Wallington, New Jersey

Wallington is a borough in Bergen County of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 11,868, an increase of 533 (+4.7%) from the 2010 census count of 11,335, which in turn reflected a decline of 248 (−2.1%) from the 11,583 counted in the 2000 census.

Wallington was created as a borough on January 2, 1895, based on a referendum held on December 31, 1894, from area taken from Bergen Township and Saddle River Township. The borough was formed during the "Boroughitis" phenomenon then sweeping through New Jersey, in which 26 boroughs were formed in Bergen County alone in 1894, with Wallington the last of the 26 to be formed by an 1894 referendum. Sections of Wallington were ceded to Garfield in 1898.Snyder, John P
''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968''
Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 98. Accessed May 30, 2024. The borough is said to have been named for Walling Van Winkle (1650–1725), who built a home in the future borough.History
Borough of Wallington. Accessed July 27, 2022. "In 1894 much happened. The building of the Market Street Bridge caused tremendous growth in the area, and a trolley was constructed by the Passaic, Rutherford and Carlstadt Railway company.... A third bridge, the Eighth Street Bridge, promoted further growth of the community with its construction in 1915. In the early 1900s Wallington was advertised as a "Slovak colony" for Slovak migrants living in urban areas to find suburban real estate.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 1.05 square miles (2.71 km²), including 0.99 square miles (2.57 km²) of land and 0.05 square miles (0.14 km²) of water (5.05%).

The borough borders Carlstadt, East Rutherford, Garfield, South Hackensack and Wood-Ridge in Bergen County, and the city of Passaic in Passaic County across the Passaic River.

The borough is located approximately northwest of Midtown Manhattan.

Demographics

The borough is one of 41 municipalities statewide where a majority of residents do not speak English as their primary language. Based on data from the United States Census Bureau's 2012–2016 American Community Survey data, Wallington had 62.8% of residents not speaking English as their dominant language, the 13th highest perecentage in the state.

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 11,335 people, 4,637 households, and 2,991 families in the borough. The population density was . There were 4,946 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup was 85.48% (9,689) White, 3.23% (366) Black or African American, 0.16% (18) Native American, 5.57% (631) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 3.86% (438) from other races, and 1.70% (193) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.81% (1,225) of the population.

Of the 4,637 households, 25.4% had children under the age of 18; 48.0% were married couples living together; 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present and 35.5% were non-families. Of all households, 29.1% were made up of individuals and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.03.

18.0% of the population were under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 28.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.6 years. For every 100 females, the population had 94.4 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 91.6 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $58,724 (with a margin of error of +/− $3,808) and the median family income was $66,414 (+/− $7,756). Males had a median income of $46,632 (+/− $3,029) versus $40,968 (+/− $2,962) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $27,350 (+/− $1,947). About 7.0% of families and 8.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.8% of those under age 18 and 10.1% of those age 65 or over.

Same-sex couples headed 25 households in 2010, a decrease from the 30 counted in 2000.

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census there were 11,583 people, 4,752 households, and 3,041 families residing in the borough. The population density was . There were 4,906 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the borough was 87.60% White, 2.67% African American, 0.09% Native American, 4.98% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 2.32% from other races, and 2.31% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.70% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Wallington borough, New Jersey
, United States Census Bureau. Accessed March 3, 2013.DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Wallington borough, Bergen County, New Jersey
, United States Census Bureau. Accessed March 3, 2013.

There were 4,752 households, out of which 25.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.3% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.0% were non-families. 29.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.05.

In the borough the population was spread out, with 18.4% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 33.9% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.2 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $45,656, and the median income for a family was $55,291. Males had a median income of $40,077 versus $30,503 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $24,431. About 4.8% of families and 6.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.8% of those under age 18 and 4.4% of those age 65 or over.

The most common ancestries were Polish (51.5%), Italian (15.0%), Irish (7.1%) and German.

At 51.5%, Wallington has one of the highest per capita levels of Polish ancestry in the area. Wallington was ranked seventh nationwide and first in New Jersey among municipalities in the United States by percentage of population with Polish ancestry as of the 2000 Census.

Arts and culture

Each December, Wallington holds a holiday parade. Fire departments and ambulances from the surrounding area (including the Wallington Fire Department) put Christmas lights on their trucks. There is a contest to determine which department's apparatus has the best Christmas lights. The winning department gets a trophy.

Parks and recreation

Samuel Nelkin County Park is located on Parkview Drive, covering . It has a playground, tennis courts, athletic fields, a dog park, picnic areas, and a shallow, artificial pond for fishing.

Borough parks and green spaces include:
* Dul Field, which is home to a baseball/softball field and a playground.
* Spring Street Soccer Field, which has baseball/softball and soccer facilities as well as a concession stand.
* Little League Field/Park, which is a little league baseball field and also features a playground, basketball courts, and a concession stand.
* Crescent Park, which is a green space with a playground.
* Hathaway Street Skate Park, which has a roller hockey rink and playground.
* Washington Crossing Park, which features a green space, gazebo, and monument on the banks of the Passaic River.
* Wallington High School Athletic Field, which is between Wallington High School and Frank W. Gavlak Elementary School, has football, soccer, and baseball/softball fields.

Bowlero Wallington is a bowling alley that has 48 lanes, an arcade, restaurant and bar.

Government

Local government

Wallington is governed under the Borough 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 a mayor and a borough council, with all positions elected at-large on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. A 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 Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, p. 155. March 2013. The borough form of government used by Wallington 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 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 Wallington Borough is Republican Melissa Dabal, whose term of office ends December 31, 2023. Members of the Wallington Borough Council are Council President WendySu Ivanicki (R, 2023), Khaldoun Androwis (R, 2024), Beata Balik (R, 2025), Susanne Preinfalk (R, 2025), Eugeniusz Rachelski (R, 2024) and Tomasz Sadecki (R, 2023).Mayor & Council
Borough of Wallington. Accessed March 16, 2023.''2024 County and Municipal Directory''
Bergen County, New Jersey