Belmar, NJ

Census place 3404930 · pop 5,869

D−49/ 100
🫤 Rough
D−
in NJ
📍 New Jersey ranks #43 of 50 states →
🏆 Education53.6% · top 14%
🚽 Rent$5,537/mo · bottom 1%
Taxes
0.97% property · US 0.99%6.60% sales · US 7.00%up to 10.75% income · US 4.63%

Sales & income are statewide.

The breakdown — worst first

Rent$5,537/mo1

U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities

$5,537/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).

Housing cost$861,8006

U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities

$861,800 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.

Income inequality0.5011

U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities

Gini 0.50 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).

Commute time32 min11

U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities

32 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.

Natural disaster riskCounty-level96/10025

U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities

96/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Homeownership56.8%30

U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities

56.8% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.

Property crime rate1865/100k32

U.S. median 964/100k · worse than most cities

1865 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.

Unemployment rateCounty-level4.0%36

U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities

4.0% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Property-tax burden0.97%50

U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities

0.97% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.

Population growth (5yr)+4.4%59

U.S. median +2.4% · better than most cities

+4.4% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?

Unhealthy air daysCounty-level1 days62

U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities

1 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Uninsured adults8.3%63

U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities

8.3% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.

Violent crime rate121/100k66

U.S. median 152/100k · better than most cities

121 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.

Median household income$93,57370

U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities

$93,573 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.

Broadband access94.1%71

U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities

94.1% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.

Poverty rate7.7%71

U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities

7.7% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.

Adult obesity31.2%71

U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities

31.2% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).

Adult smoking9.9%80

U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities

9.9% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.

Air quality (AQI)County-level37 AQI81

U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities

37 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Physical inactivity18.9%83

U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities

18.9% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.

Poor mental health14.3%85

U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities

14.3% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).

Bachelor's degree or higher53.6%86

U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities

53.6% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.

Frequently asked

Is Belmar, NJ a good place to live?
By the numbers, Belmar scores 49/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is bachelor's degree or higher and its weakest is rent. New Jersey overall ranks #43 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
How safe is Belmar, NJ?
Belmar reports 121 violent crimes per 100k and 1865 property crimes per 100k — better than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
Is Belmar, NJ expensive to live in?
Belmar has a median home value of $861,800 and typical rent around $5,537/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
What's the biggest downside of living in Belmar, NJ?
Its weakest measured area is rent ($5,537/mo) — 1/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
What is Belmar, NJ best at?
Its strongest measured area is bachelor's degree or higher (53.6%) — 86/100, better than most U.S. cities.

Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.