Town guide · Ocean County
Living in Beach Haven, NJ
Beach Haven is the old resort town on the south end of Long Beach Island, founded in 1873 and long called the Queen City. The island is only a few blocks wide here, so the ocean beach and the bay are both an easy walk from almost anywhere in town.
- County
- Ocean
- Population
- About 1,000 (2020 census)
- Size
- About 2.3 square miles, about 1 of it land
- Setting
- Oceanfront and bayfront on the south end of Long Beach Island, with a historic district at its core
- Main roads
- Bay Avenue (County Route 607); Route 72 and Parkway Exit 63 to reach the island
First things first
Beach Haven, Beach Haven West and Long Beach Township
The Borough of Beach Haven is on Long Beach Island. Beach Haven West is a different place: a lagoon community on the mainland in Stafford Township. The names are close, but the towns, governments and tax rates are separate.
Beach Haven also sits between two sections of Long Beach Township, a separate municipality. Holgate lies to the south and the township's largest section lies to the north. Check which town an address is actually in before comparing taxes or rules.
Neighborhoods
A small grid between ocean and bay
Beach Haven became its own borough in 1890, formed from part of Eagleswood Township. It borders Long Beach Township on the island, and Little Egg Harbor Township across the water.
- The historic district: About 30 blocks from 5th Street to Chatsworth Avenue, between Bay Avenue and Atlantic Avenue, at the core of the original resort.
- The oceanfront: Streets along the beach on the east side of town, where the beach pavilions at Fifth and Pearl Streets were rebuilt higher after Superstorm Sandy.
- The bay side: Homes west of Bay Avenue, facing the bay toward the mainland.
Homes
What you will find
- Historic resort homes: Queen Anne, Shingle Style and Gothic buildings in the Beach Haven Historic District, listed on the National Register in 1983.
- Oceanfront and ocean block homes: Homes on and near the beach on the east side of town.
- Bayfront homes: Homes on the bay side, west of Bay Avenue.
Worth knowing: Two things shape what you can do with a Beach Haven home. The first is the historic district. For a home on the district list, a full Certificate of Appropriateness goes through the borough's Historic Preservation Advisory Commission before a building or zoning permit application will be accepted, so check with the zoning office before you plan changes. The second is water. Sandy washed away the oceanfront pavilions at Fifth and Pearl Streets, and the bay is only a few blocks from the beach. Get the flood zone, the elevation certificate and the flood history, which New Jersey sellers must disclose.
Property taxes
What taxes look like in Beach Haven
- 0.765%2025 effective tax rate, as a share of market value
- $12,2952025 average residential tax bill
A home worth $1,600,000 on today's market would pay roughly $12,240 a year at Beach Haven'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.
Getting around
Roads and commuting
Garden State Parkway Exit 63 leads to Route 72, the only road onto Long Beach Island. Route 72 crosses Manahawkin Bay on the Dorland J. Henderson Memorial Bridge and ends in Ship Bottom. From Ship Bottom, Long Beach Boulevard (County Route 607) runs south through Long Beach Township into Beach Haven, where it becomes Bay Avenue. No state or U.S. highway enters the borough. Ocean Ride's OC9 LBI North and South bus runs a limited weekly schedule between the island and shopping in Stafford, and a free LBI Shuttle runs along Long Beach Boulevard; check current schedules. There is no passenger rail. For larger shopping trips, most people head over the bridge to Stafford.
Places worth knowing
Parks, landmarks and open space
- Beach Haven beaches: Guarded ocean beaches where badges are required during guarded hours from Memorial Day to Labor Day; check the current season's rules.
- Beach Haven Historic District: The core of the 1870s resort, listed on the National Register in 1983 and expanded in 2014.
- Long Beach Island Historical Museum: Housed in the former Holy Innocents mission church inside the historic district.
- Veterans Bicentennial Park: A borough park in town that hosts summer concerts, flea markets and festivals.
- Taylor Park, Nelson Avenue Park and Walsh Field: Borough parks with courts and fields for tennis, pickleball, baseball, soccer and basketball.
Common questions
Questions people ask us about Beach Haven
What are property taxes in Beach Haven, NJ?
Beach Haven Borough's 2025 effective tax rate is 0.765 percent of market value, and the average residential tax bill is $12,295, according to the New Jersey Division of Taxation. Actual bills depend on each home's assessment.
Is Beach Haven the same as Beach Haven West?
No. Beach Haven West is a lagoon community on the mainland in Stafford Township, while the Borough of Beach Haven is on Long Beach Island. The names are close, but the governments and property tax rates are separate.
Do you need a beach badge in Beach Haven?
Yes, during guarded hours from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Prices and rules change from year to year, so check the borough's details for the current season before you go.
Is Beach Haven a historic district?
Part of it is. The Beach Haven Historic District covers the core of the original resort, about 30 blocks from 5th Street to Chatsworth Avenue between Bay and Atlantic Avenues. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983, and changes to homes in the district start with the borough's Historic Preservation Advisory Commission.
How do you get to Beach Haven?
Head for the south end of Long Beach Island. From Garden State Parkway Exit 63, take Route 72 east over the bridge into Ship Bottom and turn south on Long Beach Boulevard. The boulevard runs through Long Beach Township and becomes Bay Avenue when you reach Beach Haven.
Nearby towns
Towns that border Beach Haven
Buying or selling in Beach Haven?
In Beach Haven, the district list comes first
Before we price a Beach Haven home, we check whether it is on the historic district list and what its flood zone and elevation look like. Both shape what a buyer can do with the house, so both belong in the conversation from the start.
Call or text either of us directly.