Mendham Township is a township in southwestern Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, located more than due west of New York City.Explore Southwestern Morris County, Morris County Tourism Authority. Accessed April 10, 2024. "Southwestern Morris County includes a multitude of farms, farmers markets and community-supported agriculture offering fresh produce and festivals throughout the growing season throughout its communities of Mount Olive, Washington Township (Long Valley), Roxbury, Chester, Chester Township, Mount Arlington, Mendham, Mendham Township, Randolph and Netcong." As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 6,016, an increase of 147 (+2.5%) from the 2010 census count of 5,869, which in turn reflected an increase of 469 (+8.7%) from the 5,400 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.

Located on the northern end of the Somerset Hills,"Review: New Jersey Country Homes The Somerset Hills." T3 Consortium, LLC, last modified September 2006, backed up by the Internet Archive as of July 24, 2008. Accessed December 11, 2015.Comprehensive Master Plan, Borough of Bernardsville, adopted September 28, 2000. Accessed July 11, 2023. "Bernardsville is geographically part of the Somerset Hills group of communities, as defined by their hills and steep slopes. These municipalities include Far Hills (named for these hills), PeapackGladstone (part), Bedminster (part), Bernards Township (part) in Somerset County and the Mendhams (part) in Morris County." Mendham Township is situated in the Raritan Valley regionRaritan Basin Hydrology, New Jersey Water Supply Authority. Accessed July 7, 2023. within the New York Metropolitan area. The township may be named for Mendham, Suffolk, England,Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed September 5, 2015. Spelled as "Myndham".Gannett, Henry. The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States, p. 205. United States Government Printing Office, 1905. Accessed September 5, 2015. Note error in the name of the county. or it may derive from the Native American word mendom (meaning "raspberry") or for an Earl of Mendham.Kelley, Tina. "An Outpost of New England", The New York Times, February 2, 2014. Accessed September 5, 2015. "The origin of the town's name — preserved on the sign of the Black Horse as 'I'll Mend 'Em' — has been the subject of animated debate. Did it come from the Indian word 'mendom,' for raspberry or huckleberry? Was it chosen to honor the British Earl of Mendham?"Beck, Henry Charlton. Tales and Towns of Northern New Jersey, pp. 128-149. Rutgers University Press, 1983. . Accessed September 5, 2015.

The long-established hamlets of Brookside and Ralston are located within Mendham, and both are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.National Register of Historic Places Registration Form for Brookside, National Park Service. Accessed July 12, 2023.National Register of Historic Places Registration Form for Ralston Historic District, National Park Service. Accessed July 12, 2023.New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Historic Preservation Office, updated June 22, 2023. Accessed July 12, 2023.

Along with Mendham Borough, the Mendhams have been described by The New York Times as "both affluent".Gangsberg, Martin. "Two Mendhams—And Both Affluent", The New York Times, October 14, 1973. Accessed October 7, 2020. The township has been one of the highest-income small municipalities in the United States. Based on data from the 2012-2016 American Community Survey, NJ.com ranked the township as having the third-highest income in the state, with a median household income of $176,875.Petenko, Erin. "The 19 wealthiest towns in New Jersey, ranked", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, January 12, 2018, updated May 15, 2019. Accessed February 27, 2020. "A note about the data: The source of this data is median household income in the 2012-2016 American Community Survey snapshot, compared with the 2007-2011 ACS snapshot.... 3. Mendham township, Morris County Median income: $176,875" Based on data from the ACS for 2014–2018, Mendham Township ranked fifth in the state with a median household income of $185,882.Cervenka, Susanne. "Rich in New Jersey: Here are the 50 wealthiest towns in the state. Is yours one of them?", Asbury Park Press, July 1, 2019. Accessed May 10, 2020. "The USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey took a look at U.S. Census data to find the 50th wealthiest towns in the state and ranked them by median household income.... 5. Mendham Township; County: Morris County; Median household income: $185,882; Percent making more than $200,000: 47.5%" Per capita income, in comparison, was $131,795 as of the 2020 United States Census.

In 2010, Forbes.com listed Mendham as 224th in its listing of "America's Most Expensive ZIP Codes", with a median home price of $1,006,491.Staff. "America's Most Expensive ZIP Codes: In these neighborhoods $4 million homes are the norm.", Forbes, September 27, 2010. Accessed July 29, 2011.

History The township was formed on March 29, 1749, from portions of Hanover Township, Morris Township and Roxbury Township.Historical Timeline of Morris County Boundaries, Morris County Library. Accessed December 24, 2016. "1749, March 29.Mendham Township is established from Hanover, Morris, and Roxbury Township." After the Revolutionary War, on February 21, 1798, the township was incorporated by the Township Act of 1798 of the New Jersey Legislature as one of the state's initial group of 104 townships. Portions of the township were taken to create Randolph Township on January 1, 1806. Mendham Borough became an independent municipality when it was formed on May 15, 1906.Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 194. Accessed May 30, 2024.

Natural resources of water, forests and minerals drew settlers to the area. The area of Ralston had iron forges, sawmills, and a gristmill by 1748, located in an area along the North Branch of the Raritan River. Northeast of Ralston is India Brook. On the eastern side of Mendham Township, brooks that formed the upper reaches of the Whippany River attracted settlers to the valley called Water Street or Waterville, later known as Brookside.

Following the Civil War, wealthy industrialists and financiers established country homes in the Morristown area and Bernardsville's "Mountain Colony", including in the Mendhams. Historic homes, structures, and local settlements are relics of the township's history as a community where people lived and worked in a rural community far from the city's "dark satanic mills".Historical Overview, Mendahm Township School District. Accessed May 3, 2024. "Despite the present-day transformation from a rural farming community to a residential suburb, Mendham Township retains its early character through its carefully preserved homes, farm buildings, and villages. These are living remnants of the township's past. Here people worked where they lived in a natural setting, away from the "dark satanic mills" of the big city, pursuing economic independence - a portrait of Americana."

Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 18.01 square miles (46.65 km2), including 17.78 square miles (46.06 km2) of land and 0.23 square miles (0.59 km2) of water (1.27%).

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Brookside, Colemans Hollow, Days Mills, Pleasant Valley, Ralston and Washington Corner.Locality Search, State of New Jersey. Accessed October 3, 2018.

The long-established hamlets of Brookside and Ralston are located within the township and both are listed among the National Register of Historic Places.New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places - Morris County, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Historic Preservation Office, updated October 1, 2020. Accessed October 7, 2020.

The township surrounds Mendham Borough on three sides and borders Morris Township to the east, Harding Township to the southeast, Randolph to the north and Chester Township to the west all of which are located in Morris County; Bernardsville lies to the south and Peapack-Gladstone lies to the southwest, both located in the Somerset Hills of Somerset County.Areas touching Mendham Township, MapIt. Accessed February 27, 2020.Morris County Municipalities Map, Morris County, New Jersey Department of Planning and Preservation. Accessed February 27, 2020.New Jersey Municipal Boundaries, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed November 15, 2019.

Demographics

2010 census The 2010 United States census counted 5,869 people, 1,952 households, and 1,659 families in the township. The population density was 328.4 per square mile (126.8/km2). There were 2,062 housing units at an average density of 115.4 per square mile (44.6/km2). The racial makeup was 93.32% (5,477) White, 1.29% (76) Black or African American, 0.05% (3) Native American, 3.41% (200) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 0.56% (33) from other races, and 1.36% (80) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.60% (211) of the population.

Of the 1,952 households, 44.6% had children under the age of 18; 78.0% were married couples living together; 5.1% had a female householder with no husband present and 15.0% were non-families. Of all households, 12.7% were made up of individuals and 6.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.99 and the average family size was 3.28.

30.2% of the population were under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 15.4% from 25 to 44, 36.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44.6 years. For every 100 females, the population had 97.5 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 94.7 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $162,125 (with a margin of error of +/− $44,498) and the median family income was $194,028 (+/− $20,875). Males had a median income of $163,594 (+/− $46,204) versus $76,136 (+/− $53,301) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $93,011 (+/− $10,203). About 0.6% of families and 1.7% 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 Mendham township, Morris County, New Jersey , United States Census Bureau. Accessed December 18, 2012.

Mendham Township is one of the highest-income small municipalities in the United States and was ranked 7th in New Jersey in per capita income as of the 2010 Census. Based on data from the 2006-2010 American Community Survey, the township had a per capita income of $93,011 (ranked 7th in the state), compared to per capita income in Morris County of $47,342 and statewide of $34,858.Median Household, Family, Per-Capita Income: State, County, Municipality and Census Designated Place (CDP) With Municipalities Ranked by Per Capita Income; 2010 5-year ACS estimates, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Accessed June 3, 2020.

2000 census