Census: Scotch Plains Up, Fanwood Down

The number of residents living in Scotch Plains rose by 778 people from 2000 to 2010, according to Census data released Thursday, making the township the seventh most populous municipality in the county. In Fanwood, the number of residents decreased by 156 people, placing the borough 18th overall. 

Together, the two towns' net gain of 622 residents contributed to an overall 14,000-person increase in Union County. Union County's population rose from 522,541 in 2000 to 536,499 in 2010.

Elizabeth remained far and away the county's largest community in the 2010 Census with 124,969 residents. Union Township grabbed the number two spot on the list, with Plainfield, Linden and Westfield rounding-out the top five, all with populations over 30,000. Rahway, which has experienced a spike in residential development in the downtown in the last decade, came in sixth with a population of 27,346, a rise from 26,500 in 2000.

Five of the county's 21 communities came in with populations under 10,000, with Kenilworth leading this group with a population of 7,914. Winfield remained the county's smallest community, with a 2010 population of 1,471, a drop from 1,514 in 2000.