More historic than 33% of U.S. towns · #391 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it
Most of Plumsted Township was built recently: 4% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1988. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1888 on, and the census since 1850.
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 3.0
Quick answers
How Plumsted Township began
When was Plumsted Township founded?
1845
Plumsted Township dates its founding to 1845 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1850.
First census: 1,613 in 18502020 census: 8,072181 years
How historic is Plumsted Township?
C
More historic than 33% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Plumsted Township is more historic than 33% of U.S. towns, #391 of 468 in New Jersey. Its age holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
C
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Plumsted Township’s overall grade.
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 Plumsted Township’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.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1845.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D to B−. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±3.3 points).
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 Plumsted Township’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Lost a third of its people between 1860 and 1910, then grew 7-fold.
18 censuses, 1850–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Plumsted Township’s Wikipedia page.
On the map
Plumsted Township on the map, 1888 to 1971
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Plumsted Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1888Cassville 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 Plumsted Township.
The story so far
Plumsted Township, in brief
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Plumsted Township yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Plumsted Township is a township in Ocean County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 8,072, a decrease of 349 (−4.1%) from the 2010 census count of 8,421, which in turn reflected an increase of 1,146 (+15.8%) from the 7,275 counted in the 2000 census. The 2010 population was the highest recorded in any decennial census. Plumsted Township was incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 11, 1845, from portions of Jackson Township, while the area was still part of Monmouth County. Plumsted Township became part of the newly created Ocean County on February 15, 1850. The township was named for Clement…
Plumsted Township was established in 1845. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 8,421 to 8,072 (-4%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
Timeline
Plumsted Township, 1810 to 2010
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
In 1845, according to Wikidata. Plumsted Township’s post office opened in 1810, and the census of 1850 counted 1,613 people here.
How does Plumsted Township rank for history?
Plumsted Township is more historic than 33% of U.S. towns, #391 of 468 in New Jersey. 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 Plumsted Township?
4% of Plumsted Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.3 points), against a typical 15% for a New Jersey town; the median home was built in 1988.
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 (15), U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) 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.
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