Ocean Gate 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 ...

Ocean County Ocean County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the southernmost county in the New York metropolitan area. The county borders the Atlantic Ocean on the east and in terms of total area is the state's largest county. Its co ...

, 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 1,932, a decrease of 79 (−3.9%) from the 2010 census count of 2,011, which in turn reflected a decline of 65 (−3.1%) from the 2,076 counted in the 2000 census.

History

Trains operated to the area by

Pennsylvania Railroad The Pennsylvania Railroad ( reporting mark PRR), legal name as the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, also known as the "Pennsy," was an American Class I railroad that was established in 1846 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At its ...

served what was called "Good Luck Point", with visitors building cottages that were the start of the community that became Ocean Gate.

AT&T AT&T Inc., an abbreviation for its predecessor's former name, the American Telephone and Telegraph Company, is an American multinational telecommunications holding company headquartered at Whitacre Tower in Downtown Dallas, Texas. It is the w ...

operated a

shortwave radio Shortwave radio is radio transmission using radio frequencies in the shortwave bands (SW). There is no official definition of the band range, but it always includes all of the High frequency, high frequency band (HF), which extends from 3 to 30& ...

transmitting station after purchasing in 1929. The borough of Ocean Gate was incorporated 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 ...

on February 28, 1918, from portions of Berkeley Township. An additional portion of Berkeley Township was annexed on February 28, 1953.Snyder, John P
''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968''
Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 204. Accessed May 30, 2024.

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 0.54 square miles (1.41 km²), including 0.45 square miles (1.17 km²) of land and 0.09 square miles (0.24 km²) of water (17.22%). The borough is bordered by the Ocean County municipality of Berkeley Township. The borough, including its northern half, is one of 11 municipalities in Ocean County that are part of the

Toms River The Toms River is a freshwater river and estuary in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. The river rises in the Pine Barrens of northern Ocean County, then flows southeast and east, where it is fed by several tributaries, and flows in a ...

watershed Watershed may refer to: Hydrology * Drainage divide, the line that separates neighbouring drainage basins * Drainage basin, an area of land where surface water converges (North American usage) Music * Watershed Music Festival, an annual country ...

Demographics

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 2,011 people, 832 households, and 534 families in the borough. The population density was . There were 1,203 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup was 95.18% (1,914)

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 ...

, 1.34% (27) Black or African American, 0.05% (1) Native American, 0.20% (4) Asian, 0.00% (0)

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 ...

, 2.09% (42) from other races, and 1.14% (23) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.36% (128) of the population. Of the 832 households, 27.6% had children under the age of 18; 40.5% were married couples living together; 17.2% had a female householder with no husband present and 35.8% were non-families. Of all households, 28.6% were made up of individuals and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.98. 22.2% of the population were under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 29.7% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.1 years. For every 100 females, the population had 92.6 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 89.2 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 In economics, nominal value refers to value measured in terms of absolute money amounts, whereas real value is considered and measured against the actual goods or services for which it can be exchanged at a given time. Real value takes into acco ...

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 $61,250 (with a margin of error of +/− $9,978) and the median family income was $73,056 (+/− $23,241). Males had a median income of $61,932 (+/− $6,721) versus $43,295 (+/− $6,037) 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 $29,770 (+/− $4,691). About 2.2% 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 11.3% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census there were 2,076 people, 832 households, and 546 families residing in the borough. The population density was . There were 1,152 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the borough was 96.53%

, 0.96%

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 ...

, 0.14% Native American, 0.96% Asian, 0.53% from other races, and 0.87% 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 2.36% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Ocean Gate borough, New Jersey
,

. Accessed December 31, 2012.DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Ocean Gate borough, Ocean County, New Jersey
,

. Accessed December 31, 2012. There were 832 households, out of which 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.0% 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, 16.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.3% were non-families. 28.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.06. In the borough the population was spread out, with 26.0% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 32.2% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.2 males. The median income for a household in the borough was $41,067, and the median income for a family was $50,847. Males had a median income of $33,558 versus $30,919 for females. The

for the borough was $19,239. About 7.6% of families and 10.3% of the population were below the

, including 12.0% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

Ocean Gate 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. 49. The borough form of government used by Ocean Gate is a "

weak mayor Weak may refer to: Songs * "Weak" (AJR song), 2016 * "Weak" (Melanie C song), 2011 * "Weak" (SWV song), 1993 * "Weak" (Skunk Anansie song), 1995 * "Weak", a song by Seether from '' Seether: 2002-2013'' Television episodes * "Weak" (''Fe ...

/ 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 of Ocean Gate is Republican David Kendrick, whose term of office ends December 31, 2022. Members of the Borough Council are Council President Mark Haug (R, 2023), Bruce Cox (R, 2024;appointed to serve an unexpired term), Robert Livingston (R, 2022), Joella Nicastro (R, 2022), Laura Padham-Iaria (R, 2024) and Mildred Sheppard (R, 2023).Contact Us
Borough of Ocean Gate. Accessed August 11, 2022.Borough of Ocean Gate

Ocean County, New Jersey Ocean County is a List of counties in New Jersey, county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the southernmost county in the New York metropolitan area. The county borders the Atlantic Ocean on the east and in terms of total area is the ...

. Accessed August 11, 2022.''2022 Ocean County & Municipal Elected Officials''

Clerk, updated April 1, 2022. Accessed May 1, 2022.2021 General Election Official Results

. Accessed January 1, 2022.2020 General Election November 3, 2020 Official results

, updated December 2, 2020. Accessed January 1, 2021.2019 General Election Official Results November 5, 2019

Clerk, updated November 15, 2019. Accessed January 1, 2020.2018 General Election Official Results November 6, 2018

Clerk, updated November 19, 2018. Accessed January 1, 2019. In April 2020, after then-mayor Paul J. Kennedy was charged with official misconduct related to theft of borough-owned property that had been taking place for five years, the borough council cut the mayor's salary down from $50,000 to one dollar After Kennedy resigned from the seat expiring in December 2022, the borough council appointed David Kendrick to fill the vacant mayoral seat; in turn, Bruce Cox was appointed to fill Kendrick's vacated council seat that expires in December 2024. Democrats Rose Kindon and Chris Theodos replaced Frank Santarpia and James McGrath, who resigned in February 2014 in protest over an increase in the mayor's compensation to $50,000. The mayor was later cited and fined for ethics violation by the NJ State Local Finance Board for illegally accepting pay as a municipal employee while he was serving as mayor.

Federal, state, and county representation

Ocean Gate is located in the 4th 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 9th state legislative district.Municipalities Sorted by 2011-2020 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 February 1, 2020.''2019 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government''
New Jersey

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 1,287 registered voters in Ocean Gate, of which 336 (26.1%) were registered as Democrats, 387 (30.1%) 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 563 (43.7%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There was one voter registered to another party.Voter Registration Summary - Ocean

Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed December 30, 2012. Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 64.0% (vs. 63.2% in Ocean County) were registered to vote, including 82.2% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 82.6% countywide). 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 70.9% of the vote (458 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 27.4% (177 votes), and other candidates with 1.7% (11 votes), among the 664 ballots cast by the borough's 1,264 registered voters (18 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 52.5%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 60.3% of the vote (420 ballots cast), 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 30.7% (214 votes), 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 5.9% (41 votes) and other candidates with 1.4% (10 votes), among the 697 ballots cast by the borough's 1,284 registered voters, yielding a 54.3% turnout.

Education

The Ocean Gate School District is a public

school district A school district is a special-purpose district that operates local public Primary school, primary or Secondary school, secondary schools or both in various countries. It is not to be confused with an attendance zone, which is within a school dis ...

that serves students in

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 ...

at Ocean Gate Elementary School. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of one school, had an enrollment of 142 students and 15.4 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 9.2:1.District information for Ocean Gate 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 April 1, 2020. In the 2016–2017 school year, Ocean Gate was tied as having the 26th smallest enrollment of any school district in the state, with 149 students. 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 ...

s attend the schools of the Central Regional School District, which serves students from Ocean Gate and from the municipalities of Berkeley Township, Island Heights, Seaside Heights and Seaside Park. Schools in the high school district (with 2018–19 enrollment data from the

) are Central Regional Middle School with 769 students in grades 7–8 and

Central Regional High School Central Regional High School is a four-year regional comprehensive public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades, located in the Bayville section of Berkeley Township in Ocean County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, ope ...

with 1,483 students in grades 9–12. The high school district's

board of education A board of education, school committee or school board is the board of directors or board of trustees of a school, local school district or an equivalent institution. The elected council determines the educational policy in a small regional area, ...

consists of nine members, who are directly elected by the residents of the constituent municipalities to three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with three seats up for election each year. Ocean Gate is allocated one of the board's nine seats.

Transportation

, the borough had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality and by Ocean County. No Interstate, U.S. or state highways serve Ocean Gate. The main roads serving the borough are minor county roads, such as County Route 625.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Ocean Gate include: * Rob Beaton,

Guinness World Record ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a British reference book published annually, listi ...

holder ("Most Eggs Held in the Hand" – 17, "Most Grains of Rice Eaten with Chopsticks in 3 Minutes" – 78)Michaels, Chelsea
"Rice-eating record an egg-beater for Ocean Gate man; Second time in Guinness book"
''

Asbury Park Press The ''Asbury Park Press'', formerly known as the ''Shore Press'', ''Daily Press'', ''Asbury Park Daily Press'', and ''Asbury Park Evening Press'', is the third largest daily newspaper in the state of New Jersey. Established in 1879, it has been o ...

'', October 1, 2008. Accessed June 2, 2015.

References

External links

Ocean Gate official borough website

Ocean Gate Elementary School
*
School Data for the Ocean Gate Elementary School

Central Regional School District
{{Authority control 1918 establishments in New Jersey Borough form of New Jersey government Boroughs in New Jersey Boroughs in Ocean County, New Jersey Populated places established in 1918