Lower Township, New Jersey

Lower Township, New Jersey
Owen Coachman House
Official seal of Lower Township, New Jersey
Motto: 
"Home of the Best Sunsets"[1]
Location of Lower Township in Cape May County highlighted in red (left). Inset map: Location of Cape May County in New Jersey highlighted in red (right).
Location of Lower Township in Cape May County highlighted in red (left). Inset map: Location of Cape May County in New Jersey highlighted in red (right).
Census Bureau map of Lower Township, New Jersey
Census Bureau map of Lower Township, New Jersey
Lower Township is located in Cape May County, New Jersey
Lower Township
Lower Township
Location in Cape May County
Lower Township is located in New Jersey
Lower Township
Lower Township
Location in New Jersey
Lower Township is located in the United States
Lower Township
Lower Township
Location in the United States
Coordinates: 38°59′02″N 74°54′41″W / 38.983768°N 74.911308°W / 38.983768; -74.911308[2][3]
Country United States
State New Jersey
County Cape May
EstablishedApril 2, 1723 (as precinct)
IncorporatedFebruary 21, 1798 (as township)
Government
 • TypeFaulkner Act (council–manager)
 • BodyTownship Council
 • MayorFrank Sippel (R, term ends December 31, 2023)[4][5]
 • ManagerMichael Laffey[6]
 • Municipal clerkJulie Picard[7]
Area
 • Total31.06 sq mi (80.45 km2)
 • Land27.38 sq mi (70.91 km2)
 • Water3.69 sq mi (9.54 km2)  11.86%
 • Rank84th of 565 in state
4th of 16 in county[2]
Elevation20 ft (6 m)
Population
 • Total22,057
 • Estimate 
(2023)[10][12]
21,886
 • Rank127th of 565 in state
1st of 16 in county[13]
 • Density805.6/sq mi (311.0/km2)
  • Rank407th of 565 in state
10th of 16 in county[13]
Time zoneUTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Code
08251 – Villas[14]
Area code(s)609 exchanges: 884, 886, 889, 898[15]
FIPS code3400941610[2][16][17]
GNIS feature ID0882044[2][18]
Websitewww.townshipoflower.org

Lower Township is a township in Cape May County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The township, and all of Cape May County, is part of the Ocean City metropolitan statistical area, and is part of the Philadelphia-Wilmington-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD combined statistical area, also known as the Delaware Valley or Philadelphia metropolitan area.[19] As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 22,057,[10][11] a decrease of 809 (−3.5%) from the 2010 census count of 22,866,[20][21] which in turn reflected a decrease of 79 (−0.3%) from the 22,945 counted in the 2000 census.[22]

New Jersey Monthly magazine ranked Lower Township as its 34th best place to live in its 2008 rankings of the "Best Places To Live" in New Jersey.[23] The township is part of the state's South Jersey region and the larger Delaware Valley or Philadelphia metropolitan area.

  1. ^ Kuperinsky, Amy. "'The Jewel of the Meadowlands'?: N.J.'s best, worst and weirdest town slogans", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, January 22, 2015. Accessed July 12, 2016. "Lower Township, also in Cape May County, claims to be 'Home of the Best Sunsets.'"
  2. ^ a b c d e 2019 Census Gazetteer Files: New Jersey Places, United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 1, 2020.
  3. ^ US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 4, 2014.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference MayorCouncil was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ 2023 New Jersey Mayors Directory, New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, updated February 8, 2023. Accessed February 10, 2023. As of date accessed, Sippel was listed with a term-end year of 2024, which is the end of his three-year committee term, not his one-year mayoral term of office.
  6. ^ Township Manager, Township of Lower. Accessed August 4, 2022.
  7. ^ Clerk, Township of Lower. Accessed August 4, 2022.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference DataBook was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Township of Lower, Geographic Names Information System. Accessed March 7, 2013.
  10. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference Census2020 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference LWD2020 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference PopEst was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ a b Population Density by County and Municipality: New Jersey, 2020 and 2021, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Accessed March 1, 2023.
  14. ^ Look Up a ZIP Code for Villas, NJ, United States Postal Service. Accessed July 16, 2012.
  15. ^ Area Code Lookup - NPA NXX for Villas, NJ, Area-Codes.com. Accessed September 29, 2014.
  16. ^ U.S. Census website, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 4, 2014.
  17. ^ Geographic Codes Lookup for New Jersey, Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed April 1, 2022.
  18. ^ US Board on Geographic Names, United States Geological Survey. Accessed September 4, 2014.
  19. ^ New Jersey: 2020 Core Based Statistical Areas and Counties, United States Census Bureau. Accessed December 22, 2022.
  20. ^ Cite error: The named reference Census2010 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  21. ^ Cite error: The named reference LWD2010 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  22. ^ 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.
  23. ^ "Best Places To Live - The Complete Top Towns List 1-100" Archived 2008-02-28 at the Wayback Machine, New Jersey Monthly, February 21, 2008. Accessed February 24, 2008.