Blairstown Township, New Jersey

Blairstown Township is a Township in Warren County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 5,747. The township is located in the far eastern region of the Lehigh Valley.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 82.3 km² (31.8 mi²). 80.3 km² (31.0 mi²) of it is land and 1.9 km² (0.8 mi²) of it (2.36%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there were 5,747 people, 2,040 households, and 1,638 families residing in the township. The population density was 71.5/km² (185.3/mi²). There were 2,136 housing units at an average density of 26.6/km² (68.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the township was 98.17% White, 0.26% African American, 0.14% Native American, 0.56% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.28% from other races, and 0.57% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.98% of the population.

There were 2,040 households out of which 35.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.6% were married couples living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.7% were non-families. 15.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the township the population was spread out with 25.6% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 29.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 99.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.2 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $64,809, and the median income for a family was $71,214. Males had a median income of $51,931 versus $33,646 for females. The per capita income for the township was $27,775. About 3.0% of families and 4.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.4% of those under age 18 and 3.4% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

Blairstown has a traditional Township form of government, comprised of a five-member committee. Committee members serve staggered three-year terms. Each year, the Committee members select one of their fellow members to serve as Mayor and one to serve as Deputy MayorTownship of Blairstown, accessed September 20, 2006.

The Blairstown Township Committee consists of Mayor Stephen Lance (R, term ends 2008), Deputy Mayor Sal Lascari (R., 2008), Richard Mach (R., 2007), Frank Anderson (R., 2009), and Bill Seal (R., 2009).Blairstown Township Committee: Our Elected Officials, accessed September 20, 2006

Federal, state and county representation

Blairstown Township is in the Fifth Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 23rd Legislative District.League of Women Voters: 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, p. 55, accessed August 30, 2006

Education

Children in grades K through 6 attend the Blairstown Elementary School, which serves 750 students. Students from Hardwick Township, a non-operating school district, attend Blairstown Elementary School as part of a sending/receiving relationship.

Students in grades 7 through 12 attend the North Warren Regional High School (1,044 students) in Blairstown, a public secondary high school, serving students from the townships of Blairstown, Frelinghuysen, Hardwick, and Knowlton.

Children also have the choice of going to the Blair Academy, a private school, for grades 9-12.

Notable residents

John I. Blair, [1802-1899], entrepreneur, railroad magnate, and Blairstown's most famous citizen. Gravel Hill was renamed Blairstown after Blair in 1839.
Bennett Bean, Studio potter.
Cathy Bao Bean, writer, The Chopsticks-Fork Principle: A Memoir and Manual