Town guide · Ocean County
Living in Lakewood, NJ
Lakewood grew up as a winter resort among lakes and pine woods, and it still has both. Today it is one of the most built up towns in Ocean County, with a busy downtown, a string of lakes along the Metedeconk River, Ocean County Park and a Parkway exit on its eastern edge.
- County
- Ocean
- Population
- About 135,000 (2020 census)
- Size
- About 25 square miles
- Setting
- Downtown streets, lakes and pine woods, with dense neighborhoods and an industrial park
- Main roads
- Garden State Parkway Exit 89; Routes 9, 70 and 88; County Routes 526, 528, 547 and 549
Neighborhoods
Lakes, downtown and planned communities
Lakewood was a fashionable winter resort from the 1880s into the early 1900s, with grand hotels and estates set among the pines. The township was carved out of Brick Township in 1892. Starting in the 1960s, many of its woods and cranberry bogs gave way to housing developments, and building has continued ever since.
Some of the names you will hear:
- Downtown the older center of town, near Lake Carasaljo.
- Lake Carasaljo the area around the lake on Route 9, with Georgian Court University on its northern shore.
- Leisure Village and Leisure Village East two large age restricted communities. Leisure Village, south of Route 70, opened for sale in 1963 as a condominium community.
- Greenville, Seven Stars and South Lakewood older place names that still mark sections of the township.
- Lakewood Industrial Park a large business and industrial area with its own local shuttle route.
Homes
What you will find
- Single family homes from older homes near downtown to subdivisions built from the 1960s on.
- Two family homes, duplexes and townhouses which local zoning allows in many parts of town, and which make up a large share of newer construction.
- Adult community homes in age restricted communities such as Leisure Village, Leisure Village East, Four Seasons at Lakewood, The Fairways at Lake Ridge, A Country Place and Lionshead Woods.
- Condominiums and apartments which zoning allows in several residential and business districts.
Worth knowing: Lakewood has many zoning districts, and what can be built on a lot changes from one zone to the next. Two homes on the same street can be a single family house, one half of a duplex or a townhouse, and each is owned and financed differently. In the adult communities, association fees and rules apply. We confirm the zoning, the form of ownership and any association details before a home goes on the market or an offer goes in.
Property taxes
What taxes look like in Lakewood
- 1.378%2025 effective tax rate, as a share of market value
- $8,9762025 average residential tax bill
A home worth $650,000 on today's market would pay roughly $8,957 a year at Lakewood'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
The Garden State Parkway runs along the eastern side of Lakewood, with Exit 89 at Route 70 and Cedar Bridge Avenue. The old Exit 88 closed in 2014. Route 9 runs north and south through the middle of town, Route 70 crosses the south side and Route 88 heads east toward Brick and Point Pleasant. Lakewood Terminal, owned and operated by NJ Transit, is a regional bus hub with the 137 and 139 to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York, the 67 to Newark, the 317 to Philadelphia and the 559 to Atlantic City, plus Ocean Ride local routes. There is no passenger rail. Commercial stretches line Route 9 and the other main roads.
Places worth knowing
Parks, landmarks and open space
- Ocean County Park the former John D. Rockefeller estate, now a 323 acre county park with a swimming lake, trails, tennis, disc golf and cross country skiing in winter.
- Lake Carasaljo a man made lake on Route 9, created in the 1700s by damming the South Branch of the Metedeconk River, popular for running, cycling and fishing.
- Lake Shenandoah County Park a county park on Route 88 with a trout stocked lake, fishing piers, boat rentals and a sports complex.
- Pine Park a 149 acre township park on Country Club Drive, once part of George Jay Gould's estate, with ball fields, courts and picnic areas.
- ShoreTown Ballpark home of the Jersey Shore BlueClaws minor league baseball team since 2001.
Common questions
Questions people ask us about Lakewood
What are property taxes in Lakewood, NJ?
Lakewood Township's 2025 effective tax rate is 1.378 percent of market value, and the average residential tax bill is $8,976, according to the New Jersey Division of Taxation. Actual bills depend on each home's assessment.
Is there a Garden State Parkway exit in Lakewood?
Yes. Exit 89 serves Lakewood at Route 70 and Cedar Bridge Avenue on the eastern side of the township. The old Exit 88 closed in 2014. Route 9 and Route 88 also connect Lakewood to Toms River, Howell, Brick and Point Pleasant.
Can you take a bus from Lakewood to New York City?
Yes. NJ Transit routes 137 and 139 run from Lakewood Terminal on 1st Street to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan. The terminal also has buses to Newark, Philadelphia and Atlantic City.
Was Lakewood once a resort town?
Yes. From the 1880s, Lakewood was a fashionable winter resort with large hotels set among the pines. George Jay Gould's estate is now Georgian Court University, and John D. Rockefeller's estate became Ocean County Park, which opened in 1940.
Are there adult communities in Lakewood?
Yes. Lakewood has several age restricted communities, including Leisure Village, which opened for sale in 1963, Leisure Village East, Four Seasons at Lakewood, The Fairways at Lake Ridge, A Country Place and Lionshead Woods. Each has its own fees and rules, and we can walk you through recent sales in any of them.
Nearby towns
Towns that border Lakewood
Buying or selling in Lakewood?
In Lakewood, the details decide the price
Zoning, ownership type and community rules matter more here than almost anywhere. We will tell you what homes like yours are actually selling for and what that means for your sale.
Call or text either of us directly.