Town guide · Ocean County
Living in Harvey Cedars, NJ
Harvey Cedars is a narrow strip of Long Beach Island, ocean on one side and Barnegat Bay on the other, with Long Beach Boulevard running down the middle. The dunes in front of its oceanfront homes became the subject of a landmark New Jersey Supreme Court case.
- County
- Ocean
- Population
- About 390 (2020 census)
- Size
- About 1.2 square miles, about 0.6 of it land
- Setting
- Oceanfront and bayfront on a narrow stretch of Long Beach Island
- Main roads
- Long Beach Boulevard (County Route 607); Route 72 and Parkway Exit 63 to reach the island
Neighborhoods
Ocean side and bay side
Harvey Cedars sits on the northern half of Long Beach Island, with Loveladies, a section of Long Beach Township, to the north. The borough was formed in 1894 from what is now Barnegat Township. Its post office was once named High Point, and the name survives in the local fire company.
- The oceanfront: Homes behind the dunes along the Atlantic.
- The bay side: Homes west of Long Beach Boulevard facing Barnegat Bay, with Sunset Park on West Salem Avenue.
- High Point: An older place name for part of the borough, still used by the High Point Volunteer Fire Company on West 80th Street.
Homes
What you will find
- Oceanfront homes: Homes facing the beach, behind a dune system 22 feet high and 30 feet wide.
- Bayfront homes: Homes on Barnegat Bay with views west to the mainland.
- Second homes: Most homes in Harvey Cedars are seasonal homes used mainly in summer.
Worth knowing: On the oceanfront here, the dunes are part of the deal. The borough took easements on oceanfront land to build them, and in 2013 the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled in Borough of Harvey Cedars v. Karan that the storm protection a dune gives must be counted when deciding what an owner is owed for a lost view. If a home carries a dune easement, read it before you buy or sell. The whole borough sits only a few feet above sea level, so the flood zone, the elevation certificate and the flood history matter on the bay side too.
Property taxes
What taxes look like in Harvey Cedars
- 0.658%2025 effective tax rate, as a share of market value
- $12,5072025 average residential tax bill
A home worth $1,900,000 on today's market would pay roughly $12,502 a year at Harvey Cedars'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 north through Surf City and the North Beach section of Long Beach Township into Harvey Cedars, then on through Loveladies, another section of Long Beach Township, to Barnegat Light. 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
- Harvey Cedars beaches: Guarded ocean beaches in summer, including a designated surfing beach at Hudson Avenue; badge rules change each year.
- Sunset Park: A bayside park on West Salem Avenue with a small pier and a small boat launch, used for summer arts and craft festivals.
- The bay coves: Shallow marsh coves on the bay side, including Turtle Cove and Big Cove, popular with kayakers and anglers.
- The dunes: A dune system about 22 feet high and 30 feet wide along the oceanfront, built under the island's beach replenishment project.
Common questions
Questions people ask us about Harvey Cedars
What are property taxes in Harvey Cedars, NJ?
Harvey Cedars Borough's 2025 effective tax rate is 0.658 percent of market value, and the average residential tax bill is $12,507, according to the New Jersey Division of Taxation. Actual bills depend on each home's assessment.
Is Harvey Cedars part of Beach Haven?
No. Harvey Cedars is its own borough, formed in 1894. It shares the 08008 ZIP code with Beach Haven, which can cause confusion, but each borough has its own government and its own property tax rate.
How do you get to Harvey Cedars?
Harvey Cedars is on the northern half of Long Beach Island, north of Surf City and the North Beach section of Long Beach Township. From Garden State Parkway Exit 63, take Route 72 east to Ship Bottom, then follow Long Beach Boulevard north. Loveladies and Barnegat Light are farther up the same road.
What was the Harvey Cedars dune case?
It was a 2013 New Jersey Supreme Court case, Borough of Harvey Cedars v. Karan, over what an oceanfront owner was owed after a dune blocked the view. The court ruled in July 2013 that the storm protection a dune provides must be weighed when deciding that compensation, and it ordered a new trial.
Is Harvey Cedars a year round town?
The borough runs all year, and Borough Hall on Long Beach Boulevard is open on weekdays. Most of its homes, though, are seasonal homes used mainly in summer.
Nearby towns
Towns that border Harvey Cedars
Buying or selling in Harvey Cedars?
Read the easement before the listing
An oceanfront home in Harvey Cedars may carry a dune easement, and every home here sits a few feet above sea level. We pull the easement, the flood zone and the elevation certificate early, so the price we suggest reflects all three.
Call or text either of us directly.