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Hackensack, New Jersey

Encyclopedia : H : HA : HAC : Hackensack, New Jersey

 

Map highlighting Hackensack's location within Bergen County. Inset: Bergen County's location within New Jersey.
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Map highlighting Hackensack's location within Bergen County. Inset: Bergen County's location within New Jersey.

Hackensack is a city in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the city population was 42,677. The United States Census 2004 population estimate indicates a total of 43,681. It is the county seat of Bergen County[Geographic references#6GR6].

Hackensack is also the home of the New Jersey Naval Museum and the World War II submarine USS Ling.

Astronaut Walter Schirra is perhaps Hackensack's most famous native son.

Contents

Geography

Hackensack is located at [40°53′16″N, 74°2′53″W] (40.887797, -74.047978)[Geographic references#1GR1].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 11.2 km² (4.3 mi²). 10.7 km² (4.1 mi²) of it is land and 0.5 km² (0.2 mi²) of it (4.41%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census[Geographic references#2GR2] of 2000, there were 42,677 people, 18,113 households, and 9,545 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,999.4/km² (10,358.3/mi²). There were 18,945 housing units at an average density of 1,775.4/km² (4,598.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 52.61% White, 24.65% African American, 0.45% Native American, 7.45% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 9.71% from other races, and 5.08% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 25.92% of the population.

There were 18,113 households out of which 21.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.8% were married couples living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.3% were non-families. 39.8% of all households 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 2.26 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the city the population was spread out with 18.2% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 38.4% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 98.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $49,316, and the median income for a family was $56,953. Males had a median income of $39,636 versus $32,911 for females. The per capita income for the city was $26,856. About 6.8% of families and 9.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.1% of those under age 18 and 10.3% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

Hackensack operates under the New Jersey 1923 Municipal Manager Law. This form of government separates policy making (the work of the Mayor and City Council) from the execution of policy (the work of the City Manager). This maintains professional management and a City-wide perspective through: nonpartisan election, at-large representation, concentration of executive responsibility in the hands of a professional manager accountable to the Mayor and Council, concentration of policy making power in one body: a five-person Mayor and Council. This form also creates stability which can be demonstrated by the fact that in several decades of the Municipal Manager Form of Government, Hackensack has had only nine City Managers.

The Mayor of the City of Hackensack is Marlin G. Townes[Welcome to the City of Hackensack], accessed June 26, 2006. Other members of the Hackensack City Council are Deputy Mayor Karen K. Sasso, Charles P. McAuliffe, Michael R. Melfi and Jorge E. Meneses[Mayor and City Council], accessed June 26, 2006.

Federal, state and county representation

Hackensack is part of New Jersey's 37th Legislative District and is in the Ninth Congressional District.

New Jersey's Ninth Congressional District, covering the southern portion of Bergen County and sections of Hudson County and Passaic County, is represented by Steve Rothman (D, Fair Lawn). New Jersey is represented in the Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Robert Menendez (D, Union City).

The 37th legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Loretta Weinberg (D, Teaneck) and in the Assembly by Valerie Huttle (D, Englewood) and Gordon M. Johnson (D, Englewood). The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).

Bergen County's County Executive is Dennis McNerney. The executive, along with the Board of Chosen Freeholders administer all county business. Bergen County's Freeholders are Chairwoman Bernadette P. McPherson of Rutherford, Vice-Chairman David L. Ganz of Fair Lawn, Elizabeth Calabrese of Wallington, James M. Carroll of Demarest, Tomas J. Padilla of Park Ridge, Elizabeth Randall of Westwood and Valerie Vainieri Huttle of Englewood.

Politics

Out of a 2004 Census estimated population of 43,681 in Hackensack, there are 17,933 registered voters (41.1% of the population, vs. 55.4% in all of Bergen County). Of registered voters, 4,838 (27.0% vs. 20.7% countywide) are registered as Democrats, 1,945 (10.8% vs. 19.2% countywide) are registered as Republicans and 11,142 (62.1% vs. 60.1% countywide) are registered as Undeclared. There are 08 voters registered to other parties."County of Bergen: Voter Statistics by Municipality, Ward & District," dated April 1, 2006

On the national level, Hackensack leans strongly toward the Democratic Party. In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 71% of the vote here, defeating Republican George W. Bush, who received around 28%.[2004 Presidential Election results: Bergen County] New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety: Division of Elections, dated December 13, 2004

Education

The Hackensack Public Schools serve students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. Schools in the district include four K-4 elementary schools: [Fairmount Elementary School] (web site under construction), [Fanny Meyer Hillers School], [Jackson Avenue Elementary School] and [Nellie K. Parker School] (web site under construction). [5ive 6ix School] serves grades 5 and 6. [Hackensack Middle School] serves grades 7 and 8.

Hackensack High School serves students from Hackensack, Maywood, Rochelle Park and South Hackensack. Students from Teterboro may attend either Hackensack High School or Hasbrouck Heights High School.

The Bergen County Academies, a public magnet high school located in Hackensack, serves the high-school population of Bergen County, as part of the Bergen County Technical Schools district.

The Metropolitan campus of Fairleigh Dickinson University straddles the Hackensack River in both Hackensack and Teaneck.

Trivia

"I used to know you when we were young,
You were in all my dreams.
We sat together in period one,
Fridays at 8:15"
"Who needs a house out in Hackensack,
Is that all you get for your money?"
"The lines in the letter said
'We have gone to Hackensack' "
Stanley, the waiter, to Willy Loman in Act 3, "But I know you, you ain't from Hackensack. You know what I mean? "
  • The 1985 film Brewster's Millions starred Richard Pryor, who played a pitcher for the Hackensack Bulls, a fictional minor-league baseball team.
  • In the 1998 film Bride of Chucky, Chucky's human body is said to be buried in a Hackensack Cemetery.[FILM REVIEW; Carrying a Torch for a Malevolent Doll], The New York Times, October 17, 1998

    • References

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