Roseland is a borough in western Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 6,299, an increase of 480 (+8.2%) from the 2010 census count of 5,819, which in turn reflected an increase of 521 (+9.8%) from the 5,298 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.
In 2015, New Jersey Monthly magazine ranked Roseland as its seventh-best place to live in its "Best Places To Live" in New Jersey rankings."Best Places to Live in New Jersey: The definitive ranking of 510 Garden State municipalities.", New Jersey Monthly. Accessed June 21, 2016. The borough was ranked 14th best place to live in the magazine's 2008 rankings."Best Places To Live - The Complete Top Towns List 1-100" , New Jersey Monthly, February 21, 2008. Accessed February 24, 2008. In 2017, New Jersey Monthly Ranked Roseland as its 106th best place to live in its 2017 Rankings. New Jersey Monthly magazine ranked Roseland as its 14th best place to live in New Jersey in its 2019 ranking. Roseland has both a First Aid Squad and Fire Department that serves its community. They also have tennis, pickleball, soccer courts, as well as turf fields for its residents.
History Roseland was part of the Horseneck Tract, which was an area that consisted of what are now the municipalities of Caldwell, West Caldwell, North Caldwell, Fairfield, Verona, Cedar Grove, Essex Fells, Roseland, and portions of Livingston and West Orange.Lurie, Maxine N.; and Mappen, Marc. "Essex County", Encyclopedia of New Jersey, p. 256. Rutgers University Press, 2004. . Accessed November 10, 2011. "The Horseneck Tract, present-day West Caldwell, North Caldwell, Caldwell, Verona, Cedar Grove, Fairfield, Essex Fells, Roseland and Livingston, separated from Newark in 1798." In 1702, settlers purchased the Horseneck Tract—so-called because of its irregular shape that suggested a horse's neck and head—from the Lenni Lenape Native Americans for goods equal to $325. This purchase encompassed much of western Essex County, from the First Mountain to the Passaic River.Becker Park, Essex County Department of Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs. Accessed November 10, 2011. "Originally a piece of the Horseneck Tract and later part of Caldwell. By the late nineteenth century approximately half of its acreage was covered by the Becker Dairy Farm. It separated from Caldwell during the early 20th century and became a borough in 1908."
Originally named Centerville, the name of the community was changed in 1874 to Roseland to avoid confusion with the several other Centervilles spread across the state, most specifically Centerville, Hunterdon County, New Jersey, which already had a post office under that name. Roseland was chosen over the alternative proposed name of "Roselyn".Read, Philip. "N.J. man works to bring steam-powered Locomotive 1501 back to Roseland", The Star-Ledger, August 8, 2010. Accessed November 10, 2011. "Much of the railroad in Centerville — which was Roseland's name until 1908 — is now with the Phillipsburg Rail Road Historians in Warren County, which runs some of the diesels on a short stretch of track."History, Borough of Roseland. Accessed September 25, 2015. "In 1873, one of Centreville's prominent residents, Judge Rufus Harrison, led an effort to get the community its own post office. Since a Centreville post office already existed in Hunterdon County, a meeting was called in the schoolhouse to choose a new name for the section. Roselyn was suggested by Sarah Condit Harrison. Whether through misspelling or design, Roselyn became Roseland, and the post office became a reality on April 14, 1874.... At its peak, the Becker Farm encompassed 1,000 to 1,200 acres, almost half the town."
One of the most notable places of interest in the borough was the Becker Farm Railroad, otherwise known as the Centerville & Southwestern Railroad. A miniature railroad operated from 1938 until 1972 on the Becker Farm, which once comprised nearly half of the total area within Roseland and which is now mostly a large business complex. Some vestiges of the railroad still exist.Annan-Brady, Rita. "Roseland's Becker Farm Railroad Rolls On In Phillipsburg", The Progress, August 13, 2010. Accessed November 10, 2011. "Area residents who remember fondly the Becker Farm Railroad, also known as the Centerville and Southwestern Railroad, which ran on the Becker Farm in Roseland, may want to travel west for a bit of nostalgia the first Sunday in September."
In 1907, a delegation of residents petitioned Livingston Township officials to construct a school for the growing population in Roseland. The rejection of their request led to the efforts to create an independent municipality, which was established on April 10, 1908.
Roseland was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 10, 1908, from portions of Livingston Township.Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 84. Accessed May 30, 2024.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. 245. New Jersey Law Journal Publishing Company, 1910. Accessed September 25, 2015.
Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 3.64 square miles (9.43 km2), including 3.62 square miles (9.37 km2) of land and 0.03 square miles (0.06 km2) of water (0.69%). Roseland is located about west of New York City and is part of the New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-CT Metropolitan Statistical Area.
The borough borders the municipalities of Essex Fells, Livingston, West Caldwell and West Orange in Essex County; and East Hanover Township in Morris County.Areas touching Roseland, MapIt. Accessed March 4, 2020.Municipalities, Essex County, New Jersey Register of Deeds and Mortgages. Accessed March 4, 2020.New Jersey Municipal Boundaries, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed November 15, 2019.
Demographics
2020 census As of the 2020 census, Roseland had a population of 6,299. The median age was 48.7 years. 18.4% of residents were under the age of 18 and 25.4% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 90.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 87.9 males age 18 and over.
100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 2,523 households in Roseland, of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 58.5% were married-couple households, 12.4% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 25.2% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 24.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 2,607 housing units, of which 3.2% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.9% and the rental vacancy rate was 4.0%.
+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number Percent White 4,994 79.3% Black or African American 201 3.2% American Indian and Alaska Native 7 0.1% Asian 554 8.8% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 1 0.0% Some other race 135 2.1% Two or more races 407 6.5% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 437 6.9%
2010 census The 2010 United States census counted 5,819 people, 2,345 households, and 1,667 families in the borough. The population density was 1,644.4 per square mile (634.9/km2). There were 2,432 housing units at an average density of 687.3 per square mile (265.4/km2). The racial makeup was 90.74% (5,280) White, 1.82% (106) Black or African American, 0.07% (4) Native American, 5.79% (337) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 0.50% (29) from other races, and 1.08% (63) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.50% (262) of the population.
Of the 2,345 households, 28.2% had children under the age of 18; 60.4% were married couples living together; 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present and 28.9% were non-families. Of all households, 25.0% were made up of individuals and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.00.
21.0% of the population were under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 20.8% from 25 to 44, 31.1% from 45 to 64, and 22.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46.7 years. For every 100 females, the population had 90.3 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 86.4 males.
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $100,289 (with a margin of error of +/− $10,283) and the median family income was $116,118 (+/− $20,786). Males had a median income of $83,864 (+/− $16,862) versus $58,611 (+/− $12,592) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $53,042 (+/− $7,511). About 1.9% of families and 1.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.8% of those under age 18 and 3.9% of those age 65 or over.DP03: Selected Economic Characteristics from the 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates for Roseland borough, Essex County, New Jersey , United States Census Bureau. Accessed April 2, 2012.
2000 census As of the 2000 United States census there were 5,298 people, 2,142 households, and 1,525 families residing in the borough. The population density was . There were 2,187 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the borough was 93.43% White, 0.72% African American, 0.04% Native American, 4.72% Asian, 0.43% from other races, and 0.66% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.28% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Roseland borough, New Jersey , United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 17, 2013.DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Roseland borough, Essex County, New Jersey , United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 17, 2013.
As of the 2000 Census, 32.0% of Roseland residents were of Italian ancestry, the 27th-highest percentage of any municipality in the United States, and 10th-highest in New Jersey, among all places with more than 1,000 residents identifying their ancestry.Italian Communities , EPodunk. Accessed June 9, 2007.
There were 2,142 households, out of which 26.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.8% were married couples living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.8% were non-families. 25.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the borough the population was spread out, with 20.6% under the age of 18, 4.2% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 29.2% from 45 to 64, and 19.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.6 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $82,499, and the median income for a family was $93,957. Males had a median income of $61,049 versus $41,688 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $41,415. None of the families and 1.7% of the population were living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and 2.7% of those over 64. Economy