The 25 Best Vacation-Home Small Towns in New Jersey
Ranked on The Town Files lifestyle rankings among 352 towns of 2,500–10,000 people in New Jersey. #1 is Monmouth Beach, NJ.
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25Ocean, New Jersey
Better for a vacation home than 92% of New Jersey towns
8,835 people · Ocean County · median home $475,200 · income $100,524 · Jan low 22°F · 10 in snow
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24Rio Grande, New Jersey
Better for a vacation home than 93% of New Jersey towns
3,610 people · Cape May County · median home $317,400 · income $76,250 · Jan low 29°F · 15 in snow
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23Barnegat, New Jersey
Better for a vacation home than 93% of New Jersey towns
3,894 people · Ocean County · median home $481,600 · income $108,664 · Jan low 27°F · 10 in snow
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22Wildwood, New Jersey
Better for a vacation home than 93% of New Jersey towns
5,157 people · Cape May County · median home $391,300 · income $75,222 · Jan low 29°F · 15 in snow
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21North Wildwood, New Jersey
Better for a vacation home than 94% of New Jersey towns
3,621 people · Cape May County · median home $459,900 · income $90,833 · Jan low 29°F · 15 in snow
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20Highland Lakes, New Jersey
Better for a vacation home than 94% of New Jersey towns
4,816 people · Sussex County · median home $295,300 · income $109,000 · Jan low 18°F · 35 in snow
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19Forked River, New Jersey
Better for a vacation home than 94% of New Jersey towns
5,274 people · Ocean County · median home $437,000 · income $91,493 · Jan low 22°F · 10 in snow
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18Cape May, New Jersey
Better for a vacation home than 95% of New Jersey towns
2,768 people · Cape May County · median home $863,900 · income $62,576 · Jan low 29°F · 15 in snow
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17Tuckerton, New Jersey
Better for a vacation home than 95% of New Jersey towns
3,577 people · Ocean County · median home $349,300 · income $88,892 · Jan low 27°F · 10 in snow
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16Stillwater, New Jersey
Better for a vacation home than 95% of New Jersey towns
4,004 people · Sussex County · median home $343,100 · income $123,134 · Jan low 19°F · 34 in snow
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15Villas, New Jersey
Better for a vacation home than 95% of New Jersey towns
9,134 people · Cape May County · median home $301,600 · income $80,974 · Jan low 29°F · 15 in snow
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14Wildwood Crest, New Jersey
Better for a vacation home than 96% of New Jersey towns
3,101 people · Cape May County · median home $590,900 · income $69,089 · Jan low 29°F · 15 in snow
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13North Cape May, New Jersey
Better for a vacation home than 96% of New Jersey towns
4,007 people · Cape May County · median home $393,300 · income $86,962 · Jan low 29°F · 15 in snow
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12Ventnor City, New Jersey
Better for a vacation home than 96% of New Jersey towns
9,210 people · Atlantic County · median home $363,000 · income $68,671 · Jan low 30°F · 17 in snow
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11Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey
Better for a vacation home than 97% of New Jersey towns
4,766 people · Ocean County · median home $850,300 · income $141,716 · Jan low 22°F
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10Long Beach, New Jersey
Better for a vacation home than 98% of New Jersey towns
3,153 people · Ocean County · median home $1,193,700 · income $113,224 · Jan low 27°F · 10 in snow
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9Palermo, New Jersey
Better for a vacation home than 98% of New Jersey towns
3,183 people · Cape May County · median home $395,400 · income $101,005 · Jan low 23°F · 19 in snow
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8Bradley Beach, New Jersey
Better for a vacation home than 98% of New Jersey towns
4,282 people · Monmouth County · median home $932,800 · income $97,005 · Jan low 25°F
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7Rutgers University-Busch Campus, New Jersey
Better for a vacation home than 98% of New Jersey towns
4,586 people · Middlesex County · median home — · income — · Jan low 23°F · 29 in snow
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6Belmar, New Jersey
Better for a vacation home than 98% of New Jersey towns
5,907 people · Monmouth County · median home $861,800 · income $93,573 · Jan low 25°F
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5Brigantine, New Jersey
Better for a vacation home than 98% of New Jersey towns
7,716 people · Atlantic County · median home $524,800 · income $97,250 · Jan low 30°F · 15 in snow
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4Beach Haven West, New Jersey
Better for a vacation home than 99% of New Jersey towns
4,143 people · Ocean County · median home $641,700 · income $119,394 · Jan low 27°F · 10 in snow
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3Margate City, New Jersey
Better for a vacation home than 99% of New Jersey towns
5,317 people · Atlantic County · median home $708,800 · income $121,800 · Jan low 30°F · 17 in snow
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2Spring Lake, New Jersey
Better for a vacation home than 100% of New Jersey towns
2,789 people · Monmouth County · median home $2,000,001 · income $215,625 · Jan low 25°F
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1Monmouth Beach, New Jersey
Better for a vacation home than 100% of New Jersey towns
3,174 people · Monmouth County · median home $995,000 · income $150,188 · Jan low 25°F · 25 in snow
Price vs ranking
More New Jersey rankings
- The 25 Best Small Towns to Retire in New Jersey
- The 25 Quietest Small Towns in New Jersey
- The 25 Most Affordable Small Towns in New Jersey
- The 25 Best Small Towns for Families in New Jersey
- The 25 Best Quiet, Affordable Small Towns to Retire in New Jersey
- 25 Small Towns in New Jersey With the Cheapest Homes
- 25 Small Towns in New Jersey With the Mildest Winters
- The 25 Most Walkable Small Towns in New Jersey
- 25 Small Towns in New Jersey With the Fewest Tornadoes Since 1950
- The 25 Best Small Towns for First-Time Home Buyers in New Jersey
Same ranking, other places
- The 50 Best Vacation-Home Small Towns in America
- The 25 Best Vacation-Home Small Towns in Pennsylvania
- The 25 Best Vacation-Home Small Towns in New York
- The 25 Best Vacation-Home Small Towns in Michigan
- The 25 Best Vacation-Home Small Towns in Texas
- The 25 Best Vacation-Home Small Towns in California
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)