Location of Manasquan in Monmouth County highlighted in red (left). Inset map: Location of Manasquan County in New Jersey highlighted in orange (right).
The borough's name is of LenapeNative American origin, deriving from "Mënàskunk" meaning "Place to Gather Grass or Reeds".[23] The borough's name has also been described as deriving from "Man-A-Squaw-Han" meaning "stream of the island of squaws",[24] "an island with enclosure for squans",[25] "island door"[26] or "point" / "top".[27] Manasquan, Maniquan, Mannisquan, Manasquam, Squan, and Squan Village are variations on the original pronunciation and spelling.
Manasquan was formed as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on December 30, 1887, from portions of Wall Township, based on the results of a referendum held the previous day.[28]
New Jersey Monthly magazine ranked Manasquan as its 22nd best place to live in its 2008 rankings of the "Best Places To Live" in New Jersey.[29]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 2.53 square miles (6.54 km2), including 1.38 square miles (3.57 km2) of land and 1.15 square miles (2.97 km2) of water (45.26%).[1][2]
The borough has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) and average monthly temperatures range from 32.3 °F (0.2 °C) in January to 75.2 °F (24.0 °C) in July.[33] The hardiness zone is 7a.
Climate
According to the Köppen climate classification system, Manasquan has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa). Cfa climates are characterized by all months having an average mean temperature above 32.0 °F (0.0 °C), at least four months with an average mean temperature at or above 50.0 °F (10.0 °C), at least one month with an average mean temperature at or above 71.6 °F (22.0 °C) and no significant precipitation difference between seasons. During the summer months at Manasquan, a cooling afternoon sea breeze is present on most days, but episodes of extreme heat and humidity can occur with heat index values at or above 95.0 °F (35.0 °C). On average, the wettest month of the year is July which corresponds with the annual peak in thunderstorm activity. During the winter months, episodes of extreme cold and wind can occur with wind chill values below 0.0 °F (−17.8 °C). The plant hardiness zone at Manasquan Beach is 7a with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of 3.5 °F (−15.8 °C).[34] The average seasonal (November–April) snowfall total is 18 to 24 inches (46 to 61 cm) and the average snowiest month is February which corresponds with the annual peak in nor'easter activity.
Climate data for Manasquan Beach, NJ (1981–2010 Averages)
Of the 2,374 households, 27.3% had children under the age of 18; 52.5% were married couples living together; 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present and 34.7% were non-families. Of all households, 28.9% were made up of individuals and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.10.[20]
23.3% of the population were under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 22.6% from 25 to 44, 31.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.5 years. For every 100 females, the population had 95.3 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 91.4 males.[20]
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $87,525 (with a margin of error of +/− $21,227) and the median family income was $107,130 (+/− $13,653). Males had a median income of $98,408 (+/− $6,173) versus $56,250 (+/− $8,110) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $51,068 (+/− $8,350). About 3.1% of families and 5.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.2% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of those age 65 or over.[45]
2000 census
As of the 2000 United States census[17] there were 6,310 people, 2,600 households, and 1,635 families residing in the borough. The population density was 4,579.6 inhabitants per square mile (1,768.2/km2). There were 3,531 housing units at an average density of 2,562.7 per square mile (989.5/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 97.89% White, 0.41% Black, 0.11% Native American, 0.44% Asian, 0.48% from other races, and 0.67% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.48% of the population.[43][44]
There were 2,600 households, out of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.3% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.1% were non-families. 30.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.06.[43][44]
In the borough the population was spread out, with 23.8% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.4 males.[43][44]
The median income for a household in the borough was $63,079, and the median income for a family was $73,670. Males had a median income of $52,368 versus $33,333 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $32,898. About 2.2% of families and 3.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.8% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.[43][44]
Government
Manasquan Borough Hall, at the intersection of Main Street and Union Avenue
Manasquan is governed under the borough 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.[46] The governing body is comprised of a mayor and a borough council, with all positions elected at-large on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. A mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The borough council consists of 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.[7] The borough form of government used by Manasquan 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 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.[47][48]
As of 2023[update], the mayor of the Borough of Manasquan is Democrat Edward G. Donovan, whose term of office ends December 31, 2023. Members of the Borough Council are Bruce D. Bresnahan (R, 2025), Brian Holly (R, 2024), Jeffrey K. Lee (D, 2023), Michael W. Mangan (D, 2023), Gregg Olivera (R, 2025) and Lori Triggiano (R, 2024) [3][49][50][51][52][53]
At the January 2017 reorganization meeting, Joseph Bossone was chosen on an interim basis to fill the three-year seat expiring in December 2019 that Owen McCarthy had been elected to in November 2016 until he resigned from office after being confirmed by the state senate to take a position as a Monmouth County judge; Bossone served on an interim basis until the November 2017 general election, when he was elected to serve the balance of the term of office.[54][55][56]
In January 2016, the borough council appointed Richard Read to fill the council seat expiring in December 2016 that became vacant when Edward Donovan was sworn in as mayor.[57]
Federal, state, and county representation
Manasquan is located in the 4th Congressional District[58] and is part of New Jersey's 10th state legislative district.[59]
Monmouth County is governed by a Board of County Commissioners comprised of five members who are elected at-large to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats up for election each year as part of the November general election. At an annual reorganization meeting held in the beginning of January, the board selects one of its members to serve as director and another as deputy director.[66] As of 2024[update], Monmouth County's Commissioners are:
As of March 2011, there were a total of 4,277 registered voters in Manasquan, of which 956 (22.4%) were registered as Democrats, 1,271 (29.7%) were registered as Republicans and 2,047 (47.9%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were three voters registered as Libertarians or Greens.[81]
In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 59.7% of the vote (1,826 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 39.3% (1,201 votes), and other candidates with 1.0% (32 votes), among the 3,080 ballots cast by the borough's 4,350 registered voters (21 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 70.8%.[82][83] In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 56.8% of the vote (1,943 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 41.1% (1,406 votes) and other candidates with 1.0% (33 votes), among the 3,420 ballots cast by the borough's 4,384 registered voters, for a turnout of 78.0%.[84] In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 62.2% of the vote (2,136 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat John Kerry with 36.0% (1,237 votes) and other candidates with 1.0% (46 votes), among the 3,434 ballots cast by the borough's 4,452 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 77.1.[85]
In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 76.2% of the vote (1,872 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 22.3% (549 votes), and other candidates with 1.5% (36 votes), among the 2,504 ballots cast by the borough's 4,378 registered voters (47 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 57.2%.[86][87] In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 65.6% of the vote (1,695 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 26.1% (674 votes), IndependentChris Daggett with 6.8% (175 votes) and other candidates with 0.9% (23 votes), among the 2,584 ballots cast by the borough's 4,269 registered voters, yielding a 60.5% turnout.[88]
Due to its location bordering the Atlantic Ocean, the population of Manasquan increases dramatically in the summer months as tourists flock to the beach.
The Manasquan Inlet provides surfers with waves that are corralled, refracted and enlarged by the jetty protruding out into the Atlantic Ocean. The Manasquan Inlet, reopened in 1931, is the northern terminus of the inland portion of the Intracoastal Waterway.[89]
Manasquan has a downtown area with many small businesses. Algonquin Arts Theatre has shows and movies that play throughout the year. It is a historic 540-seat theatre, built in 1938 as a movie house but converted to a professional live performance space in May 1994.[90][91]
The demolition of traditional beach bungalows and their replacement with much larger single-family dwellings has helped turn Manasquan into a year-round community.[92] The decrease in tourism and rise in residency can be attributed to the decline of once popular tourist destinations. Manasquan no longer has a 24-hour diner or a miniature golf course, and has lost many of the bars once located in its borders. During the summer months, the local bar and party scene overwhelm the area between Brielle Road and Main Street from the bridges to the ocean.
The Firemans' Fair occurs every July/August. The fair is the largest source of funds for Manasquan Volunteer Engine Company #2 and dates back to 1974. Though it was on a decade-long hiatus until the late 1990s, the five day-long festivities in 2011 were expected to draw 30,000 attendees.[93][94]
Until 2010, Manasquan was home to the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA), the largest registry of pedigreed cats in the world.[95]
Transportation
Roads and highways
Monmouth County Route 524 spur looking eastward, in Manasquan
As of May 2010[update], the borough had a total of 27.22 miles (43.81 km) of roadways, of which 24.56 miles (39.53 km) were maintained by the municipality, 1.56 miles (2.51 km) by Monmouth County and 1.10 miles (1.77 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.[96]
Route 71 is the most significant highway running directly through the borough. The Garden State Parkway is the nearest major highway. The Monmouth County Route 524 Spur is also an important thoroughfare in Manasquan.
The Roman Catholic-affiliated St. Denis School served youth from pre-school through 8th grade under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Trenton. In 2014, the diocese announced that the school was closing at the end of the 2014–2015 school year, as fewer students were attending, with enrollment having fallen from a peak of nearly 400 in the 1970s to 107 in 2014.[113]
^"Connell Foley's Owen McCarthy Appointed to Judiciary"Archived 2017-05-23 at the Wayback Machine, Connell Foley, November 17, 2016. Accessed March 28, 2017. "Connell Foley LLP is proud to announce that partner Owen C. McCarthy has been appointed as a judge to the New Jersey Superior Court, Law Division. Mr. McCarthy was nominated by Governor Chris Christie on October 20, 2016 and unanimously confirmed by the New Jersey Senate on November 14, 2016. He will be assigned to the Monmouth County Civil Division.... He is one of only a handful of individuals within the state to have been elected to public office in two separate counties, serving as Council President in Manasquan, Monmouth County and Deputy Mayor in Fair Lawn, Bergen County."
^Biography of Bob Menendez, United States Senate, January 26, 2015. "Menendez, who started his political career in Union City, moved in September from Paramus to one of Harrison's new apartment buildings near the town's PATH station.."
^Monmouth County Government, Monmouth County, New Jersey. Accessed July 19, 2022. "Monmouth County is governed by five commissioners elected at-large for three-year terms. Each January, the freeholders select one of their members to serve as the director of the board for the year to preside over the meetings and activities of the Board."
^Johnson, Courtney. "Historic theater continues to be hub of activity", Asbury Park Press, April 13, 2006. Accessed November 21, 2023, via Newspapers.com. "Since the curtain first rose on Algonquin Arts programs in May 1994, more than 639,000 patrons have attended shows at the 540-seat theater, Roberts said.... The Algonquin movie theater in Manasquan opened on Friday, June 3, 1938, during the Golden Age of Hollywood."
^Garbarine, Rachelle. "In the Region/New Jersey; Beach Towns Evolve by Adding Year-Round Homes", The New York Times, June 10, 2001. Accessed September 17, 2013. "Manasquan, founded in 1887, originally was a summer community with rows of little bungalows and a boardwalk. But the borough, like many others along the shore, is evolving into a year-round community.... Meanwhile, the borough's supply of bungalows is dwindling as developers tear them down and put up large waterside houses."
^Dunphy, Tom. " Manasquan Fireman's Fair is BackAnnual fair coming to Mallard Park this week ", Manasquan-Belmar Patch, July 26, 2011. Accessed December 5, 2012. "More than 30,000 are expected to visit the borough's Mallard Park over the five-day period to enjoy rides, games and family fun. The Manasquan Fireman's Fair, which began in 1974, is the year's largest fundraiser for Manasquan Volunteer Engine Company #2."
^Manasquan Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Manasquan Public Schools. Accessed May 17, 2020. "Purpose: The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades Kindergarten through twelve in the Manasquan School District. Composition: The Manasquan School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Manasquan Borough."
^Sending Districts, Manasquan Public Schools. Accessed January 13, 2015. "The district educates over 1700 students. Close to seven-hundred students attend our K-8 elementary school. Manasquan High School receives students from eight different districts; Avon, Bradley Beach, Brielle, Belmar, Lake Como, Sea Girt, Spring Lake, and Spring Lake Heights."
^Sending Districts, Manasquan Public Schools. Accessed May 29, 2016. "Manasquan High School receives students from seven different districts; Avon, Brielle, Belmar, Lake Como, Sea Girt, Spring Lake, and Spring Lake Heights. Including our Manasquan students, the high school population is just under one thousand students."
^Terry, Nicquel. "Shore Catholic schools set to close in 2015", Asbury Park Press. December 2, 2014. Accessed August 30, 2015. "Two Shore area Catholic schools will close in 2015, citing declining enrollment in recent years as more families opt to send their children to public schools. Officials from both St. Denis School in Manasquan and Holy Family School in Lakewood confirmed Tuesday that the schools would shut down at the end of this school year." (Archive)
^Lewis Benson Papers, Tri-College Libraries. Accessed May 17, 2020. "Lewis Benson (August 15, 1906 - August 23, 1986) was born to Clara (Clarette) and John Benson. He was born into and raised in Manasquan Friends Meeting, New York Yearly Meeting."
^Ryan, Bob. "She knows whereof she speaks", The Boston Globe, March 1, 2012. Accessed August 10, 2012. "Little Doris Sable grew up in Manasquan, N.J., dreaming of playing in the NBA. How much of her male audience can't relate to that?"
^O'Connor, Julie. "Former N.J. Senate president Frank 'Pat' Dodd dies at 72", The Star-Ledger, May 15, 2010. Accessed January 13, 2015. "Frank J. 'Pat' Dodd, a force in New Jersey politics decades ago and mentor to future Essex County political heavyweights, was remembered today as a tireless, blunt-spoken lawmaker and a dashing longtime bachelor.... The Manasquan resident was 72 years old."
^Jaccarino, Mike. "Snowboarding comes to East River Park for Winter Jam NYC", New York Daily News, February 6, 2009. Accessed August 10, 2012. "Sixteen professional snowboarders competed last night - flying down the nine-story ramp in lower Manhattan in pursuit of a $50,000 first prize. Shayne Pospisil of Manasquan, N.J., took the top prize."
^New York Red Book, 1922, p. 132. Accessed November 21, 2023. "Joseph Steinberg, Republican, from the Fifteenth Assembly District, New York county, was born April 22, 1883, at Manasquan, N. J. He received his education in the public schools and graduated from the Manasquan high school."
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