Hamburg is a borough in Sussex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 3,266, The United States Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated that the population of Hamburg increased by 65 (+2.0%) to 3,331 in 2023. The borough was named after Hamburg, Germany.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 1.17 square miles (3.03&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>), including 1.15 square miles (2.96&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) of land and 0.02 square miles (0.06&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) of water (2.05%).

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Hamburg had a population of 3,266. The median age was 45.1 years. 17.5% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 95.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 93.5 males age 18 and over.

99.7% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.3% lived in rural areas.

There were 1,452 households in Hamburg, of which 24.4% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 43.7% were married-couple households, 18.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 29.5% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 30.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census

There were 1,173 households, out of which 37.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.7% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.0% were non-families. 23.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.14. 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. The mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The borough council is comprised 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. The borough form of government used by Hamburg 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.

, the mayor of Hamburg Borough is Republican Richard Krasnomowitz, whose term of office ends December 31, 2026. Members of the Borough Council are John Burd (R, 2025), George Endres (R, 2026), John Haig (R, 2024), Russell Law (R, 2025), Joyce Oehler (R, 2026) and Mark S. Sena (R, 2024).

In August 2018, Joyce Oehler was appointed to fill the seat expiring in December 2020 that had been held by Chris Fitzpatrick until he resigned from office. Oehler won the November 2018 special election to serve the balance of the term of office.

In April 2014, the borough council selected former councilmember Russell Law from a list of three candidates nominated by the Republican municipal committee to fill the vacant seat expiring in December 2016 of Chris Kelly, who had resigned from office after announcing that he would be moving out of the borough. Law served on an interim basis until the November 2014 general election, when he was elected to serve the one year remaining on the term of office.

Federal, state and county representation

Hamburg is located in the 5th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 24th state legislative district.

Politics

As of March 2011, there were a total of 2,064 registered voters in Hamburg, of which 322 (15.6% vs. 16.5% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 752 (36.4% vs. 39.3%) were registered as Republicans and 988 (47.9% vs. 44.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 2 voters registered as either Libertarians or Greens. Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 63.0% (vs. 65.8% in Sussex County) were registered to vote, including 81.3% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 86.5% countywide).

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In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 733 votes (53.6% vs. 59.4% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 594 votes (43.5% vs. 38.2%) and other candidates with 30 votes (2.2% vs. 2.1%), among the 1,367 ballots cast by the borough's 2,104 registered voters, for a turnout of 65.0% (vs. 68.3% in Sussex County). In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 852 votes (57.1% vs. 59.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 606 votes (40.6% vs. 38.7%) and other candidates with 24 votes (1.6% vs. 1.5%), among the 1,491 ballots cast by the borough's 2,007 registered voters, for a turnout of 74.3% (vs. 76.9% in Sussex County). In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 893 votes (63.0% vs. 63.9% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 490 votes (34.6% vs. 34.4%) and other candidates with 27 votes (1.9% vs. 1.3%), among the 1,417 ballots cast by the borough's 1,897 registered voters, for a turnout of 74.7% (vs. 77.7% in the whole county).

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In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 67.7% of the vote (570 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 29.7% (250 votes), and other candidates with 2.6% (22 votes), among the 851 ballots cast by the borough's 2,115 registered voters (9 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 40.2%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 546 votes (59.2% vs. 63.3% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 283 votes (30.7% vs. 25.7%), Independent Chris Daggett with 78 votes (8.5% vs. 9.1%) and other candidates with 12 votes (1.3% vs. 1.3%), among the 922 ballots cast by the borough's 1,985 registered voters, yielding a 46.4% turnout (vs. 52.3% in the county).

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Education

The Hamburg School District serves students in public school for pre-kindergarten through eighth grade at Hamburg School. As of the 2024–25 school year, the district, comprised of one school, had an enrollment of 246 students and 30.1 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 8.2:1.

For ninth through twelfth grades, public school students attend Wallkill Valley Regional High School which also serves students from Franklin, Hardyston Township and Ogdensburg, as part of the Wallkill Valley Regional High School District. As of the 2024–25 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 581 students and 49.4 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.8:1.

Transportation

thumb|right|[[New Jersey Route 23|Route 23 northbound in Hamburg]]

Roads and highways

, the borough had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Sussex County and by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

Route 23 and Route 94 intersect and pass through the borough.

Public transportation

Hamburg is served by the Sussex County Skylands Ride Service, which provides buses to Newton, Sparta, and Sussex.

Notable people

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

  • Joseph E. Edsall (1789–1865), represented in the United States House of Representatives from 1845 to 1847, and the from 1847 to 1849
  • Daniel Haines (1801–1877), politician, jurist and lawyer who served as the 14th Governor of New Jersey
  • Robert Hamilton (1809–1878), represented in the United States House of Representatives from 1873 to 1877
  • Heather Maloney (born 1985), singer-songwriter
  • Andrew J. Rogers (1828–1900), represented in the United States House of Representatives from 1863 to 1867
  • Joseph Sharp (–1776), iron manufacturer and industrialist who established an iron works that led to the area being known as Sharpsborough

References

;Further reading

  • McCabe, Wayne T.; and McCabe, Margaret L. A Penny A View...An Album of Postcard Views...Hamburg, N.J. (Newton, NJ: Historic Preservation Alternatives, 2006).
  • Truran, William R. Franklin, Hamburg, Ogdensburg, and Hardyston (Images of America). (Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2004).
  • Hamburg Borough website