Medford Lakes is a borough in Burlington County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 4,264, The borough, and all of Burlington County, is a part of the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden combined statistical area and the Delaware Valley.

Medford Lakes was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on May 17, 1939, from portions of Medford Township. The borough was named for Medford Township, which was named by a developer for Medford, Massachusetts.

The borough's 22 lakes and surrounding lake communities are within the boundaries of the New Jersey Pinelands Commission. The Medford Lakes Colony, a community association, manages the lakes and other recreational facilities. More than 10% of the borough's homes are log cabins.

History

Prior to European colonization, the area now known as Medford Lakes was inhabited by the Lenni-Lenape people, who utilized the region's abundant natural resources, including its water bodies and forests, for survival and shelter.

European influence in the area began in the 17th century following English control over former Dutch territories. However, permanent European settlement did not commence until the 18th century. During this period, the region—characterized by its fertile soil and extensive forestland—remained sparsely populated and was primarily used for agriculture and lumbering activities.

During the American Revolutionary War, local industry played a role in the war effort. Charles Read’s Aetna Furnace contributed by producing cannonballs for the Continental Army, using locally sourced bog iron. Around the same time, John Haines constructed a saw and grist mill, marking the early stages of industrial activity in the area.

The 19th century saw continued exploitation of natural resources, particularly iron ore, which fueled local industry and contributed to the broader Industrial Revolution. Forges were established along the area’s waterways, and the population grew significantly during this period.

In 1927, the Medford Lakes Development Company was established, and in 1928, the Vaughn and Sons Lumber Company constructed the Colony Club Pavilion on land donated by the development company. The community became known for its distinctive log cabin architecture, utilizing imported cedar logs for construction. These log cabins, which featured strong insulation and prominent stone fireplaces, extended the usability of the area beyond the summer season, attracting visitors from Philadelphia and New York City.

In 1931, St. Mary of the Lakes Catholic Church, a single-story log cabin structure, was built and later added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2007.

Medford Lakes was officially incorporated as a borough on May 17, 1939, from portions of Medford Township.

Since 1931, the Canoe Carnival, an event featuring hand-crafted floats each supported by a maximum of two canoes, has taken place on Lower Aetna Lake during the first week of August. Spectators gather along the lake to view the event, after which a winner, as well as a king, queen, and court, are announced.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 1.293 square miles (3.348&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>), including 1.162 square miles (3.008&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) of which is land and 0.131 square miles (0.340&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) of which is water (10.15%). making it part one of 21 pairs of "doughnut towns" in the state, where one municipality entirely surrounds another.

Medford Lakes is one of 56 South Jersey municipalities that are included within the New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve, a protected natural area of unique ecology covering , that has been classified as a United States Biosphere Reserve and established by Congress in 1978 as the nation's first National Reserve. All of the borough is included in the state-designated Pinelands Area, which includes portions of Burlington County, along with areas in Atlantic, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester and Ocean counties.

Climate

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Medford Lakes had a population of 4,264. The median age was 43.4 years. 24.1% of residents were under the age of 18 and 17.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 95.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 93.2 males age 18 and over.

100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 1,522 households in Medford Lakes, of which 37.8% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 67.0% were married-couple households, 9.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 19.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 17.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census

There were 1,527 households, out of which 36.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.8% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.9% were non-families. 15.1% 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 2.73 and the average family size was 3.04. The governing body is comprised of five members, who are elected at-large in non-partisan elections to serve four-year terms on a staggered basis, with either two or three seats up for vote in even-numbered years as part of the May municipal election. The borough council was expanded from three to five seats, with the two additional council seats added as part of the May 2010 election in which there were two seats up for a four-year term and two others for a two-year term.

, members of the borough council are Mayor William R. Fields (term of office on council ends June 30, 2028; term as mayor ends 2026), Deputy Mayor Dennis P. O'Neill (term on council and as deputy mayor ends 2026), Councilman Matthew R. Bailey (2028), Thomas J. Cranston (2026) and Gerald Yowell (2028).

In February 2021, the borough council appointed Dennis P. O'Neill to fill the seat expiring in June 2022 that had been held by Robert D. Hanold Sr. until his death the previous month. O'Neill served on an interim basis until the May 2021 municipal election, when he was elected to serve the balance of the term of office.

In March 2015, the borough council selected Kathy Merkh to fill the vacant seat of Deputy Mayor Jeff Fitzpatrick, who had submitted his resignation from office the previous month. Gary Miller was chosen to fill the vacant position of deputy mayor.

Federal, state and county representation

Medford Lakes is located in the 3rd Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 8th state legislative district.

Politics

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As of March 2011, there were a total of 3,033 registered voters in Medford Lakes, of which 749 (24.7% vs. 33.3% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 1,009 (33.3% vs. 23.9%) were registered as Republicans and 1,275 (42.0% vs. 42.8%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were no voters registered to other parties. Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 73.2% (vs. 61.7% in Burlington County) were registered to vote, including 99.2% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 80.3% countywide).

In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 1,197 votes here (49.3% vs. 58.1% countywide), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 1,194 votes (49.2% vs. 40.2%) and other candidates with 24 votes (1.0% vs. 1.0%), among the 2,429 ballots cast by the borough's 3,142 registered voters, for a turnout of 77.3% (vs. 74.5% in Burlington County). In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 1,223 votes here (49.3% vs. 58.4% countywide), ahead of Republican John McCain with 1,208 votes (48.7% vs. 39.9%) and other candidates with 34 votes (1.4% vs. 1.0%), among the 2,482 ballots cast by the borough's 3,007 registered voters, for a turnout of 82.5% (vs. 80.0% in Burlington County). In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 1,302 votes here (52.0% vs. 46.0% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 1,168 votes (46.6% vs. 52.9%) and other candidates with 24 votes (1.0% vs. 0.8%), among the 2,505 ballots cast by the borough's 3,014 registered voters, for a turnout of 83.1% (vs. 78.8% in the whole county).

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In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 941 votes here (66.9% vs. 61.4% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 425 votes (30.2% vs. 35.8%) and other candidates with 24 votes (1.7% vs. 1.2%), among the 1,406 ballots cast by the borough's 3,107 registered voters, yielding a 45.3% turnout (vs. 44.5% in the county). In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 956 votes here (55.8% vs. 47.7% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 650 votes (37.9% vs. 44.5%), Independent Chris Daggett with 74 votes (4.3% vs. 4.8%) and other candidates with 17 votes (1.0% vs. 1.2%), among the 1,713 ballots cast by the borough's 3,061 registered voters, yielding a 56.0% turnout (vs. 44.9% in the county).

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Education

Students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade are educated by the Medford Lakes School District.As of the 2023–24 school year, the district, comprised of two schools, had an enrollment of 487 students and 46.3 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.5:1. Schools in the district (with 2023–24 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are

Nokomis School with 162 students in grades PreK–2 and

Neeta School with 325 students in grades 3–8.

Public school students from Medford Lakes in ninth through twelfth grades attend Shawnee High School, located in Medford Township. Shawnee is part of the Lenape Regional High School District, a regional high school district in Burlington County, New Jersey that serves the eight municipalities of Evesham Township, Medford Lakes, Medford Township, Mount Laurel, Shamong Township, Southampton Township, Tabernacle Township and Woodland Township. As of the 2023–24 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 1,418 students and 114.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.4:1.

Students from Medford Lakes, and from all of Burlington County, are eligible to attend the Burlington County Institute of Technology, a countywide public school district that serves the vocational and technical education needs of students at the high school and post-secondary level at its campuses in Medford and Westampton.

Transportation

thumb|upright=1.1|[[County Route 532 (New Jersey)|County Route 532 in Medford Lakes]]

, the borough had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality and by Burlington County.

The main roads serving Medford Lakes are County Route 532 and County Route 541. CR 541 travels north–south, while CR 532 head east from its western terminus at CR 541 within the borough.

Notable people

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

  • Brian Earl (born 1976), former professional basketball player who is the head men's basketball coach at The College of William & Mary
  • Dan Earl (born 1974), head men's basketball coach for the VMI Keydets
  • George Makris (1920–2005), 18th head coach of the Temple Owls football team
  • Gregg Rakoczy (born 1965), NFL football player for the Cleveland Browns
  • Liz Tchou (born 1966), former field hockey defender who played on the US women's team that finished fifth at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta

References

  • Medford Lakes website
  • Burlington County webpage for Medford Lakes borough