Lodi () is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 26,207, an increase of 2,070 (+8.6%) from the 2010 census count of 24,136, which in turn reflected an increase of 165 (+0.7%) from the 23,971 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.
Lodi owes its name to the Italian city of Lodi, Lombardy.Van Valen, James M. History of Bergen County, New Jersey, p. 354. New Jersey Publishing and Engraving Company, 1900. Accessed November 12, 2015. "Lodi was named from a flourishing town of Italy founded by the Bois and colonized by the father of Pompeii the Great."Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed September 3, 2015.Gannett, Henry. The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States, p. 189. United States Government Printing Office, 1905. Accessed September 3, 2015. It was incorporated as a borough on December 22, 1894, from portions of the now-defunct municipalities of Lodi Township (now South Hackensack) and Saddle River Township (now Saddle Brook), at the height of Bergen County's "Boroughitis" phenomenon then sweeping through Bergen County, based on the results of a referendum held on the previous day.Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606–1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 80. Accessed May 29, 2024.History of Bergen County, New Jersey, 1630–1923, p. 377 shows formation date of October 25, 1894, and only Lodi Township as parent municipality.
Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 2.29 square miles (5.93 km2), including 2.27 square miles (5.89 km2) of land and 0.02 square miles (0.05 km2) of water (0.74%). Areas of the borough are prone to flooding during heavy rain.
The borough borders the Bergen County municipalities of Garfield, Hackensack, Hasbrouck Heights, Maywood, Rochelle Park, Saddle Brook, South Hackensack and Wood-Ridge.Areas touching Lodi, MapIt. Accessed February 26, 2020.Bergen County Map of Municipalities, Bergen County, New Jersey. Accessed February 26, 2020.New Jersey Municipal Boundaries, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed November 15, 2019.
History The borough of Lodi was incorporated in 1894 from portions of the former Lodi Township and Saddle River Township and was a destination for thousands of immigrants to work at mills along the Saddle River.
Multiple dye and chemical factories moved to Lodi after the 1940s, replacing earlier textile factories. In 1995, A lethal explosion at the Napp Technologies plant killed five and injured two. An explosion on the same site in 1969 killed one person and injured seven. Another explosion at the Mallinckrodt Chemical Company in 1973 killed seven workers.MacFarquhar, Neil. "Lodi Lives With Its Dangers", The New York Times, April 23, 1995. Accessed March 7, 2024.
Demographics
Racial and ethnic composition +Lodi borough, Bergen County, New Jersey – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 2000Pop 2010Pop 2020% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)16,27712,59210,41367.90%52.17%39.74%Black or African American alone (NH)7691,5892,0203.21%6.58%7.71%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)2931120.12%0.13%0.05%Asian alone (NH)2,1112,0362,1948.81%8.44%8.37%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)71000.03%0.04%0.00%Other race alone (NH)64992030.27%0.41%0.77%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)4054195261.69%1.74%2.01%Hispanic or Latino (any race)4,3097,36010,83817.98%30.49%41.36%Total23,97124,13626,206 100.00%100.00%100.00%
2020 census As of the 2020 census, Lodi had a population of 26,206. The median age was 38.4 years. 19.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 15.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 91.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.3 males.
There were 9,971 households, of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 40.2% were married-couple households, 21.0% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 31.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 10,414 housing units, of which 4.3% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 2.8%. 100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.
2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 24,136 people, 9,471 households, and 6,109 families in the borough. The population density was . There were 10,127 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup was 68.19% (16,459) White, 7.52% (1,816) Black or African American, 0.42% (101) Native American, 8.57% (2,069) Asian, 0.06% (15) Pacific Islander, 11.49% (2,774) from other races, and 3.74% (902) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 30.49% (7,360) of the population.
Of the 9,471 households, 29.2% had children under the age of 18; 42.4% were married couples living together; 16.3% had a female householder with no husband present and 35.5% were non-families. Of all households, 30.0% were made up of individuals and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.18.
21.3% of the population were under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 30.7% from 25 to 44, 26.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.7 years. For every 100 females, the population had 90.3 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 86.7 males.
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $55,541 (with a margin of error of ±$3,430) and the median family income was $65,494 (±$4,924). Males had a median income of $49,002 (±$4,353) versus $37,108 (±$5,243) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $25,910 (±$1,786). About 10.1% of families and 12.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.4% of those under age 18 and 15.5% of those age 65 or over.DP03: Selected Economic Characteristics from the 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates for Lodi borough, Bergen County, New Jersey , United States Census Bureau. Accessed March 7, 2013.
Same-sex couples headed 64 households in 2010, an increase from the 44 counted a decade earlier.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 September 27, 2014.
2000 census As of the 2000 United States census there were 23,971 people, 9,528 households, and 6,097 families residing in the borough. The population density was . There were 9,908 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the borough was 78.16% White, 3.55% African American, 0.17% Native American, 8.86% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 6.25% from other races, and 2.97% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 17.98% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Lodi borough, New Jersey , United States Census Bureau. Accessed March 7, 2013.DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Lodi borough, Bergen County, New Jersey , United States Census Bureau. Accessed March 7, 2013.
There were 9,528 households, out of which 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.6% were married couples living together, 13.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.0% were non-families. Of all households 30.1% were made up of individuals, and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.16.
In the borough the population was spread out, with 21.3% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 34.5% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.0 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $43,421, and the median income for a family was $51,959. Males had a median income of $38,781 versus $31,253 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $21,667. About 5.3% of families and 8.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.9% of those under age 18 and 9.8% of those age 65 or over. Government
Local government Lodi operates under the 1923 Municipal Manager Law form of New Jersey municipal government. The borough is one of 7 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form of government.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 five members who are elected at-large on a non-partisan basis as part of the May municipal election to serve four-year terms of office on a concurrent basis.2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, March 2013, p. 160."Forms of Municipal Government in New Jersey", p. 9. Rutgers University Center for Government Studies. Accessed June 1, 2023. A mayor and deputy mayor are selected by the council from among its members.
The council is an exclusively legislative body, with responsibility for day-to-day operation of the borough assigned to a manager who acts as the municipal chief executive and executes laws and policies, prepares the budget for council consideration and attends and participates at meetings with a voice, but no vote. The manager recommends improvements and implements those approved, as well as oversees contracts and franchises and reports violations. It is the responsibility of the manager to appoint and remove department heads and make all additional appointments not made by the council.
, members of the Lodi Township Council are Mayor Scott A. Luna, Deputy Mayor Vincent Martin, Emil Carafa Jr., Joseph P. Leto IV and Bruce T. Masopust, all of whom were initially elected in May 2019, and serve terms of office that expire on June 30, 2027.Mayor and Council, Borough of Lodi. Accessed June 4, 2024.2023 Municipal Data Sheet, Borough of Lodi. Accessed June 4, 2024.2024 County and Municipal Directory, Bergen County, New Jersey, April 2024. Accessed April 15, 2024.Cattafi, Kristie. "Unopposed Lodi Pride ticket takes council election amid low voter turnout", The Record, May 10, 2023. Accessed June 4, 2024. "The only nonpartisan council election in Bergen County brought in low voter turnout for the Lodi Pride ticket. Incumbents Mayor Scott Luna, Deputy Mayor Vincent Martin and Councilmen Emil Carafa Jr. and Joseph Leto IV will return for four more years, and joining them is former Councilman and Borough Manager Bruce Masopust."Reorganization Meeting Minutes July 1, 2023, Borough of Lodi. Accessed June 4, 2024.
Marc N. Schrieks was appointed to a two-year term as Municipal Manager on September 1, 2021.Sobko, Katie. "Former Lodi Mayor Schrieks returns to borough as manager on two-year deal", The Record, August 19, 2021. Accessed October 6, 2022. "Former Mayor Marc Schrieks will be returning to borough government as municipal manager, filling the role Vincent Caruso is expected to vacate at the end of the month. Schrieks has been hired through August 2023."