Watchung () is a borough in Somerset County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, located approximately west of New York City. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 6,449, an increase of 648 (+11.2%) from the 2010 census count of 5,801, which in turn reflected an increase of 188 (+3.3%) from the 5,613 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. It is located within the Raritan Valley region.
Watchung was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on May 23, 1926, from portions of North Plainfield Township (now Green Brook Township) based on the results of a referendum held on April 20, 1926.Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606–1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 225. Accessed May 30, 2024.Watchung Profile, Borough of Watchung. Accessed October 22, 2015. The name "Watchung" comes from the Lenni Lenape Native Americans, meaning "high hills"South Mountain Reservation, Essex County Department of Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs. Accessed February 3, 2015. "The presence of the early Lenape Indians lingers in the name given to the Watchung—the 'high hills.'" or from "watschu," meaning "hill."Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed August 21, 2015.
In 2012, Forbes.com listed Watchung as 384th in its listing of "America's Most Expensive ZIP Codes", with a median home price of $767,507.Brennan, Morgan. "America's Most Expensive ZIP Codes 2012", Forbes, October 16, 2012. Accessed February 18, 2020.
The borough is one of the state's highest-income communities. Based on data from the American Community Survey (ACS) for 2014–2018, Watchung residents had a median household income of $153,341, almost double the statewide median of $79,363.https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/watchungboroughnewjersey,somersetcountynewjersey,NJ/PST045219
History George Washington surveyed the British troops in Perth Amboy, 20 miles away, from the first ridge of the Watchung Mountains. The eastern edge of these ridges reaches to the Oranges in the direction of Newark. The name "Washingtonville" was used in early times, but was rejected as the name for the area by the United States Postal Service, which felt that the state already had too many places named Washington.Cheslow, Jerry. "If You're Thinking of Living In/Watchung, N.J.; Stunning Vistas, but Entry Is Not Cheap", The New York Times, March 11, 2001. Accessed April 30, 2012.Wilk, Tom. "Awash in Washingtons: New Jersey has six towns named for the father of our country.", New Jersey Monthly, January 17, 2011. Accessed November 6, 2015. "In New Jersey, Washington can lay claim to another first. He's number one in names selected for the state's 566 municipalities. Bergen, Burlington, Gloucester, Morris and Warren counties all have a Washington Township. Warren also has a Washington Borough which, incidentally, is surrounded by Washington Township. The largest is Gloucester County's Washington, with 52,096 people; the smallest is the Washington in Burlington, with a population of 649. New Jersey had a sixth Washington Township in Mercer County until 2008, when voters there approved a name change to Robbinsville."
Watchung, in the 1900s was a semi-rural small community of about 3,200 people in comparison with the relatively larger and more urban communities of Plainfield and Somerville. The first mayor of the town was Henry Baldwin Macdonald, who served from 1926 to 1928. The 1967 Plainfield riots, caused an exodus of the large upper-middle class population from the nearby cities to the Watchung Hills area to communities such as Watchung, Warren Township and Bridgewater Township.
Watchung was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on May 23, 1926, from portions of North Plainfield Township (now Green Brook Township) based on the results of a referendum held on April 20, 1926.
In the wake of public fear that ensued after the 1938 radio broadcast of Orson Welles' The War of the Worlds, National Guard troops were stationed around the hills in Watchung, as told on the vinyl record recording of news reports of the day.
Notable figures who have lived in Watchung include Bobby Thomson, Billy Ard and Carl Banks.
Historic places Eaton House is a Watchung historic site that was owned by congressman Charles Aubrey Eaton and has been the residence of other notables over the years. Known also as the Sunbright Farm farmhouse, the home was damaged in April 2014 when it was hit by trees that fell as a result of a likely microburst in a severe storm that rolled through the area.O'Brien, Walter. "Photos: 'Bizarre' winds flatten trees, damage historical Watchung farmhouse", NJ.com, April 19, 2004. Accessed August 7, 2014. "She said the home has also had a number of other famous residents through the years, including comedian Katt Williams and Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Chaka Khan."
The borough is home to Watchung Valley Golf Club, which moved from its original nine-hole course in North Plainfield to its current location on Mountain Boulevard in 1927. The club was known as the Twin Brooks Country Club from 1933 to 2017, when it re-adopted its name as Watchung Valley Country Club, which was in use from 1928 to 1933."Watchung Valley G.C. Proves To Be Stern Test In Amateur Qualifying", New Jersey State Golf Association, June 12, 2018. Accessed October 22, 2019. "The club was originally founded in 1898 in North Plainfield as The Park Club. It moved to its current site in 1927 as the Hydewood Country Club. It was renamed Watchung Valley Country Club in 1928 when the Plainfield Courier newspaper compared it to Baltusrol Golf Club for its beauty and championship layout."
Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of , including of land and of water (0.46%).
Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the borough include Washingtonville.Locality Search, State of New Jersey. Accessed May 21, 2015.
The borough borders Green Brook Township, North Plainfield and Warren Township in Somerset County; and Berkeley Heights, Plainfield, and Scotch Plains in Union County.Areas touching Watchung, MapIt. Accessed March 8, 2020.Municipalities, Somerset County, New Jersey. Accessed March 8, 2020.New Jersey Municipal Boundaries, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed November 15, 2019.
The Stony Brook flows through Watchung borough, making its way from Warren Township to the Watchung Lake, then through the gorge in the first Watchung mountain and over the Wetumpka Falls, on its way to the Green Brook.Paglia, Bernice. , Courier News, November 27, 2001. Accessed April 30, 2012.
The borough is roughly a 40-minute drive from New York City and a 20-minute drive from Newark.
Demographics
2020 census As of the 2020 census, Watchung had a population of 6,449. The median age was 47.3 years. 20.1% of residents were under the age of 18 and 24.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 89.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and older there were 86.1 males age 18 and older.
100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 2,175 households in Watchung, of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 67.7% were married-couple households, 10.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 17.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 16.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 2,285 housing units, of which 4.8% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 4.0%.
+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number Percent White 4,402 68.3% Black or African American 322 5.0% American Indian and Alaska Native 6 0.1% Asian 1,005 15.6% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0 0.0% Some other race 177 2.7% Two or more races 537 8.3% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 519 8.0%
2010 census The 2010 United States census counted 5,801 people, 2,114 households, and 1,613 families in the borough. The population density was . There were 2,234 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup was 80.52% (4,671) White, 3.45% (200) Black or African American, 0.12% (7) Native American, 12.69% (736) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 0.81% (47) from other races, and 2.41% (140) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.29% (307) of the population.
Of the 2,114 households, 32.3% had children under the age of 18; 66.2% were married couples living together; 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present and 23.7% were non-families. Of all households, 20.1% were made up of individuals and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.12.
23.2% of the population were under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 18.8% from 25 to 44, 32.1% from 45 to 64, and 21.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46.9 years. For every 100 females, the population had 92.1 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 87.3 males.
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $112,917 (with a margin of error of +/− $21,189) and the median family income was $144,883 (+/− $38,172). Males had a median income of $92,667 (+/− $15,969) versus $63,811 (+/− $15,306) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $59,177 (+/− $6,617). About 3.2% of families and 2.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.2% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.DP03: Selected Economic Characteristics from the 2006–2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates for Watchung borough, Somerset County, New Jersey , United States Census Bureau. Accessed April 30, 2012.
2000 census As of the 2000 United States census there were 5,613 people, 2,098 households, and 1,617 families residing in the borough. The population density was . There were 2,155 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the borough was 84.30% White, 3.37% African American, 0.09% Native American, 9.85% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 0.71% from other races, and 1.59% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.99% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Watchung borough, New Jersey , United States Census Bureau. Accessed February 14, 2013.DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 – Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Watchung borough, Somerset County, New Jersey , United States Census Bureau. Accessed February 14, 2013.
There were 2,098 households, out of which 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.4% were married couples living together, 4.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.9% were non-families. 19.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the borough the population was spread out, with 21.9% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 30.1% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.3 males.