More historic than 45% of U.S. towns · #336 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it
Most of Brigantine was built recently: 4% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1979. Below: 2 old photos and papers, maps from 1887 on, and the census since 1900.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Brigantine is more historic than 45% of U.S. towns, #336 of 468 in New Jersey. Its age holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
C+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Brigantine’s overall grade.
New Jersey towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical New Jersey town has 3.7 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Brigantine’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (12% of New Jersey towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1608.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D to B. The pre-1940 share (±2.2 points) is firm at this size.
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Brigantine’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Brigantine. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1887Atlantic City sheet · 1:62,500
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Brigantine.
The story so far
Brigantine, in brief
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Brigantine yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Brigantine (or simply The Island) is a city in Atlantic County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 7,716, a decrease of 1,734 (−18.3%) from the 2010 census count of 9,450, which in turn reflected a decline of 3,144 (−25.0%) from the 12,594 counted in the 2000 census. The city, and all of Atlantic County, is part of the Atlantic City-Hammonton metropolitan statistical area, which in turn is included in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. What is now the City of Brigantine has passed through a series of names and re-incorporations since it was first created. The area was originally incorporated as Brigantine Beach Borough by an act o…
Brigantine was established in 1608. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 9,450 to 7,716 (-18%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
By decade
Brigantine, decade by decade
2 decades in the archive, from the 1850s to the 1920s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
In 1608, according to Wikidata. Brigantine’s post office opened in 1881, and the census of 1900 counted 99 people here.
How does Brigantine rank for history?
Brigantine is more historic than 45% of U.S. towns, #336 of 468 in New Jersey. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
How old are the homes in Brigantine?
4% of Brigantine’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.2 points), against a typical 15% for a New Jersey town; the median home was built in 1979.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (6), U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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