Demarest is a borough in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 4,981, an increase of 100 (+2.0%) from the 2010 census count of 4,881, which in turn reflected an increase of 36 (+0.7%) from the 4,845 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 in the northeastern corner of New Jersey and its Gateway Region, Demarest is part of the New York City Metropolitan Area.

Demarest was formed by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 8, 1903, from portions of Harrington Township and Palisades Township.Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. Accessed May 1, 2026.History of Bergen County Vol. 1, p. 349 shows date of Demarest's formation as April 13, 1903. The borough was named for the Demarest familyHutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed November 10, 2015. and for the Demarest train station, which had in turn been named for Ralph S. Demarest, who was a director of the Northern Railroad of New Jersey that built the station and represented the area in both the New Jersey General Assembly and the New Jersey Senate in the mid-19th century.Cheslow, Jerry. "If You're Thinking of Living In / Demarest, N.J.; Small Town, Large Sense of History", The New York Times, April 4, 1999. Accessed December 4, 2013. "The borough is named for State Senator Ralph S. Demarest -- a direct descendant of David Desmarets -- who, as a director of the New Jersey Line Railroad (later taken over by the Erie Railroad), brought trains to town in 1859. He lived directly across from the train station, built in 1872 from locally quarried freestone."Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed August 28, 2015.

Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 2.08 square miles (5.38 km2), including 2.07 square miles (5.37 km2) of land and 0.01 square miles (0.02 km2) of water (0.34%).2019 Census Gazetteer Files: New Jersey Places, United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 1, 2020.U.S. Gazetteer Files for 2000, 2010 and 2012-2016, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 4, 2017.

At the heart of Demarest is an area known as the Duck Pond, which is a section of the Tenakill Brook.Rondinaro, Gene. "If You're Thinking of Living In: Demarest", The New York Times, January 27, 1985. Accessed December 11, 2011. "One attraction is the Tenakill Brook Duck Pond, near the intersection of Hardenburgh Avenue and Piermont Road, where mothers and young children feed the resident population of water fowl and where newlyweds line up on summer weekends for pictures under spreading willows."

The borough borders the Bergen County municipalities of Alpine, Closter, Cresskill, Dumont and Haworth.Areas touching Demarest, MapIt. Accessed March 24, 2020.Bergen County Map of Municipalities, Bergen County, New Jersey. Accessed March 24, 2020.New Jersey Municipal Boundaries, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed November 15, 2019.

Demarest is one of the fifteen towns of Northern Valleyarea in Bergen.

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition

+Demarest borough, Bergen County, New Jersey – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 2000Pop 2010Pop 2020% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)3,6163,2732,94174.63%67.06%59.04%Black or African American alone (NH)2326410.47%0.53%0.82%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)0110.00%0.02%0.02%Asian alone (NH)9771,2761,56220.17%26.14%31.36%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)1010.02%0.00%0.02%Other race alone (NH)76240.14%0.12%0.48%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)54831411.11%1.70%2.83%Hispanic or Latino (any race)1672162703.45%4.43%5.42%Total4,8454,8814,981 100.00%100.00%100.00%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Demarest had a population of 4,981. The median age was 44.8 years. 25.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 16.9% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 95.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 92.8 males age 18 and over.

100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 1,598 households in Demarest, of which 42.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 76.2% were married-couple households, 6.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 14.8% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 11.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 1,680 housing units, of which 4.9% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.3%.

Korean Americans accounted for 19.6% of the population.

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 4,881 people, 1,597 households, and 1,404 families in the borough. The population density was . There were 1,659 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup was 70.21% (3,427) White, 0.64% (31) Black or African American, 0.02% (1) Native American, 26.41% (1,289) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 0.74% (36) from other races, and 1.99% (97) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.43% (216) of the population. Korean Americans accounted for 17.3% of the population.

Of the 1,597 households, 45.1% had children under the age of 18; 76.8% were married couples living together; 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present and 12.1% were non-families. Of all households, 10.8% were made up of individuals and 7.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.05 and the average family size was 3.29. Same-sex couples headed eight households in 2010, an increase from the four counted in 2000.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 December 1, 2014.

27.5% of the population were under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 18.2% from 25 to 44, 33.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.9 years. For every 100 females, the population had 93.4 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 89.7 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $147,714 (with a margin of error of +/− $14,743) and the median family income was $150,208 (+/− $9,154). Males had a median income of $101,085 (+/− $10,254) versus $58,295 (+/− $10,277) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $69,460 (+/− $10,589). About 1.4% of families and 1.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.2% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over., United States Census Bureau. Accessed May 17, 2012.

2000 census As of the 2000 United States censusU.S. Census website, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 4, 2014. there were 4,845 people, 1,601 households, and 1,386 families residing in the borough. The population density was . There were 1,634 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the borough was 77.28% White, 0.50% African American, 0.02% Native American, 20.25% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.47% from other races, and 1.47% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.45% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Demarest borough, New Jersey , United States Census Bureau. Accessed March 5, 2013., United States Census Bureau. Accessed March 5, 2013.

As of the 2000 Census, 3.72% of Demarest's residents identified themselves as being of Japanese ancestry, which was the second highest of any municipality in New Jersey—behind Fort Lee (6.09%)—for all places with 1,000 or more residents identifying their ancestry.Japanese Communities , Epodunk. Accessed June 28, 2006. In this same census, 2.3% of Demarest's residents identified themselves as being of Armenian-American ancestry. This was the 19th highest percentage of Armenian American people in any place in the United States with 1,000 or more residents identifying their ancestry.Armenian Communities , EPodunk. Accessed June 28, 2006.

There were 1,601 households, out of which 45.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 76.2% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 13.4% were non-families. 11.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.02 and the average family size was 3.27.

In the borough the age distribution of the population shows 28.9% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 25.1% from 25 to 44, 26.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.9 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $103,286, and the median income for a family was $113,144. Males had a median income of $82,597 versus $43,750 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $51,939. About 0.9% of families and 1.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.7% of those under age 18 and 1.6% of those age 65 or over. Government

Local government Demarest is governed under the borough form of New Jersey municipal government, which is used in 218 municipalities (of the 564) statewide, making it the most common form of government in New Jersey.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 a mayor and a borough council, with all positions elected at-large on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. A mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The borough council includes six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle.2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, March 2013, p. 165. The borough form of government used by Demarest is a "weak mayor / strong council" government in which council members act as the legislative body with the mayor presiding at meetings and voting only in the event of a tie. The mayor can veto ordinances subject to an override by a two-thirds majority vote of the council. The mayor makes committee and liaison assignments for council members, and most appointments are made by the mayor with the advice and consent of the council.Cerra, Michael F. "Forms of Government: Everything You've Always Wanted to Know, But Were Afraid to Ask", New Jersey State League of Municipalities. Accessed January 25, 2024."Forms of Municipal Government in New Jersey" , p. 6. Rutgers University Center for Government Studies. Accessed June 1, 2023.

, the mayor of Demarest Borough is Democrat Brian K. Bernstein, whose term of office ends December 31, 2026. Members of the Borough Council are Council President Andrea Slowikowski (R, 2027), Sharon Carmeli (D, 2028), Adam J. Collins (D, 2026), Daryl Ury Fox (D, 2027), Daniel Marks (D, 2028) and Jonathan Reiss (D, 2026).

Federal, state and county representation