Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A city of 143,765, settled in 1880. Home to Beth Medrash Govoha.
Trash & recyclingLakewood Township is a city of 143,765, and it grades C− overall, 392nd of 466 graded towns in New Jersey. It is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 93% of U.S. towns. The trade-offs: homes are expensive, about $591K for a typical one and 6 times the New York metro’s $99K median household income, and its schools rank behind 82% of the state's. 25% of residents live below the poverty line in Lakewood Township, against 6% in New Jersey’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Of the 468 New Jersey towns we compare, none has a higher share of children under 18 than Lakewood Township. Lakewood Township is home to Beth Medrash Govoha.
Where Lakewood Township beats most towns.
| College | Students |
|---|---|
| Beth Medrash Govoha | 8,824 |
| Georgian Court University | 1,645 |
| Yeshiva Toras Chaim | 225 |
92,843 counted in 2010 and 135,158 in 2020; an estimated 143,765 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 6.4% since 2020, after 45.6% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New Jersey), ordered by how far Lakewood Township is from typical.
Its grades run from A for walkability (better than 93% of comparable towns) to D− for cost of living (better than 4%), so the C− overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Georgian Court is a National Historic Landmark, the National Register’s top tier.
Census counts: 1,044 in 1880, 135,158 in 2020. The archive holds 30 old photos and papers going back to 1897 and 8 maps from 1888 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Lakewood Township. Close and well known come first.
Big draw36 mi BeachConey Island
Big draw13 mi Theme parkSix Flags Great Adventure2.2M visitors a year
Big draw37 mi Park & preservePine Barrens
35 mi LandmarkVanderbilt Family Cemetery and Mausoleum
39 mi Park & preserveFloyd Bennett Field
33 mi Stadium & arenaSHI StadiumConey Island: OptimumPx, Public domain · Six Flags Great Adventure: Unknown, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Pine Barrens: Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Vanderbilt Family Cemetery and Mausoleum: Vanderbilt_Mausoleum.jpg: Staten Island post cards / Bridges derivative work: Jb, Public domain · Floyd Bennett Field: Ad Meskens, CC BY-SA 3.0 · SHI Stadium: Zeete, CC BY-SA 4.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Lakewood Township, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Lakewood Township.
Lakewood Township is healthier than towns with similar incomes and is safe by national standards but not by New Jersey’s; it also has poverty well above the New Jersey rate.
24.8% of residents live below the poverty line, against 9.7% across New Jersey, which weighs on its C for jobs and income.
The Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate puts Lakewood Township at 143,765 residents, up 6.4% since 2020. Only 8 of the 468 New Jersey towns we compare have a lower share of residents 65 or older than Lakewood Township. Children under 18 are half of residents (22% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 20% of residents (40% statewide). Lakewood Township: just over a third of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more.
| Lakewood Township | New Jersey towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 18.1 years | 42 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 9% | 18% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 34% | 45% | 29% |
49.6% women, 50.4% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±0.9 points. Across New Jersey, 50.8% of residents are women. Median age: women 19.3, men 17.1.
| Lakewood Township | NJ | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 31.1% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 18.8% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 9.2% | 8.4% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 11.9% | 12.9% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.3% | 13.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 5.6% | 12.9% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 4.2% | 13.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 4.6% | 10% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 4.4% | 7.2% | 7% |
| No diploma | 9.4% | 9.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 30.9% | 25.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 22% | 15% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 3.8% | 6.7% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 18.8% | 26.1% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 15.1% | 17.6% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Each of its 3 graded neighbors has a higher School Grade than that grade, Howell Township highest at B.
Two of its 110 schools are shown below, with the reason for each. Public schools: the Lakewood Township School District.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lakewood Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 7–8 | Grades 7–8 | 574 | C− |
| Lakewood High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,295 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NJ on state tests and graduation
At 11.5 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 55% of New Jersey’s graded towns. Reported crimes fell from 1,144 to 859 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Lakewood Township’s rate of thefts and burglaries is 4.7 per 1,000 residents. Its violent offense rate is 1.3 per 1,000 residents.
| Lakewood Township | New Jersey towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.7 per 1,000 residents | 7.5 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.3 per 1,000 residents | 0.7 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
In July, afternoons reach 86°; in January, nights fall to 24°, and about 24 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The average commute for its 40,149 working residents takes 24.3 minutes, against 30.5 across New Jersey. Jobs based here grew from 27,336 in 2013 to 47,996.
The median commute is under 8 miles. Employers in Lakewood Township added 20,660 jobs between 2013 and 2023, to 47,996. The typical household income for Lakewood Township comes to $65,000. The top destinations are New York (4%), Howell Township (2%) and Toms River Township (2%).
| Lakewood Township | New Jersey towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 42% | 6.3% | 8% |
| Median household income | $65,000 | $113,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 30 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 14% | 17% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
There are 8.8 miles of trail across 5 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Lake Shenandoah County Park, at 259 acres. For Lakewood Township, the trail density is 0.4 miles per square mile.
| Lakewood Township | New Jersey towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 7.7% | 11% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.7 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Carasaljo Park | 4.4 mi | 186 |
| 2. Lake Shenandoah County Park | 0.4 mi | 259 |
| 3. Ocean County Park No. 1 | 0.3 mi | 343 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Storm and flood damage is expected to run lower than in just over three fifths of U.S. communities. FEMA puts 37% of Lakewood Township’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 26% to strong winds. Paid flood insurance claims here since 1984: 15.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Against the 9,949 U.S. towns with household incomes like Lakewood Township’s, it is healthier than 61%, so its C+ isn’t only a matter of income. All 3 graded neighbors score healthier than its C+, from Jackson Township (A−) to Howell Township (A).
CDC measures, 32 in all: Lakewood Township beats New Jersey on 4 and trails on 18. 72% of adults had a checkup this year here. Among 468 New Jersey towns, just 8 have a higher share of adults who report frequent mental distress than Lakewood Township.
| Lakewood Township | New Jersey towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 72% | 78% | 79% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 15% | 17% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 11% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 11% | 14% |
| What stands out | Lakewood Township | NJ |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.3% | 7.5% |
| Fewer adults with high blood pressure | 28.9% | 32.8% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 16.3% | 9.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Home values rose 73% in five years, to about $591K, against 35% across New Jersey. 66.6% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 51.6% across New Jersey.
The midpoint rent in Lakewood Township is $1,774 a month. Over the 12 months to September 2026, the typical home gained 7.9% in value. The share of households in Lakewood Township who live in a home they own: 52%.
| Lakewood Township | New Jersey towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 52% | 77% | 73% |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 67% | 52% | 48% |
| Median rent | $1,774 a month | $1,780 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
21 within 15 miles of the center of Lakewood Township
About 10 of every 100 Lakewood Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Jersey.
17 colleges in town.
2 places in Lakewood Township on the National Register of Historic Places.
13 notable people were born in Lakewood Township.
Township in Ocean County, New Jersey, US
Lakewood Township is the most populous township in Ocean County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. A rapidly growing community, as of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 135,158, its highest decennial count ever and an increase of 42,315 (+45.6%) from the 2010 census count of 92,843, which in turn reflected an increase of 32,491 (+53.8%) from the 60,352 counted in the 2000 census. The township ranked as the fifth-most-populous municipality in the state in 2020, after ranking seventh in 2010, and 22nd in 2000, placing the township only behind the state's four biggest cities (Newark; Jersey City; Paterson; Elizabeth). The sharp increase in population from 2000 to 2010 …
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
5 towns share a border with Lakewood Township.
All 3 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its C−; Brick Township (B−) is closest.
| Town | NJ rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakewood Township | #392 | C− | D− | B+ | C− | C+ |
| Howell Township | #225 | B | D− | — | B | A |
| Brick Township | #308 | B− | D | B− | C+ | A− |
| Ramtown | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Leisure Village East | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jackson Township | #231 | B | D | A | B− | A− |
Howell Township reports no FBI crime data of its own. Ramtown and Leisure Village East aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Lakewood Township with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Lakewood Township grades C− overall, better than 19% of U.S. towns and #392 of 466 in New Jersey. It grades C+ for health, B+ for safety and C− for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D−.
13 notable people were born here, including Armin Shimerman and Haakon Chevalier.
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