Mount Ephraim, New Jersey

Template:Short description Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox settlement Mount Ephraim(pronounced "EEF-rum")<ref>Franco, Judi. "20 town names in NJ with crazy pronunciations that make no sense Read More: 20 NJ town names with crazy pronunciations that make no sense", WKXW, June 29, 2023. Accessed February 5, 2025. "Mount Ephraim - Incorrect: Mount EF-rum; Correct: Mount EEF-rum"</ref> is a borough in Camden County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 4,651,<ref name=LWD2020/> a decrease of 25 (−0.5%) from the 2010 census count of 4,676,<ref name=Census2010/><ref name=LWD2010/> which in turn reflected an increase of 181 (+4.0%) from the 4,495 counted in the 2000 census.<ref>Table 7. Population for the Counties and Municipalities in New Jersey: 1990, 2000 and 2010, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, February 2011. Accessed May 1, 2023.</ref>

The borough had the 20th-highest property tax rate in New Jersey with an equalized rate of 4.442% in 2020, compared to 3.470% in the county as a whole and a statewide average of 2.279%.<ref>"Here are the 30 N.J. towns with the highest property tax rates", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, March 15, 2021. Accessed January 19, 2022. "The average equalized tax rate in New Jersey was 2.279 in 2020, according to data from the Department of Community Affairs. Here is the list of 30 New Jersey towns with the highest property tax rates.... 20. Mount Ephraim Equalized tax rate in Mount Ephraim Borough, Camden County, was 4.442 in 2020 Average equalized tax rate in Camden County: 3.470</ref>

History

Mount Ephraim was authorized to incorporate as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 23, 1926, from portions of the now-defunct Centre Township, and then incorporated following a referendum on April 28, 1926, being the last borough to dissolve the former township. Acts authorizing the creation of the boroughs of Bellmawr, Runnemede and Lawnside were also passed during the same two-day period.<ref name=Story>Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 107. Accessed May 30, 2024.</ref> The borough was named for Ephraim Albertson, who owned a tavern in the area in the early 1800s.<ref>A Brief History, Borough of Mount Ephraim. Accessed September 8, 2015. "Originally a colonial settlement, the town Mount Ephraim came into popularity by a man named Ephraim Albertson, who owned the Public House, also called the Old Tavern, a popular meeting place, at Black Horse Pike & Kings Highway, from 1800 to 1825."</ref><ref>Prowell, George Reeser. The History of Camden County, New Jersey, p. 711. Richards, 1886. Accessed September 8, 2015. "A public house has been kept in this locality from a period so remote that the memory of the oldest citizen does not reach it. The first keeper is not remembered, but it is believed to have been Albertson from whom the village obtained its name and who owned the land."</ref>

In a 1981 decision in Schad v. Mount Ephraim, the U.S. Supreme Court, in a decision authored for the majority by Associate Justice Byron White, the court decided by a 7–2 margin to overturn the convictions of the two owners of a bookstore where there was nude dancing, despite a prohibition against all forms of live entertainment in the borough's zoning ordinance. The decision cited the First Amendment rights of the storeowners.<ref>Greenhouse, Linda. "High Court Rejects Ban On Live Entertainment", The New York Times, June 2, 1981. Accessed January 20, 2022. "The Court, voting 7 to 2, reversed the convictions of two owners of a so-called adult bookstore in Mount Ephraim, N.J., who were fined $300 for exhibiting a live nude dancer in a glass booth in their shop. While the bookstore was licensed to show films of nude dancers on coin-operated machines, Mount Ephraim's zoning ordinance banned all live entertainment.... While today's opinion, by Associate Justice Byron R. White, stopped short of defining the permissible limits of zoning regulation, it rejected the New Jersey courts' premise that zoning laws exist apart from First Amendment considerations."</ref><ref>Hudson Jr., David L. "Schad v. Mount Ephraim (1981)", The First Amendment Encyclopedia. Accessed January 20, 2022. "The Supreme Court ruled 7-2 in Schad v. Mount Ephraim, 452 U.S. 61 (1981), that a municipality cannot impose a complete ban on live entertainment, including nonobscene nude dancing."</ref>

In January 2014, New Jersey State Senate President Stephen M. Sweeney put forward a proposal which was intended to lower real estate taxes in the state and cut state expenses by merging many of the states 566 municipalities. Mount Ephraim was then the 29th largest town in Camden County, so it is very likely that the town would have been merged with neighboring municipalities to cut costs, share expenses, reduce bureaucracy, share resources, and reduce the burden in the taxpayers and the state itself. Mount Ephraim was formerly part of Centre Township, which included all of the neighboring communities, and it is possible that the name may be used again in the future if the merger proposal goes forward.<ref>"NJ Sen. President Stephen Sweeney to press plan to get towns to merge, share services", The Times, January 30, 2014. Accessed September 18, 2019.</ref>

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 0.91 square miles (2.34 km²), including 0.88 square miles (2.29 km²) of land and 0.02 square miles (0.05 km²) of water (2.31%).<ref name=CensusArea/><ref name=GR1 />

Mount Ephraim borders Audubon, Bellmawr, Brooklawn, Gloucester City and Haddon Heights.<ref>Areas touching Mount Ephraim, MapIt. Accessed February 29, 2020.</ref><ref>Municipalities within Camden County, NJ, Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission. Accessed February 29, 2020.</ref><ref>New Jersey Municipal Boundaries, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed November 15, 2019.</ref>

Weather

On September 4, 2012, at 6:31 p.m., a tornado touched down in Mount Ephraim, causing damage to trees and homes in the immediate vicinity. It was categorized as F-0 by the National Weather Service, with winds topping out at 70 mph, making it the first tornado recorded in the state in more than a year.<ref>via Associated Press. "Tornado confirmed in Mount Ephraim, New Jersey", WABC-TV, September 5, 2012. Accessed June 5, 2013. "The National Weather Service says a tornado touched down in southern New Jersey, the first confirmed one in the state in more than a year. Meteorologist Mitchell Gaines says it was an F-0 twister - the lowest classification."</ref>

Demographics

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 4,676 people, 1,909 households, and 1,193 families in the borough. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 2,010 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup was 93.56% (4,375) White, 2.14% (100) Black or African American, 0.09% (4) Native American, 0.68% (32) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 2.27% (106) from other races, and 1.26% (59) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.33% (249) of the population.<ref name=Census2010/>

Of the 1,909 households, 26.6% had children under the age of 18; 45.6% were married couples living together; 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present and 37.5% were non-families. Of all households, 31.2% were made up of individuals and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.11.<ref name=Census2010/>

20.6% of the population were under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 29.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.1 years. For every 100 females, the population had 93.4 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 92.4 males.<ref name=Census2010/>

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $61,331 (with a margin of error of +/− $6,103) and the median family income was $73,955 (+/− $4,630). Males had a median income of $51,049 (+/− $3,914) versus $41,087 (+/− $3,242) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $29,885 (+/− $5,190). About 5.6% of families and 6.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.9% of those under age 18 and 10.4% of those age 65 or over.<ref>DP03: Selected Economic Characteristics from the 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates for Mount Ephraim borough, Camden County, New Jersey Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed October 11, 2012.</ref>

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census,<ref name="GR2" /> there were 4,495 people and 1,174 families residing in the borough. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 1,881 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the borough was 97.51% White, 0.40% African American, 0.07% Native American, 0.62% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.65% from other races, and 0.73% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.98% of the population.<ref name=Census2000>Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Mount Ephraim borough, New Jersey Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed October 11, 2012.</ref><ref name=Census2000SF1>DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Mount Ephraim borough, Camden County, New Jersey Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed October 11, 2012.</ref>

There were 1,818 households, out of which 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.1% were married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.4% were non-families. 30.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.13.<ref name=Census2000/><ref name=Census2000SF1/>

In the borough, the population was spread out, with 22.3% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 30.1% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.3 males.<ref name=Census2000/><ref name=Census2000SF1/>

The median income for a household in the borough was $44,824, and the median income for a family was $59,468. Males had a median income of $41,455 versus $30,359 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $21,150. About 2.0% of families and 4.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.7% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over.<ref name=Census2000/><ref name=Census2000SF1/>

Government

Local government

Mount Ephraim has been governed under the Walsh Act by a three-member commission, since 1935. The borough is one of 30 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form of government.<ref>Inventory of Municipal Forms of Government in New Jersey, Rutgers University Center for Government Studies, July 1, 2011. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref> The governing body is comprised of three commissioners, who are elected at-large on a non-partisan basis in elections held as part of the November municipal election to serve concurrent terms of office. Each commissioner is assigned a department to oversee as part of their elected service and a mayor is selected by the commissioners from the three candidates elected.<ref name=DataBook>2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, March 2013, p. 38.</ref><ref>"Forms of Municipal Government in New Jersey", p. 8. Rutgers University Center for Government Studies. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref><ref>The Commission Form of Municipal Government Template:Webarchive, p. 53. Accessed August 11, 2007.</ref> In January 2023, the commissioners voted to shift municipal elections from May to the November general election, citing the savings achieved as the cost of November elections are covered by the county while May elections are conducted at the expense of the municipality.<ref>"Ordinance Adopted to Move Municipal Election to November", Borough of Mount Ephraim, January 23, 2023. Accessed June 8, 2023. "The Mayor and Commissioners adopted an ordinance at the February 2 commission meeting to move the municipal election from May to November. The reason for this change is because of the budget savings. May municipal elections are paid for entirely by the municipality whereas a lot of the costs of the November election are borne by Camden County. For this year, the town anticipates saving about $12,000 in election costs."</ref> Term-end dates for those commissioners serving when the ordinance was adopted were extended to December 2023.<ref>Ordinance Of The Borough Of Mount Ephraim, County Of Camden, State Of New Jersey, Changing The Day Of The Regular Municipal Election, Borough of Mount Ephraim. Accessed June 8, 2023. "BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED that the term of any person in office on the date of the adoption of this Ordinance shall be extended until the beginning of the term of the person elected to that office on the day of the general election in November."</ref>

Template:As of, Mount Ephraim's commissioners are Mayor Susan Carney (Commissioner of Public Affairs and Public Safety), Michael Marrone (Commissioner of Public Works, Parks and Public Property) Joseph Wolk (Commissioner of Revenue and Finance), all of whom are serving concurrent terms of office that end December 31, 2028.<ref name=Commissioners>Commissioners, Borough of Mount Ephraim. Accessed April 12, 2022.</ref><ref>2023 Municipal Data Sheet, Borough of Mount Ephraim. Accessed June 8, 2023.</ref><ref>Biryukov, Nikita. "Incumbents narrowly re-elected in Mt. Ephraim Gies replaces retiring commissioner", New Jersey Globe, May 14, 2019. Accessed September 18, 2019. "Incumbents have won re-election in Mt. Ephraim. Mayor Joseph Wolk and Commissioner Traz Tovinsky were re-elected Tuesday. George Gies, a newcomer running on their slate, won the seat held by Commissioner Andrew Gilmore, who did not seek re-election."</ref>

Federal, state and county representation

Mount Ephraim is located in the 1st Congressional District<ref name=PCR2012>Plan Components Report, New Jersey Redistricting Commission, December 23, 2011. Accessed February 1, 2020.</ref> and is part of New Jersey's 5th state legislative district.<ref name=Districts2011>Municipalities Sorted by 2011-2020 Legislative District, New Jersey Department of State. Accessed February 1, 2020.</ref><ref name=LWV2019>2019 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters. Accessed October 30, 2019.</ref><ref>Districts by Number for 2011-2020, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 6, 2013.</ref>

Politics

As of March 2011, there were a total of 3,110 registered voters in Mount Ephraim, of which 1,402 (45.1%) were registered as Democrats, 403 (13.0%) were registered as Republicans and 1,305 (42.0%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were no voters registered to other parties.<ref>Voter Registration Summary - Camden, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed October 15, 2012.</ref>

In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 60.7% of the vote (1,278 cast), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 37.7% (793 votes), and other candidates with 1.7% (35 votes), among the 2,131 ballots cast by the borough's 3,320 registered voters (25 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 64.2%.<ref name=2012Elections>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=2012VoterReg>Template:Cite web</ref> In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 58.6% of the vote (1,334 cast), ahead of Republican John McCain, who received around 37.6% (855 votes), with 2,275 ballots cast among the borough's 3,086 registered voters, for a turnout of 73.7%.<ref>2008 Presidential General Election Results: Camden County, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 23, 2008. Accessed October 15, 2012.</ref> In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 58.8% of the vote (1,309 ballots cast), outpolling Republican George W. Bush, who received around 39.9% (888 votes), with 2,228 ballots cast among the borough's 2,982 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 74.7.<ref>2004 Presidential Election: Camden County, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 13, 2004. Accessed October 15, 2012.</ref>

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In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 62.9% of the vote (753 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 35.9% (430 votes), and other candidates with 1.3% (15 votes), among the 1,222 ballots cast by the borough's 3,353 registered voters (24 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 36.4%.<ref name=2013Elections>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=2013VoterReg>Template:Cite web</ref> In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Democrat Jon Corzine received 47.3% of the vote (621 ballots cast), ahead of both Republican Chris Christie with 42.7% (560 votes) and Independent Chris Daggett with 6.2% (81 votes), with 1,312 ballots cast among the borough's 3,127 registered voters, yielding a 42.0% turnout.<ref>2009 Governor: Camden County Template:Webarchive, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 31, 2009. Accessed October 15, 2012.</ref>

Education

The Mount Ephraim Public Schools serve students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of two schools, had an enrollment of 413 students and 38.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.9:1.<ref name=NCES>District information for Mt. Ephraim School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 1, 2020.</ref> Schools in the district (with 2018–19 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics<ref>School Data for the Mount Ephraim Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 1, 2020.</ref>) are Mary Bray Elementary School<ref>Mary Bray Elementary School, Mount Ephraim Public Schools. Accessed June 8, 2020.</ref> with 240 students in grades Pre-K–4 and Raymond W. Kershaw Middle School<ref>Raymond W. Kershaw Middle School, Mount Ephraim Public Schools. Accessed June 8, 2020.</ref> with 162 students in grades 5–8.<ref>Schools, Mount Ephraim Public Schools. Accessed June 8, 2020.</ref><ref>New Jersey School Directory for the Mount Ephraim Public Schools, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.</ref>

For ninth through twelfth grades, public school students attend Audubon High School, in Audubon, as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Audubon School District.<ref>Nicolosi, Peggy. "Report on Non-Operating School District: Audubon Park", Camden County Executive County Superintendent, June 30, 2009. Accessed December 13, 2014. "In addition to students from Audubon Park, Audubon also receives high school students from Mount Ephraim Public Schools."</ref><ref>Rothschild, Barbara S. 'Educators say consolidating school districts doesn't add up'.html/_top "Educators say consolidating school districts doesn't add up", copy of article from Courier-Post, January 10, 2010. Accessed December 13, 2014. "Oaklyn is also considering a merge with K-12 Audubon, which already accepts students from Mount Ephraim and the nonoperating Audubon Park district."</ref> As of the 2018–19 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 804 students and 66.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.1:1.<ref>School data for Audubon Junior/Senior High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 1, 2020.</ref>

Transportation

File:2018-10-03 12 16 14 View west along Interstate 76 (North-South Freeway) at Interstate 295 (Camden Freeway) in Mount Ephraim, Camden County, New Jersey.jpg

Interstate 76 westbound in Mount Ephraim

Roads and highways

Template:As of, the borough had a total of Template:Convert of roadways, of which Template:Convert were maintained by the municipality, Template:Convert by Camden County and Template:Convert by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.<ref>Camden County Mileage by Municipality and Jurisdiction, New Jersey Department of Transportation, May 2010. Accessed July 18, 2014.</ref>

Interstate 76<ref>Interstate 76 Straight Line Diagram, New Jersey Department of Transportation, updated May 2013. Accessed February 9, 2023.</ref> passes through Mount Ephraim, with part of the interchange with Interstate 295 located within the borough.<ref>Enlarged View 27 (Brooklawn Borough, Gloucester City, Mount Ephraim Borough, Haddon Heights Borough and Bellmawr Borough, Camden County), New Jersey Department of Transportation, updated March 2019. Accessed February 8, 2023.</ref><ref>Camden County Highway Map, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed February 8, 2023.</ref>

Public transportation

Mount Ephraim is served by two NJ Transit bus lines. Service between the borough and Philadelphia is available on the 400 route, with local service on the 457 route between the Moorestown Mall and Camden.<ref>Camden County Bus/Rail Connections, NJ Transit, backed up by the Internet Archive as of May 22, 2009. Accessed October 11, 2012.</ref><ref>South Jersey Transit Guide Template:Webarchive, Cross County Connection, as of April 1, 2010. Accessed December 13, 2014.</ref>

Notable people

Template:Category see also People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Mount Ephraim include:

• Dan Baker (born 1946), Philadelphia Phillies PA Announcer and former Philadelphia Eagles PA Announcer<ref>McPherson, Chris. "Dan Baker: The Man Behind The Voice" Template:Webarchive, Philadelphia Eagles, September 6, 2014. Accessed February 16, 2018. "He was born at Woman's Hospital in the East Falls section of Philadelphia and raised on Springfield Avenue in Southwest Philadelphia before moving just across the Walt Whitman Bridge to Mount Ephraim, N.J. in his youth."</ref>
• Bobby Clarke (born 1949), former Philadelphia Flyers hockey team captain and general manager<ref>Clarke, Bob. [1], New Jersey Monthly, November 15, 2010. Accessed September 20, 2021. "The people were nice to us, so South Jersey became home. I bought a house in the early 1970s in Mount Ephraim, right on the main street, Kings Highway."</ref>
• Edith Fore, TV commercial actress for Life Alert, "I've fallen and I can't get up"<ref>Associated Press [2], South Coast Today, August 3, 1997. Accessed September 20, 2021.</ref>
• Ben Vaughn, singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, composer for television / film, and syndicated radio show host<ref>Cristiano, Nick. "Mount Ephraim's Ben Vaughn returns. Off the tube and back to his own music", The Philadelphia Inquirer, April 1, 2011. Accessed June 8, 2020. "It's ironic, Ben Vaughn was musing from his home in Santa Monica, Calif.... The music maven from Mount Ephraim, Camden County, was referring to his great success in TV."</ref>

External links

• Mount Ephraim Borough website
• Mount Ephraim Public Schools
• Template:NJReportCard
• School Data for the Mount Ephraim Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics