Franklin Lakes 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 11,079, an increase of 489 (+4.6%) from the 2010 census count of 10,590, which in turn reflected an increase of 168 (+1.6%) from the 10,422 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. Becton Dickinson, a Fortune 500 company, is headquartered in Franklin Lakes.

Franklin Lakes was formed by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 11, 1922, from portions of Franklin Township, based on the results of a referendum held on April 11, 1922.Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606–1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 78. Accessed April 28, 2012.History of Bergen County, Vol. 1, pp. 365–366.Staff. Acts of the One Hundred and Forty-Sixth Legislature of the State of New Jersey, pp. 353–356. New Jersey Secretary of State, 1922. Accessed October 17, 2015. "Chapter 207 – An Act to incorporate the borough of Franklin Lakes, in the county of Bergen" The borough was named for William Franklin, the illegitimate son of Benjamin Franklin, a steadfast Loyalist who served as the last colonial governor of New Jersey.Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed August 31, 2015.Herman, Jennifer New Jersey Encyclopedia, p. 277. State History Publications, 2008. . Accessed August 31, 2015.

The borough is one of the state's highest-income communities. Based on data from the American Community Survey for 2014–2018, Franklin Lakes residents had a median household income of $159,883, more than double the statewide median.QuickFacts for Franklin Lakes borough, New Jersey; Bergen County, New Jersey; New Jersey from Population estimates, July 1, 2019 (V2019), United States Census Bureau. Accessed May 21, 2020.Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Minor Civil Divisions in New Jersey: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2019, United States Census Bureau. Accessed May 21, 2020.Census Estimates for New Jersey April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2019, United States Census Bureau. Accessed May 21, 2020.Raychaudhuri, Disha. "The wealthiest towns in N.J., ranked", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, June 7, 2019. Accessed November 4, 2019. "The median household income in N.J. is $76,475, recent Census data shows.... A note about the data: The data comes from 2013–2017 American Community Survey conducted by U.S. Census Bureau. Smaller towns with less than 10,000 residents were excluded from the list.... 11. Franklin Lakes, Bergen County Median income: $155,458" In 2010, Forbes ranked Franklin Lakes at 146th in its listing of "America's Most Expensive ZIP Codes," with a median home price of $1,306,546.Staff. "America's Most Expensive ZIP Codes: In these neighborhoods $4 million homes are the norm.", Forbes, September 27, 2010. Accessed July 29, 2011.

Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 9.88 square miles (25.60 km2), including 9.41 square miles (24.38 km2) of land and 0.47 square miles (1.21 km2) of water (4.75%).

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or wholly within the borough include Bakers Pond, Blauvelt Lakes, Campgaw, Crystal Lakes, Ferdinands Mills, Hopper Lake, Pulis Mills and Shadow Lake.Locality Search, State of New Jersey. Accessed April 16, 2015.

The borough borders the municipalities of Mahwah, Oakland and Wyckoff in Bergen County; and both North Haledon and Wayne in Passaic County.Areas touching Franklin Lakes, MapIt. Accessed March 25, 2020.Bergen County Map of Municipalities, Bergen County, New Jersey. Accessed March 25, 2020.New Jersey Municipal Boundaries, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed November 15, 2019.

As of 2026, the borough is a member of Local Leaders for Responsible Planning in order to address the borough's Mount Laurel doctrine-based housing obligations.

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition +Franklin Lakes borough, Bergen County, New Jersey – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 2000Pop 2010Pop 2020% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)9,2859,0178,75589.09%85.15%79.02%Black or African American alone (NH)961361720.92%1.28%1.55%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)10320.10%0.03%0.02%Asian alone (NH)6557771,0516.28%7.34%9.49%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)0030.00%0.00%0.03%Other race alone (NH)1212480.12%0.11%0.43%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)781202620.75%1.13%2.36%Hispanic or Latino (any race)2865257862.74%4.96%7.09%Total10,42210,59011,079 100.00%100.00%100.00%

2020 census As of the 2020 census, Franklin Lakes had a population of 11,079. The median age was 46.3 years. 22.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 20.6% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 98.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and older, there were 95.8 males.

99.8% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.2% lived in rural areas.

There were 3,722 households in Franklin Lakes, of which 35.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 71.5% were married-couple households, 9.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 16.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 15.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 4,051 housing units, of which 8.1% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 14.4%.

2010 census The 2010 United States census counted 10,590 people, 3,527 households, and 3,012 families in the borough. The population density was . There were 3,692 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup was 88.92% (9,417) White, 1.41% (149) Black or African American, 0.04% (4) Native American, 7.34% (777) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 0.83% (88) from other races, and 1.46% (155) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.96% (525) of the population.

Of the 3,527 households, 40.2% had children under the age of 18; 76.4% were married couples living together; 6.5% had a female householder with no husband present and 14.6% were non-families. Of all households, 12.6% were made up of individuals and 6.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.00 and the average family size was 3.29.

27.4% of the population were under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 16.7% from 25 to 44, 33.4% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44.9 years. For every 100 females, the population had 97.0 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 93.8 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $151,224 (with a margin of error of +/− $16,426) and the median family income was $155,156 (+/− $33,998). Males had a median income of $125,586 (+/− $20,759) versus $63,170 (+/− $13,069) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $74,219 (+/− $9,917). About 0.7% of families and 1.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.7% of those under age 18 and 1.8% of those age 65 or over.DP03: Selected Economic Characteristics from the 2006–2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates for Franklin Lakes borough, Bergen County, New Jersey , United States Census Bureau. Accessed April 28, 2012.

Same-sex couples headed 28 households in 2010, double the 14 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.

2000 census As of the 2000 United States census, there were 10,422 people, 3,322 households, and 2,959 families residing in the borough. The population density was . There were 3,395 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the borough was 91.35% White, 0.92% African American, 0.11% Native American, 6.33% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.41% from other races, and 0.86% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 2.74% of the population. 29.8% of residents reported being of Italian ancestry in the 2000 Census, the highest percentage recorded as a percentage of borough population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Franklin Lakes borough, New Jersey , United States Census Bureau. Accessed March 5, 2013.DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 – Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Franklin Lakes borough, Bergen County, New Jersey , United States Census Bureau. Accessed March 5, 2013.

There were 3,322 households, out of which 43.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 82.0% were married couples living together, 4.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 10.9% were non-families. 8.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.13 and the average family size was 3.34.

In the borough the population was spread out, with 28.7% under the age of 18, 4.9% from 18 to 24, 24.1% from 25 to 44, 31.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.7 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $132,373, and the median income for a family was $142,930. Males had a median income of $97,233 versus $45,588 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $59,763. About 2.6% of families and 3.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.1% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over. Economy Franklin Lakes hosts the corporate headquarters of Becton Dickinson, the medical technology firm founded in 1897.Snegireva, Margarita. "Becton Dickinson staph infection test receives FDA sanction" , Pravda, January 3, 2008. Accessed June 17, 2008. "Becton Dickinson (BD), is a medical technology company that manufactures and sells medical devices, instrument systems and reagents. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, BD employs 27,000 people in nearly 50 countries." Medco Health Solutions, a leading pharmacy benefit manager (PBM), was based here until it was acquired by Express Scripts, another PBM, in 2012.Samples, Eve. "Torrey Pines says it's well on track to hit hiring goals", The Palm Beach Post, June 1, 2008. Accessed June 17, 2008. "Lawyers for Liberty, which Franklin Lakes, N.J.-based Medco Health Solutions Inc. (NYSE: MHS) bought in October, could not be reached for comment."

Popular culture Franklin Lakes has been the setting of several reality television shows, including: Bravo network's series The Real Housewives of New Jersey, MTV's My Super Sweet 16, and VH1's My Big Fat Fabulous Wedding. Franklin Lakes was also used for filming the fictional upstate New York town of Dargerville in the Law & Order episode "Knock-Off".

Government

Local government