Raritan, New Jersey

:"see also: Raritan Township, New Jersey"

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Raritan, New Jersey
settlement_type = Borough
nickname =
motto =

imagesize =
image_caption =


image_

---

mapsize = 250x200px
map_caption = Map of Raritan in Somerset County. Inset: Location of Somerset County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.


mapsize1 = 250x200px
map_caption1 = Census Bureau map of Raritan, New Jersey

subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = New Jersey
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Somerset
government_footnotes = "2005 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book", Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, April 2005, p. 77.]
government_type = Borough (New Jersey)
leader_title = Mayor
leader_name = Jo-Ann Liptak (2011)
leader_title1 = Administrator
leader_name1 = Daniel Jaxel [ [http://www.raritanboro.org/index_files/directory.htm Directory] , Raritan Borough. Accessed May 20, 2008.]
established_title = Incorporated
established_date = June 12, 1948

unit_pref = Imperial
area_footnotes =
area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 5.3
area_land_km2 = 5.3
area_water_km2 = 0.0
area_total_sq_mi = 2.0
area_land_sq_mi = 2.0
area_water_sq_mi = 0.0

population_as_of = 2006
population_footnotes =
population_total = 6427
population_density_km2 = 1202.3
population_density_sq_mi = 3113.8

timezone = Eastern (EST)
utc_offset = -5
timezone_DST = EDT
utc_offset_DST = -4
elevation_footnotes = [Gnis|885365|Borough of Raritan, Geographic Names Information System. Accessed January 4, 2008.]
elevation_m = 29
elevation_ft = 95
latd = 40 |latm = 34 |lats = 19 |latNS = N
longd = 74 |longm = 38 |longs = 29 |longEW = W

postal_code_type = ZIP codes
postal_code = 08869, 08896
area_code = 908
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 34-61980GR|2 [ [http://mcdc2.missouri.edu/webrepts/commoncodes/ccc_nj.html A Cure for the Common Codes: New Jersey] , Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed July 14, 2008.]
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 0885365GR|3
website = http://www.raritanboro.org
footnotes =

Raritan is a Borough in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 6,338.

Geography

Raritan is located at coor dms|40|34|17|N|74|38|15|W|city (40.571302, -74.637405)GR|1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 2.0 square miles (5.3 km²), all of it land.

History

Raritan Town was originally established as a subdivision within Bridgewater Township by act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 3, 1868. After a series of bitter lawsuits between Raritan and Bridgewater in the 1930s and 1940s, the Legislature allowed Raritan to become an independent Borough by an Act on May 12, 1948, based on the results of a referendum passed on June 12, 1948. The new borough incorporated the old town and an additional portion of Bridgewater Township."The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 224.]

Demographics

USCensusPop
1930 = 4751
1940 = 4839
1950 = 5131
1960 = 6137
1970 = 6691
1980 = 6128
1990 = 5798
2000 = 6338
estimate=6427
estyear=2006
estref= [http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/SAFFPopulation?_event=ChangeGeoContext&geo_id=16000US3461980&_geoContext=01000US%7C04000US34%7C05000US34011%7C06000US3401133120&_street=&_county=raritan&_cityTown=raritan&_state=04000US34&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&ActiveGeoDiv=geoSelect&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=010&_submenuId=population_0&ds_name=null&_ci_nbr=null&qr_name=null&reg=null%3Anull&_keyword=&_industry= Census data for Raritan borough] , United States Census Bureau. Accessed August 3, 2007.]
footnote=Population 1930 - 1990. [ [http://www.wnjpin.net/OneStopCareerCenter/LaborMarketInformation/lmi01/poptrd6.htm New Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990] , Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network. Accessed March 1, 2007.] As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 6,338 people, 2,556 households, and 1,671 families residing in the borough. The population density was 3,113.8 people per square mile (1,199.6/km²). There were 2,644 housing units at an average density of 1,299.0/sq mi (500.4/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 87.74% White, 0.93% African American, 0.08% Native American, 8.17% Asian, 0.16% Pacific Islander, 1.64% from other races, and 1.28% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.41% of the population.

There were 2,556 households out of which 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.0% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.6% were non-families. 29.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the borough the population was spread out with 22.3% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 35.0% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 92.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.1 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $51,122, and the median income for a family was $59,962. Males had a median income of $46,071 versus $35,704 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $26,420. About 5.5% of families and 6.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.0% of those under age 18 and 12.8% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

Raritan is governed under the Borough form of New Jersey municipal government. The government consists of a Mayor and a Borough Council comprising six council members, with all positions elected at large. A Mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The Borough Council consists of six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year. ["2005 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book", Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, April 2005, p. 77.]

The Mayor of the Borough of Raritan is Jo-Ann Liptak (term expires December 31, 2011). Members of the Raritan Borough Council are Joseph K. Licht, Council President (2009), Victor J. Laggini, Jr., Councilman (2008), Denise Carra (2008), Pasquale Marago (2009), John Lamaestra (2010), and Maureen C. Wilson (2010). [ [http://www.raritanboro.org/index_files/officials.htm Elected Officials] , Borough of Raritan. Accessed May 20, 2008.]

Federal, state and county representation

Raritan is in the Eleventh Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 16th Legislative District. [ [http://www.lwvnj.org/pubs/CG06.pdf 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government] , New Jersey League of Women Voters, p. 63. Accessed August 30, 2006.]

Education

Students from Raritan attend the Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District, together with students from Bridgewater Township. Approximately 1,000 students of the 8,800 students in the district are from Raritan. All of the school facilities — including Bridgewater-Raritan High School — are in Bridgewater, except for John F. Kennedy School, which is in Raritan.

Schools in the district (with 2005-06 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics [ [http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_list.asp?Search=1&DistrictID=3402280 Data for the Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District] , National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 9, 2008.] ) are: Primary Schools (grades K through 4):
* [http://www.brrsd.k12.nj.us/Adamsville.cfm Adamsville School] (396 students)
* [http://www.brrsd.k12.nj.us/BradleyGardens.cfm Bradley Gardens School] (302)
* [http://www.brrsd.k12.nj.us/Crim.cfm Crim School] (425)
* [http://www.brrsd.k12.nj.us/Hamilton.cfm Hamilton School] (366)
* [http://www.brrsd.k12.nj.us/JFK.cfm John F. Kennedy School] (417)
* [http://www.brrsd.k12.nj.us/Milltown.cfm Milltown School] (452)
* [http://www.brrsd.k12.nj.us/VanHolten.cfm Van Holten School] (415)Intermediate Schools (grades 5-6):
* [http://www.brrsd.k12.nj.us/Eisenhower.cfm Eisenhower Intermediate School] (790)
* [http://www.brrsd.k12.nj.us/Hillside.cfm Hillside Intermediate School] (655)Middle School (grades 7-8)
* [http://www.brrsd.k12.nj.us/MiddleSchool.cfm Bridgewater-Raritan Middle School] (2,174 students)High School (grades 9-12)
*Bridgewater-Raritan High School (2,614 students)

Transportation

The Raritan train station offers New Jersey Transit service on the Raritan Valley Line. The station is north of the town center on Thompson Street. The station building is south of the tracks in the main parking lot and was built in the early 1890s. There are also three other small lots for this station. Raritan is the last station to the west that is serviced by all Raritan Valley Line trains.

Notable residents

Notable current and former residents of Raritan include:
*John Basilone (1916–1945), awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions at the Battle of Guadalcanal. [Hochron, Adam. [http://www.nj.com/news/reporter/index.ssf?/news/reporter/stories/veterans/parade.html "Brother returns first time to Raritan's Basilone Parade"] , "The Reporter", September 9, 2004. Accessed September 8, 2007. " Basilone, born in 1916, grew up in Raritan until joining the Army in 1934. After serving for three years in the Philippines, he returned home for a few years before enlisting in the Marine Corps."]
*Ben Carnevale (1915-2008), basketball coach inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1970. [Frezza Jr., Harry. [http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_action=doc&p_docid=0FA2BC26006C27FA&p_docnum=8&p_queryname=NaN&p_product=NewsBank&p_theme=aggregated4&p_nbid=K45J4ASBMTE4NTg0NzQ0OS4yODY4NjU6MTo3OnJhLTE4ODg "Raritan man attends Final Four for 57th time"] , "Courier News", April 1, 2001. Accessed August 2, 2007. "Ben Carnevale, who turns 86 on Oct. 30, has had the kind of life some people might call legendary. In fact, when you look at his life, which began in a house just off the last trolley stop on Gaston Avenue in Raritan Borough, you might agree. The 1934 Somerville High School graduate is a member of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. He is also the winningest coach in United States Naval Academy history, a survivor of a ship that was torpedoed during World War II, and somebody who had a lot to do with building the NCAA basketball tournament."]

References

External links

* [http://www.raritanboro.org/ Raritan Borough official web site]
* [http://www.brrsd.k12.nj.us/ Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District]
*NJReportCard|35|0555|0|Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District
* [http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_list.asp?Search=1&DistrictID=3402280 Data for the Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District] , National Center for Education Statistics