Absecon, New Jersey

Absecon (, ) is a city in Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 9,137,

History

The current City of Absecon was originally incorporated as a town by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 29, 1872, from portions of Egg Harbor Township and Galloway Township. Then on March 24, 1902, the City of Absecon replaced the town. The city is named for the Absegami tribe of Native Americans, from the word "Absogami", which means "little stream".

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, Absecon city had a total area of 7.22 square miles (18.69 km2), including 5.47 square miles (14.16 km2) of land and 1.75 square miles (4.53 km2) of water (24.22%).

Climate

The climate in Absecon is subtropical, as the summers are hot and humid, and the winters are mild. The coldest month is January, and the hottest month is July.

Demographics

The city, and all of Atlantic County, is part of the Atlantic City-Hammonton metropolitan statistical area, which in turn is included in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden combined statistical area and the Delaware Valley.

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Absecon had a population of 9,137. The median age was 45.4 years. 18.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 21.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 93.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 90.4 males age 18 and over.

97.3% of residents lived in urban areas, while 2.7% lived in rural areas.

There were 3,614 households in Absecon, of which 26.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 46.2% were married-couple households, 18.0% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 28.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 27.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census

There were 2,773 households, out of which 32.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.6% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.8% were non-families. 19.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.08. The governing body is comprised of the Mayor and the seven-member City Council. The mayor is elected to a four-year term of office. The City Council includes six members elected from the city's two wards to three-year terms on a staggered basis, with one seat from each ward up for election each year, along with one member elected at-large to a four-year term in office, all of whom are elected on a partisan basis as part of the November general election.

, the Mayor of Absecon is Republican Thomas A. Marrone, serving a term of office ending December 31, 2028. Members of the Absecon City Council are Council President Nicholas L. LaRotonda (R, 2026; Ward 1), Linda Evans (R, 2027; Ward 2), Alexander C. Clark IV (R, 2026; Ward 1), Richard DeRose (R, 2025; Ward 2), Stephen S. Light (R, 2025; At Large) and Christine Parker (R, 2026; Ward 2). The person to fill in Mayor Thomas A. Marrone's Ward 1 seat has yet to be determined.

In September 2021, the City Council selected Donna Poley to fill the Ward 1 seat expiring in December 2022 that had been held by Keith C. Bennett until he resigned from office.

In February 2019, the City Council appointed Ward 2 councilmember Kimberley Horton to fill the mayoral seat expiring in December 2020 that had been held by John Armstrong until he resigned from office. Horton served on an interim basis until the November 2019 general election when he was elected to serve the balance of the term of office. Later that month, Caleb Cavileer was chosen to fill Horton's vacant Ward 2 seat expiring in December 2020. In the November 2019 general election, Cavileer ran for and won a full three-year term and Butch Burroughs was elected to serve the balance of Horton's council term of office, while Horton was elected to complete the mayoral term.

Following the death of Ward 1 Councilmember Donald E. Camp in February 2016, Patrick Sheeran was selected from three candidates nominated by the Republican municipal committee and appointed to fill the vacant seat expiring in December 2016.

Federal, state and county representation

Absecon is located in the 2nd Congressional district and is part of New Jersey's 2nd state legislative district.

Politics

As of March 2011, there were a total of 5,629 registered voters in Absecon City, of which 1,353 (24.0% vs. 30.5% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 1,716 (30.5% vs. 25.2%) were registered as Republicans and 2,557 (45.4% vs. 44.3%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 3 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens. Among the city's 2010 Census population, 66.9% (vs. 58.8% in Atlantic County) were registered to vote, including 84.5% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 76.6% countywide).

In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 2,172 votes (50.6% vs. 57.9% countywide), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 2,063 votes (48.1% vs. 41.1%) and other candidates with 43 votes (1.0% vs. 0.9%), among the 4,289 ballots cast by the city's 5,938 registered voters, for a turnout of 72.2% (vs. 65.8% in Atlantic County). In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 2,262 votes (49.8% vs. 41.6% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 2,203 votes (48.5% vs. 56.5%) and other candidates with 41 votes (0.9% vs. 1.1%), among the 4,539 ballots cast by the city's 5,993 registered voters, for a turnout of 75.7% (vs. 68.1% in Atlantic County). In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 2,177 votes (53.6% vs. 46.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 1,800 votes (44.4% vs. 52.0%) and other candidates with 42 votes (1.0% vs. 0.8%), among the 4,058 ballots cast by the city's 5,201 registered voters, for a turnout of 78.0% (vs. 69.8% in the whole county).

{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; font-size:95%;"

|+ Presidential elections results

|- bgcolor=lightgrey

! Year

!Republican

!Democratic

!Third Parties

| style="text-align:center;" |2024

| style="text-align:center;" |53.9% 2,753

| style="text-align:center;" |44.0% 2,248

| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;" |2.1% 90

| style="text-align:center;" |2020

| style="text-align:center;" |50.1% 2,675

| style="text-align:center;" |48.6% 2,596

| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;" |1.3% 71

| style="text-align:center;" |2016

| style="text-align:center;" |51.7% 2,341

| style="text-align:center;" |44.5% 2,017

| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;" |3.8% 172

| style="text-align:center;" |2012

| style="text-align:center;" |48.1% 2,063

| style="text-align:center;" |50.6% 2,172

| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;" |1.0% 43

| style="text-align:center;" |2008

| style="text-align:center;" |49.8% 2,262

| style="text-align:center;" |48.5% 2,203

| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;" |0.9% 41

| style="text-align:center;" |2004

| style="text-align:center;" |53.6% 2,177

| style="text-align:center;" |44.4% 1,800

| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;" |1.0% 42

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 1,874 votes (65.0% vs. 60.0% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 883 votes (30.6% vs. 34.9%) and other candidates with 33 votes (1.1% vs. 1.3%), among the 2,883 ballots cast by the city's 5,991 registered voters, yielding a 48.1% turnout (vs. 41.5% in the county). In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 1,501 votes (52.3% vs. 47.7% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 1,195 votes (41.6% vs. 44.5%), Independent Chris Daggett with 133 votes (4.6% vs. 4.8%) and other candidates with 21 votes (0.7% vs. 1.2%), among the 2,872 ballots cast by the city's 5,770 registered voters, yielding a 49.8% turnout (vs. 44.9% in the county).

Education

The Absecon Public School District serve students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. As of the 2024–25 school year, the district, comprised of two schools, had an enrollment of 921 students and 97.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 9.5:1. Schools in the district (with 2024–25 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics.) are

H. Ashton Marsh Elementary School with 516 students in grades PreK–4 and

Emma C. Attales Middle School with 392 students in grades 5–8.

For ninth through twelfth grades, public school students from Absecon attend the Pleasantville High School in Pleasantville as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Pleasantville Public Schools. As of the 2024–25 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 997 students and 74.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 13.5:1.

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.

Holy Spirit High School is a Roman Catholic high school, that operates under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Camden. Established in Atlantic City in 1922, the school moved to Absecon in 1964.

Transportation

thumb|right|[[U.S. Route 30 in New Jersey|U.S. Route 30 westbound entering Absecon]]

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.

Highways and roads in Absecon include U.S. Route 9, U.S. Route 30, Route 157 and County Route 585. The now-defunct Route 43 also passed through the city.

The Atlantic City Expressway and the Garden State Parkway are accessible outside the city in bordering Egg Harbor and Galloway townships.

Public transportation

thumb|right|Absecon station, which is served by NJ Transit's Atlantic City Line

The Absecon station is served by NJ Transit's Atlantic City Line trains, with east-west service between 30th Street Station in Philadelphia and the Atlantic City Rail Terminal in Atlantic City.

NJ Transit provides bus service to and from Atlantic City on routes 508 (to the Hamilton Mall), 554 (to the Lindenwold PATCO station) and 559 (to Lakewood Township).

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Absecon include:

Valerie H. Armstrong, retired judge of the New Jersey Superior Court
Francis J. Blee (born 1958), member of the General Assembly who represented the 2nd Legislative District and served on the Absecon City Council from 1991 to 1995, serving as Absecon's youngest ever council president from 1992 to 1993
Joe Callahan (born 1993), American football quarterback who played in the NFL for the Green Bay Packers
Robert Irvine (born 1965), celebrity chef and television personality
Brian Joo (born 1981), R&B and K-pop recording artist who was part of the duo Fly to the Sky
Amy Kennedy (born 1978), educator, mental health advocate and Democratic nominee for New Jersey's 2nd congressional district in the 2020 elections
Michelle Malkin (born 1970), columnist and political commentator
Joseph McGahn (1917–1999), member of the New Jersey Senate who was a leading advocate of bringing casino gambling to Atlantic City
Carol Plum-Ucci (born 1957), young adult novelist and essayist
John Roman (born 1952), former professional American football offensive lineman who played seven seasons in the NFL for the New York Jets
Cleon Throckmorton (1897–1965), painter and theatrical designer, producer and architect
Hilary Tompkins, lawyer who served as the solicitor of the U.S. Department of the Interior

References

External links

Absecon City web site
Absecon Public Library
Absecon Public School District
School Data for the Absecon Public School District, National Center for Education Statistics
The Current of Absecon – Local community newspaper