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CHistory
History · Lake Como

Lake Como dates to 1924, and 23% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 26% of U.S. towns. What drives it

Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1888 on, and the census since 1930.

1924founded
0on the National Register
23%homes built before 1940
1old photo or paper
Add an old photoShare a memory
Photo: Mr. Matté (if there is an issue with this image, contact me using this image's Commons talk page, my Commons user talk page, or my English Wikipedia user talk page; I'll know about it a lot faster) · CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answers

How Lake Como began

When was Lake Como founded?

1924

Lake Como dates its founding to 1924 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1930.

First census: 886 in 19302020 census: 1,697102 years

How historic is Lake Como?

C

More historic than 26% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata.
History grade

What drives Lake Como’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Lake Como is more historic than 26% of U.S. towns. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.

C
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Lake Como’s overall grade.
Founding era1924, from Wikidata: founded 1900–1944, an older era than 9% of U.S. townsDHomes built before 194023.2% of homes (±4.7) · typical NJ town 14.7% · U.S. 8.4%A−National RegisterNo listings counted · typical NJ town 3.7 per 10,000 · U.S. 2.4C−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 26%
NewerOlder

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 Lake Como’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.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D− to C+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±4.7 points). Two sources give 1924.

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 Lake Como’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenOnly 1 old photo is in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 18888 editions of the USGS map, 1888 to 1995. Watch Lake Como change.Old housesHalf of Lake Como’s homes were built before 1959.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Lake Como’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Lake Como’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Date a photo1 archive item has no date. Guess the decade.+2Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
On the map

Lake Como on the map, 1888 to 1995

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Lake Como. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Lake Como on the 1888 USGS mapLake Como on the 1893 USGS mapLake Como on the 1901 USGS mapLake Como on the 1943 USGS mapLake Como on the 1954 USGS mapLake Como on the 1970 USGS mapLake Como on the 1981 USGS mapLake Como on the 1995 USGS map1888Asbury Park 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 Lake Como.

The story so far

Lake Como, in brief

Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Lake Como yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.

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…

Lake Como was established in 1924. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 1,759 to 1,697 (-4%).

Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.

By decade

Lake Como, decade by decade

Date unknown1 to date
Census Bureau map ofDate?Census Bureau map ofMap
Today9 recent
WRAT studio and transmitter, Dec. 20242024WRAT studio and transmitter, Dec. 2024Lake Como, NJ welcome sign on Main Street nb, Dec. 20242024Lake Como, NJ welcome sign on Main Street nb, Dec. 20…Lake Como, NJ from southwest, Dec. 20242024Lake Como, NJ from southwest, Dec. 2024Lake Como, NJ borough hall, Dec. 20242024Lake Como, NJ borough hall, Dec. 2024SouthsideJohnnyAndTheAsburyJukes20082008SouthsideJohnnyAndTheAsburyJukes2008EdManion20082008EdManion2008BobbyBandiera20082008BobbyBandiera2008Don't Diss The Newark Bagpipes - This Guy's Packin'!2006Don't Diss The Newark Bagpipes - This Guy's Packin'!South balmar nj 0252005South balmar nj 025
People over time

Lake Como, census by census

05001,0001,5002,00019401960198020002020Peak: 1,806

Between 886 and 1,806 people in every census since 1930.

10 censuses, 1930–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Lake Como’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

Famous people close to Lake Como

Nobody well known was born in Lake Como itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
Jack NicholsonAmerican actor and filmmaker · b. 1937
Bruce SpringsteenAmerican rock singer · b. 1949
K
Kirsten DunstAmerican actress · b. 1982
Garret HobartVice president of the United States from 1897 t… · b. 1844
Bud AbbottAmerican actor, producer and comedian · b. 1897
P
Paul CohenAmerican mathematician · b. 1934
Places that used to be

Old corners

Old hamlets and crossroads still carry their names on the map.

Hamlets and corners on the map
South Belmar

Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Spring Lake4 historic placesA−BelmarIts storyB−

Questions about Lake Como’s history

What year was Lake Como founded?

In 1924, according to Wikidata. the census of 1930 counted 886 people here.

How does Lake Como rank for history?

Lake Como is more historic than 26% of U.S. towns. 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 Lake Como?

23% of Lake Como’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.7 points), against a typical 15% for a New Jersey town; the median home was built in 1959.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

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 (10), U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.