South balmar nj 025, 2005
Lake Como’s story
102 years in pictures
Census counts: 886 in 1930, 1,697 in 2020. The archive holds 10 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 8 maps from 1888 on.
- 1924Lake Como is settled
Lake ComoNJ
A town of 1,677, settled in 1924.
2 bordering townsMap →
Population
1,677
2025 Census estimate · −1.3% since 2020
Typical home
$881K
+10.8% in a year
Household income
$82K
median
Median age
49.6
years
Jobs based here
526
A commuter town
Is Lake Como a good place to live?
The best of Lake Como’s subject grades are an A for walkability and an A− for health and the outdoors; the weakest is a D− for cost of living. 12% of residents are under 18 in Lake Como, below both the New Jersey town median (21%) and the median of U.S. towns (22%). On cost of living, just 34 of New Jersey’s 530 towns do worse. Lake Como has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Lake Como stand out
Where Lake Como beats most towns.
WalkabilityA
More walkable than 95% of U.S. towns
5.1% of workers walk, bike or ride transit
EPA National Walkability Index; Census ACS.
32 measures vs. New Jersey
2 better28 too close to call2 worse
| Widest gap | Lake Como | NJ |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults lacking emotional support | 18.8% | 24% |
HealthA−
Healthier than 83% of U.S. towns
Less healthyHealthier
CDC PLACES 2025 estimates.
A commuter town
97% of working residents leave Lake Como for work
Where Lake Como’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
526jobs based in Lake Como
3%of working residents work in town
15 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Lake Como grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New Jersey), ordered by how far Lake Como is from typical.
Cost of livingD−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 15.9 of 20; 5% of households have no carAOpen →HealthJersey Shore University Medical Center 3.4 miles awayA−Open →Jobs & incomeB+Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 38% of U.S. communities; strong wind tops the listBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksA−Open →HistoryCOpen →Civic life4.4 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsBOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 586 attractions →Coney Island and 254 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Lake Como. Close and well known come first.
Big draw28 mi BeachConey Island
Big draw37 mi MuseumNational September 11 Memorial & Museum
Big draw36 mi Stadium & arenaBarclays Center
Big draw22 mi Theme parkSix Flags Great Adventure2.2M visitors a year
Big draw40 mi GardenHigh Line5.0M visitors a year
40 mi Stadium & arenaSports Illustrated StadiumSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Coney Island: OptimumPx, Public domain · National September 11 Memorial & Museum: Paul Sableman, CC BY 2.0 · Barclays Center: Ajay Suresh from New York, NY, USA, CC BY 2.0 · Six Flags Great Adventure: Unknown, CC BY-SA 2.5 · High Line: Wil Fyfordy, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Sports Illustrated Stadium: Sam Szapucki, CC BY 2.0
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Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Lake Como: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Lake Como, and how to reach them.
PowerJCP&L18.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterLake Como Water DeptNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNearest public drop-offSouth Wall Recycling Center, 4 miOpenStreetMap
Register to voteOnlineIn New Jersey you can register online until 21 days before Election Day, in person until 21 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 21 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereMonmouth County ClerkMonmouth County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2023
ZIP code0771907719 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Lake Como.
HousingCost of living grade D−
Homes in Lake Como are worth about $881K, by Zillow’s estimate
The typical Lake Como home is worth about $881,000, up 10.8% in a year, 53% above the New Jersey typical home. Lake Como’s median rent is $1,810 a month, against $1,778 a month in New Jersey’s towns and $1,185 a month across U.S. towns. 63% of Lake Como households own their home.
$881KZillow home value
| Lake Como | New Jersey towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 63% | 77% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,810 a month | $1,778 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Lake Como$881K
New Jersey$575K
+10.8%
value change, 1 year
4
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Charter High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 166 | D |
NCES · EDFacts
HealthA−
Residents of Lake Como are healthier than 82% of U.S. towns
Lake Como beats the New Jersey average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 28% of adults feel lonely in Lake Como.
83%healthier than U.S. townsA−Health Grade
| Lake Como | New Jersey towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 32% | 33% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 16% | 23% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 28% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 15% | 17% |
32 measures vs. New Jersey
2 better28 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Lake Como | NJ |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults lacking emotional support | 18.8% | 24% |
| Fewer lonely adults | 28.2% | 32.4% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 14.2% | 9.6% |
Jersey Shore University Medical Center
In Neptune · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B+
Most of Lake Como’s workers commute out: the town has 0.7 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Lake Como for work: only 3% work in town. Since 2013, Lake Como has added 232 jobs, to 526 in 2023. Lake Como’s median household income is $82,000.
3%work in town
| Lake Como | New Jersey towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 3.7% | 6.1% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $82,000 | $113,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.7% | 6.3% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 30 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Lake Como3%
Wall Township8%
New York7%
Belmar4%
Long Branch3%
15 mi
median commute distance
526
jobs based in Lake Como
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
A
Walkability grade: more walkable than 95% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Who lives here
Fewer children than New Jersey overall
Children under 18 are 12% of residents (22% statewide); people 65 and older are 24% of residents (17% statewide). The median age in Lake Como is 49.6 years. 50% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 44% across New Jersey.
49.6median age · NJ 40.1
| Lake Como | New Jersey towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 49.6 years | 42 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 50% | 45% | 29% |
Lake ComoNew JerseyUnited States
Ages · share of residents
21%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma6%
High school23%
Some college11%
Associate’s10%
Bachelor’s28%
Graduate22%
Women and men · all residents
46% women, 54% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.8 points. Across New Jersey, 50.8% of residents are women.
| Lake Como | NJ | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 3% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 4.4% | 8.4% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 20.6% | 12.9% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 7.8% | 13.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 14% | 12.9% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 17.6% | 13.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 19.6% | 10% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 4% | 7.2% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.3% | 9.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 22.7% | 25.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 11.1% | 15% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.2% | 6.7% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 28% | 26.1% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 21.7% | 17.6% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,700, single groups can be off by several points
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Lake Como
Lake Como has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 85° and January nights drop to 26°.
85°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter28–44°
Spring42–60°
Summer65–82°
Fall49–66°
Nov 3
typical first frost
Apr 9
typical last frost
+2.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
85°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B
Low risk in Lake Como, with strong wind at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 62% of U.S. communities. Since 1992, 36 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Lake Como.
38risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Strong windInland floodingHurricanes
36
paid flood claims since 1992
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Lake Como
17pages on Lake Como
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
23 within 15 miles of the center of Lake Como
Monmouth UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · West Long Branch7.7 mi$46,552 tuitionKeser Torah-Mayan HatalmudUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Lakewood9.1 mi$12,460 tuitionBrookdale Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Lincroft12.1 mi$6,270 in-state tuition
About 4 of every 100 Lake Como residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Jersey.
About Lake Como
Borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, US
Lake Como is a borough located in the Jersey Shore region, within Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 1,697, a decrease of 62 (−3.5%) from the 2010 census count of 1,759, which in turn reflected a decline of 47 (−2.6%) from the 1,806 counted in the 2000 census. It is the tenth-smallest municipality by land area in New Jersey. Lake Como was originally formed as the borough of South Belmar by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 12, 1924, from portions of Wall Township, subject to the results of a referendum held on May 6, 1924. On November 2, 2004, voters in the borough approved changing the locality's n…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1924
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 16 ft
Lake Como’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Lake Como.
Spring LakeBelmarLake Como
How the neighbors grade
| Town | NJ rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Como | — | — | D− | — | — | A− |
| Spring Lake | #61 | A | D− | B | A+ | A+ |
| Belmar | #303 | B− | D− | B− | B− | A |
Lake Como has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Lake Como reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Lake Como with a neighbor →
Questions about Lake Como
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Lake Como, NJ expensive?
Yes. That is 8.9 years of the area's median household income ($99,155 across the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D−.