool ...

through eighth grade. As of the 2021–22 school year, the district, comprised of two schools, had an enrollment of 861 students and 92.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a

student–teacher ratio The student–teacher ratio or student–faculty ratio refers to the number of students who attend a school or university divided by the number of teachers or staff in the institution. For example, a student–teacher ratio of 10:1 indicates that ...

of 9.4:1.District information for Wanaque School District

National Center for Education Statistics The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the principal federal agency responsible for collecting, analyzing, and reporting data on education in the United States. Established under , it operates within the Institute of Education S ...

. Accessed December 1, 2022. Schools in the district (with 2021–22 enrollment data from the

) are Haskell Elementary School 367 students in grades PreK–8 and Wanaque Elementary School 484 students in grades PreK–8. Students in public school for

ninth In music, a ninth is a compound interval consisting of an octave plus a second. Like the second, the interval of a ninth is classified as a dissonance in common practice tonality. Since a ninth is an octave larger than a second, its ...

through

twelfth grade Twelfth Grade (also known as Grade 12, Senior Year, Standard 12, 12th Standard, 12th Class, or Class 12th or Class 12) is the twelfth and final Educational stage, year of Formal education, formal or compulsory education. It is typically the final ...

s attend Lakeland Regional High School, which serves students from the Boroughs of Ringwood and Wanaque. The high school is located in Wanaque and is part of the Lakeland Regional High School District. As of the 2021–22 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 902 students and 81.7 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a

of 11.0:1. Wanaque is the site of Passaic County Community College's Wanaque Academic Center.

Transportation

Roads and highways

, the borough had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Passaic County and by the

New Jersey Department of Transportation The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) is the agency responsible for transportation issues and policy in New Jersey, including maintaining and operating the state's highway and public road system, planning and developing transport ...

. Several major roadways traverse through the borough.

Interstate 287 Interstate 287 (I-287) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway in the US states of New Jersey and New York (state), New York. It is a partial beltway around New York City, serving northern New Jersey and the counties of Rockland County, New York ...

passes through Wanaque for , where it is accessible at Exit 55, near the intersection of Union and Ringwood Avenues ( County Route 511).

Public transportation

NJ Transit New Jersey Transit Corporation, branded as NJ Transit or NJTransit and often shortened to NJT, is a state-owned public transportation system that serves the U.S. state of New Jersey and portions of the states of New York and Pennsylvania. I ...

provides bus service to and from the

Port Authority Bus Terminal The Port Authority Bus Terminal (colloquially known as the Port Authority and by its acronym PABT) is a bus station, bus terminal located in Manhattan in New York City. It is the busiest bus terminal in the world by volume of traffic, serving ab ...

Midtown Manhattan Midtown Manhattan is the central portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan, serving as the city's primary central business district. Midtown is home to some of the city's most prominent buildings, including the Empire State Building, the ...

on the 197 route.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Wanaque include: * Kevin Carolan (born 1968), actor and comedian * Bobby Czyz (born 1962), boxer who is both a former world light heavyweight and cruiserweight champion * Loretta Ford (1920–2025), nurse who was the co-founder of the first

nurse practitioner A nurse practitioner (NP) is an advanced practice registered nurse and a type of mid-level practitioner. NPs are trained to assess patient needs, order and interpret diagnostic and laboratory tests, diagnose disease, prescribe medications an ...

program * John McCutcheon (1879–1942), politician who served as the New Jersey State Comptroller and the Passaic County Clerk * Bill Palatucci, (born 1958), attorney who served on the

Republican National Committee The Republican National Committee (RNC) is the primary committee of the Republican Party of the United States. Its members are chosen by the state delegations at the national convention every four years. It is responsible for developing and pr ...

and the

New Jersey Apportionment Commission The New Jersey Apportionment Commission is a constitutionally-created ten-member commission responsible for reapportioning the forty districts of the New Jersey Legislature. The commission is convened after each decennial U.S. Census, and the ...

, and headed selection of staff for the first presidential transition of Donald Trump * Ernestine Petras (1924–2017), infielder who played in the

All-American Girls Professional Baseball League The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) was a professional women's baseball league founded by Philip K. Wrigley, which existed from 1943 to 1954. The AAGPBL is the forerunner of women's professional league sports in the Uni ...

* John Pfahl (1939–2020), photographer * Chris Port (born 1967), former NFL

offensive lineman In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line (OL), while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line ( ...

who played for five seasons for the

New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...

* Fred Strickland (born 1966), former professional football player who played

linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and typically line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and so back up the defensive linemen. They play closer to the line ...

in the NFL for 12 seasons

Points of interest

Elks Camp Moore is an Elks accredited summer overnight camp for children with special needs. The camp was founded in 1971 and includes many activities for the children such as a swimming pool, three playgrounds, a small playing field, a recreation hall, and rooms that house other fun activities. The campers stay for one week from Sunday until Saturday. Each week, 75 campers attend the camp and are assigned to their own counselor. The camp is wheelchair accessible since handicapped children also attend the camp. The camp is located high on top of a mountain overlooking Route 287 in

. Admission is free for the campers, and the camp is funded in part by local New Jersey Elks lodges.Elks Camp Moore
New Jersey State Elks Association. Accessed January 27, 2015.

References

External links

Wanaque Borough official website

Wanaque Borough Schools
*
School Data for the Wanaque Borough Schools

Lakeland Regional High School

Wanaque Chamber of Commerce website

Wanaque Borough Republicans Club

Wanaque Borough Democratic Club

Wanaque Haskell Education Foundation
{{Authority control 1918 establishments in New Jersey Borough form of New Jersey government Boroughs in New Jersey Boroughs in Passaic County, New Jersey Populated places established in 1918