Town guide · Monmouth County
Living in Holmdel, NJ
Holmdel is a township of rolling land, old farm roads and wooded neighborhoods in the middle of Monmouth County. It is home to Holmdel Park, the former Bell Labs building now called Bell Works, and the PNC Bank Arts Center, with the Garden State Parkway running through the center of town.
- County
- Monmouth
- Population
- About 17,400 (2020 census)
- Size
- About 18 square miles
- Setting
- Suburban neighborhoods, farms, parkland and wooded hills
- Main roads
- Garden State Parkway (Exits 114 and 116), Route 34, Route 35 and County Routes 516 and 520
Neighborhoods
Old crossroads names still mark the map
Holmdel does not have one big downtown. It grew from farm crossroads, and several of those old names are still used for parts of the township today.
- Crawford Corners: The area around Crawfords Corner Road, home to Bell Works and Crawford Hill, the highest point in Monmouth County at 391 feet.
- Centerville and Everett: Historic crossroads communities that still name sections and roads of the township.
- Pleasant Valley: Another old crossroads name that still marks part of the township.
- Along Route 35: The northern part of the township, where Route 35 passes through.
Homes
What you will find
- Single family homes: In subdivisions built over many decades, from older ranches and colonials to large newer homes.
- Homes on larger lots: Especially in the more rural sections, near farms and parkland.
- Historic homes: Holmdel has several houses on the National Register of Historic Places, including the Holmes Hendrickson House, Kovenhoven and Old Kentuck.
Worth knowing: Lot size, zoning and utilities vary a lot from one Holmdel street to the next. Before you buy, confirm whether the home is on public water and sewer or uses its own well and septic system, and check for any farmland, wetlands or open space next door. New Jersey requires the well water to be tested before a home with a private well is sold. We sort this out before we price any Holmdel home.
Property taxes
What taxes look like in Holmdel
- 1.657%2025 effective tax rate, as a share of market value
- $15,8932025 average residential tax bill
A home worth $950,000 on today's market would pay roughly $15,742 a year at Holmdel'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 Holmdel shops and eats
Holmdel has no traditional downtown and no full supermarket, so most errands mean a short drive. Most stores and restaurants are along Route 35 at the north end of the township and at Bell Works, the former Bell Labs building.
Grocery stores
- NorthShopRite3120 Route 35, HazletDirections
- NorthwestStop & Shop1129 Route 34, AberdeenDirections
- NortheastTrader Joe's1447 Route 35, MiddletownDirections
- SoutheastAcme616 Newman Springs Road, MiddletownDirections
- WestWhole Foods Market113 Route 9, MarlboroDirections
Checked October 2026. Stores open, close and move, so call ahead before a first trip.
Restaurants
Holmdel's restaurants are spread out rather than on a main street, with a cluster at Bell Works on Crawfords Corner Road and more along Route 35. Places people go:
- Bell Works: On Crawfords Corner Road in Holmdel, the former Bell Labs building, now home to a food hall, restaurants, shops and a county library branch.
- Downtown Red Bank: East on Newman Springs Road into Red Bank, to Broad Street and Monmouth Street, a downtown with restaurants, shops and live entertainment.
- Downtown Keyport: North, where West Front Street has shops and many restaurants, some with live music, near the Raritan Bay waterfront.
Shopping
Most everyday shopping is along Route 35 at the north end of the township and into Hazlet and Middletown. Bell Works also has shops in its atrium.
Getting around
Roads and commuting
The Garden State Parkway runs through the middle of Holmdel. Exit 114 at Red Hill Road is shared with Middletown, and Exit 116 serves the PNC Bank Arts Center and the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Route 34 crosses the western part of the township and Route 35 the northern part, with short stretches of County Routes 516 and 520. There is no train station in Holmdel. The nearest stations on NJ Transit's North Jersey Coast Line are Hazlet, Middletown and Aberdeen Matawan. NJ Transit and Academy buses serve the area, and the SeaStreak ferry to New York leaves from Highlands. Most daily shopping is along the state highways and in neighboring towns.
Places worth knowing
Parks, landmarks and open space
- Holmdel Park: A Monmouth County park with more than 10 miles of trails, ponds, playgrounds and winter sledding and skating when conditions allow.
- Historic Longstreet Farm: A living history farm inside Holmdel Park that recreates farm life in the 1890s, with working animals and crops.
- David C. Shaw Arboretum: A horticultural display inside Holmdel Park, established in 1963.
- New Jersey Vietnam Veterans Memorial: An open air circular memorial dedicated in 1995, with 366 black granite panels and the Vietnam Era Museum and Educational Center beside it.
- Bell Works: The former Bell Labs Holmdel Complex, Eero Saarinen's only building in New Jersey, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2017.
Common questions
Questions people ask us about Holmdel
What are property taxes in Holmdel, NJ?
Holmdel Township's 2025 effective tax rate is 1.657 percent of market value, and the average residential tax bill is $15,893, according to the New Jersey Division of Taxation. Actual bills depend on each home's assessment.
What is Bell Works in Holmdel?
Bell Works is the former Bell Labs Holmdel Complex on Crawfords Corner Road, designed by architect Eero Saarinen. Since 2013 it has been redeveloped as a mixed use building for offices and other uses. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2017.
Is the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel?
Yes. The PNC Bank Arts Center, an outdoor amphitheater that opened in 1968, is in Holmdel at Garden State Parkway Exit 116. The New Jersey Vietnam Veterans Memorial is on the same grounds.
Does Holmdel have a train station?
No. The closest NJ Transit stations are Hazlet, Middletown and Aberdeen Matawan, all on the North Jersey Coast Line. Holmdel does have two Garden State Parkway exits, 114 and 116.
What is the highest point in Monmouth County?
Crawford Hill in Holmdel, at 391 feet. Bell Labs ran a research site there until Nokia sold the property in 2021, and the township bought 35 acres of it, including the Holmdel Horn Antenna, in 2024. Holmdel is also where the Holmdel Horn Antenna helped find evidence of the cosmic microwave background in 1964.
Where is the closest grocery store to Holmdel?
Holmdel has no full supermarket of its own, but several are just over the line. The closest are a ShopRite on Route 35 in Hazlet, a Stop & Shop on Route 34 in Aberdeen and a Trader Joe's on Route 35 in Middletown. Toward the south side of town, there is an Acme on Newman Springs Road in Lincroft and a Whole Foods Market on Route 9 in Marlboro.
Are there restaurants in Holmdel?
Yes, though they are spread out rather than on a main street. Bell Works, the former Bell Labs building on Crawfords Corner Road, has a food hall and several restaurants, and more are along Route 35. Downtown Red Bank is a short drive east for more choices.
Nearby towns
Towns that border Holmdel
Buying or selling in Holmdel?
Land, utilities and the street
In Holmdel, a well and septic system, farmland next door or a larger lot can move the price as much as the house. We look at the land first, then the sales that truly compare.
Call or text either of us directly.