ZR-1 Shenandoah, 1922
Lakehurst’s story
146 years in pictures
Census counts: 592 in 1880, 2,636 in 2020. The archive holds 11 old photos and papers going back to 1900 and 6 maps from 1888 on.
- 1880Lakehurst is settled
Photo: Acroterion · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
2,735
2025 Census estimate · +4% since 2020
Typical home
$370K
+0.7% in a year
Household income
$85K
median
Median age
36.9
years
Jobs based here
559
A commuter town
TownGrade
D
#414 of 466 in NJ
Is Lakehurst a good place to live?
Lakehurst earns a D, 414th among New Jersey's 466 graded towns, mostly because of schools. Its public schools trail 98% of New Jersey towns on state tests and graduation. In its favor, it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 72% of U.S. towns. 17% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Lakehurst, where New Jersey’s towns sit at 45% and U.S. towns at 29%.
What makes Lakehurst stand out
Where Lakehurst beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
A commuter town
97% of working residents leave Lakehurst for work
Where Lakehurst’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
559jobs based in Lakehurst
3%of working residents work in town
17 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Lakehurst grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New Jersey), ordered by how far Lakehurst is from typical.
SchoolsD−Open →Cost of livingC−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 8.7 of 20; 7.3% of households have no carB+Open →SafetyC+Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 38% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listBOpen →Jobs & income559 jobs based hereBOpen →HealthCommunity Medical Center 6.4 miles awayB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 36.9; 16% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 624 attractions →Six Flags Great Adventure and 75 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Lakehurst. Close and well known come first.
Big draw11 mi Theme parkSix Flags Great Adventure2.2M visitors a year
Big draw29 mi Park & preservePine Barrens26 mi BeachLong Beach Island
35 mi Stadium & arenaSHI Stadium
40 mi GardenFreshkills Park
32 mi Theme parkSesame Place PhiladelphiaSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Six Flags Great Adventure: Unknown, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Pine Barrens: Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0 · SHI Stadium: Zeete, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Freshkills Park: H.L.I.T., CC BY 2.0 · Sesame Place Philadelphia: Transity (talk • contribs), CC BY-SA 3.0
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Lakehurst: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Lakehurst, and how to reach them.
PowerJCP&L18.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterLakehurst Water DeptNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpBy addressTown pickup · day by addressTown site
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 hereOcean County ClerkOcean County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2026
ZIP code0873308733 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 Lakehurst.
Lakehurst is safe by national standards but not by New Jersey’s and is healthy by national standards but behind most towns in New Jersey.
SchoolsD−
Lakehurst’s grade for schools is a D−
Its public schools are run by the Lakehurst School District. Its one school is below.
2%of NJ districts it outscoresD−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lakehurst Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 411 | D |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NJ on state tests
HousingCost of living grade C−
Lakehurst’s typical home value is about $370K
The typical Lakehurst home is worth about $370,000, up 0.7% in a year, 36% below the New Jersey typical home. 63% of Lakehurst households own their home.
$370KZillow home value
| Lakehurst | New Jersey towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 63% | 77% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,742 a month | $1,780 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Lakehurst$370K
New Jersey$575K
+0.7%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
With 0.4 jobs for every working resident, most of Lakehurst’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Lakehurst for work: only 3% work in town. Lakehurst’s median household income is $85,000. The top destinations are Toms River Township (13%), Lakewood Township (9%) and Manchester Township (7%).
3%work in town
| Lakehurst | New Jersey towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $85,000 | $113,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 30 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 10% | 6% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.5% | 6.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Lakehurst3%
Toms River Township13%
Lakewood Township9%
Manchester Township7%
Wall Township4%
17 mi
median commute distance
559
jobs based in Lakehurst
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 72% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
In Lakehurst, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Lakehurst has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 87°, January nights drop to 24° and about 24 inches of snow falls in a winter.
24″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter26–45°
Spring40–63°
Summer63–85°
Fall46–67°
Oct 20
typical first frost
Apr 23
typical last frost
+2.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
SafetyC+
More crime per resident in Lakehurst than in 63% of U.S. towns
At 24.3 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 79% of New Jersey’s graded towns. Reported crimes rose from 29 to 49 over the last three FBI years, a rise beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The violent crime rate in Lakehurst is 3.7 per 1,000 residents.
37%of U.S. towns report more crimeC+Safety Grade
| Lakehurst | New Jersey towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.7 per 1,000 residents | 0.7 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 14.2 per 1,000 residents | 7.4 | 9.9 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Lakehurst3.7
New Jersey2
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Lakehurst14.2
New Jersey12.7
U.S.15.5
37th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
21st
percentile among NJ towns
10
violent crimes reported in 2025
39
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B
Inland flooding leads a low hazard risk in Lakehurst
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 62% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Lakehurst since 1978.
38risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingStrong windHurricanes
1
paid flood claims since 1978
6
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HealthB−
Lakehurst ranks healthier than 53% of the country’s towns
Within New Jersey it is less healthy than 87% of the 468 graded towns: New Jersey sets a high bar.
Lakehurst beats the New Jersey average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 11. 74% of adults had a checkup this year in Lakehurst.
53%healthier than U.S. townsB−Health Grade
| Lakehurst | New Jersey towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 74% | 78% | 79% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 11% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 36% | 36% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 8.4% | 8.1% |
32 measures vs. New Jersey
1 better20 too close to call11 worse
| What stands out | Lakehurst | NJ |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.4% | 7.5% |
| More smokers | 16.3% | 10.9% |
Community Medical Center
6.4 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
13th
percentile among NJ towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Lakehurst
19pages on Lakehurst
The big questions
SchoolsD−Behind 98% of NJ districts · 1 schoolSafetyC+3.7 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthB−Better than NJ on 1 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingC−$370K typical home · up 0.7% in a yearWork & commuteB$85K median household income · 559 jobs hereNatural hazardsBFEMA risk higher than 38% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
21 within 15 miles of the center of Lakehurst
Yeshiva Chemdas HatorahUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Lakewood5.9 mi$12,150 tuitionYeshiva Gedola Tiferes Yaakov YitzchokUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Lakewood6 mi$13,700 tuitionOcean County CollegeCommunity college · Public · Toms River8.2 mi$4,906 in-state tuition
About 7 of every 100 Lakehurst residents are enrolled in college, about the same as New Jersey.
Famous people from Lakehurst
5 notable people were born in Lakehurst.
About Lakehurst
Borough in Ocean County, New Jersey, US
Lakehurst is a borough in Ocean County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 2,636, a decrease of 18 (−0.7%) from the 2010 census count of 2,654, which in turn reflected an increase of 132 (+5.2%) from the 2,522 counted in the 2000 census. Lakehurst was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 7, 1921, from portions of Manchester Township, based on the results of a referendum held on May 24, 1921. The borough is named for its location near lakes and woods.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1921
- Area
- 1.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 36 ft
- ZIP code
- 08733
- Area code
- 732
Lakehurst’s neighbors
One town shares a border with Lakehurst.
Leisure KnollLakehurst
How the neighbors grade
| Town | NJ rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakehurst | #414 | D | C− | C+ | D− | B− |
| Leisure Knoll | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Leisure Knoll isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Lakehurst with a neighbor →
Questions about Lakehurst
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Lakehurst, NJ a good place to live?
Lakehurst grades D overall, better than 14% of U.S. towns and #414 of 466 in New Jersey. It grades B− for health, C+ for safety and D− for schools. Schools is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is Lakehurst, NJ expensive?
Yes. That is 3.7 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 C−.
What is Lakehurst, NJ known for?
5 notable people were born here, including Juice Newton and Richard Shindell.