somerville, new jersey

Somerville is a borough located in Somerset County, New Jersey. As of the 2000 census, the borough had a total population of 12,423. It is the county seat of Somerset County.

Geography

Somerville is located at 40°34'15" North, 74°36'19" West (40.570831, -74.605344). According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 6.1 km² (2.4 mi²). 6.1 km² (2.4 mi²) of it is land and none of the area is covered with water.

History

Somerville has been settled in colonial times primarily by the English, who gave Somerville its English name. Somerville was originally a sparcely populated farming community, but rapidly grew after the completion of the railroad in the 1850's. Early industry included brick making from the plentiful red clay and shale on which Somerville is built. While much of the town (technically a borough) features distinctly Victorian architecture and row houses, historical structures include the white marble Somerville Court House and the wooden and stone colonial Wallace House (today a museum) where George Washington spent a winter during the American Revolutionary War. Originally the center of local commerce, modern highways today bypass Somerville, while stores, housing, and businesses have followed those highway corridors, the development pushing ever west. Main Street today has most of its historical buildings, although they are now mostly botique specialty shops. Several of the factories in Somerville were abandoned and replaced with modern office buildings. Somerville today and historically has had an important African American community, a distinguished person of whom was Paul Robeson.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there are 12,423 people, 4,743 households, and 2,893 families residing in the borough. The population density is 2,032.4/km² (5,262.4/mi²). There are 4,882 housing units at an average density of 798.7/km² (2,068.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the borough is 71.21% White, 12.93% African American, 0.19% Native American, 7.35% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 5.10% from other races, and 3.20% from two or more races. 17.00% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. There are 4,743 households out of which 28.6% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.5% are married couples living together, 11.9% have a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% are non-families. 31.4% of all households are made up of individuals and 11.2% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.49 and the average family size is 3.15. In the borough the population is spread out with 21.9% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 35.8% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 36 years. For every 100 females there are 101.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 99.1 males. The median income for a household in the borough is $51,237, and the median income for a family is $60,422. Males have a median income of $40,585 versus $32,697 for females. The per capita income for the borough is $23,310. 7.7% of the population and 4.8% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 10.7% of those under the age of 18 and 8.6% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

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