ZIP Code 07728

Freehold is a borough and the county seat of Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 census, the borough's population was 12,538, reflecting an increase of 486 (+4.0%) from the 10,976 counted in the 2000 census. The Hispanic and Latino population has been rapidly growing in Freehold Borough for the last 40 years. The name of the borough comes from the word Freehold, an English legal term describing fee simple property ownership. The Lenni Lenape Native Americans were the earliest known people to live in the area that became Freehold. In 1685, Scottish Presbyterians from Scotland, along with English Baptists and Quakers from New England fleeing religious persecution at home, became the first to settle within the area. The borough is located relatively close to the Raritan Bayshore communities to the north, such as The Amboys, Old Bridge, Matawan, Keyport, Keansburg, and Middletown. Freehold is located about 33 miles (53 km) from Manhattan and 17 miles (27km) from Staten Island. In 2021, Freehold borough became one of few towns in the state (including, Bellmawr, Egg Harbor Township, Montclair and Woodbridge Township) that has authorized the sale of cannabis through authorized dispensaries and for the allowance of cultivators, distributors, wholesalers, and manufacturers. The Black or African American population has decreased in recent decades: 17.1% in 1970, 19.8% in 1980, 18.2% in 1990, 15.8%, 12.6% in 2010 and 9.4% in 2020.

History

The Lenni Lenape Native Americans were the earliest known people to live in the area that became Freehold. In 1685, Scottish Presbyterians from Scotland, along with English Baptists and Quakers from New England became the first to settle within the area. Freehold was established by act of legislature as one of the three original townships in Monmouth County. The name of the borough comes from the word Freehold, an English legal term describing fee simple property ownership. The Declaration of Independence was publicly proclaimed, read aloud, from the steps of the Freehold Courthouse just a few days after being signed in Philadelphia. In June 1778, the Continental Army intercepted the column of loyalist families in Freehold as they moved towards New York Harbor. The Battle of Trenton was a major strategic battle involving 25,000 British, Hessian and Continental soldiers. The area is now part of Freehold Manalapan Townships (the Freehold area is part of Manalapen Townships) and Freehold is a part of Monmouth Township. In the early 20th century, the area was divided into two separate municipalities, Freehold and Manalalapan, with Freehold being the larger of the two municipalities. The current Freehold borough was formed in the 1990s after the separation of the townships of Middletown and Shrewsbury was completed. The Freehold Borough was established in the 2000s after a referendum was held by the voters of the town.

Geography

Freehold has an elevation of 174 feet (53 m) above sea level at its center. The borough is completely surrounded by Freehold Township, making it part of 21 pairs of "doughnut towns" in the state. Freehold sits on the northern border between the humid subtropical climate (Cfa) and the humid continental climate (Dfa) zone. It has an Appalachian Oak (104) vegetation type with an Eastern Hardwood Forest (25) vegetation form, according to the A. W. Kuchler U.S. potential natural vegetation types. It is located 35 miles (56 km) south of New York City and 50 miles (80 km) northeast of Philadelphia. It also sits 16 miles (26 km) west of Asbury Park on the Jersey Shore. It had a total area of 1.93 square miles (5.00 km²) of land and 0.01 square miles of water (0.10%) in the 2010 Census. The town is one of the most northern localities in North America that has a humid subtopical climate. The area has an average temperature of 71.6 °F (22.0 °C) and no significant precipitation difference between seasons. It would have a natural vegetation type of Appalachian Oak with an eastern hardwood forest vegetation form if it were to grow in the area. The city has a population of 2,816. The population of Freehold Borough, New Jersey, in 2010 was 2,071.

Demographics

The 2010 U.S. census counted 12,052 people, 4,006 households, and 2,660 families in the borough. The racial makeup of the borough was 71.02% White, 15.83% Black, 55% Native American, 2.45% Asian, 02% Pacific Islander, 6.64% from other races, and 3.49% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 42.87% (5,167) of the population. The median household income was $52,000 (with a margin of error of +/ $3,634) and the median family income was$60,471 (+/ $ 3,989) The per capita income for the borough is $23,331 (-/ $1,602). About 13.1% of families and 16.01% of the residents were below the poverty line, including 20.5% under age 18 and 14.2% of those age 65 or over. The average household size was 2.98 and the average family size was 3.48. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 112.0 males. In the borough the population was spread out, with 24.8% under the age of 18, 10.9% from 18 to 24, 34.4% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.0% who were 65 years of age or older.

Economy

The Freeholds region has been a longtime premier shopping destination in Central New Jersey. The borough is home to Downtown Freehold, located on East and West Main Street (County Route 537) In 2021, the Freehold Borough council approved an ordinance to opt-in for cannabis businesses to operate within the borough. Bruce Springsteen wrote about the Karagheusian Rug Mills closing in his 1984 song "My Hometown" The Freehold Raceway Mall is a super-regional mall located in neighboring Freehold Township. Freehold is one of the few towns in the state that has authorized the sale of cannabis in New Jersey, especially within the greater central New Jersey region. It is located near the Jersey Shore, and proximity to cities such as New York, Newark, Trenton, and Philadelphia has made it a popular shopping destination for many years. It has a gross leasable area of 1,600,000 square feet (150,000 m2). There are many other shopping destinations outside of the borough, including the Freeheld Raceway mall, the Manalapan EpiCentre, the Jackson Premium Outlets in nearby Jackson Township, and The Shoppes in nearby Old Bridge Township. It also has a large number of restaurants, bars, boutiques, historical sites, and other excursions. In 2008, NJ Transit has sponsored a project in transforming the FreeHold Center Bus Station into a Transit Village. This new designation would foster in the creation of a transit-oriented development zoning district around by the freehold Center Bus station.

Parks and recreation

The Freeholds region is home to a wide array of nature spaces, including Monmouth Battlefield State Park, Turkey Swamp Park, and Lake Topanemus. The southernmost segment of the Henry Hudson Trail starts in the borough and runs northeast to the Raritan Bayshore area. The park is also known for its picturesque nature trails, playgrounds, outdoor calisthenics, and open fields. There is a parking lot located at 119 Dutch Lane Road in Freehold Township. The trail is used by walkers, runners and bicyclists. The pond's attractions, include freshwater fishing, paddle boating, and canoeing. The lake is owned and operated by the borough, but is also a suburb of Freehold, New Jersey. It is one of the largest lakes in New Jersey, with a surface area of 71 acres (29 ha) and a water depth of 2.5 meters (7.5 ft) The pond is a popular destination for kayakers and paddle boaters, as well as for canoeing and other water-based activities. It was built in the early 1900s, and is located in the Freehold section of the town, near the town's southern border. The town is also home to several other parks, including Liberty Park, Veterans Park and Vinyard Park, which are owned and run by the Borough Recreation Commission. The borough also has a number of smaller parks, such as Liberty Park and Veterans Park, that are operated by a separate commission.

Government

Freehold is governed under the Borough form of New Jersey municipal government, which is used in 218 municipalities (of the 564) statewide. The governing body is comprised of the Mayor and the Borough Council, with all positions elected at-large on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. Monmouth County is governed by a Board of County Commissioners comprised of five members. Freehold Borough is located in the 3rd Congressional District and in the 11th state legislative district. For the 117th United States Congress, Freehold is represented by Andy Kim (D, Moorestown). New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Democrats Cory Booker (Newark, term ends 2027) and Bob Menendez (Harrison, term end 2025). For the 2022-2023 session, the New Jersey Legislature is represented at the state level by Vin Gopal (D), Kimberly Eulner (R, Shrewsbury) and Marilyn Piperno (R), all of whom are elected on a staggered basis. As of 2022, the Mayor of Freehold borough is Democrat Kevin A. Kane, whose term of office ends December 31, 2023. Members of the freehold Borough Council are Council President Margaret Rogers, Council President Michael DiBenedetto, Annette Jordan, Adam Reich, George Schnurr and Sharon Shutzer. 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.

Education

Freehold Borough's public school students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade attend the Freehold Borough Schools. As of the 201819 school year, the district, comprised of three schools, had an enrollment of 1,698 students and 140.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a studentteacher ratio of 12.1:1. Students in public school for ninth through twelfth grades attend Freehold High School. The independent Freehold Public Library is one of the remaining Carnegie-funded libraries in the state. It is believed to be the only one with the name "Carnegie Library" engraved on its front. The Freehold Regional High School District also serves students from Colts Neck Township, Englishtown, Farmingdale, Freehold Township, Howell Township, Manalapan Township and Marlboro Township. The FRHSD board of education has nine members, who are elected to three-year terms from each of the constituent districts. Each member is allocated a fraction of a vote that totals to nine points, with FreeHold Borough allocated one member, who has 1.0 votes. The district also has six specialized learning centers, including the Medical Sciences Learning Center hosted at Freehold high school. Students may apply to attend one of these centers. The school district is part of the Monmouth County Public School System, which is not part of Monmouth county. The borough is home to the Freeholder Public Library, which was founded in 1872. The library is not affiliated with the county library system.

Infrastructure

As of May 2010, the borough had a total of 31.31 miles (50.39 km) of roadways, of which 26.60 miles (42.81 km) were maintained by the municipality. In the 19th & 20th centuries, Freehold Borough and Freehold Township had two major railways. Today, the nearest train stations to the borough are located in Aberdeen-Matawan, Asbury Park, Long Branch, and South Amboy on the North Jersey Coast Line, and Metropark in Iselin, Metuchen, New Brunswick, and Princeton Junction on the Northeast Corridor Line. Freehold's former train station for both of these important railway routes now serves as the central bus station for town. The borough and its neighboring township would be potential stops for the 'MOM' Line, outlined in the Freehold Revitalization Plan. In 2008, NJ Transit has sponsored a project in transforming its downtown area as a "Transit Village". This new designation would foster the creation of a Freehold Bus Station between Main Street (County Route 537) and Throckmorton Street. In April 2020, council members will determine if the area is warranted for redevelopment, and will prepare a redevelopment plan for the area by the end of the year. The Freehold and Jamesburg Agricultural Railroad, which was owned and operated by the Camden & Amboy Railroad Company (C&A), was opened on July 18, 1853. The other major railway in the area was the Central Railroad of New Jersey, which had a branch that connected the still-active former Penn Central line from Jamesburg to CNJ's Seashore Branch.

Points of interest

Freehold Raceway is the oldest harness racetrack in the United States, dating to 1853. The Metz Bicycle Museum exhibits antique bicycles dating back to the 1850s. St. Peter's Episcopal Church was built in 1771 based on a design by architect Robert Smith and was added to the National Register in 1998 as one of one five churches in the state still standing. Olive Branch Lodge No. 16 Free and Accepted Masons was instituted October 20, 1849. Freehold Public Library was established in 1911 which was constructed as the Orthodox Jewish Congregation Agudath Achim. The Freehold County Historical Association is a museum and library dedicated to the history of Monmouth County. The Battle of Mon Mouth Monument is located in the town's downtown area and is a National Register of Historic Places listed building built in the 1750s and used by the British as a headquarters during the Battle ofMonmouth. It was listed in 1974 and is one of the state's oldest battle memorials. It is located on the banks of the Monmouth River and was used as a British base during the battle. The town is also home to the New Jersey Turnpike, which runs from New Jersey to New York City and the New York River to Long Island. It has a population of more than 2.5 million people, making it one of New Jersey's most densely populated areas. It also has the largest concentration of Masons in the U.S. in New Jersey, with more than 1,000 members.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Freehold, Monmouth County, New Jersey = 10.9. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 16. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 10. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Freehold = 3.6 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of individuals with a median age of 40.8 age the population grows by 12.23% in Freehold, Monmouth County, New Jersey population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 6,496.4 residents per square mile of area (2,508.3/km²). There are average 2.74 people per household in the 12,320 households with an average household income of $93,617 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 7.40% of the available work force and has dropped -3.55% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 24.40%. The number of physicians in Freehold per 100,000 population = 320.7.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Freehold = 45.4 inches and the annual snowfall = 23.2 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 115. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 209. 86 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 22.5 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 49, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Freehold, Monmouth County, New Jersey which are owned by the occupant = 84.84%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 24 years with median home cost = $292,350 and home appreciation of -1.63%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $21.74 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $9,022 per student. There are 12.4 students for each teacher in the school, 825 students for each Librarian and 523 students for each Counselor. 6.96% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 24.53% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 13.11% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).