Location of Warren Township in Somerset County highlighted in yellow (right). Inset map: Location of Somerset County in New Jersey highlighted in black (left).
The township has been one of the state's highest-income communities. Based on data from the American Community Survey for 2013–2017, Warren Township residents had a median household income of $154,647, ranked 12th in the state among municipalities with more than 10,000 residents, more than double the statewide median of $76,475.[21]
In 2012, Forbes.com listed Warren as 334th in its listing of "America's Most Expensive ZIP Codes", with a median home price of $842,750.[22]
History
Warren was originally inhabited by the Lenape Native Americans and was colonized in the 1720s by European farmers. As early as 1900, it became a destination for wealthy residents looking to escape nearby New York City.[23] Warren was incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 5, 1806, from portions of Bernards Township and Bridgewater Township. The south-eastern half of the original township (which was close to a railroad and contained most of the population) was separated off as North Plainfield Township (since renamed to Green Brook Township) on April 2, 1872.[24]
On January 15, 2021, Kings Food Market announced they would close their Warren location on Mountain Boulevard.[27] The store closed on January 23, 2021.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 19.64 square miles (50.86 km2), including 19.57 square miles (50.68 km2) of land and 0.07 square miles (0.18 km2) of water (0.36%).[1][2]
Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Coontown, Dock Watch Hollow, Gallia, Mount Bethel, Round Top, Smalleytown, Springdale, Union Village,[28] and Warrenville.[29][30]
The east–west Second Watchung Mountain ridge bisects Warren, with the northern half of the township sloping northward to the Passaic River and Dead River, and the southern half spanning the Washington Valley, between the First and Second Watchung Mountain ridges, through which runs the East Branch of the Middle Brook.
Warren Township, Somerset County, New Jersey – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Of the 5,059 households, 42.7% had children under the age of 18; 75.8% were married couples living together; 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present and 15.3% were non-families. Of all households, 12.7% were made up of individuals and 6.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.01 and the average family size was 3.30.[18]
27.8% of the population were under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 18.5% from 25 to 44, 34.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.8 years. For every 100 females, the population had 95.5 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 94.1 males.[18]
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $135,143 (with a margin of error of +/− $23,156) and the median family income was $162,083 (+/− $17,221). Males had a median income of $115,875 (+/− $15,861) versus $68,450 (+/− $13,300) for females. The per capita income for the township was $71,469 (+/− $6,664). About 0.8% of families and 0.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.8% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.[48]
2000 census
As of the 2000 United States census[15] there were 14,259 people, 4,629 households, and 3,939 families residing in the township. The population density was 725.0 inhabitants per square mile (279.9/km2). There were 4,718 housing units at an average density of 239.9 per square mile (92.6/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 86.28% White, 1.26% African American, 0.04% Native American, 10.67% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.41% from other races, and 1.28% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.19% of the population.[43][44]
There were 4,629 households, out of which 45.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 78.3% were married couples living together, 4.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 14.9% were non-families. 12.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.05 and the average family size was 3.33.[43][44]
In the township the population was spread out, with 29.7% under the age of 18, 4.6% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 27.0% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.6 males.[43][44]
The median income for a household in the township was $103,677, and the median income for a family was $121,264. Males had a median income of $80,231 versus $46,356 for females. The per capita income for the township was $49,475. About 0.7% of families and 2.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.4% of those under age 18 and 1.5% of those age 65 or over.[43][44]
Economy
The insurance company Chubb is based in Warren.[49]
Wagner Farm Arboretum, which consists of 92.6 acres (37.5 ha) was the former Wagner Dairy Farm acquired by the township in 2001.[51]
Government
Local government
Warren 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.[52] 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][53] At an annual reorganization meeting held in the first week of January, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor. Township Committee meetings are held at the municipal building on Thursdays.[3]
As of 2022[update], Township Committee members are Mayor Victor J. Sordillo (R, term on committee ends December 31, 2024; term as mayor ends 2022), Deputy Mayor Gary P. DiNardo (R, term on committee ends 2024; term as deputy mayor ends 2022), George K. Lazo (R, 2023), Jolanta Maziarz (R, 2022) and Michael C. "Mick" Marion (R, 2023).[3][54][55][56][57][58]
Former Township Committee member Frank Salvato, re-elected in 2008, served until his death in 2011 at the age of 98, having been first elected to the Committee in the 1938 and served as mayor in 1939, the township's youngest.[59]
In 1975, the Township Committee created the position of Township Administrator, to serve a one-year term beginning in July of each year. The Township Administrator is Mark M. Krane, who has served in that post since 1986.[5]
The Historical Sites Committee was formed in 1971 and members are appointed by the governing body to administer municipally owned historic landmarks. The historical landmarks they have protected are the Mount Bethel Baptist Meetinghouse, the Kirch–Ford House, and two small family cemeteries. The Meetinghouse and the Kirch–Ford House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Federal, state and county representation
Warren Township is located in the 7th Congressional District[60] and is part of New Jersey's 21st state legislative district.[61][62][63]
Somerset County is governed by a five-member Board of County Commissioners, whose members are elected at-large to three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with one or two seats coming up for election each year. At an annual reorganization meeting held on the first Friday of January, the board selects a Director and deputy director from among its members.[68] As of 2025[update], Somerset County's County Commissioners are:
Constitutional officers, elected on a countywide basis are:
Clerk Steve Peter (D, Somerville, 2027),[78][79]
Sheriff Darrin Russo (D, Franklin Township, 2025)[80][81] and
Surrogate Bernice "Tina" Jalloh (D, Franklin Township, 2025)[82][83][76]
Politics
As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 10,466 registered voters in Warren Township, of which 1,875 (17.9% vs. 26.0% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 3,484 (33.3% vs. 25.7%) were registered as Republicans and 5,102 (48.7% vs. 48.2%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 5 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens.[84] Among the township's 2010 Census population, 68.4% (vs. 60.4% in Somerset County) were registered to vote, including 94.7% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 80.4% countywide).[84][85]
In the 2016 presidential election, Republican Donald Trump received 53.1% of the vote (4,483 cast), ahead of Democrat Hillary Clinton with 43.3% (3,656 votes), and other candidates received 3.6% (305 votes). A total of 8,444 ballots were cast. In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 63.0% of the vote (4,605 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 36.1% (2,636 votes), and other candidates with 1.0% (70 votes), among the 7,351 ballots cast by the township's 11,286 registered voters (40 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 65.1%.[86][87] In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 4,813 votes (58.5% vs. 46.1% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 3,259 votes (39.6% vs. 52.1%) and other candidates with 88 votes (1.1% vs. 1.1%), among the 8,222 ballots cast by the township's 10,367 registered voters, for a turnout of 79.3% (vs. 78.7% in Somerset County).[88] In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 4,761 votes (60.5% vs. 51.5% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 2,988 votes (38.0% vs. 47.2%) and other candidates with 65 votes (0.8% vs. 0.9%), among the 7,866 ballots cast by the township's 9,375 registered voters, for a turnout of 83.9% (vs. 81.7% in the whole county).[89]
In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 77.8% of the vote (3,421 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 20.5% (899 votes), and other candidates with 1.7% (75 votes), among the 4,444 ballots cast by the township's 11,430 registered voters (49 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 38.9%.[90][91] In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 3,782 votes (67.2% vs. 55.8% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 1,355 votes (24.1% vs. 34.1%), Independent Chris Daggett with 433 votes (7.7% vs. 8.7%) and other candidates with 30 votes (0.5% vs. 0.7%), among the 5,632 ballots cast by the township's 10,420 registered voters, yielding a 54.0% turnout (vs. 52.5% in the county).[92]
The Warren Township Schools serve public school students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade.[93] As of the 2020–21 school year, the district, comprised of five schools, had an enrollment of 1,525 students and 188.3 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 8.1:1.[94] Schools in the district (with 2020–21 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics.[95]) are
Central School[96] with 293 students in grades K-5,
Mt. Horeb School[97] with 202 students in grades PreK-5,
Angelo L. Tomaso School[98] with 248 students in grades K-5,
Woodland School[99] with 229 students in grades K-5 and
Warren Middle School[100] with 544 students in grades 6-8.[101][102][103][104]
As of May 2010[update], the township had a total of 126.65 miles (203.82 km) of roadways, of which 101.34 miles (163.09 km) were maintained by the municipality, 18.64 miles (30.00 km) by Somerset County and 6.67 miles (10.73 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.[110]
Interstate 78 is the most prominent highway serving Warren Township, running east-west for 6.7 miles (10.8 km) across the northern portion of the township.[111] Other significant roads which pass through the township include County Route 525, County Route 527 and County Route 531.
^ abcTownship Committee, Warren Township. Accessed July 17, 2022. "Warren Township is governed by a 5 member Township Committee, which is elected by the voters for staggered 3-year terms. The Township Committee is a collective executive and legislative body. A Mayor, Chairman of the Township Committee, is elected annually by the members of the Committee."
^Raychaudhuri, Disha. "The wealthiest towns in N.J., ranked", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, June 7, 2019. Accessed November 4, 2019. "The median household income in N.J. is $76,475, recent Census data shows.... A note about the data: The data comes from 2013-2017 American Community Survey conducted by U.S. Census Bureau. Smaller towns with less than 10,000 residents were excluded from the list.... 12. Warren, Somerset County Median income: $154,647"
^Raum, John O. The History of New Jersey: From Its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time, Volume 1, p. 260, J. E. Potter and company, 1877. Accessed February 14, 2013. "Warren township was formed in 1806, from Bedminster and Bernards. Its population in 1850 was 2,148; in 1860, 2,388; and in 1870, 2,705. In 1778–'9, a part of Washington's army encamped here in a fertile valley known as Washington's valley."
^History, Wagner Farm Arboretum. Accessed February 14, 2013. "On May 31, 2001, Warren Township purchased the Wagner Farm property for the purpose of preserving it as open space."
^Staff. "Remembering Frank Salvato", Echoes-Sentinel, October 14, 2011. Accessed April 5, 2012. "He would have completed his 10th consecutive three-year term on the Township Committee in December. Prior to that, he had been elected to nine consecutive three-year terms as one of Warren Township's representatives on the Watchung Hills Regional High School Board of Education. Oh, and before that he had been elected to another four terms on the Township Committee. During all that time, he served five times as mayor, seven times as high school board of education president and another seven times as board vice president."
^Warren Township Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Warren Township Schools. Accessed July 17, 2022. "Purpose: The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades Preschool through eight in the Warren Township School District. Composition: The Warren Township School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Warren."
^Board of Education, Watchung Hills Regional High School District. Accessed February 10, 2020.
^Annual Comprehensive Financial Report of the Watchung Hills Regional School District, New Jersey Department of Education, for year ending June 30, 2018 Accessed February 10, 2020. "The Watchung Hills Regional High School District (the 'Board' or the 'District') is an instrumentality of the State of New Jersey, established to function as an education institution. The Board consists of nine elected officials from Warren Township, Long Hill Township and the Borough of Watchung and one appointed representative from Green Brook Board of Education."
^"Local Watchung Hills alum need votes to win 'Oscar' contest", Echoes-Sentinel, January 22, 2011. Accessed August 16, 2021. "Scott Braun and Alexandra Cotoulas, both of Warren Township and 2007 graduates of Watchung Hills Regional High School, are looking for votes to be chosen the MTV’s Red Carpet Correspondent Team at the Oscars."
^Pelter, Lorraine. "Warren Youth Wins Speedway Honor", Echoes-Sentinel, June 15, 1972. Accessed February 13, 2024, via Newspapers.com. "Warren - Ken Brenn Jr. of Mountainview Rd. has only been racing stock cars for two months, yet he was named last week as Remington Speedway's 1972 Rookie of the Year.... The 20 year-old-graduate of Watchung Hills Regional High School inherited his racing enthusiasm from his father, Kenneth Brenn Sr., who has been maintaining racing cars over the past 17 years."
^Coelho, Frank. "Warren Township OKs design concept for 9-11 Memorial", Independent Press, August 19, 2010. Accessed October 21, 2015. "Heading the effort to collect donations will be ex-New Jersey Governor and current township resident, Donald DiFrancesco."
^Nemcek, Jake. "Warren’s Edelman Named to U.S. U16 Men's National Team, Next Match Monday", TAP into North Plainfield - Green Brook - Watchung, November 17, 2019. Accessed July 20, 2020. "Warren Township’s Daniel Edelman, 16, was selected to the U.S. U-16 Boys’ National Team and is playing in the 19th annual Nike International Friendlies at the Premier Sports Campus in Lakewood Ranch, FL."
^Mike Ferguson, The Washington Post. Accessed April 14, 2011. "Ferguson and his wife, Maureen, have two young children and reside in Warren Township in Somerset County."
^Staff. "More than 1,000 hear four governors praise Bob Franks, mentor and friend, at cathedral", Echoes-Sentinel, April 23, 2010. Accessed October 21, 2015. "Former U.S. Rep. Bob Franks of Warren Township, who had died eight days earlier of cancer at the age of 58, was remembered on Saturday, April 17, at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Newark, in a 75-minute memorial attended by more than 1,000 people."
^ abcCoelho, Frank. "Warren once had its very own soprano", Independent Press, March 17, 2010. Accessed October 21, 2015. "Her name was Emma Fursch-Madi. She lived, sang and performed during the mid-nineteenth century, and died on Sept. 21, 1894 at her summer home, right here in Warren. According to various sources, over the years Warren Township has had its share of residents who are counted among the giants of the world of music. At some point in time or another, we could and still may today, count Ravi Shankar (the master Indian sitar player and composer) and Gloria Gaynor (the singer of 'I will Survive' fame) as two of our neighbors."
^Biography, Andrew Horowitz. Accessed May 22, 2023. "Horowitz is a native of Warren, New Jersey. He began piano studies at the age of five and was composing by eight."
^Kelly, Denis J. "World-class singer charms audience, wins two encores at benefit for Warren Public Schools", Echoes-Sentinel, March 6, 2009. Accessed October 21, 2015. "Acclaimed Metropolitan opera star James Morris, who lives in Warren Township, charmed an audience of more than 250 on Saturday, Feb. 28, at the performing arts center at Watchung Hills Regional High School."
^Staff. "Area residents win honors, awarded college degrees", New Jersey Hills, July 10, 2003. Accessed December 7, 2017. "Amber Skye Noyes of Warren, a sophomore at Wyoming Seminary College Preparatory School in Kingston, Pa., has been named to the Dean's List High Honors for the spring academic term, announced H. Jeremy Packard, school president."
^DiCorcia, Bob. "David Palmer: Q & A", The Steely Dan Reader, January 1, 1997. Accessed October 14, 2015. "Bob DiCorcia: Where were you born and raised? David Palmer: Born and raised in Warren township, Watchung, New Jersey which, despite being 45 minutes-an hour outside of Manhattan, was rural territory back then."
^ abcNemcek, Brenda A. "Raising Olympians: Warren's Three Reed Siblings Competing In Sochi Olympics", TAP into Warren, February 6, 2014. Accessed November 30, 2017. "Cathy Reed (born June 5, 1987) and Chris Reed (born July 7, 1989) are the 5-time Japanese national champions (2008 - 2011, 2013). Younger sister Allison Reed (born June 8, 1994) attended Warren Middle School and Watchung Hills Regional High School.... All three of the siblings are from Warren Township and now train in Hackensack."
^Spivey, Mark. "Watchung Hills graduate shares Nobel Prize in physics"Archived May 23, 2016, at the Portuguese Web Archive, Daily Record, October 4, 2011. Accessed October 5, 2011. "Riess, who grew up in Warren, gave a shout-out to retired teacher Jeff Charney, saying his interest in science first was piqued at Watchung Hills."
^"Warren Township", Courier News, March 13, 1941. Accessed May 13, 2024, via Newspapers.com."Mrs. John Fleming Hayes and her daughter, Nancy Jean Hayes of Union Village, were guests at a birthday dinner celebration held in the home or Mr. and Mrs. William Oswald French in Plainfield Wednesday evening."
^Caldwell, Dave. "Hockey; Wall Street Executive To Purchase Devils", The New York Times, March 3, 2004. Accessed October 21, 2015. "Vanderbeek said he had been a Devils season-ticket holder for about 15 years. Before he moved to Warren, N.J., Vanderbeek lived in South Orange, not far from the team training complex in West Orange."
^Parker-Magyar, Alex. "Warren says goodbye to historic King George Inn", Echoes-Sentinel, May 22, 2019. Accessed January 14, 2020. "Warren Twp. - It took just a few work days to tear down Warren’s oldest building. The King George Inn, which stood in one form or another at the heart of the historic Mount Bethel Village for more than 200 years, was demolished last week to make way for upscale condominiums."
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