| West Cape May, New Jersey |
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West Cape May is a Walsh Act Borough located in Cape May County , New Jersey . As of the United States 2000 Census , the borough had a total population of 1,095. West Cape May, formerly known as Eldredge, is one of the four jurisdictions that comprise Cape Island in Cape May County and was incorporated as a Borough in late 1884. The Borough’s history goes back to the time of the Lenape Native Americans and several buildings date to the Colonial period. The area has a rich agricultural history which continues to be celebrated each year with a summer farmers’ market, and strawberry, tomato and lima bean festivals. It was once known as the “Lima Bean Capital East of the Rockies.” The Borough has reported ties to the Underground Railroad . From 1881 to 1931, the Hastings Goldbeating Company was located in the Borough employing women to pound one-inch strips of gold into gossamer-thin sheets used for decorative arts. Women still did the “booking” of gold leaf sheets until 1961. A plaque indicating the location of the factory can be found on Goldbeaten Alley. It was this business along with real estate speculation and subdivision of the land that led to the Borough’s incorporation in 1884. The historic core of the Borough was placed on the National Register Of Historic Places along with sections of the City Of Cape May in 1976. GEOGRAPHY West Cape May is located at 38°56'19" North, 74°55'58" West (38.938621, -74.932708). According to the United States Census Bureau , the borough has a total area of 3.1 Km&2 (1.2 Mi&2 ). 3.1 km&2 (1.2 mi&2) of it is land and none of it is covered by water. West Cape May borders Lower Township and Cape May City DEMOGRAPHICS As of the Census of 2000, there were 1,095 people, 507 households, and 302 families residing in the borough. The Population Density was 355.3/km&2 (923.5/mi&2). There were 1,004 housing units at an average density of 325.8/km&2 (846.8/mi&2). The racial makeup of the borough was 84.11% White , 14.52% African American , 0.37% Native American , 0.00% Asian , 0.00% Pacific Islander , 0.55% from Other Races , and 0.46% from two or more races. 1.83% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 507 households out of which 21.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.2% were Married Couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.4% were non-families. 35.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.80. In the borough the population was spread out with 19.6% under the age of 18, 3.6% from 18 to 24, 23.7% from 25 to 44, 28.7% from 45 to 64, and 24.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females there were 92.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.4 males. The median income for a household in the borough was $37,500, and the median income for a family was $47,031. Males had a median income of $36,375 versus $29,583 for females. The Per Capita Income for the borough was $25,663. 7.4% of the population and 4.7% of families were below the Poverty Line . 6.3% of those under the age of 18 and 8.9% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line. GOVERNMENT Local government The Borough of West Cape May operates under the Walsh Act Commission form of government. The Board of Commissioners consists of three members, who are elected at-large in non-partisan elections and serve four-year, concurrent terms. Once the Commissioners take office, they divide up responsibility for the municipal departments. Each Commissioner becomes a Department Director and holds all the executive, administrative, judicial and legislative powers. There is no single chief executive. In West Cape May, the Departments are currently distributed as follows:
Federal, state and county representation West Cape May is in the Second Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 1st Legislative District. EDUCATION The West Cape May Elementary School serves 193 students in Prekindergarten through sixth grade. For grades 7 - 12, students attend the schools of the (grades 9-12) {Link without Title} . EXTERNAL LINKS |
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