Town guide · Monmouth County
Living in Aberdeen, NJ
Aberdeen is a bayshore township on Raritan Bay, with a waterfront in Cliffwood Beach, the large Strathmore neighborhood to the south, and a train station on the North Jersey Coast Line. It was called Matawan Township until 1977, and it still sits right beside the separate Borough of Matawan.
- County
- Monmouth
- Population
- About 19,300 (2020 census)
- Size
- About 7.8 square miles, including about 2.3 square miles of water
- Setting
- Bayfront and creekside neighborhoods in the north, suburban subdivisions in the south
- Main roads
- Garden State Parkway exit 118 (Lloyd Road, southbound), Route 34 and Route 35
First things first
Aberdeen is not Matawan
Aberdeen Township and the Borough of Matawan are two separate towns with separate governments and separate property taxes. Matawan Borough was formed from part of the old Matawan Township in 1895. The township kept the Matawan name until 1977, when voters renamed it Aberdeen.
The two still share a lot. The Aberdeen-Matawan train station sits on their border, and many Aberdeen homes carry a Matawan or Keyport mailing address. We always confirm the municipality on the tax record before we talk about a home.
Neighborhoods
From the bay to Strathmore
Aberdeen is made up of named sections. Cliffwood Beach and Strathmore are large enough that the Census Bureau counts each as its own community. You will also hear Cliffwood, River Gardens and Woodfield.
- Cliffwood Beach: The northern part of the township on Raritan Bay, once a 1920s summer resort with a boardwalk, now home to Veterans Park and the seawall trail.
- Strathmore: A large neighborhood in the southeast of the township, built by Levitt and Sons beginning in the early 1960s, with roughly 2,000 homes.
- Near the station: Streets around the Aberdeen-Matawan station on the Matawan border.
Homes
What you will find
- Strathmore homes: Single family homes from the Levitt and Sons development that began in the early 1960s.
- Bayside homes: Homes in Cliffwood Beach near Raritan Bay, including streets that grew out of the old summer bungalow colony.
- Creekside homes: Homes along Matawan Creek, some with dock access.
Worth knowing: Flood risk sits in the north end of town. A state recovery report found significant 100 year floodplains along Raritan Bay and Matawan Creek, and Superstorm Sandy flooded parts of Cliffwood Beach and homes along the creek. For any home near the bay or the creek, we pull the flood zone, the elevation certificate and the flood history before we talk about price.
Property taxes
What taxes look like in Aberdeen
- 1.949%2025 effective tax rate, as a share of market value
- $9,0272025 average residential tax bill
A home worth $450,000 on today's market would pay roughly $8,770 a year at Aberdeen's 2025 effective rate. Your actual bill depends on your assessment, so we pull the real tax record for any home you are considering.
Source: New Jersey Division of Taxation, 2025 general and effective tax rates. Rates are set each year.
Groceries, dining and shopping
Where Aberdeen shops and eats
Aberdeen has no downtown of its own, but grocery trips are short. Route 35 in the north end of the township and Route 34 in the south both have supermarkets.
Grocery stores
- In townShopRite318 Lloyd Road, AberdeenDirections
- In townStop & Shop1129 Route 34, AberdeenDirections
- In townSprouts Farmers Market327 Route 35, Aberdeen (Cliffwood)Directions
- NortheastStop & Shop100 Route 36, KeyportDirections
- SouthwestAcme3500 Route 9, Old BridgeDirections
Checked October 2026. Stores open, close and move, so call ahead before a first trip.
Restaurants
Aberdeen's places to eat are mostly casual: pizzerias, quick service and ice cream, spread along Route 35 in Cliffwood and along Route 34. For a sit down dinner, most people head to a downtown nearby:
- Keyport: Northeast on Route 35 to West Front Street, a bayfront business district with many restaurants, several with live music.
- Downtown Red Bank: Southeast on Route 35 to Broad Street and the blocks around it, a historic downtown with everything from casual places to fine dining, and part of Broad Street closes each year for outdoor dining.
Shopping
Most everyday shopping is along Route 35, through Cliffwood and on into Hazlet, and along Route 34 on the south side of the township.
Getting around
Roads and commuting
The Garden State Parkway briefly enters Aberdeen, with exit 118 at Lloyd Road on the southbound side. Exit 117 in Hazlet and exit 120 in Old Bridge are close by. Route 35 crosses the northern part of the township and Route 34 the southern part. The Aberdeen-Matawan station on NJ Transit's North Jersey Coast Line has trains north to New York Penn Station and south to Bay Head. NJ Transit buses include the 133 to the Port Authority Bus Terminal, the 135 to Freehold and Marlboro, and the 817 between Middletown and Perth Amboy.
Places worth knowing
Parks, landmarks and open space
- Veterans Park: A township park on the bay in Cliffwood Beach, opened in 2017, with a pirate ship spray park, playgrounds, a ball field and a kayak launch.
- Aberdeen Sea Walk: A half mile trail along the Raritan Bay seawall in Cliffwood Beach, with fishing outcrops, benches and bay views.
- Henry Hudson Trail: A paved Monmouth County rail trail whose northern section starts at the Aberdeen and Keyport border and runs east toward Atlantic Highlands.
- Matawan Creek: The tidal creek that forms the township's border with Keyport and flows into Raritan Bay.
Common questions
Questions people ask us about Aberdeen
What are property taxes in Aberdeen, NJ?
Aberdeen Township's 2025 effective tax rate is 1.949 percent of market value, and the average residential tax bill is $9,027, according to the New Jersey Division of Taxation. Actual bills depend on each home's assessment.
Is Aberdeen the same town as Matawan?
No. Aberdeen Township and the Borough of Matawan are separate municipalities with separate governments and property taxes. Aberdeen was called Matawan Township until voters renamed it in 1977. Many Aberdeen homes still use a Matawan mailing address.
Why is it called Aberdeen?
Voters chose the name in 1977 to give the township an identity separate from Matawan Borough. Officials also liked that Aberdeen comes first alphabetically among New Jersey's municipalities.
Does Aberdeen have a train station?
Yes. The Aberdeen-Matawan station sits on the border of the two towns, with its main platforms on the Aberdeen side. It is on NJ Transit's North Jersey Coast Line, with trains north to New York Penn Station and south to Bay Head.
Is Cliffwood Beach part of Aberdeen?
Yes. Cliffwood Beach is an unincorporated community in the northern part of Aberdeen Township, on Raritan Bay. It was a popular summer resort in the 1920s, and today it is home to Veterans Park and the Aberdeen Sea Walk.
Where is the closest grocery store to Aberdeen?
There are three inside the township. ShopRite is on Lloyd Road near Garden State Parkway exit 118, Stop & Shop is on Route 34, and Sprouts Farmers Market is on Route 35 in Cliffwood. There is also a Stop & Shop on Route 36 in neighboring Keyport.
Nearby towns
Towns that border Aberdeen
Buying or selling in Aberdeen?
Strathmore and the bayfront sell differently
A Strathmore home and a house near Cliffwood Beach raise different questions, from the model to the flood zone. We compare yours with the homes that match it, not with the township average.
Call or text either of us directly.