Gravelingpointbeach, 2011
Mystic Island’s story
Mystic Island in pictures
Census counts: 4,929 in 1980, 8,301 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2011 and 5 maps from 1888 on.
Explore the history →
Mystic IslandNJ
A town in New Jersey, home to 8,259 people.
2 bordering townsMap →
Population
8,259
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$322K
Census ACS
Household income
$79K
median
Median age
54.5
years
Jobs based here
340
A commuter town
Is Mystic Island a good place to live?
Mystic Island’s average commute is 39 minutes, above both New Jersey’s towns (30 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Only 4 of the 469 New Jersey towns we compare have a lower share of working residents who work in town than Mystic Island. 61% of the land in Mystic Island is conserved, above both New Jersey’s towns (11%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). The biggest park or preserve is Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve, at 2,055 acres. We don’t grade Mystic Island yet; the figures below are still real.
By the sea
Mystic Island lives by the ocean
Coastal flooding makes up 30% of the storm damage FEMA expects here.
30%of expected storm damage is coastal flooding
100thpercentile for coastal flood risk nationally
3,447paid flood-insurance claims since 1980
81stpercentile for hurricane risk
On the water
- Mystic Island Preserve
- Mystic Beach Conservation Area
- Mystic Islands Park Directions ↗
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA · OpenStreetMap
Getting set up
Moving to Mystic Island: who provides what
Mystic Island is unincorporated, so Ocean County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerAtlantic City Electric25.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterLittle Egg Harbor Twp Mu water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesOcean CountyOcean County provides services here
SchoolsLittle Egg Harbor Township School DistrictPinelands Region School District2 districts serve Mystic Island; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
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 code0808708087 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 Mystic Island.
Outdoors
Conserved land covers nearly a third of Mystic Island
Walkers can cover 1.2 miles of trail in 8 parks and preserves. Mystic Island’s trail network density comes in at 0.2 miles per square mile.
61.4%conserved
61.4%
conserved · 3,013 of 4,905 acres
1.2 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Bass River State Forest | 1.1 mi | 224 |
| 2. Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve | — | 2,055 |
| 3. Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge | — | 1,982 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Natural hazards
Natural hazards: very high risk in Mystic Island, mostly inland flooding
Since 1980, 3,447 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Mystic Island. Expected damage from storms and floods is higher here than in 89% of U.S. communities. 55% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by coastal flooding at 30%.
89risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCoastal floodingStrong wind
3,447
paid flood claims since 1980
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commute
With only 0.1 jobs per working resident, most people in Mystic Island work out of town
Half the trips to work are shorter than 35 miles. Jobs based in Mystic Island fell to 340 in 2023, 307 fewer than in 2013. Mystic Island: 16% of residents live below the poverty line. The top destinations are Little Egg Harbor Township (9%), Atlantic City (5%) and Stafford Township (5%).
2%work in town
| Mystic Island | New Jersey towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 16% | 6.1% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $79,000 | $113,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Mystic Island2%
Little Egg Harbor Township9%
Atlantic City5%
Stafford Township5%
Toms River Township4%
35 mi
median commute distance
340
jobs based in Mystic Island
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Expect four seasons and pleasant summers in Mystic Island
In July, afternoons reach 84°; in January, nights fall to 27°, and about 10 inches of snow falls in a winter.
10″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter29–44°
Spring43–60°
Summer66–82°
Fall50–66°
Nov 15
typical first frost
Apr 1
typical last frost
+2.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Mystic Island is
For adults in Mystic Island, the share who report frequent physical distress is 15%. CDC measures, 32 in all: Mystic Island beats New Jersey on 7 and trails on 9. Among adults in the town, 29% feel lonely and 16% have been diagnosed with depression.
| Mystic Island | New Jersey towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 16% | 16% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 32% | 33% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 16% | 23% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 12% | 14% |
32 measures vs. New Jersey
7 better16 too close to call9 worse
| What stands out | Mystic Island | NJ |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 9.1% | 12.3% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 8.7% | 11.3% |
| More adults with COPD | 7.6% | 5.1% |
Southern Ocean Medical Center
11.8 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Housing
A home in Mystic Island sells for about $460K at the median
In Mystic Island, 88% of households live in a home they own. The going rate for rent here is $1,893 a month. Homes sold in Mystic Island spent a median 35 days on the market.
$460Kmedian sale price
| Mystic Island | New Jersey towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 88% | 77% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,893 a month | $1,778 a month | $1,185 a month |
Market temperature
35
days on market
98%
sale-to-list price
21
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Nearby attractions
All 170 attractions →Pine Barrens and 26 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Mystic Island. Close and well known come first.
Big draw23 mi Park & preservePine Barrens
Big draw40 mi Theme parkSix Flags Great Adventure2.2M visitors a year
15 mi Stadium & arenaBoardwalk Hall13 mi BeachLong Beach Island
18 mi LandmarkLucy the Elephant
15 mi Theme parkSteel PierSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Pine Barrens: Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Six Flags Great Adventure: Unknown, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Boardwalk Hall: Jack Boucher, Public domain · Lucy the Elephant: User:dtcdthingy 3:30 pm 30th July 2004 (Minolta Dimage X20), Public domain · Steel Pier: Make Lemons, CC BY-SA 2.0
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Keep exploring
Everything we know about Mystic Island
16pages on Mystic Island
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Mystic Island
About 2 of every 100 Mystic Island residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Jersey.
Get outside
1 miles of trails in Mystic Island
61.4% of the town is conserved land, across 8 parks and preserves.
2
Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve2,055 acres
3
Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge1,982 acres
Trails © OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
About Mystic Island
Populated place in Ocean County, New Jersey, US
Mystic Island (also called Mystic Islands or Mystic) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within Little Egg Harbor Township, in Ocean County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the CDP's population was 8,301. Mystic Island is a large, mostly waterfront development originally planned as a resort community that started in the early 1960s as a waterfront community with vacation bungalows. In the past few years, however, many of the original bungalows are slowly being replaced with much larger homes on pilings that are popular in nearby beach communities such as Long Beach Island.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 7.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 3 ft
Mystic Island’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Mystic Island.
Little Egg Harbor TownshipBass River TownshipMystic Island
How the neighbors grade
| Town | NJ rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mystic Island | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Little Egg Harbor Township | #339 | C+ | D | B+ | D | B+ |
| Bass River Township | — | — | D | — | D | B+ |
Bass River Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Bass River Township reports no FBI crime data of its own. Mystic Island isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Mystic Island with a neighbor →
Questions about Mystic Island
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Mystic Island, NJ a good place to live?
We don’t grade Mystic Island yet; the figures below are still real.