A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | CH | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
Monmouth County | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location within the U.S. state of New Jersey | |
 New Jersey's location within the U.S. | |
| Coordinates: 40°17′N 74°09′W / 40.29°N 74.15°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  New Jersey |
| Founded | 1683 |
| Named for | Monmouthshire |
| Seat | Freehold[1] |
| Largest city | Middletown Township (population) Howell Township (area) |
| Government | |
| • Commissioner Director | Thomas A. Arnone (R, term ends December 31, 2025) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 661.40 sq mi (1,713.0 km2) |
| • Land | 468.18 sq mi (1,212.6 km2) |
| • Water | 193.22 sq mi (500.4 km2) 29.2% |
| Population | |
| • Total | 643,615 |
| • Estimate | 642,799 |
| • Density | 1,372.9/sq mi (530.1/km2) |
| Congressional districts | 3rd, 4th, 6th |
| Website | www |
Monmouth County (/ˈmɒnməθ/) is a county, located in the central section of the U.S. state of New Jersey. Comprising much of the northern half of the Jersey Shore, it is bordered to its west by Mercer and Middlesex Counties, to its south by Ocean County, to its east by the Atlantic Ocean, and to its north by the Raritan Bay (sharing a border with the boroughs of Staten Island, Brooklyn, and Queens in New York City, across it). Monmouth County's geographic area comprises 30% water. The county is considered part of the Central Jersey region of the state,[6] though it was not among the four counties explicitly listed as included in Central Jersey as part of legislation signed into law in 2023.[7]
As of the 2020 United States census, the county was the state's fifth-most-populous county[8] with a population of 643,615,[3][4] its highest decennial count ever and an increase of 13,235 (+2.1%) from the 2010 census count of 630,380,[9] which in turn reflected an increase of 15,079 from 615,301 at the 2000 census.[10] As of 2010, the county fell to the fifth-most populous county in the state, having been surpassed by Hudson County.[11][12] Monmouth's county seat is Freehold Borough,[1] though many county offices are also located in neighboring Freehold Township.[13] The most populous place was Middletown Township, with 67,106 residents at the time of the 2020 Census,[4] while Howell Township covered 61.21 square miles (158.5 km2), the largest total area of any municipality.[12]
While there are differing historical theories, the most plausible of theories in the origin of the county's name are attributed to many settlers originating from Rhode Island where the Rhode Island Monmouth Society hailed from, or it being named after the historic county of Monmouthshire in Wales, Great Britain. The county, like much of the state, was significantly involved during the American Revolutionary War. The Battle of Monmouth was fought in June 1778 in what has been preserved as Monmouth Battlefield State Park, currently located in Freehold Township and Manalapan Township.[14]
The county's economy is rich and diverse, due to its high population density and proximity to New York City. Located in the middle of the Northeast megalopolis, its inland county seat of Freehold Borough, the Tri-City region of coastal cities of Red Bank, Long Branch, and Asbury Park, along with the county constituting a vast swath of the New Jersey coastline, has contributed in its draw of tourists throughout the state (and much of the Northeastern United States at large), particularly during the Summer months.[15][16] Many communities within the county serve as commuter towns to and from New York City and other points north. Highways such as the Garden State Parkway, U.S. 9, Route's 34, 35, and 36, along with NJ Transit's North Jersey Coast Line and Seastreak, connects county residents to economic centers in North Jersey and New York City.[17][18] In 2015, the county had a per capita personal income of $69,410, making it the fifth highest in New Jersey and ranked 74th of 3,113 counties in the United States.[19][20] Many inland areas of the county are still quite agricultural, with many orchards, wineries, equestrian farms, and distilleries, such as Cream Ridge Winery, Delicious Orchards, Four JG's Orchards & Vineyards, and Laird & Company. The Bell Labs Complex is a major scientific research facility in Holmdel, where important breakthroughs, such as evidence for the Big Bang, were discovered.[21] The county is also home to Monmouth University, a private university in West Long Branch.
History
Etymology
The naming of Monmouth County has different historical theories. It is thought that the county received its name from the Rhode Island Monmouth Society.[22][23] This is likely, due to many of the county's earliest settlers originating from Rhode Island. Another plausible theory, is from a suggestion from Colonel Lewis Morris that the county should be named after Monmouthshire in Wales, Great Britain. Other suggestions include that it was named for James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth (1649–1685), who had many allies among the East Jersey leadership.[24]
Indigenous history
Around the year 1000, the area of Monmouth County began to be inhabited by the Lenape Native Americans prior to the arrival of European settlers. They came from the Mississippi River area. They lived along the vicinity of the Jersey Shore, the Raritan Bay, the Raritan River and other areas in the northeastern United States. The Lenape were a hunter-gatherer society. They were largely sedentary, changing campsites seasonally. They were prolific hunters of small game and birds. They were also skilled fisherman, and were known to harvest vast amounts of clams from the bays and inlets on the Jersey Shore. They also practiced some agriculture to augment their food supply. During this time, an important crossroad of two major Lenape trails was located in the area of Freehold Township in western Monmouth County.[25]
Dutch and English colonization
In 1609, the English navigator, Henry Hudson, and his crew aboard the Dutch vessel Half Moon spotted land in what is now Monmouth County,[26] most likely off Sandy Hook; however, some historical accounts credit this landing to present-day Keansburg. Among the first European settlers and majority landowners in the area were Richard and Penelope Stout. Penelope "miraculously" survived her wounds from a native attack in Sandy Hook and further lived to the age of 110. Additionally, a group of Quaker families from Long Island settled the Monmouth Tract, an early land grant from Richard Nicolls issued in 1665.[citation needed] They were followed by a group of Scottish settlers who inhabited Freehold Township in about 1682–1885, followed several years later by Dutch settlers. As they arrived in this area, they were greeted by Lenape people, who lived in scattered small family bands and developed a largely amicable relationship with the new arrivals.[27] Enslaved Africans were present in the area from at least 1680, and by 1726 made up 9% of the total population of the county.[28]
Monmouth County was established on March 7, 1683, while part of the province of East Jersey. On October 31, 1693, the county was partitioned into the townships of Freehold, Middletown and Shrewsbury.[29]
At the June 28, 1778, Battle of Monmouth, near Freehold Township, General George Washington's soldiers battled the British under Sir Henry Clinton, in the longest land battle of the American Revolutionary War. It was at Monmouth that the tactics and training from Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben developed at Valley Forge during the winter encampment were first implemented on a large scale.[30]
At independence, Monmouth's population included 1,640 slaves, as well as an undetermined number of free African Americans. The number of enslaved persons fell steeply after 1820, though a small number remained until at least 1850. Monmouth's free African American population climbed from 353 in 1790 to 2,658 in 1860.[28] There was a small African-American middle class consisting of freedmen present in Monmouth County by the 1840s and 1850s.[31]
Ocean County was carved out of Monmouth County in 1850.[citation needed]
In 1790 Monmouth County's population was 16,918, of whom roughly 6,600 were of English descent and the remainder were Welsh, Dutch and Swedish, as well as small amounts of African Americans and Northern Irish Protestants.[32] By the year 2010 Monmouth County's population was 628,112 of whom 40,489 were of English descent.[33] Between 1890 and 1907 nearly 18 million European immigrants came to America.[34] At the same time the region underwent massive and not unrelated economic changes, this process led to places like Monmouth County, New Jersey becoming significantly more diverse and somewhat less rural.[35]
Geography and climate
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of the 2020 Census, the county had a total area of 661.40 square miles (1,713.0 km2), of which 468.18 square miles (1,212.6 km2) was land (70.8%) and 193.22 square miles (500.4 km2) was water (29.2%).[2]
Much of Monmouth County remains flat and low-lying, even at its western inland extreme. However, there are some low hills in and around Holmdel Township, and one of them, Crawford Hill, the former site of a radar facility, is the county's highest point, variously listed at 380 to 391 feet (116 to 119 m) above sea level.[37][38] The top portion of the hill is owned by Alcatel-Lucent and houses a research laboratory of Bell Laboratories.[39] The northeastern portion of the county, in the Locust section of Middletown Township and the boroughs of Highlands and Atlantic Highlands, are also very hilly. The lowest point is sea level.
Along with adjacent Middlesex and Ocean counties, Monmouth County is a mecca for boating and fishing. Its waterways include several tributaries that flow from the more agrarian regions of western Monmouth County into the Raritan River, and various rivers and inlets that flow from the more densely populated region of the Raritan Bayshore of northern Monmouth County into the Raritan Bay and the Lower New York Bay, before finally draining out into the Atlantic Ocean. The Manasquan Inlet is located in the county, which connects the Atlantic Ocean with the estuary of the Manasquan River, a bay-like body of saltwater that serves as the starting point of the Intracoastal Waterway, which attracts as many as 1,600 boats each weekend during the peak season.[40]
Climate and weather
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Much of Monmouth County has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa), while some inland areas have a hot-summer humid continental climate (Dfa). In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Freehold Borough have ranged from a low of 22 °F (−6 °C) in January to a high of 86 °F (30 °C) in July, although a record low of −13 °F (−25 °C) was recorded in January 1984 and a record high of 106 °F (41 °C) was recorded in July 2011. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.98 inches (76 mm) in February to 5.08 inches (129 mm) in July.[41]
Average monthly temperatures in Asbury Park range from 32.5 °F in January to 75.0 °F in July, while in Allentown, NJ they range from 32.1 °F in January to 75.5 °F in July.
On October 29, 2012, Hurricane Sandy caused catastrophic damage to coastal areas of Monmouth County. As Sandy's surge arrived in Monmouth County, flood levels of 13.31 feet (4.06 m) above normal were measured at Sandy Hook shortly before the destruction of the tidal station, breaking all previous local records. The surge caused waves as high as 32.5 feet (9.9 m), measured where the Sandy Hook Bay meets the New York Bay.[42]
Adjacent counties
- Middlesex County - northwest
- Ocean County - south
- Mercer County - west
- Burlington County - southwest
- Richmond County, New York - north
- Long Island (Kings County and Queens County, New York) - northeast
National protected areas
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1790 | 16,918 | — | |
| 1800 | 19,872 | 17.5% | |
| 1810 | 22,150 | 11.5% | |
| 1820 | 25,038 | 13.0% | |
| 1830 | 29,233 | 16.8% | |
| 1840 | 32,909 | 12.6% | |
| 1850 | 30,313 | * | −7.9% |
| 1860 | 39,346 | 29.8% | |
| 1870 | 46,195 | 17.4% | |
| 1880 | 55,538 | 20.2% | |
| 1890 | 69,128 | 24.5% | |
| 1900 | 82,057 | 18.7% | |
| 1910 | 94,734 | 15.4% | |
| 1920 | 104,925 | 10.8% | |
| 1930 | 147,209 | 40.3% | |
| 1940 | 161,238 | 9.5% | |
| 1950 | 225,327 | 39.7% | |
| 1960 | 334,401 | 48.4% | |
| 1970 | 461,849 | 38.1% | |
| 1980 | 503,173 | 8.9% | |
| 1990 | 553,124 | 9.9% | |
| 2000 | 615,301 | 11.2% | |
| 2010 | 630,380 | 2.5% | |
| 2020 | 643,615 | 2.1% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 642,799 | [3][5] | −0.1% |
| Historical sources: 1790-1990[43] 1970-2010[12] 2000[10] 2010[9] 2020[3][4] * = Lost territory in previous decade.[29] | |||
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the county had 643,615 people, 240,377 households, and 161,545 families. The population density was 1,372.9 inhabitants per square mile (530.1/km2). There were 268,912 housing units at an average density of 573.6 per square mile (221.5/km2). The county's racial makeup was 71.6% White, 6.08% African American, 0.07% Native American, 5.6% Asian, and 3.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.5% of the population.[3]
Of the 240,377 households, of which 38.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.5% were married couples living together, 25.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 14.4% had a male householder with no wife present and 32.8% were non-families. 13.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.16.[3]
About 21.4% of the county's population was under age 18, 8.1% was from age 18 to 24, 34.8% was from age 15 to 44, and 18.2% was age 65 or older. The median age was 43.5 years. The gender makeup of the city was 48.7% male and 51.3% female. For every 100 females, there were 95.0 males.[3]
The county's median household income was $102,870, and the median family income was $124,778. About 6.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.1% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over.[3]
2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 630,380 people, 233,983 households, and 163,320 families in the county. The population density was 1,344.7 per square mile (519.2/km2). There were 258,410 housing units at an average density of 551.2 per square mile (212.8/km2). The racial makeup was 82.60% (520,716) White, 7.37% (46,443) Black or African American, 0.19% (1,211) Native American, 4.96% (31,258) Asian, 0.03% (211) Pacific Islander, 2.89% (18,187) from other races, and 1.96% (12,354) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.67% (60,939) of the population.[9]
Of the 233,983 households, 32.4% had children under the age of 18; 55.5% were married couples living together; 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present and 30.2% were non-families. Of all households, 25% 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 2.66 and the average family size was 3.22.[9]
23.8% of the population were under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 24% from 25 to 44, 30.6% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.3 years. For every 100 females, the population had 94.7 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 91.9 males.[9]
Government
County government
Monmouth County is governed by a five-member Board of County Commissioners, who are elected at-large for three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats up for election each year. Each January, the commissioners 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. Monmouth County's Commissioners have both administrative and policy-making powers. The commissioners oversee the five mandatory functions of the county government delegated to it by the state. Each commissioner is assigned responsibility for one of the five functional areas: Administration and Special Services; Public Works and Engineering; Human Services, Health and Transportation; Finance and Administration of Justice, overseeing more than 70 county departments in total.[44][45] In 2016, freeholders were paid $27,000 and the freeholder director was paid an annual salary of $27,900.[46] County Administrator Teri O'Connor, an appointed position, serves as the county's chief executive officer, and is responsible for carrying out the policies and directives established by the Board of County Commissioners and managing the daily operations of the county's more than 3,000 employees.[47]
As of 2024[update], Monmouth County's Commissioners are (with terms for Chair and Vice-Chair ending every December 31):[48][49][50][51][52]
| Commissioner | Party, Residence, Term |
|---|---|
| Director Thomas A. Arnone | R, Neptune City, 2025[53] |
| Deputy Director Ross F. Licitra | R, Marlboro Township, 2026[54] |
| Erik Anderson | R, Shrewsbury, 2026[55] |
| Nick DiRocco | R, Wall Township, 2025[56] |
| Susan M. Kiley | R, Hazlet Township, 2024[57] |
The Republican Party had held all five Commissioner seats until 2006, but after the 2006 and 2008 elections, Democrats controlled the Board by a 3–2 margin. The Board swung back in favor of the Republicans after the 2009 election when Republican John Curley beat Democrat Sean Byrnes. Both were running to succeed former Commissioner Director Barbara McMorrow, a Democrat, who had chosen not to seek re-election. In 2010, former mayor of Neptune City, NJ, Thomas Arnone (R), and incumbent Commissioner Robert Clifton (R) won seats giving Republicans control of the Board of Chosen Commissioners by a 4–1 margin. The board has been all Republican since 2011.[58]
Pursuant to Article VII Section II of the New Jersey State Constitution, each county in New Jersey is required to have three elected administrative officials known as "constitutional officers." These officers are the County Clerk and County Surrogate (both elected for five-year terms of office) and the County Sheriff (elected for a three-year term).[59] Monmouth county's constitutional officers are:
| Office | Party, Residence, Term |
|---|---|
| Clerk Christine Giordano Hanlon | R,Ocean Township, 2025[60][61] |
| Sheriff Shaun Golden | R, Howell Township, 2025[62][63] |
| Surrogate Rosemarie D. Peters | R, Middletown Township, 2026[64][65] |
Christopher J. Gramiccioni of Wall Township is the county's prosecutor, having been formally nominated to the position by Governor of New Jersey Chris Christie in May 2016.[66][67] Gramiccioni had been serving on an acting basis for almost four years, since being appointed to the post in July 2012 by Attorney General of New Jersey Jeffrey S. Chiesa.[68] Monmouth County constitutes Vicinage 9 of the New Jersey Superior Court and is seated at the Monmouth County Courthouse in Freehold Borough, with additional facilities in Freehold and Ocean Township; the Assignment Judge for Vicinage 9 is Lisa P. Thornton.[69]
Federal representatives
The 3rd, 4th, and 6th Congressional Districts cover the county.[70] For the 118th United States Congress, New Jersey's 3rd congressional district is represented by Andy Kim (D, Moorestown).[71] For the 118th United States Congress, New Jersey's 4th congressional district is represented by Chris Smith (R, Manchester Township).[72][73] For the 118th United States Congress, New Jersey's 6th congressional district is represented by Frank Pallone (D, Long Branch).[74][75]
State representatives
The 53 municipalities of Monmouth County are covered by five legislative districts.