West Long Branch, New Jersey

West Long Branch is a Borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 8,258. It is the home of Monmouth University.

In 1908, the people of the West Long Branch section of Eatontown became unhappy with paying taxes to Eatontown and not getting what they thought was a fair return. A request was made that the West Long Branch section be separated from Eatontown. The Township of Eatontown strongly resisted as there were several large estates in the West Long Branch section that were a source of considerable taxes. An Act of the New Jersey Legislature was passed on April 7, 1908, and the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders authorized an election. On May 5, 1908 the referendum was held in West Long Branch with voters approving the separation. On Tuesday, June 16, 1908, the West Long Branch section of Eatontown Township became the independent Borough of West Long Branch. Prior to being called West Long Branch the town was called Mechanicsville from the 18th century through the Civil War and then Branchburg in the 1870s. The name West Long Branch appears in the 1889 Wolverton Atlas of Monmouth county.

Geography
West Long Branch is located at 40.28999°N, -74.01672°W (40.289985, -74.016717).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 2.9 square miles (7.5 km2), of which, 2.9 square miles (7.5 km2) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km2) of it (0.69%) is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 8,258 people, 2,448 households, and 1,860 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,859.9 people per square mile (1,103.3/km2). There were 2,535 housing units at an average density of 877.9 per square mile (338.7/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 94.22% White, 2.23% African American, 0.07% Native American, 1.21% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.50% from other races, and 1.73% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.92% of the population.

There were 2,448 households out of which 35.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.9% were married couples living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.0% were non-families. 21.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.25.

In the borough the population was spread out with 21.8% under the age of 18, 22.1% from 18 to 24, 21.1% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 87.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.7 males.