township
A township is a form of human settlement or administrative subdivision. Its exact definition varies among countries.
Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, this tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Canad ...
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 ...
of
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 township's population was 7,781, its highest decennial census count ever, and an increase of 56 (+0.7%) from the 2010 census count of 7,725, which in turn reflected an increase of 1,072 (+16.1%) from the 6,653 counted in the 2000 census.
What is now Mansfield Township was formed on May 30, 1754, as Mansfield-Woodhouse Township from portions of Greenwich Township, while the area was still part of Sussex County, and was incorporated as Mansfield Township on February 21, 1798, as one of New Jersey's initial group of 104 townships by an act of the
New Jersey Legislature
The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and ...
. The township became part of the newly formed Warren County on November 20, 1824. Portions of the township were taken to form Franklin Township (April 8, 1839) and Washington Township (April 9, 1849).Snyder, John P ''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968'' Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 247. Accessed May 30, 2024. The township was named after
William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield
William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield, (2 March 1705 – 20 March 1793), was a British judge, politician, lawyer, and peer best known for his reforms to English law. Born in Scone Palace, Perthshire, to a family of Scottish nobility, he wa ...
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 township had a total area of 29.69 square miles (76.90 km2), including 29.59 square miles (76.63 km2) of land and 0.11 square miles (0.27 km2) of water (0.35%).Anderson (with a 2010 Census population of 342), Beattystown (4,554) and Port Murray (129) are
unincorporated communities
An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...
and
census-designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.
CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...
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 ...
, p. III-5, August 2012. Accessed June 10, 2013.
Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Karrsville, Mount Bethel, Penwell, Rockport and Stephensburg.
The township borders the municipalities of Hackettstown, Independence Township, Liberty Township, Oxford Township and Washington Township in Warren County; Lebanon Township in
Hunterdon County
Hunterdon County is a County (United States), county located in the western section of the U.S. state of New Jersey. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the county was the state's List of counties in New Jersey, 4th-least populous ...
The 2010 United States census counted 7,725 people, 2,972 households, and 2,000 families in the township. 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 259.1 per square mile (100.0/km2). There were 3,316 housing units at an average density of 111.2 per square mile (42.9/km2). The racial makeup was 86.73% (6,700)
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 ...
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 ...
, 3.06% (236) from other races, and 1.90% (147) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.94% (845) of the population.
Of the 2,972 households, 31.4% had children under the age of 18; 51.8% were married couples living together; 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present and 32.7% were non-families. Of all households, 25.5% were made up of individuals and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.08.
22.9% of the population were under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 29.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.7 years. For every 100 females, the population had 94.6 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 93.4 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 ...
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 $74,063 (with a margin of error of +/− $8,316) and the median family income was $87,434 (+/− $8,330). Males had a median income of $56,567 (+/− $5,612) versus $41,583 (+/− $1,597) 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 $32,259 (+/− $2,751). About 5.1% of families and 6.3% 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 8.3% of those under age 18 and 3.9% of those age 65 or over.
2000 census
As of the 2000 United States census there were 6,653 people, 2,334 households, and 1,750 families residing in the township. The population density was . There were 2,415 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the township was 90.91%
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 ...
, 4.51%
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
. Accessed June 10, 2013.
There were 2,334 households, out of which 39.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.3% 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, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.0% were non-families. 18.9% 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 2.76 and the average family size was 3.18.
In the ownship the population was spread out, with 27.0% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 32.4% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.2 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $61,763, and the median income for a family was $76,102. Males had a median income of $50,295 versus $35,737 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 township was $26,277. About 2.7% of families and 3.9% 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 3.9% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Local government
Mansfield Township is governed under the
Township
A township is a form of human settlement or administrative subdivision. Its exact definition varies among countries.
Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, this tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Canad ...
form of New Jersey municipal government, one of 141 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form, the second-most commonly used form of government in the state. The Township Committee is comprised of five members, who are elected directly by the voters
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 ...
in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats coming up for election each year as part of the November general election 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. 103. At an annual reorganization meeting conducted during the first week of January, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and another to serve as Deputy Mayor.
, members of the Mansfield Township Committee are
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 ...
Joseph E. Watters ( R, term on committee ends December 31, 2024; term as mayor ends 2022),
Deputy mayor
The deputy mayor (also known as vice mayor and assistant mayor) is an elective or appointive office of the second-ranking official that is present in many local governments.
Duties and functions
Many elected deputy mayors are members of the loca ...
Glen McGuinness (R, term on committee and as deputy mayor ends 2022; elected to serve an unexpired term), Desiree Mora Dillon (R, 2022) and Joseph D. Farino (R, 2023) and Ronald Hayes (R, 2023).Municipal Government Mansfield Township. Accessed May 30, 2024. "Under the current township government laws, the Township Committee remains the backbone of the municipality’s government. Voters elect, at-large, the Township Committee comprising five members. The elections are partisan and the committee members serve staggered three-year terms. The Township Committee elects the mayor for a one-year term."Summary Results Report 2021 General Election November 2, 2021 Official Results Warren County, New Jersey, updated November 18, 2021. Accessed January 1, 2022.Warren County 2020 General Election November 20, 2020 Official Results Warren County, New Jersey, updated November 20, 2020. Accessed January 1, 2021.General Election November 5, 2019, Warren County Official Tally
Warren County, New Jersey
Warren County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. According to the 2020 census, the county was the state's 19th-most populous county,2022 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 ...
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 ...
League of Women Voters
The League of Women Voters (LWV) is a nonpartisan American nonprofit political organization. Founded in 1920, its ongoing major activities include Voter registration, registering voters, providing voter information, boosting voter turnout and adv ...
. Accessed October 30, 2019.
Politics
As of March 2011, there were a total of 4,443 registered voters in Mansfield Township, of which 779 (17.5% vs. 21.5% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 1,784 (40.2% vs. 35.3%) were registered as
Republicans
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
and 1,877 (42.2% vs. 43.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were three 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 ...
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 ...
Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed June 10, 2013. Among the township's 2010 Census population, 57.5% (vs. 62.3% in Warren County) were registered to vote, including 74.6% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 81.5% countywide).
In the
2012 presidential election
This national electoral calendar for 2012 lists the national/ federal elections held in 2012 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included.
January
*3–4 January: ...
, 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 1,789 votes (57.6% vs. 56.0% countywide), 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 1,232 votes (39.7% vs. 40.8%) and other candidates with 45 votes (1.4% vs. 1.7%), among the 3,105 ballots cast by the township's 4,596 registered voters, for a turnout of 67.6% (vs. 66.7% in Warren County). 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 1,925 votes (57.5% vs. 55.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 1,328 votes (39.7% vs. 41.4%) and other candidates with 50 votes (1.5% vs. 1.6%), among the 3,349 ballots cast by the township's 4,504 registered voters, for a turnout of 74.4% (vs. 73.4% in Warren 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 2,043 votes (64.6% vs. 61.0% 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 1,076 votes (34.0% vs. 37.2%) and other candidates with 34 votes (1.1% vs. 1.3%), among the 3,163 ballots cast by the township's 4,227 registered voters, for a turnout of 74.8% (vs. 76.3% 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 74.1% of the vote (1,251 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 23.7% (401 votes), and other candidates with 2.2% (37 votes), among the 1,715 ballots cast by the township's 4,683 registered voters (26 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 36.6%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 1,415 votes (66.5% vs. 61.3% 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 482 votes (22.6% vs. 25.7%), Independent
Chris Daggett
Christopher Jarvis Daggett (born March 7, 1950) is an American businessman who is the president and CEO of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, one of the largest foundations in New Jersey. A former regional administrator of the United States En ...
with 171 votes (8.0% vs. 9.8%) and other candidates with 29 votes (1.4% vs. 1.5%), among the 2,129 ballots cast by the township's 4,360 registered voters, yielding a 48.8% turnout (vs. 49.6% in the county).
Education
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
sixth grade
Sixth grade (also 6th grade or grade 6) is the sixth year of formal or compulsory education. Students in sixth grade are usually 11-12 years old. It is commonly the first or second grade of middle school or the last grade of elementary school, an ...
Warren County, New Jersey
Warren County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. According to the 2020 census, the county was the state's 19th-most populous county,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 ...
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 April 1, 2020.
Public school students in seventh 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 ...
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 ...
) are
Warren Hills Regional Middle School with 542 students in grades 7 and 8 (located in Washington Borough) and
Warren Hills Regional High School with 1,205 students in grades 9–12 (located in Washington Township). Seats on the high school district's nine-member board of education are allocated to based on the population of the constituent municipalities, with three seats assigned to Mansfield Township.
Students from the township and from all of Warren County are eligible to attend Ridge and Valley Charter School in Frelinghuysen Township (for grades K–8) or Warren County Technical School in Washington borough (for 9–12), with special education services provided by local districts supplemented throughout the county by the Warren County Special Services School District in Oxford Township (for PreK–12).
Transportation
Roads and highways
, the township had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Warren 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 ...
.
The only major roads that pass through are Route 31 which passes through briefly in the west and Route 57 runs for in the southern part.
No limited access roads traverse through. However, they are accessible two towns over such as
Interstate 78
Interstate 78 (I-78) is an east–west Interstate Highway in the Northeastern United States that runs from I-81 northeast of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, through Allentown to western and North Jersey, terminating at the Holland Tunnel entra ...
Interstate 80
Interstate 80 (I-80) is an east–west transcontinental freeway that crosses the United States from San Francisco, California, to Teaneck, New Jersey, in the New York metropolitan area. The highway was designated in 1956 as one of the ori ...
Hope
Hope is an optimistic state of mind that is based on an expectation of positive outcomes with respect to events and circumstances in one's own life, or the world at large.
As a verb, Merriam-Webster defines ''hope'' as "to expect with confid ...
Hackettstown Airport
Hackettstown Airport is a public-use airport located in the Beattystown area of Mansfield Township, Warren County, New Jersey, United States, three nautical miles (5.56 km) southwest of the central business district of Hackettstown. The ...
and holding the official database designation of is in Mansfield Township, only a few hundred yards from the municipal border with Hackettstown.
Rail service is provided into Hackettstown by
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 ...
. South of Hackettstown,
Norfolk Southern
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States. Headquartered in Atlanta, the company was formed in 1982 with the merger of the Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. The comp ...
's Washington Secondary passes the location of the Rockport Wreck, a train accident that occurred on June 16, 1925, that resulted in 50 fatalities.
Notable people
People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Mansfield Township include:
* John D. Bulkeley (1911–1996),
vice admiral
Vice admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, usually equivalent to lieutenant general and air marshal. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral.
Australia
In the Royal Australian Navy, the rank of Vice ...
in the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
who was one of its most decorated naval officers
* John Eugene Kunzler (1923– 2006), scientist and physicist who conducted pioneering research into the field of
superconducting magnet
A superconducting magnet is an electromagnet made from coils of superconducting wire. They must be cooled to cryogenic temperatures during operation. In its superconducting state the wire has no electrical resistance and therefore can conduct much ...
s.
* Michael Weiner (1961–2013), attorney who served as the fifth executive director of the
Major League Baseball Players Association
The Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) is the labor union representing all current Major League Baseball (MLB) and Minor League Baseball (MiLB) players. All players, managers, coaches, and athletic trainers who hold or have held ...
The Star-Ledger
''The Star-Ledger'' was the largest circulation newspaper in New Jersey. It is based in Newark, New Jersey. The newspaper ceased print publication on February 2, 2025, but continues to publish a digital edition.
In 2007, ''The Star-Ledger''s ...
'', January 6, 2013. Accessed May 3, 2015. "From childhood to college, law school to labor relations, his role as executive director of the MLB Players Association to his home in Mansfield Township, Michael Weiner drew people together."