Bloomingdale is a borough in Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 7,777, an increase of 121 (+1.6%) from the 2010 census count of 7,656, which in turn reflected an increase of 46 (+0.6%) from the 7,610 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.
Bloomingdale is home to four membership lake communities including Glen Wild Lake, Lake Iosco, Kampfe Lake, and Morse Lakes; a suburban neighborhood featuring an upper and lower lake.Kirby, David. "Havens; Weekender | Bloomingdale, N.J.", The New York Times, March 28, 2003. Accessed August 20, 2024. "There are four private lake-homeowners associations within the Borough of Bloomingdale, and the associations control the land around the lakes. Each lake has its own close-knit social circle."Home Page, Morse Lakes Community. Accessed August 20, 2024.
History Bloomingdale's Federal Hill was the site of the 1781 Pompton Mutiny, a winter revolt of Continental Army troops that was crushed by General Robert Howe on direct orders of General George Washington.LaPlaca, Bryan. "Back in the Day - June 2, 1976: Washington put down Bloomingdale mutiny", The Record, June 13, 2011. Accessed July 10, 2012. "A mutiny that could have changed the course of the American Revolution occurred at the Pompton Encampment during the winter of 1780-1781 near Federal Hill in present-day Bloomingdale."
Growth in Bloomingdale was driven by the development in the late 1860s of a rubber mill and other factories in neighboring Butler. The New Jersey Midland Railroad, later known as the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway, laid tracks adjacent to the settlement, with a Bloomingdale station located in what today is Riverdale. The northern section of Riverdale and most of Butler were known as East Bloomingdale and West Bloomingdale respectively during most of the 19th century. Despite crossing a county border, they also shared a school district and residents considered the whole area as "Bloomingdale" until about 1881 when a Post Office named Butler was designated. This began a period of rivalry which caused a schism between the residents of Butler and Bloomingdale resulting in separate schools, churches and even town bands.
Bloomingdale was incorporated as an independent borough on February 23, 1918, when Pompton Township was split up into three new municipalities along with Wanaque and Ringwood.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. Prior to that, the area was known as Bloomingdale throughout the 19th century and was initially a farming community starting about 1712 with the "Bloomingdale Forge" built shortly thereafter to take advantage of the iron in the hills. The business district along the Paterson-Hamburg Turnpike and the Pequannock River began about the middle of the 19th century.
Bloomingdale, like most municipalities in northeastern North Jersey, is a suburb of New York City. Some of the things that still link Bloomingdale to its past are its two churches (Methodist and Baptist), the Samuel R. Donald School (originally built in 1886) and the Bloomingdale Cornet Band continuously active since 1884.
DeLazier Field, used by the Triboro Little League, was the home field for the Minor League Baseball team known as the Bloomingdale Troopers of the North Atlantic League from 1946 to 1948.Bloomingdale, New Jersey Minor League City Encyclopedia, Baseball-Reference.com. Accessed January 26, 2015.
The History of Bloomingdale can be found in three separate books published by the borough in 1958, 1968 and 1993.
Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 9.25 square miles (23.95 km2), including 8.80 square miles (22.79 km2) of land and 0.45 square miles (1.16 km2) of water (4.82%).
Lake communities in the borough include Glen Wild Lake, Lake Iosco, Kampfe Lake and Lower / Upper Morse Lake.Kirby, David. "Havens; Weekender | Bloomingdale, N.J.", The New York Times, March 28, 2003. Accessed March 16, 2018.
Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the borough include Cold Spring Lake, Glenwild Lake, Iosco Lake, Lake Kampfe, Morse Lakes, Mothers Lake, Pompton Junction, Star Lake and Twilliger Lake.Locality Search, State of New Jersey. Accessed May 22, 2015.
The borough borders Pompton Lakes, Ringwood, Wanaque and West Milford in Passaic County and both Butler and Riverdale in Morris County.Areas touching Bloomingdale, MapIt. Accessed March 19, 2020.Passaic County Map , Coalition for a Healthy NJ. Accessed March 19, 2020.New Jersey Municipal Boundaries, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed November 15, 2019.
Demographics
2020 census As of the 2020 census, Bloomingdale had a population of 7,777. The median age was 43.4 years. 17.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 17.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 98.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 97.3 males age 18 and over.
97.5% of residents lived in urban areas, while 2.5% lived in rural areas.
There were 3,112 households in Bloomingdale, of which 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 50.4% were married-couple households, 18.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 24.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 26.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 3,267 housing units, of which 4.7% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 3.1%.
+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number Percent White 6,175 79.4% Black or African American 118 1.5% American Indian and Alaska Native 37 0.5% Asian 277 3.6% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 1 0.0% Some other race 465 6.0% Two or more races 704 9.1% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 1,186 15.3%
2010 census The 2010 United States census counted 7,656 people, 2,935 households, and 2,034 families in the borough. The population density was . There were 3,089 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup was 91.97% (7,041) White, 1.14% (87) Black or African American, 0.22% (17) Native American, 2.46% (188) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 3.03% (232) from other races, and 1.19% (91) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.33% (714) of the population.
Of the 2,935 households, 29.8% had children under the age of 18; 56.0% were married couples living together; 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present and 30.7% were non-families. Of all households, 25.1% were made up of individuals and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.10.
21.1% of the population were under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 29.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.8 years. For every 100 females, the population had 96.8 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 96.4 males.
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $79,044 (with a margin of error of +/− $15,773) and the median family income was $103,972 (+/− $5,906). Males had a median income of $56,974 (+/− $6,604) versus $47,204 (+/− $7,582) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $32,417 (+/− $3,746). About 3.3% of families and 5.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.7% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over., United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 10, 2012.
Same-sex couples headed 23 households in 2010, up from the 14 counted in 2000.Lipman, Harvy; and Sheingold, Dave. "North Jersey sees 30% growth in same-sex couples", The Record, August 14, 2011, backed up by the Internet Archive as of February 3, 2013. Accessed December 1, 2014.
2000 census As of the 2000 United States census there were 7,610 people, 2,847 households, and 2,078 families residing in the borough. The population density was . There were 2,940 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the borough was 95.55% White, 0.42% African American, 0.12% Native American, 2.19% Asian, 0.67% from other races, and 1.05% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.36% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Bloomingdale borough , United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 10, 2012., United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 10, 2012.
There were 2,847 households, out of which 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.9% were married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.0% were non-families. 21.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.09.
In the borough the population was spread out, with 22.3% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 34.3% from 25 to 44, 25.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.9 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $67,885, and the median income for a family was $75,433. Males had a median income of $46,351 versus $36,607 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $27,736. 3.4% of the population and 2.0% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 3.8% are under the age of 18 and 3.5% are 65 or older. Government
Local government Bloomingdale 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 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.2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, March 2013, p. 121. The borough form of government used by Bloomingdale 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.