Town guide · Ocean County
Living in Ship Bottom, NJ
Ship Bottom is where you arrive on Long Beach Island. Route 72 crosses Manahawkin Bay and ends here, in a borough of about a square mile with ocean beaches on one side and bay beaches and parks on the other.
- County
- Ocean
- Population
- About 1,100 (2020 census)
- Size
- About 1 square mile, including water
- Setting
- Oceanfront and bayfront on Long Beach Island, at the end of the Route 72 causeway
- Main roads
- Route 72 over the Manahawkin Bay Bridge; Long Beach Boulevard; Parkway Exit 63 in Stafford
Neighborhoods
Ocean side, bay side
Ship Bottom is one of six separate municipalities on Long Beach Island. It borders Surf City to the north and Long Beach Township, and across the bay it meets Stafford Township on the mainland.
- The oceanfront streets along the ocean beach, which runs from 3rd Street to 31st Street.
- The bay side streets toward Manahawkin Bay, with the bay beach, the boat ramp and several borough parks.
- Beach Arlington an older locality within the borough. The town was incorporated in 1925 as Ship Bottom Beach Arlington and shortened its name to Ship Bottom in 1947.
- Around Route 72 where the causeway from the mainland meets Long Beach Boulevard.
Homes
What you will find
- Oceanfront and ocean block homes on the streets closest to the beach, behind the dunes.
- Bayfront homes facing Manahawkin Bay on the western side of the island.
- Shore houses single family homes on the numbered streets between the ocean and the bay.
- Second homes many homes are used seasonally.
Worth knowing: Flood risk is the first question on any Ship Bottom home, ocean side or bay side. During Sandy in 2012, parts of the island with dunes in place fared much better, and the Army Corps of Engineers beach replenishment project for the island started here and in Surf City. Get the flood zone, the elevation certificate and the flood history, which New Jersey sellers must disclose, and we will go over all three with you.
Property taxes
What taxes look like in Ship Bottom
- 0.702%2025 effective tax rate, as a share of market value
- $8,5912025 average residential tax bill
A home worth $1,200,000 on today's market would pay roughly $8,424 a year at Ship Bottom'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
Route 72 is the only road onto Long Beach Island. It crosses Manahawkin Bay on the Manahawkin Bay Bridge, formally the Dorland J. Henderson Memorial Bridge, and ends in Ship Bottom. A second span opened in 2016 and the original bridge was rebuilt by 2019. On the mainland, Route 72 meets the Garden State Parkway at Exit 63 in Stafford Township. Long Beach Boulevard, County Route 607, runs north and south through town and the length of the island. The free LBI Shuttle runs along the Boulevard, and Ocean Ride runs a local Long Beach Island route. There is no passenger rail. Daily shopping is in town and over the bridge in Stafford.
Places worth knowing
Parks, landmarks and open space
- Ship Bottom ocean beach the borough's ocean beach from 3rd Street to 31st Street, with badges required in summer and accessible ramps at many streets.
- Ship Bottom bay beach a guarded bay beach from 13th to 16th Street, west of Barnegat Avenue, with shallow water, a pavilion and a playground.
- 10th Street Waterfront Park a bayfront park with the municipal boat ramp, a fishing pier, a gazebo and a playground.
- 4th Street Remembrance Park a park dedicated to the victims of September 11, with gardens and the Scenic Bay Walk.
- John J. Guld Recreational Park the borough's recreation park, with tennis, pickleball, bocce, shuffleboard and a ballfield.
Common questions
Questions people ask us about Ship Bottom
What are property taxes in Ship Bottom, NJ?
Ship Bottom Borough's 2025 effective tax rate is 0.702 percent of market value, and the average residential tax bill is $8,591, according to the New Jersey Division of Taxation. Actual bills depend on each home's assessment.
How did Ship Bottom get its name?
The name comes from a shipwreck in March 1817. Rescuers reached a wrecked ship and cut through the bottom of the hull to free a woman trapped inside.
Is Ship Bottom part of Long Beach Township?
No. Ship Bottom was formed from part of Long Beach Township in 1925 and has been its own borough since. It is one of six municipalities on Long Beach Island, each with its own government and property tax rate.
How do you get to Ship Bottom?
Ship Bottom is the first town you reach on Long Beach Island. From Garden State Parkway Exit 63, take Route 72 east through Stafford Township and over the Manahawkin Bay Bridge. The bridge ends in Ship Bottom at Long Beach Boulevard.
Does Ship Bottom have a bay beach?
Yes. The borough's bay beach runs from 13th to 16th Street, west of Barnegat Avenue, with lifeguards, shallow water, a pavilion and a playground.
Nearby towns
Towns that border Ship Bottom
Buying or selling in Ship Bottom?
Right where the bridge lands
Ship Bottom runs from the ocean beach to the bay parks in a few blocks. We look at where a home sits between the two, how high it sits and what its flood zone says, then talk with you about price.
Call or text either of us directly.