Gibbsboro was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 8, 1924, from portions of Voorhees Township, subject to approval by voters in a referendum, which was held on April 11, 1924.[21] The borough was named for the Gibbs family, early settlers from 1706 for whom the area's post office was named when it was established in 1883.[22]
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 2.20 square miles (5.69 km2), including 2.15 square miles (5.57 km2) of land and 0.04 square miles (0.11 km2) of water (1.95%).[1][2]
Of the 786 households, 32.6% had children under the age of 18; 65.0% were married couples living together; 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present and 20.4% were non-families. Of all households, 17.2% were made up of individuals and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.89 and the average family size was 3.26.[18]
23.0% of the population were under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 23.4% from 25 to 44, 30.5% from 45 to 64, and 14.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.7 years. For every 100 females, the population had 95.5 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 94.8 males.[18]
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $76,538 (with a margin of error of +/− $10,059) and the median family income was $86,481 (+/− $10,811). Males had a median income of $58,214 (+/− $13,396) versus $51,000 (+/− $12,885) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $33,258 (+/− $4,786). About 5.8% of families and 5.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.0% of those under age 18 and 5.0% of those age 65 or over.[31]
2000 census
As of the 2000 United States census[15] there were 2,435 people, 829 households, and 664 families residing in the borough. The population density was 1,109.3 inhabitants per square mile (428.3/km2). There were 847 housing units at an average density of 385.9 per square mile (149.0/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 94.00% White, 2.79% African American, 0.41% Native American, 1.07% Asian, 0.74% from other races, and 0.99% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.38% of the population.[29][30]
There were 829 households, out of which 36.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.3% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.8% were non-families. 16.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.91 and the average family size was 3.28.[29][30]
In the borough the population was spread out, with 25.3% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 26.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.6 males.[29][30]
The median income for a household in the borough was $57,326, and the median income for a family was $63,864. Males had a median income of $43,182 versus $30,807 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $26,035. About 2.4% of families and 4.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.3% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.[29][30]
Government
Local government
Gibbsboro is governed under the borough form of New Jersey municipal government, the state's most common form of government, which is used by 218 municipalities (of the 564) statewide.[32] The governing body is comprised of a mayor and a borough council, with all positions elected at-large on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. A mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The borough council includes 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.[6] The borough form of government used by Gibbsboro 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.[33][34]
As of 2024[update], the mayor of Gibbsboro is Independent Edward G. Campbell III, whose term of office ends December 31, 2027. Members of the Gibbsboro Borough Council are Mitch Brown (I, 2025), Fred Deterding (I, 2026), Christine Karsch (I, 2026), Michael F. MacFerren (I, 2024), Ronald Rickert Jr. (I, 2025) and Glenn N. Werner (I, 2024).[3][35][36][37][38]
Federal, state and county representation
Gibbsboro is located in the 1st Congressional District[39] and is part of New Jersey's 6th state legislative district.[40][41][42]
Camden County is governed by a Board of County Commissioners composed of seven members chosen at-large in partisan elections for three-year terms on a staggered basis by the residents of the county, with either two or three seats up for election each year as part of the November general election. At a reorganization meeting held in January after each election, the newly constituted Board of Commissioners selects one member to serve as Director and another as Deputy Director, each serving a one-year term in that role.[48] As of 2025[update], Camden County's Commissioners are:
Commissioner Director Louis Cappelli Jr. (D, Collingswood, 2026),[49]
Commissioner Deputy Director Edward T. McDonnell (D, Pennsauken Township, 2025),[50]
Virginia Ruiz Betteridge (D, Runnemede, 2025),[51]
Almar Dyer (D, Pennsauken Township, 2027),[52]
Melinda Kane (D, Cherry Hill, 2027),[53]
Jeffrey L. Nash (D, Winslow Township, 2027),[54] and
Jonathan L. Young Sr. (D, Berlin Township, 2026).[55][48][56][57][58]
As of March 2011, there were a total of 1,678 registered voters in Gibbsboro, of which 651 (38.8%) were registered as Democrats, 347 (20.7%) were registered as Republicans and 680 (40.5%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were no voters registered to other parties.[66]
In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 57.2% of the vote (705 cast), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 41.9% (517 votes), and other candidates with 0.9% (11 votes), among the 1,236 ballots cast by the borough's 1,767 registered voters (3 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 69.9%.[67][68] In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 54.6% of the vote (721 cast), ahead of Republican John McCain, who received around 42.6% (562 votes), with 1,320 ballots cast among the borough's 1,713 registered voters, for a turnout of 77.1%.[69] In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 52.9% of the vote (702 ballots cast), outpolling Republican George W. Bush, who received around 45.3% (601 votes), with 1,326 ballots cast among the borough's 1,694 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 78.3.[70]
In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 64.8% of the vote (458 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 34.1% (241 votes), and other candidates with 1.1% (8 votes), among the 719 ballots cast by the borough's 1,749 registered voters (12 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 41.1%.[71][72] In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 47.9% of the vote (404 ballots cast), ahead of both Democrat Jon Corzine with 43.5% (367 votes) and Independent Chris Daggett with 6.4% (54 votes), with 843 ballots cast among the borough's 1,707 registered voters, yielding a 49.4% turnout.[73]
Public school students in ninth through twelfth grades attend the Eastern Camden County Regional High School District, a limited-purpose, public regional school district that also serves the communities of Berlin Borough and Voorhees Township.[78] As of the 2022–23 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 1,933 students and 142.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 13.6:1.[79] The district's board of education is comprised of nine members who set policy and oversee the fiscal and educational operation of the district through its administration. Representation on the board of education is determined by the population of each of the three sending districts, with one seat allocated to Gibbsboro.[80][81]
Transportation
As of May 2010[update], the borough had a total of 17.36 miles (27.94 km) of roadways, of which 9.63 miles (15.50 km) were maintained by the municipality and 7.73 miles (12.44 km) by Camden County.[82]
No Interstate, U.S. or state highways traverse Gibbsboro. The main roadway serving the borough is County Route 561.[83][84]
^Full Biography, Congressman Donald Norcross. Accessed January 3, 2019. "Donald and his wife Andrea live in Camden City and are the proud parents of three grown children and grandparents of two."
^Gibbsboro Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Gibbsboro School District. Accessed November 22, 2024. "Purpose: The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades Pre-Kindergarten through eight in the Gibbsboro School District. Composition: The Gibbsboro School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Gibbsboro."
^Annual Comprehensive Financial Report of the Eastern Camden County Regional School District, New Jersey Department of Education, for year ending June 30, 2023. Accessed November 22, 2024. "The School District is a Type II district located in the County of Camden, State of New Jersey. As a Type II district, the School District functions independently through a Board of Education (the 'Board'). The Board is comprised of nine members elected to three-year terms. These terms are staggered so that three member's terms expire each year. The Superintendent is appointed by the Board to act as executive officer of the School District. The purpose of the School District is to educate students in grades nine through 12 from the Boroughs of Berlin and Gibbsboro and the Township of Voorhees at its one school." See "Roster of Officials" on page 14.
^Board of Education, Eastern Camden County Regional High School District. Accessed November 22, 2024. "Members are elected for three-year terms of service to the community and the school. Representation on the board is determined proportionately based on the populations of the three sending districts, Berlin Borough, Gibbsboro and Voorhees Township."
^Zedalis, Joe. "Cardinals take Bishop Eustace grad Zac Gallen with 106th pick", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, June 10, 2016. Accessed June 28, 2019. "Zac Gallen, a right-handed pitcher from the University of North Carolina and a Bishop Eustace graduate, was taken by the St. Louis Cardinals with the last pick of the third round on Day 2 of the MLB Draft in Secaucus.... Gallen is from Gibbsboro."