July 24th, 2025
“Who Lives Here? Housing, Access, and Equity in Our Town”
Jeff Doshna was the lecturer and Matt Hand was the musical performer this evening.
In his lecture, Jeff Doshna delivered focused on the demographics, history, critical housing challenges, and opportunities facing Flemington Borough. Doshna, an Associate Professor and Program Head of Planning and Community Development at Temple University, drew upon his expertise in statistics, analysis, community development, economics, and planning, as well as his long tenure on the Flemington Borough Council and Planning Board.
Doshna framed the central question of his analysis by asking: "When was Flemington great?" as a starting point to offer historical context of what "great" means for the borough. He emphasized the importance of data and numbers to inform this understanding.
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He delved into historical census data:
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1790: Hunterdon County had only 20,153 people. He highlighted the uncomfortable truth that 131 of 1,492 non-white individuals were enslaved, acknowledging New Jersey's role in the history of slavery in the United States.
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1870: Flemington was first named a town. Hunterdon County's population grew to about 37,000. Irish and German immigrants formed the largest foreign-born groups, indicating a historical diversity, albeit different from today's.
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1910: Flemington was created as a borough, separating from the township, driven by differences between merchants and farmers. The borough's population was around 2,700 people.
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1940-2000: The borough's population steadily increased from 2,617 in 1940 to 4,200 in 2000. However, this growth was dwarfed by the explosive growth in surrounding townships (like Raritan and Readington) between 1980 and 1990, driven by housing developments, retiring farmers selling land, and new employment centers. This led to assumptions of continued growth, influencing large-scale developments like the Fairgrounds, which ultimately did not see the projected population boom.
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Some key current demographic insights for Flemington Borough (based on 2020 Census and American Community Survey data):
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Population: 4,876 residents.
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Households: 1,979.
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Median Household Income: $74,000 (compared to $130,000 for Hunterdon County overall, meaning the borough is comparatively "poorer" than the county median).
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Age: The borough is younger than the county, with only 12% aged 65 or older (vs. 21% in the county).
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Language Diversity: 42% of households speak a language other than English at home (compared to 13% in Hunterdon County), highlighting the borough's significant linguistic diversity.
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Foreign-Born Population: One-third of the borough's population is foreign-born (vs. 11% in the county).
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Poverty: 12% of families in the borough live in poverty (vs. 5% in the county).
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Education: 35% have a bachelor's degree or higher (comparable to the national average, but lower than Hunterdon County's 58-59%).
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Race: 60% identify as White alone; 3.5% as Black or African-American. He noted the limitations and complexities of current census racial categories.
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Photo by: David Norton
Things got a little interactive during Jeff Doshna's lecture!
The second half of the lecture and the Q&A segment focused heavily on housing.
Doshna presented current demographic and housing data for Flemington Borough, drawing from the 2020 Census and ongoing American Community Survey. He highlighted key statistics such as the borough's population of 4,876 residents, its median household income of $74,000 (which is notably lower than the county average), and its relatively younger and more linguistically diverse population compared to the broader Hunterdon County. For instance, 42% of borough households speak a language other than English at home, and one-third of residents are foreign-born. He also touched upon racial demographics, with 60% identifying as White alone and 3.5% as Black or African-American, while acknowledging the limitations of census categories.
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Housing challenges were addressed and a central theme explored was the economic reality of the costs of housing. Doshna also underscored the interdependence of local businesses and a resident customer base. He strongly advocated for increased housing density as a crucial solution to affordability and the need for more diverse housing types beyond single-family homes, asserting that "density is not a bad word." He emphasized the importance of simply having enough housing units, regardless of whether they are for ownership or rental, allowing the market to adapt.
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Discussion also covered the challenges faced by younger generations, particularly student loan debt hindering homeownership and a shift in perspective where a house is less seen as the primary retirement investment.
Missed it?
Watch the lecture here:
WANT TO SEE THE SLIDESHOW? CLICK ON ONE OF THE FILES BELOW:
Special thanks to: Our engaged audience members who--yet again--embraced the casual nature of the lecture series by speaking honestly and in spirited and productive dialogue. Thanks also to Councilwoman Susan Engelhardt for the delicious treats from Little Egypt!
