Totowa ()Cohen, Saul Bernard. "Totowa", The Columbia Gazetteer of the World: P to Z, p. 3923. Columbia University Press, 2008. . Accessed January 15, 2013. "Totowa (TO-tuh-wuh), borough (2006 population 10,634), Passaic county, NE New Jersey" 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 11,065, an increase of 261 (+2.4%) from the 2010 census count of 10,804, which in turn reflected an increase of 912 (+9.2%) from the 9,892 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.
Totowa was formed as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 15, 1898, from portions of Wayne Township and the now-defunct Manchester Township.Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606–1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 211. 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Together with References to All Acts, and Parts of Acts, in the 'General Statutes' and Pamphlet Laws Expressly Repealed: and the Statutory Crimes of New Jersey During the Same Period, p. 288. New Jersey Law Journal Publishing Company, 1910. Accessed October 11, 2015.
Etymology The name of Totowa comes from the Native American name for the Passaic Falls of the Passaic River in nearby Paterson, and literally means "sinking or falling water", or "between mountains and water".Chadwick, A. F. "In the Dayd of Early Paterson. Origin and Progress of the Silk City of America. Told for Little People", The Sunday Chronicle (Paterson)', April 1, 1906. Accessed August 16, 2012. "They called the falls Totowa, which means the great falling-water."Ruttenberg, Edward Manning. History of the Indian tribes of Hudson's River: their origin, manners and customs, p. 376.Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed October 12, 2015.Gannett, Henry. The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States, p. 302. United States Government Printing Office, 1905. Accessed October 12, 2015.
History In 1696, George Willocks, a Scottish land speculator, purchased a tract of land known as Willock's Patent, which included most of modern-day Totowa, Woodland Park (formerly West Paterson) and Little Falls. Located in the western part of Manchester Township, Willock's Patent was resold to Anthony Brockholls and the Van Houten family. The land was retitled the "Totowa Patent", and divided into three parcels, and more land was acquired through the "Garret Mountain Purchase".Nelson, William; and Shriner, Charles Anthony. History of Paterson and its Environs (The Silk City), p. 116. Lewis Historical Pub. Co., 1920. "The Totowa Patent embraced nearly all of what is now the First Ward of Paterson, all of what is now the Second Ward of Paterson and a great deal of what was afterwards Manchester township."
In 1895, residents of the southern section of Manchester Township began to become disenchanted with governing officials, and following the election of 1896, many independent municipalities were formed. The formation of the Borough of Totowa was discussed at the Willard Park Hotel on Totowa Avenue, and headed by brothers Joseph and Robert Boyle. On March 15, 1898, the Borough of Totowa was officially incorporated under Chapter 56 of the Laws of New Jersey, signed by Governor John Griggs. On April 12, 1898, the first election of the Borough of Totowa was held at the Willard Park Hotel, which would become the unofficial town hall until the municipal building was completed in 1910.Borough of Totowa: 100th Anniversary 1898–1998, 1998.
Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of , including of land and of water (1.86%).
The borough borders the Passaic County communities of Haledon, Little Falls, Paterson, Wayne and Woodland Park.Areas touching Totowa, MapIt. Accessed March 12, 2020.Passaic County Map, Coalition for a Healthy NJ. Accessed March 12, 2020.New Jersey Municipal Boundaries, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed November 15, 2019.
As of 2026, the borough is a member of Local Leaders for Responsible Planning in order to address the borough's Mount Laurel doctrine-based housing obligations.
Demographics
2020 census As of the 2020 census, Totowa had a population of 11,065. The median age was 44.3 years. 18.5% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 92.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 89.3 males age 18 and over.
100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 3,899 households in Totowa, of which 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 55.8% were married-couple households, 14.3% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 25.3% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 20.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 4,026 housing units, of which 3.2% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.6% and the rental vacancy rate was 1.8%.
+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number Percent White 7,775 70.3% Black or African American 280 2.5% American Indian and Alaska Native 23 0.2% Asian 852 7.7% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 1 0.0% Some other race 1,038 9.4% Two or more races 1,096 9.9% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 2,408 21.8%
2010 census The 2010 United States census counted 10,804 people, 3,783 households, and 2,826 families in the borough. The population density was 2,704.9 per square mile (1,044.4/km2). There were 3,918 housing units at an average density of 980.9 per square mile (378.7/km2). The racial makeup was 85.44% (9,231) White, 2.30% (248) Black or African American, 0.10% (11) Native American, 5.92% (640) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 4.22% (456) from other races, and 2.02% (218) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 14.35% (1,550) of the population.
Of the 3,783 households, 28.9% had children under the age of 18; 58.8% were married couples living together; 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present and 25.3% were non-families. Of all households, 21.8% were made up of individuals and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.19.
20.1% of the population were under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 29.4% from 45 to 64, and 18.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.3 years. For every 100 females, the population had 94.7 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 90.8 males.
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $72,568 (with a margin of error of +/− $11,834) and the median family income was $82,750 (+/− $13,865). Males had a median income of $58,750 (+/− $10,202) versus $42,641 (+/− $10,936) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $35,978 (+/− $4,380). About 4.3% of families and 9.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.8% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those age 65 or over., United States Census Bureau. Accessed August 16, 2012.
Same-sex couples headed 25 households in 2010, almost double the 13 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 October 28, 2014.
2000 census As of the 2000 United States census there were 9,892 people, 3,539 households, and 2,643 families residing in the borough. The population density was . There were 3,630 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the borough was 93.40% White, 1.12% African American, 0.02% Native American, 2.26% Asian, 1.97% from other races, and 1.22% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.37% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Totowa borough, New Jersey , United States Census Bureau. Accessed August 16, 2012., United States Census Bureau. Accessed August 16, 2012.
As of the 2000 Census, 37.2% of town residents were of Italian ancestry, the seventh-highest percentage of any municipality in the United States, and second-highest in New Jersey (behind Hammonton, at 45.9%), among all places with more than 1,000 residents identifying their ancestry.Italian Communities , Epodunk. Accessed June 9, 2007.
There were 3,539 households, out of which 26.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.3% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.3% were non-families. Of all households 21.8% were made up of individuals, and 12.5% 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 18.3% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 21.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.6 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $60,408, and the median income for a family was $69,354. Males had a median income of $44,462 versus $33,869 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $26,561. About 0.8% of families and 4.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over. Economy Big M, a privately held clothing retailer which operates the brands Mandee, Annie Sez and Afaze, is based in Totowa. Big M filed for bankruptcy protection in 2013, precipitated by damage from Hurricane Sandy.Gleason, Stephanie. "Mandee's Owner Files for Chapter 11, Blaming Sandy", The Wall Street Journal, January 7, 2013. Accessed October 28, 2014. "Totowa, N.J.-based Big M employs 1,200 people, including 250 workers represented by two unions. The privately held company continues to be owned by the Mandelbaum family, which established it after World War II."
The headquarters of Greater Community Bancorp was located in the borough. The bank operated 16 branches in North Jersey until its 2008 acquisition by Valley National Bank.Staff. "Valley National Bancorp to Acquire Greater Community Bancorp", Reuters, March 19, 2008. Accessed August 11, 2013. "Greater Community is a financial holding company headquartered in Totowa, New Jersey. Greater Community operates 16 full-service branches in thenorthern New Jersey counties of Bergen, Passaic and Morris through its state-chartered commercial bank subsidiary Greater Community Bank."
Sports The Totowa Police Athletic League (PAL) is a volunteer organization that offers several sports to the children of Totowa from pre-kindergarten to eighth grade. Established in 1952, the PAL strives to provide children throughout the borough with the fellowship of sports. These include baseball, softball, basketball, soccer, football, hockey, and cheerleading. Although the Totowa PAL is independent from the Borough of Totowa, it uses fields and facilities owned by the municipality. Meetings, registrations, and events are held at the PAL building, built in 1963 and located on Chamberlain Avenue.