Roosevelt is a borough in western Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 808, a decrease of 74 (−8.4%) from the 2010 census count of 882, which in turn reflected a decline of 51 (−5.5%) from the 933 counted in the 2000 census.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.

Located at the cross-roads between the Delaware Valley region to the south and the Raritan Valley region to the north in the center of the state, the borough was established as Jersey Homesteads by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on May 29, 1937, from portions of Millstone Township. The name was changed to Roosevelt as of November 9, 1945, based on the results of a referendum held three days earlier, in honor of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who had died on April 12, 1945.Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606–1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 184 re Roosevelt, p. 180 re Jersey Homesteads. Accessed May 30, 2024.

History

Roosevelt was originally called Jersey Homesteads, and was created during the Great Depression as part of President Roosevelt's New Deal, its main purpose being to resettle Jewish garment workers. The town was conceived as an integrated cooperative project, with farming, manufacturing, and retail all on a cooperative basis.Perdita Buchan, When Louis Kahn and Roosevelt Created a New Jersey Utopia dated December 4, 2014, at curbed.com, accessed January 14, 2016 The project fell under the discretion of the Resettlement Administration, but was conceived and largely planned out by Benjamin Brown.

Farmland in Central Jersey was purchased by Jersey Homesteads, Inc., a corporation owned by the federal government but under control of a board of directors selected by Brown. Construction started around 1936. Soon after there were 200 homes and various public facilities in place. The economy of the town consisted of a garment factory and a farm.History Of Roosevelt, New Jersey, Rutgers University Library, accessed April 11, 2007. Objectives of the community were to help residents escape poverty, to show that cooperative management can work, and as an experiment in government intervention.

Albert Einstein gave the town his political and moral support. Artist Ben Shahn lived in the town and painted a fresco mural viewable in the current Roosevelt Public School. The three panels show the history of the Jersey Homesteads, starting with the eastern European origins of its Jewish residents, their passage through Ellis Island and making plans for the community in Roosevelt.Roosevelt Mural, Roosevelt Arts Project website, accessed December 13, 2009.Jonas, Gerald; Meehan, Thomas; and Whiteside, Thomas. "In Homage", The New Yorker, September 29, 1962. Accessed July 31, 2012.

David Dubinsky and the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union opposed the project, arguing that the factory town would cause unions to lose their power over wages. Political opposition came from those who thought too much money was being spent on the project, as well as those opposed to the New Deal in general.

The Jersey Homesteads cooperative didn't last through World War II. It failed for a number of reasons. One of the main reasons for its failure is because of delays in housing construction and resulted of shortage in workers in the garment factory. They ended up going on strike against themselves and the Farm Security Administration declared it a failure in 1939 and tried to auction off the assets. By early 1940, having failed to auction the factory fixtures, negotiations with Kartiganer and Co. succeeded and the company began operations at the Jersey Homesteads factory. Proving to be no more economically successful than the factory, the settlement's agricultural cooperative ceased operations in 1940. Although the clothing store failed with the factory, the borough's cooperative grocery and meat market endured into the 1940s. According to town expert Michael Hiltzik another reason it failed is "It was very, very expensive, and the agricultural progress that New Dealers thought they'd make, and certainly the industrial gains they thought they would see, never really materialized"

Roosevelt is a historic landmark and is the subject of the 1983 documentary, Roosevelt, New Jersey: Visions of Utopia. The Jersey Homesteads Historic District was added to the New Jersey Register of Historic Places and to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983, including "all that area within the corporate boundaries of the Borough of Roosevelt".New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places: Monmouth County, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Historic Preservation Office, updated March 30, 2023. Accessed April 30, 2023.

Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 1.95 square miles (5.05 km2), including 1.94 square miles (5.02 km2) of land and 0.01 square miles (0.02 km2) of water (0.46%).

The borough borders the Monmouth County municipalities of Millstone Township on the north and east and Upper Freehold Township on the southwest.Areas touching Roosevelt, MapIt. Accessed March 4, 2020.Regional Location Map, Monmouth County, New Jersey. Accessed March 4, 2020.New Jersey Municipal Boundaries, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed November 15, 2019.

Demographics

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 882 people, 314 households, and 241 families in the borough. The population density was 461.8 per square mile (178.3/km2). There were 327 housing units at an average density of 171.2 per square mile (66.1/km2). The racial makeup was 92.52% (816) White, 0.91% (8) Black or African American, 0.00% (0) Native American, 3.17% (28) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 1.93% (17) from other races, and 1.47% (13) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.90% (52) of the population.

Of the 314 households, 31.8% had children under the age of 18; 65.9% were married couples living together; 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present and 23.2% were non-families. Of all households, 17.5% were made up of individuals and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.22.

23.7% of the population were under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 17.5% from 25 to 44, 37.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45.8 years. For every 100 females, the population had 98.2 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 93.9 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $81,000 (with a margin of error of +/− $13,354) and the median family income was $86,406 (+/− $11,892). Males had a median income of $48,571 (+/− $11,433) versus $40,909 (+/− $17,307) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $33,863 (+/− $6,772). About 4.7% of families and 8.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.4% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.DP03: Selected Economic Characteristics from the 2006–2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates for Roosevelt borough, Monmouth County, New Jersey , United States Census Bureau. Accessed June 21, 2012.

2000 census As of the 2000 United States census there were 933 people, 337 households, and 258 families residing in the borough. The population density was . There were 351 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the borough was 88.96% White, 2.57% African American, 2.04% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 2.25% from other races, and 4.07% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.50% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Roosevelt borough, New Jersey , United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 31, 2012.DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Roosevelt borough, Monmouth County, New Jersey , United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 31, 2012.

There were 337 households, out of which 39.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.1% were married couples living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.4% were non-families. 18.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.17.

In the borough the population was spread out, with 27.8% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 27.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.7 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $61,979, and the median income for a family was $67,019. Males had a median income of $50,417 versus $38,229 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $24,892. About 3.9% of families and 4.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.0% of those under age 18 and 18.4% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government Roosevelt is governed under the borough form of New Jersey municipal government, which is used in 218 municipalities (of the 564) statewide, making it the most common form of government in New Jersey.Inventory of Municipal Forms of Government in New Jersey, Rutgers University Center for Government Studies, July 1, 2011. Accessed June 1, 2023. 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. 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.2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, March 2013, p. 135. The borough form of government used by Roosevelt 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.Cerra, Michael F. "Forms of Government: Everything You've Always Wanted to Know, But Were Afraid to Ask", New Jersey State League of Municipalities, March 2007. Accessed January 1, 2025."Forms of Municipal Government in New Jersey", p. 6. Rutgers University Center for Government Studies. Accessed June 1, 2023.