Prospect Park is a

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English language, English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History ...

in Passaic County, in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 6,372, an increase of 507 (+8.6%) from the 2010 census count of 5,865, which in turn reflected an increase of 86 (+1.5%) from the 5,779 counted in the 2000 census. The borough of Prospect Park was formed by an act of the

New Jersey Legislature The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and ...

on March 13, 1901, from portions of the now-defunct Manchester Township.Snyder, John P
''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968''
Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 211. Accessed May 30, 2024. The borough was named for Prospect Park,

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

. It is a dry town, where alcohol cannot be sold, as affirmed by an ordinance passed in 1978.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the borough had a total area of 0.47 square miles (1.22 km²), including 0.47 square miles (1.20 km²) of land and 0.01 square miles (0.01 km²) of water (1.06%). The borough borders the Passaic County municipalities of

Haledon Haledon ( ) is a borough in Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 9,052, an increase of 734 (+8.8%) from the 2010 census count of 8,318, which in turn reflected an i ...

, Hawthorne,

North Haledon North Haledon (pronounced North HAIL-don) is a borough in Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 8,927, an increase of 510 (+6.1%) from the 2010 census count of 8,417 ...

and Paterson.

Demographics

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 5,865 people, 1,797 households, and 1,456 families in the borough. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was 12,347.2 per square mile (4,767.3/km²). There were 1,931 housing units at an average density of 4,065.2 per square mile (1,569.6/km²). The racial makeup was 51.07% (2,995)

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 19.86% (1,165) Black or African American, 1.50% (88) Native American, 3.21% (188) Asian, 0.10% (6)

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 18.21% (1,068) from other races, and 6.05% (355) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 52.09% (3,055) of the population. Of the 1,797 households, 43.6% had children under the age of 18; 47.6% were married couples living together; 26.4% had a female householder with no husband present and 19.0% were non-families. Of all households, 14.7% were made up of individuals and 4.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.26 and the average family size was 3.59. 28.4% of the population were under the age of 18, 10.9% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 8.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31.7 years. For every 100 females, the population had 90.6 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 86.7 males. The Census Bureau's 2006–2010

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...

showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars)

median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of und ...

was $63,194 (with a margin of error of +/− $9,308) and the median family income was $65,625 (+/− $6,456). Males had a median income of $43,109 (+/− $6,443) versus $30,142 (+/− $9,427) for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the borough was $20,993 (+/− $2,145). About 12.0% of families and 11.4% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 20.4% of those under age 18 and 20.0% of those age 65 or over.

Same-sex couples A same-sex relationship is a romantic or sexual relationship between people of the same sex. ''Same-sex marriage'' refers to the institutionalized recognition of such relationships in the form of a marriage; civil unions may exist in countries ...

headed 8 households in 2010, a decline from the 11 counted in 2000.

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census there were 5,779 people, 1,822 households, and 1,432 families residing in the borough. The population density was . There were 1,889 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the borough was 61.17%

, 13.65%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.42% Native American, 3.15% Asian, 0.07%

, 13.70% from other races, and 7.84% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 38.26% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Prospect Park borough, New Jersey

. Accessed August 29, 2012.DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Prospect Park borough, Passaic County, New Jersey
,

. Accessed August 29, 2012. There were 1,822 households, out of which 44.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.7% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 20.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.4% were non-families. 17.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.17 and the average family size was 3.56. In the borough the population was spread out, with 29.6% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 32.8% from 25 to 44, 18.5% from 45 to 64, and 8.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.7 males. The median income for a household in the borough was $46,434, and the median income for a family was $49,405. Males had a median income of $31,951 versus $26,569 for females. The

for the borough was $16,410. About 7.9% of families and 10.0% of the population were below the

, including 14.4% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over. As part of the 2000 Census, 1.7% of Prospect Park's residents identified themselves as being of

Albanian Albanian may refer to: *Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular: **Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans **Albanian language **Albanian culture **Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...

ancestry. This was the 11th-highest percentage of Albanian American people in any place in the United States with 1,000 or more residents identifying their ancestry. In the same census, 3.2% of Prospect Park's residents identified themselves as being of

Arab American Arab Americans ( or ) are Americans who trace ancestry to any of the various waves of immigrants from the Arabic-speaking countries. In the United States census, Arabs are racially classified as White Americans which is defined as "A person ha ...

ancestry. This was the sixth-highest percentage of Arab American people in any place in the United States with 1,000 or more residents identifying their ancestry.

Government

Local government

Prospect Park is governed under the

form of New Jersey municipal government, which is used in 218 municipalities (of the 564) statewide, making it the most common form of government in New Jersey. The governing body is comprised of the mayor and the borough council, with all positions elected

at-large At large (''before a noun'': at-large) is a description for members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent a whole membership or population (notably a city, county, state, province, nation, club or association), rather tha ...

on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. The mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The borough council includes six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle.''2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book'',

Rutgers University Rutgers University ( ), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of three campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's C ...

Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, March 2013, p. 151. The borough form of government used by Prospect Park is a " weak mayor / strong council" government in which council members act as the legislative body with the mayor presiding at meetings and voting only in the event of a tie. The mayor can

veto A veto is a legal power to unilaterally stop an official action. In the most typical case, a president (government title), president or monarch vetoes a bill (law), bill to stop it from becoming statutory law, law. In many countries, veto powe ...

ordinances subject to an override by a two-thirds majority vote of the council. The mayor makes committee and liaison assignments for council members, and most appointments are made by the mayor with the advice and consent of the council. , the

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

of Prospect Park is Democrat Mohamed Khairullah, whose term of office ends December 31, 2026. Khairullah was appointed to the office in 2005, after his predecessor Will Kubofcik vacated his seat to move out of the borough; he has since been elected to four full terms. Members of the Borough Council are Council President Mohammed A. Hussain (D, 2025), Robert Artis (D, 2023), Alaa Matari (D, 2024), Felicia Ortiz (D, 2023), Esther Perez (D, 2024) and Anand Shah (D, 2025).Meet the Mayor and Council
Borough of Prospect Park. Accessed April 16, 2023.''Passaic County 2022 Directory''

Passaic County, New Jersey Passaic County ( or ) is a county in the U.S. state of New Jersey that is part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, the county was the state's eighth-most-populous county,

. Accessed March 1, 2023.2022 General Election November 8, 2022 Summary Report Passaic County Official Results

, updated December 7, 2022. Accessed January 1, 2023.2021 General Election November 2, 2021 Official Results
Passaic County, New Jersey, updated November 18, 2021. Accessed January 1, 2022.November 3, 2020 Summary Report Official Results
Passaic County, New Jersey, updated November 20, 2020. Accessed January 1, 2021. Samir Hayek resigned from office in July 2017, citing personal reason for leaving the seat expiring in December 2018. In September 2016, Esther Perez, who had previously served 12 years on the borough council, was selected to fill the seat expiring in December 2018 that had been held by Richard Esquiche until he resigned from office the previous month. Perez was elected in November 2016 to serve the balance of the term of office.November 8, 2016 Summary Report Passaic County Official Results
,

, updated December 9, 2016. Accessed January 30, 2017.

Federal, state and county representation

Prospect Park is located in the 9th Congressional District Plan Components Report

New Jersey Redistricting Commission The New Jersey Redistricting Commission is a constitutional body of the government of New Jersey tasked with redrawing the state's Congressional election districts after each decade's census. Like Arizona, Idaho, Hawaii, Montana, and Washington ...

, December 23, 2011. Accessed February 1, 2020. and is part of New Jersey's 35th state legislative district.Municipalities Sorted by 2011-2020 Legislative District

New Jersey Department of State The secretary of state of New Jersey oversees the Department of State, which is one of the original state offices. The Secretary is responsible for overseeing New Jersey State Council on the Arts, artistic, cultural, and New Jersey Historical Com ...

. Accessed February 1, 2020.''2019 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government''
New Jersey

League of Women Voters The League of Women Voters (LWV) is a nonpartisan American nonprofit political organization. Founded in 1920, its ongoing major activities include Voter registration, registering voters, providing voter information, boosting voter turnout and adv ...

. Accessed October 30, 2019. Prior to the 2010 Census, Prospect Park had been part of the , a change made by the

that took effect in January 2013, based on the results of the November 2012 general elections.''2011 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government''
, p. 63, New Jersey

. Accessed May 22, 2015.

Politics

As of March 2011, there were a total of 3,139 registered voters in Prospect Park, of which 1,710 (54.5% vs. 31.0% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 345 (11.0% vs. 18.7%) were registered as Republicans and 1,084 (34.5% vs. 50.3%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were no voters registered to other parties.Voter Registration Summary - Passaic

Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed January 16, 2013. Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 53.5% (vs. 53.2% in Passaic County) were registered to vote, including 74.8% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 70.8% countywide). In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

received 82.9% of the vote (1,744 cast), ahead of Republican

Mitt Romney Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is an American businessman and retired politician. He served as a United States Senate, United States senator from Utah from 2019 to 2025 and as the 70th governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 ...

with 16.5% (348 votes), and other candidates with 0.6% (12 votes), among the 2,130 ballots cast by the borough's 3,402 registered voters (26 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 62.6%. In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 1,721 votes (75.9% vs. 58.8% countywide), ahead of Republican

John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American statesman and United States Navy, naval officer who represented the Arizona, state of Arizona in United States Congress, Congress for over 35 years, first as ...

with 474 votes (20.9% vs. 37.7%) and other candidates with 15 votes (0.7% vs. 0.8%), among the 2,267 ballots cast by the borough's 3,387 registered voters, for a turnout of 66.9% (vs. 70.4% in Passaic County). In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat

John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician, and diplomat who served as the 68th United States secretary of state from 2013 to 2017 in the Presidency of Barack Obama#Administration, administration of Barac ...

received 1,325 votes (64.8% vs. 53.9% countywide), ahead of Republican

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...

with 655 votes (32.0% vs. 42.7%) and other candidates with 22 votes (1.1% vs. 0.7%), among the 2,046 ballots cast by the borough's 3,270 registered voters, for a turnout of 62.6% (vs. 69.3% in the whole county). In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Democrat

Barbara Buono Barbara A. Buono (born July 28, 1953) is an American politician who served in the New Jersey Senate from 2002 to 2014, where she represented the 18th Legislative District. She served from 2010 to 2012 as the Majority Leader in the Senate, succ ...

received 62.3% of the vote (690 cast), ahead of Republican

Chris Christie Christopher James Christie (born September 6, 1962) is an American politician and former United States Attorney, federal prosecutor who served as the 55th governor of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018. A member of the Republican Party (United States) ...

with 36.0% (398 votes), and other candidates with 1.7% (19 votes), among the 1,143 ballots cast by the borough's 3,502 registered voters (36 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 32.6%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Democrat

Jon Corzine Jon Stevens Corzine ( ; born January 1, 1947) is an American financial executive and retired politician who served as a United States Senator from New Jersey from 2001 to 2006, and the 54th governor of New Jersey from 2006 to 2010. Corzine ran f ...

received 743 ballots cast (66.1% vs. 50.8% countywide), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 310 votes (27.6% vs. 43.2%), Independent Chris Daggett with 33 votes (2.9% vs. 3.8%) and other candidates with 9 votes (0.8% vs. 0.9%), among the 1,124 ballots cast by the borough's 3,116 registered voters, yielding a 36.1% turnout (vs. 42.7% in the county).

Education

The Prospect Park School District serves public school students in

pre-kindergarten Pre-kindergarten (also called pre-K or PK) is a voluntary classroom-based preschool program for children below the age of five in the United States, Canada, Turkey and Greece (when kindergarten starts). It may be delivered through a preschool ...

through eighth grade. As of the 2023–24 school year, the district, comprised of two schools, had an enrollment of 834 students and 80.7 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a

student–teacher ratio The student–teacher ratio or student–faculty ratio refers to the number of students who attend a school or university divided by the number of teachers or staff in the institution. For example, a student–teacher ratio of 10:1 indicates that ...

of 10.3:1.District information for Prospect Park Public School District

National Center for Education Statistics The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the principal federal agency responsible for collecting, analyzing, and reporting data on education in the United States. Established under , it operates within the Institute of Education S ...

. Accessed December 15, 2024. Schools in the district (with 2023–24 enrollment data from the

) are Prospect Park School Number 1, with 652 students in grades PreK–6 and Prospect Park School Number Two / Middle School, with 162 students in grades 7–8. For

ninth In music, a ninth is a compound interval consisting of an octave plus a second. Like the second, the interval of a ninth is classified as a dissonance in common practice tonality. Since a ninth is an octave larger than a second, its ...

through

twelfth grade Twelfth Grade (also known as Grade 12, Senior Year, Standard 12, 12th Standard, 12th Class, or Class 12th or Class 12) is the twelfth and final Educational stage, year of Formal education, formal or compulsory education. It is typically the final ...

s, public school students attend Manchester Regional High School, which also serves students from

and

. As of the 2023–24 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 819 students and 60.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a

of 13.7:1. Seats on the high school district's nine-member

board of education A board of education, school committee or school board is the board of directors or board of trustees of a school, local school district or an equivalent institution. The elected council determines the educational policy in a small regional area, ...

are allocated based on the population of the constituent districts, with two seats assigned to Prospect Park. Students are also eligible to attend the Passaic County Technical Institute, a countywide program located in Wayne.

Transportation

Roads and highways

, the borough had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality and by Passaic County. The only significant road serving Prospect Park is County Route 504. It enters from Haledon, following Haledon Avenue along the borough's southwestern border with Haledon and Paterson. It then crosses completely into Paterson, turns onto Main Street and reenters Prospect Park for a brief stretch before exiting into Hawthorne.

Public transportation

NJ Transit New Jersey Transit Corporation, branded as NJ Transit or NJTransit and often shortened to NJT, is a state-owned public transportation system that serves the U.S. state of New Jersey and portions of the states of New York and Pennsylvania. I ...

provides local bus service on the 722 and 744 routes.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Prospect Park include: *

Lini De Vries Lini M. De Vries (July 25, 1905—March 27, 1982), born Lena Moerkerk in Prospect Park, New Jersey, was a Dutch–American author, public health nurse, and teacher. She worked as chief of American Hospital Number 3 on the Madrid-Valencia Road du ...

(1905–1982, born Lena Moerkerk), author, public health nurse, and teacher * Johnny Vander Meer (1914–1997), MLB pitcher, most notably for the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...

, best known as the only pitcher in Major League Baseball history to throw two consecutive

no-hitter In baseball, a no-hitter or no-hit game is a game in which a team does not record a hit (baseball), hit through conventional methods. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in ...

sCoutros, Evonne
"Midland Park marking 75th anniversary of Johnny Vander Meer's double no-hitters"
''

The Record The Record may refer to: Music * The Record (Fear album), ''The Record'' (Fear album), a 1982 studio album by the hardcore-punk band Fear * The Record (Boygenius album), ''The Record'' (Boygenius album), a 2023 studio album by the indie rock supe ...

'', April 8, 2013. Accessed January 27, 2015. "Born Nov. 2, 1914, Vander Meer was an athlete from the time he was in elementary school. His father, Jacob — who worked at Paterson's United Piece and Dye Works — and mother, Katie, lived in Prospect Park until 1918, when they moved to their first home in Midland Park on Rea Avenue."

References

External links

Prospect Park Borough official website

Prospect Park Elementary School
*
School Data for the Prospect Park Elementary School

Manchester Regional High School
{{Authority control 1901 establishments in New Jersey Arab-American culture in New Jersey Borough form of New Jersey government Boroughs in New Jersey Boroughs in Passaic County, New Jersey Populated places established in 1901