Dover is a town in Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Located on the Rockaway River, Dover is about west of New York City and about west of Newark, New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the town's population was 18,460, its highest decennial census count ever and an increase of 303 (+1.7%) from the 2010 census count of 18,157, which in turn had reflected a decline of 31 (−0.2%) from the 18,188 counted at 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.
Dover is a majority minority community, with nearly 70% of the population as of the 2010 census identifying themselves as Hispanic, up from 25% in 1980.Semuels, Alana. "White Flight Never Ended; Today's cities may be more diverse overall, but people of different races still don't live near each other.", The Atlantic Citylab, July 30, 2015. Accessed August 4, 2015. "Segregation isn't just happening between black and white towns. Hispanic and Asian residents are segregated into their own cities and towns, too. Dover, New Jersey, for instance, a town 30 miles west of New York, was 70 percent Hispanic in the 2010 Census. In 1980, it was only 25 percent Hispanic."
History Joseph Latham was deeded the land that includes present-day Dover in 1713, from portions of land that had been purchased from Native Americans by the Proprietors of West Jersey. On May 31, 1722, Latham and his wife Jane deeded over to John Jackson of Flushing, New York. Jackson settled on the eastern portion of his land along Granny's Brook at the site of what would later become the Ross Ribbon Factory on Park Heights Avenue.Daigle, Michael. "Dover at the Millenium" , Daily Record, February 25, 1999. Accessed April 27, 2012.
Iron ore at the time was so plentiful that it could be collected off the ground at the nearby Dickerson Mine in Mine Hill. At Jackson's Forge, ore would be processed into bars that would then be transported to Paterson and other industrial areas towards the east. The passage of the Iron Act by the British Parliament led to financial difficulties, leading Jackson into bankruptcy in 1753, with all of his property and belongings sold off at a Sheriff's sale. Quaker Hartshorne Fitz Randolph purchased Jackson's property and annexed to his own existing property, which would later become part of Randolph Township.Kullen, Charlotte G. "Randolph — A Day in the Life" , Daily Record, October 21, 1999. Accessed April 27, 2012. "It is here that in 1722, Dover's first European settler, John Jackson, built an iron forge that gave birth to the industry that for the next 21 centuries would shape the growth of the town... The ban wiped out Jackson, who sold his farm to Hartshorne Fitz Randolph, for whom the modern township is named, and his forge to Josiah Beaman."
Dover was incorporated as a town on April 1, 1869, within Randolph Township and became fully independent as of March 5, 1896.Honeyman, Abraham Van Doren. Index-analysis of the Statutes of New Jersey, 1896-1909: Together with References to All Acts, and Parts of Acts, in the 'General Statutes' and Pamphlet Laws Expressly Repealed: and the Statutory Crimes of New Jersey During the Same Period, p. 210. New Jersey Law Journal Publishing Company, 1910. Accessed September 22, 2015. The town charter was amended in 1875. On May 7, 1896, Dover was reincorporated as a city and regained its status as a town on March 21, 1899, after the referendum that approved the change was invalidated by a court ruling.Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. Accessed May 1, 2026.Historical Timeline of Morris County Boundaries , Morris County Library. Accessed December 24, 2016. "1869, April 1. Dover Town is established from Rockaway and Randolph. It is called Dover City during 1896-1899."
In its past, Dover has had extensive iron and mill works, machine shops, stove, furnace, and range works, boiler and bridge works, rolling mills, drill works, knitting and silk mills, and a large hosiery factory (MacGregors). During this period, Dover was a port on the Morris Canal while it was operational; the boat basin was located at what is today the JFK Commons Park.Daigle, Michael. "Morris Canal's history gains more support: $440,000 in grants will help residents' preservation efforts" , Daily Record, July 4, 2004. Accessed April 27, 2012.
Sources attribute the town's name to Dover, EnglandGannett, Henry. The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States, p. 10. United States Government Printing Office, 1905. Accessed August 28, 2015. or Dover, New Hampshire.Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed August 28, 2015.Herman, Jennifer. New Jersey Encyclopedia, p. 267. State History Publications, 2008. . Accessed August 29, 2015.
Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the town had a total area of 2.73 square miles (7.06 km2), including 2.68 square miles (6.93 km2) of land and 0.05 square miles (0.13 km2) of water (1.90%).
The borough borders the Morris County municipalities of Mine Hill Township, Randolph, Rockaway Township, Victory Gardens and Wharton.Areas touching Dover, MapIt. Accessed March 27, 2020.Morris County Municipalities Map, Morris County, New Jersey Department of Planning and Preservation. Accessed March 27, 2020.New Jersey Municipal Boundaries, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed November 15, 2019.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Dover had a population of 18,460. The median age was 38.3 years. 21.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 12.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 103.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 102.6 males age 18 and over.
100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 5,752 households in Dover, of which 38.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 42.6% were married-couple households, 19.4% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 28.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 21.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 5,972 housing units, of which 3.7% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 2.1%.
+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number Percent White 4,721 25.6% Black or African American 955 5.2% American Indian and Alaska Native 377 2.0% Asian 442 2.4% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 6 0.0% Some other race 7,433 40.3% Two or more races 4,526 24.5% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 14,209 77.0%
2010 census The 2010 United States census counted 18,157 people, 5,562 households, and 3,877 families in the town. The population density was 6,765.5 per square mile (2,612.2/km2). There were 5,783 housing units at an average density of 2,154.8 per square mile (832.0/km2). The racial makeup was 66.55% (12,083) White, 6.10% (1,108) Black or African American, 0.63% (114) Native American, 2.54% (461) Asian, 0.05% (9) Pacific Islander, 19.88% (3,610) from other races, and 4.25% (772) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 69.38% (12,598) of the population.
Of the 5,562 households, 33.0% had children under the age of 18; 43.6% were married couples living together; 15.7% had a female householder with no husband present and 30.3% were non-families. Of all households, 22.6% were made up of individuals and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.21 and the average family size was 3.54.
21.6% of the population were under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 32.8% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 10.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35.5 years. For every 100 females, the population had 110.9 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 111.2 males.
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $59,454 (with a margin of error of +/− $3,227) and the median family income was $61,187 (+/− $2,750). Males had a median income of $34,722 (+/− $4,750) versus $28,098 (+/− $4,993) for females. The per capita income for the town was $21,581 (+/− $990). About 3.6% of families and 10.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.8% of those under age 18 and 15.8% of those age 65 or over.DP03: Selected Economic Characteristics from the 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates for Dover town, Morris County, New Jersey , United States Census Bureau. Accessed April 26, 2012.
The 2010 Census showed that Dover's Hispanic population accounted for 69.4% of all residents, ranked fifth in the state by percentage, while 13% of New Jersey's population was Hispanic; the city was one of 13 municipalities in the state with a Hispanic majority.Mascarenhas, Rohan. "Census data shows Hispanics as the largest minority in N.J.", The Star-Ledger, February 3, 2011. Accessed December 18, 2017. The town had notable percentages of residents who were Colombians (15.2% of all residents), Mexicans (14.9%), Puerto Ricans (11.1%), Ecuadorians (5.6%), Hondurans (4.7%) and Peruvians (2.8%), with smaller percentages (from 1-2%) of Costa Ricans, Uruguayans, Chileans and Salvadorans.QT-P10 - Hispanic or Latino by Type: 2010 from the 2010 Census Summary File 1 for Dover town, New Jersey , United States Census Bureau. Accessed January 24, 2018.
2000 census As of the 2000 United States census there were 18,188 people, 5,436 households, and 3,919 families residing in Dover. The population density was . There were 5,568 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 69.45% White, 6.83% African American, 0.34% Native American, 2.47% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 15.99% from other races, and 4.89% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 57.94% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Dover town, New Jersey , United States Census Bureau. Accessed December 18, 2012.DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Dover town, Morris County, New Jersey , United States Census Bureau. Accessed December 18, 2012.
11.27% of Dover residents identified themselves as being of Colombian American ancestry in the 2000 Census, the second-highest percentage of the population of any municipality in the United States (behind neighboring Victory Gardens, New Jersey, which had 15.27% of residents so identified) with 1,000 residents identifying their ancestry.Colombian Communities , EPodunk. Accessed August 23, 2006.
There were 5,436 households, out of which 35.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.2% were married couples living together, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.9% were non-families. 21.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.29 and the average family size was 3.55.
By age, the population of the town is distributed relatively evenly, with 23.2% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 36.0% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 10.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 106.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.7 males.