Estell Manor is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 1,735, reflecting an increase of 150 (+9.5%) from the 1,585 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 181 (+12.9%) from the 1,404 counted in the 1990 Census.
Estell Manor was incorporated as a city by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 14, 1925, from portions of Weymouth Township.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city had a total area of 55.18 square miles (142.93 km2), including 53.39 square miles (138.27 km2) of land and 1.80 square miles (4.65 km2) of water (3.26%).
Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the city include Estellville, Gibsons Landing, Head of River, Hunters Mill, Oakville, Old Etna Furnace, Russia, Steelmans Landing, Walkers Forge and Warners Mill.
Estell Manor borders the municipalities of Corbin City, Egg Harbor Township, Hamilton Township and Weymouth Township in Atlantic County; and Upper Township in Cape May County; and Maurice River Township in Cumberland County.
The city is one of 56 South Jersey municipalities that are included within the New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve, a protected natural area of unique ecology covering , that has been classified as a United States Biosphere Reserve and established by Congress in 1978 as the nation's first National Reserve. All of the city is included either in the state-designated Pinelands area (which includes portions of Atlantic County, along with areas in Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester and Ocean counties) or in the Pinelands National Reserve.
Demographics
2010 Census
2000 Census
As of the 2000 United States Census there were 1,585 people, 528 households, and 432 families residing in the city. The population density was 29.6 people per square mile (11.4/km2). There were 546 housing units at an average density of 10.2 per square mile (3.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 94.20% White, 3.60% African American, 0.44% Native American, 0.32% Asian, 0.13% from other races, and 1.32% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.95% of the population.
There were 528 households, out of which 41.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.0% were married couples living together, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.0% were non-families. 13.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.95 and the average family size was 3.27.
In the city the population was spread out, with 30.2% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 30.1% from 25 to 44, 23.6% from 45 to 64, and 9.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $54,653, and the median income for a family was $56,548. Males had a median income of $42,305 versus $29,219 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,469. About 4.9% of families and 4.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.9% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Local government
Estell Manor operates within the Faulkner Act (formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law) under the Faulkner Act (small municipality) form of New Jersey municipal government (Plan D), implemented by direct petition as of January 1, 1977. The city is one of 18 municipalities (of the 565) statewide that use this form of government, which is available to municipalities with less than 12,000 residents at the time of adoption. The city's governing body is comprised of a mayor and a four-member City Council. The mayor is directly elected to a four-year term of office and the city council members are elected at-large in partisan elections to serve three-year terms in office on a staggered basis with either one or two seats up for vote as part of the November general election in a three-year cycle.
, the Mayor of Estell Manor is Independent Joseph Venezia, whose term of office ends December 31, 2021. Members of the City Council are Council President Lawrence T. Hughes (R, 2020), Alfred Arbetto (R, 2019), Nelson Dilg (R, 2021; elected to serve an unexpired term) and Linda G. Givens (R, 2019).
After the City Council was unable to choose a candidate at its February 2019 meeting to fill the seat expiring in December 2021 that was vacated following the resignation of Aaron Buchanan, the Republican municipal committee selected Nelson Dilg to fill the vacancy and he took office in March 2019; Dilg served on an interim basis until the November 2019 general election, when he was elected to serve the balance of the term of office.
Federal, state and county representation
Estell Manor is located in the 2nd Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 1st state legislative district. Prior to the 2011 reapportionment following the 2010 Census, Estell Manor had been in the 2nd state legislative district.
Politics
As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 1,209 registered voters in Estell Manor, of which 269 (22.2% vs. 30.5% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 388 (32.1% vs. 25.2%) were registered as Republicans and 552 (45.7% vs. 44.3%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were no voters registered to other parties. Among the city's 2010 Census population, 69.7% (vs. 58.8% in Atlantic County) were registered to vote, including 91.5% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 76.6% countywide).
In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 525 votes in the city (57.4% vs. 41.1% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 368 votes (40.2% vs. 57.9%) and other candidates with 7 votes (0.8% vs. 0.9%), among the 915 ballots cast by the city's 1,249 registered voters, for a turnout of 73.3% (vs. 65.8% in Atlantic County). In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 581 votes (59.3% vs. 41.6% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 385 votes (39.3% vs. 56.5%) and other candidates with 5 votes (0.5% vs. 1.1%), among the 980 ballots cast by the city's 1,302 registered voters, for a turnout of 75.3% (vs. 68.1% in Atlantic County). In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 556 votes in Estell Manor (58.8% vs. 46.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 373 votes (39.5% vs. 52.0%) and other candidates with 9 votes (1.0% vs. 0.8%), among the 945 ballots cast by the city's 1,210 registered voters, for a turnout of 78.1% (vs. 69.8% in the whole county).
In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 560 votes in the city (71.3% vs. 60.0% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 182 votes (23.2% vs. 34.9%) and other candidates with 10 votes (1.3% vs. 1.3%), among the 785 ballots cast by the city's 1,281 registered voters, yielding a 61.3% turnout (vs. 41.5% in the county). In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 451 votes (54.9% vs. 47.7% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 264 votes (32.2% vs. 44.5%), Independent Chris Daggett with 51 votes (6.2% vs. 4.8%) and other candidates with 23 votes (2.8% vs. 1.2%), among the 821 ballots cast by the city's 1,252 registered voters, yielding a 65.6% turnout (vs. 44.9% in the county).
Education
Public school students in kindergarten through eighth grade attend the Estell Manor School District at Estell Manor Elementary School. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of one school, had an enrollment of 182 students and 14.9 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.2:1. In the 2016–17 school year, Estell Manor was the 36th-smallest enrollment of any school district in the state, with 172 students.
For ninth through twelfth grades, public school students attend Buena Regional High School, which serves students from Buena Borough and Buena Vista Township, together with students from Estell Manor City and Weymouth Township who attend the school as part of sending/receiving relationships with the Buena Regional School District. As of the 2018–19 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 565 students and 52.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.9:1.
City public school students are also eligible to attend the Atlantic County Institute of Technology in the Mays Landing section of Hamilton Township or the Charter-Tech High School for the Performing Arts, located in Somers Point.
Transportation
Roads and highways
, the city had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Atlantic County and by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.
Route 49 and Route 50 both pass through Estell Manor, as do County Route 557, County Route 649 and County Route 666.
Public transportation
NJ Transit provides bus service on the 315 route that runs between Cape May and Philadelphia.
