Location of Upper Township in Cape May County highlighted in red (left). Inset map: Location of Cape May County in New Jersey highlighted in red (right).
New Jersey Monthly magazine ranked Upper Township as its 2nd best place to live in its 2008 rankings of the "Best Places To Live" in New Jersey.[22]
Upper Township is home to the only yellow fire trucks in Cape May County, a tradition started in 1985 when the Seaville Fire Rescue Company was purchasing a new vehicle and thought that federal regulations would require the color.[23] Since being formed in 1964 and purchasing its first fire truck a year later, the Seaville company has served the area, responding to over 200 calls a year from its fire station is located on Route 50 across from Dino's Seaville Diner.[24]
During 2008, Upper Township was considering consolidation with neighboring Corbin City. Corbin City already shares extensively with Upper Township for municipal service, but the question of consolidating municipalities across county borders presented an obstacle to a full merger.[28]
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 68.68 square miles (177.89 km2), including 62.03 square miles (160.65 km2) of land and 6.66 square miles (17.24 km2) of water (9.69%).[1][2]
Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Beesley's Point, Blackmans Island, Cedar Springs, Corsons Inlet, Formosa, Greenfield, Marmora, Marshallville, Middletown, Miramar, Palermo, Petersburg, Seaville, Steelmantown, Tuckahoe, West Ocean City and Whale Beach.[31] The township contains many different communities and enclaves that create a diverse area reaching from Great Egg Harbor to the Atlantic Ocean. Seaville is the largest community and Strathmere is the township's island containing a beach community.
Of the 4,566 households, 32.6% had children under the age of 18; 62.2% were married couples living together; 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present and 24.2% were non-families. Of all households, 20.1% 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 2.71 and the average family size was 3.14.[19]
23.8% of the population were under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 20.2% from 25 to 44, 34.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.6 years. For every 100 females, the population had 94.4 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 92.1 males.[19]
The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $81,250 (with a margin of error of +/− $8,629) and the median family income was $97,372 (+/− $6,832). Males had a median income of $63,597 (+/− $2,442) versus $46,250 (+/− $4,552) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $38,702 (+/− $2,243). About 2.5% of families and 4.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.9% of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those age 65 or over.[47]
2000 census
As of the 2000 United States census[15] there were 12,115 people, 4,266 households, and 3,365 families residing in the township. The population density was 191.8 inhabitants per square mile (74.1/km2). There were 5,472 housing units at an average density of 86.6 per square mile (33.4/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 97.59% White, 0.69% African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.61% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.19% from other races, and 0.74% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.28% of the population.[45][46]
There were 4,266 households, out of which 39.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.7% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.1% were non-families. 17.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.84 and the average family size was 3.23.[45][46]
In the township the population was spread out, with 28.6% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 25.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% 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 89.4 males.[45][46]
The median income for a household in the township was $60,942, and the median income for a family was $68,824. Males had a median income of $46,528 versus $31,325 for females. The per capita income for the township was $27,498. About 2.4% of families and 3.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.1% of those under age 18 and 3.8% of those age 65 or over.[45][46]
Parks and recreation
With its beaches in the Strathmere section, Upper Township is one of five municipalities in the state that offer free public access to oceanfront beaches monitored by lifeguards, joining Atlantic City, North Wildwood, Wildwood and Wildwood Crest.[48]
Government
Local government
Upper Township is governed under the Township 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.[49] The Township Committee is comprised of five members, who are elected directly by the voters at-large 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.[7][50] At an annual reorganization meeting, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor.
As of 2023[update], members of the Upper Township Committee are Mayor John C. "Jay" Newman (R, term on committee ends December 31, 2024; term as mayor ends 2023), Deputy Mayor Kimberly R. Hayes (R, term on committee ends 2024; term as deputy mayor ends 2023), Curtis T. Corson Jr. (R, 2023), Victor W. Nappen II (R, 2025) and Mark E. Pancoast (R, 2025).[3][51][52][53][54][55]
After Hobie Young resigned from office from a seat expiring in December 2022, Kim Hayes was appointed to fill the vacancy. In the November 2021 general election, Hayes ran for a full three-year term, while Mark Pancoast ran for the balance of Young's term of office, with both winning their election bids.[56][54]
Federal, state and county representation
Upper Township is located in the 2nd Congressional District[57] and is part of New Jersey's 1st state legislative district.[58][59][60]
Cape May County is governed by a five-person Board of County Commissioners whose members are elected at-large on a partisan basis to three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats coming up for election each year; At an annual reorganization held each January, the commissioners select one member to serve as director and another to serve as vice-director.[65] As of 2025[update], Cape May County's Commissioners are
Director Leonard C. Desiderio (R, Sea Isle City, 2027),[66]
Robert Barr (R, Ocean City; 2025),[67]
Will Morey (R, Wildwood Crest; 2026),[68]
Melanie Collette (R. Middle Township; 2026),[69] and
Vice-Director Andrew Bulakowski (R, Lower Township; 2025).[70][65][71]
The county's constitutional officers are Clerk Rita Marie Rothberg (R, 2025, Ocean City),[72][73]
Sheriff Robert Nolan (R, 2026, Lower Township)[74][75] and
Surrogate E. Marie Hayes (R, 2028, Ocean City).[76][77][78][71]
Politics
As of March 2011, there were a total of 9,154 registered voters in Upper Township, of which 1,403 (15.3%) were registered as Democrats, 4,454 (48.7%) were registered as Republicans and 3,287 (35.9%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 10 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens.[79]
In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 58.2% of the vote (4,027 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 40.5% (2,807 votes), and other candidates with 1.3% (89 votes), among the 6,998 ballots cast by the township's 9,487 registered voters (75 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 73.8%.[80][81] In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 57.2% of the vote (4,165 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama, who received 40.9% (2,980 votes), with 7,286 ballots cast among the township's 9,053 registered voters, for a turnout of 80.5%.[82] In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 61.1% of the vote (4,391 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat John Kerry, who received around 37.6% (2,701 votes), with 7,192 ballots cast among the township's 8,988 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 80.0.[83]
In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 70.2% of the vote (3,396 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 28.2% (1,364 votes), and other candidates with 1.6% (77 votes), among the 4,974 ballots cast by the township's 9,433 registered voters (137 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 52.7%.[90][91] In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 57.8% of the vote (2,865 ballots cast), ahead of both Democrat Jon Corzine with 33.4% (1,655 votes) and Independent Chris Daggett with 6.3% (312 votes), with 4,954 ballots cast among the township's 9,341 registered voters, yielding a 53.0% turnout.[92]
Education
Upper Township Branch of the Cape May County Library, in Petersburg
Cape May County Library operates the Upper Township Branch in Petersburg.[112]
Police Department
Upper Township does not maintain its own municipal police department. The township is served by the New Jersey State Police who respond from their barracks in neighboring Woodbine.[citation needed]
As of May 2010[update], the township had a total of 140.23 miles (225.68 km) of roadways, of which 74.84 miles (120.44 km) were maintained by the municipality, 36.95 miles (59.47 km) by Cape May County and 19.37 miles (31.17 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and 9.07 miles (14.60 km) by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.[113]
^Staff. "12 Months Later / Corbin City, Upper Township await word on merger study", The Press of Atlantic City, July 20, 2009. Accessed October 17, 2012. "In July 2008, Mayor Carol Foster went to Trenton to apply for a grant to study the possibility of eliminating her municipality.Corbin City and Upper Township officials had proposed a merger plan four months earlier, as state legislators slashed municipal aid and offered incentives for towns to conduct shared-services studies.... Corbin City, which is part of Atlantic County, already shares its library, schools, fire company, emergency medical services and municipal court with Upper Township, which is in Cape May County."
^Raum, John O. The History of New Jersey: From Its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time, Volume 1, p. 262, J. E. Potter and company, 1877. Accessed September 28, 2013. "Upper township was incorporated in 1798, and contained in 1850 1,341 inhabitants; in 1860, 1,552; and in 1870, 1,433." Population for 1870 of 1,433 conflicts with other sources.
^Spoto, MaryAnn. "Surfers fighting to save dwindling free beaches", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, May 20, 2015. Accessed October 30, 2015. "New Jersey has five free guarded ocean beaches – Atlantic City, Wildwood, North Wildwood, Wildwood Crest and the Strathmere section of Upper Township."
^Barlow, Bil. "Ocean City police sergeant to run for election to Township Committee", Ocean City Sentinel, March 17, 2021. Accessed July 26, 2022. "Mark Pancoast is running for Upper Township Committee this year, according to township Republican leader Larry Trulli. The sergeant with the Ocean City Police Department is the Republican organization’s pick to round out the three-person ticket. Pancoast has the party’s backing for the nomination for a one-year term open this year, which was formerly filled by Hobie Young. After Young’s high-profile resignation last year, committee appointed Kim Hayes to fill the seat until the next election."
^ abBoard of County Commissioners, Cape May County, New Jersey. Accessed April 28, 2022. "Cape May County Government is governed by a Board of County Commissioners. These individuals are elected at large by the citizens of Cape May County and hold spaced 3-year terms." Note that as of date accessed, Desiderio is listed with an incorrect term-end year of 2020.
^Upper Township Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Upper Township School District. Accessed January 4, 2023. "Purpose: The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades Pre-Kindergarten through eight in the Upper Township School District. Composition: The Upper Township School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Upper Township."
^"Upper Township school board members frustrated OCHS not accepting School Choice students", The Gazette of Upper Township, March 18, 2015. Accessed January 10, 2017. "Upper Township pays around $10 million in tuition for more than 600 students to attend Ocean City High School. Upper Township students make up around 60 percent of the student body, Palmieri said."
^Frequently Asked Questions, Cape May County Technical High School. Accessed February 28, 2023. "Who can attend Cape May County Technical High School? All residents of Cape May County are eligible to attend Cape May County Technical High School. Our Adult and Continuing Education programs allow anyone to attend no matter where they may live. We have arrangements with Atlantic and Cumberland Counties for special circumstances that allow students to attend our Technical High School as well."
^Hartzell, Scott Taylor. ed. St. Petersburg: An Oral History, p. 68. Arcadia Publishing, 2002. ISBN9780738514253. Accessed September 12, 2016. "George Sheppard Gandy was born in Tuckahoe, New Jersey, in 1851, the son of a shipmaster who owned numerous clipper sailing vessels."
^Houdart, Michael. "Focus on History: Garet Garrett, the forgotten genius of Upper Township", The Gazette of Upper Township, December 17, 2015. Accessed September 12, 2016. "When Garrett came to Upper Township in 1924, he chose to live on the banks of the Tuckahoe River in Marshallville. He lived in a three-story brick colonial house, part of the Stille Homestead that was supposedly built by slaves."
^McKenna, Brian. Dummy Stephenson, Society for American Baseball Research. Accessed August 12, 2016. "Reuben Crandol Stephenson was born on September 22, 1869, in Upper Township, a large town in Cape May County, New Jersey. During the first half of the nineteenth century the towns of Dennis and Ocean, now known as Ocean City, were separated from Upper because it was so vast. Stephenson is often cited as hailing from Petersburg, but that is merely a post office designation, not typically used as a biographical reference in baseball encyclopedias."
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