Making Sense of Fredon’s Census

Published August 4, 2022

I feel a lot of pride in being from Sussex County. My husband and I even returned so our children could also grow up here among family, friends, and all of the charm of rural living. Some people escape urban areas to find peace where we live, if only for an afternoon of sunflower fields and photography.

Similar to siblings who grow up under the same roof with the same parents but end up very different, I wasn’t sure if towns in Sussex County shared much more in common than this appreciation of country culture.

I recognize that the latest census taken in 2020 has a margin of error and is two years old now, but it can be among the best publicly-available information we have, so I was drawn to look up Sussex County and Fredon’s data. In some ways I wish I didn’t look, because the questions in my mind became endless.

Fredon and Kittatinny

First, I decided to compare Fredon to the other Kittatinny sending districts. After all, we’re neighbors who should continue to share services wherever we can. I discovered that we have a lot of differences that might affect our priorities as taxpayers and home owners. One of the biggest differences that isn’t represented below is the amount of residents under 18 living in poverty. Fredon’s rate was 8.2% (58) and Stillwater’s was 26.1% (142), which is a contributing factor in why Stillwater elementary school receives aid for free preschool and Fredon doesn’t.

Fredon and Larger Towns

Then, I wanted to see Fredon side-by-side against a few of the larger areas of Sussex County. I found the data interesting, because an imaginary boundary line divides Fredon and Newton, but we have much more in common with Sparta which is about 10 miles away.

Fredon and Smaller Towns

I couldn’t help it. I had to do it. I compared three other small areas of Sussex County that were similar in size to Fredon. We seem to have the least in common with Sussex and the most in common with Green, but we still had differences.

Our Fredon

I decided to stop comparing Fredon to other towns in Sussex County because I wasn’t finding clear similarities or patterns. I began to just dive deeper into Fredon, and found myself on the Census Reporter website which uses charts and data from the U.S. census to help citizens visualize the information easier. I highly recommend checking out the interesting visuals on the website when you find time.

Again, I know survey data has margins of error and this census is two years old now, but some approximate numbers that I came across told me so much about Fredon and filled my mind with even more questions.

Approximate Fredon Data Points (2020)	My Questions
Fredon had a higher poverty rate (6.7%) than Sussex County overall (5.2%). 717 (22.6%) of residents were under the age of 18 with 58 possibly living in poverty. 568 (17.9%) were over age 65 with 16 possibly living in poverty. 80 (2.5%) didn’t have health insurance.	Can we add more to our municipal communications about local programs to help them financially? How many other residents are on the verge of poverty and can’t afford the next tax increase? Are these neighbors still getting the physical and mental health services they need? What else can we do for low-income neighbors around the holidays?
87 (2.7%) were 80 years-old or older.	Are we checking on these neighbors enough in heat waves, snow storms, and power outages? Do they have family or friends close to help in an emergency or could they use a volunteer for neighborly help with their home and property?
181 were veterans (5.7% of total population in Fredon or 7.4% of population over age 18). 568 (17.9%) were over age 65.	Do they feel appreciated? Are they aware they may qualify for tax breaks? Would they benefit from more social interaction at our public parks and recreation center?
1,395 (44%) of residents moved here before 2000, so they’ve lived here for 22 years or more.	Should we stay open to the idea of school consolidation to help reduce taxes so they can continue to stay in their homes and afford to retire here? Will their adult children want to return one day and purchase homes?
182 (5.7%) residents were born in a different country. 222 (7%) residents spoke another language at home other than only English.	Is it difficult for new residents to settle here when our online presence isn’t always welcoming to those from other counties - let alone other countries? Are there language barriers in any municipal communications?
83 of the total occupied units in Fredon were rentals and represented a small percentage (7.6%) of overall occupied housing units in Fredon compared to rental rates in Sussex County (16.4%) and N.J. (36%). 70% of Fredon’s owner-occupied houses were valued at more than $300,000. 27 homes were worth more than $1 million.	What are our current real estate trends and needs two years later? Why do new residents choose Fredon for their home? How can we improve our image to convince others to move to Fredon thereby creating more demand?

My Vision

I don’t have all of the answers to these questions obviously, but I believe we can start to solve some of our challenges with more:

• Communication

• Volunteerism

• Efforts to create a Welcoming Brand

• Focus on Health and Safety

• Emphasis on our Rural Charm

I did finally stop looking at the census data. Unfortunately, my mind still won’t stop brainstorming ideas to find solutions!

Sources: CensusReporter.org and Census.gov