Fishermen Unloading a Boat, 1887
Sea Bright’s story
155 years in pictures
Census counts: 1,198 in 1900, 1,449 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1887 and 3 maps from 1954 on.
- 1871Sea Bright is settled
Sea BrightNJ
A town of 1,460, settled in 1871.
4 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Famartin · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
1,460
2025 Census estimate · +0.3% since 2020
Typical home
$1.11M
+9.3% in a year
Household income
$143K
median
Median age
55.2
years
Jobs based here
1,001
Balanced
Is Sea Bright a good place to live?
Sea Bright’s best subject grades are an A+ for health, an A for walkability, and an A− for schools; its weakest is a D− for cost of living. Sea Bright’s median rent is $2,481 a month, above both the New Jersey town median ($1,778 a month) and the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). Only 30 of New Jersey’s 530 towns score lower on hazard risk. Sea Bright's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 91% of U.S. towns. Sea Bright has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Sea Bright stand out
Where Sea Bright beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
32 measures vs. New Jersey
19 better12 too close to call1 worse
| Widest gap | Sea Bright | NJ |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 5.7% | 14.3% |
HealthA+
Healthier than 97% of U.S. towns
Less healthyHealthier
CDC PLACES 2025 estimates.
WalkabilityA
More walkable than 94% of U.S. towns
12.1% of workers walk, bike or ride transit
EPA National Walkability Index; Census ACS.
Worth knowing · Natural hazardsD
Coastal flooding and inland flooding at the top
FEMA National Risk Index.
By the sea
Sea Bright lives by the ocean
Coastal flooding makes up 45% of the storm damage FEMA expects here.
45%of expected storm damage is coastal flooding
100thpercentile for coastal flood risk nationally
1,584paid flood-insurance claims since 1978
5storm & flood disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA · OpenStreetMap
How Sea Bright grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New Jersey), ordered by how far Sea Bright is from typical.
HealthMonmouth Medical Center 3.9 miles awayA+Open →Cost of livingD−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 9.9 of 20; 4.1% of households have no carAOpen →Hazard riskcoastal flooding tops the listDOpen →SchoolsBeat 83% of New Jersey districts on tests and graduationA−Open →Jobs & income$143K median household incomeB+Open →SafetyB+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksB+Open →History3 notable people born hereCOpen →Civic life1.2 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsDOpen →
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 55.2; 62% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 593 attractions →Madison Square Garden and 514 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Sea Bright. Close and well known come first.
Big draw28 mi Stadium & arenaMadison Square Garden
Big draw30 mi GardenCentral Park40.0M visitors a year
Big draw15 mi BeachConey Island
Big draw29 mi TheatreStudio 54
Big draw32 mi Stadium & arenaMetLife Stadium
Big draw30 mi MuseumMetropolitan Museum of Art2.0M visitors a yearSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Madison Square Garden: Ajay Suresh from New York, NY, USA, CC BY 2.0 · Central Park: Ed Yourdon from New York City, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Coney Island: OptimumPx, Public domain · Studio 54: Americasroof (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · MetLife Stadium: babyknight, CC BY 2.0 · Metropolitan Museum of Art: Hugo Schneider, CC BY-SA 2.0
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Sea Bright: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Sea Bright, and how to reach them.
PowerJCP&L18.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterNew Jersey American WaterNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNearest public drop-offRumson Recycling Center, 2 miOpenStreetMap
SchoolsOceanport Borough School DistrictShore Region School District2 districts serve Sea Bright; 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 hereMonmouth County ClerkMonmouth County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2023
ZIP code0776007760 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 Sea Bright.
HousingCost of living grade D−
The typical home in Sea Bright is valued at about $1.11M
The typical Sea Bright home is worth about $1,107,000, up 9.3% in a year, 92% above the New Jersey typical home.
$1.11MZillow home value
Typical home value
Sea Bright$1.11M
New Jersey$575K
+9.3%
value change, 1 year
3
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
HealthA+
Fewer of Sea Bright’s adults feel lonely than in the typical New Jersey or U.S. town
25% of Sea Bright adults feel lonely, below both New Jersey’s towns (32%) and U.S. towns (33%). 13% of adults report frequent mental distress in Sea Bright. Sea Bright beats the New Jersey average on 19 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1.
97%healthier than U.S. townsA+Health Grade
| Sea Bright | New Jersey towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 32% | 33% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 36% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 15% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 16% | 23% |
32 measures vs. New Jersey
19 better12 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Sea Bright | NJ |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 5.7% | 14.3% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 4.6% | 11.3% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.8% | 7.5% |
Monmouth Medical Center
3.9 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Sea Bright faces a very high natural-hazard risk, led by coastal flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 87% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 1,584 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Sea Bright.
87risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Coastal floodingInland floodingStrong wind
1,584
paid flood claims since 1978
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
SafetyB+
Crime per resident in Sea Bright is lower than in 68% of U.S. towns
Sea Bright’s violent crime rate is 2.1 per 1,000 residents.
68%of U.S. towns report more crimeB+Safety Grade
| Sea Bright | New Jersey towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.1 per 1,000 residents | 0.7 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 10.4 per 1,000 residents | 7.5 | 9.9 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Sea Bright2.1
New Jersey2
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Sea Bright10.4
New Jersey12.7
U.S.15.5
68th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
3
violent crimes reported in 2025
15
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Climate
Sea Bright has four seasons and pleasant summers
Sea Bright has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 26° and about 25 inches of snow falls in a winter.
25″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter28–44°
Spring43–60°
Summer65–83°
Fall49–66°
Nov 3
typical first frost
Apr 9
typical last frost
+2.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B+
A job hub: Sea Bright has 1.4 jobs for every working resident and draws in 962 commuters
Most working residents leave Sea Bright for work: only 5% work in town. The average trip to work in Sea Bright is 38 minutes. Jobs based in Sea Bright grew to 1,001 in 2023, 632 more than in 2013.
5%work in town
| Sea Bright | New Jersey towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 38 minutes | 30 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $143,000 | $113,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 18% | 16% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.9% | 6.1% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Sea Bright5%
New York13%
Middletown Township6%
Red Bank4%
Woodbridge Township3%
20 mi
median commute distance
1,001
jobs based in Sea Bright
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
A
Walkability grade: more walkable than 94% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Sea Bright
19pages on Sea Bright
The big questions
SchoolsA−Beat 83% of NJ districtsSafetyB+2.1 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthA+Better than NJ on 19 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingD−$1.11M typical home · up 9.3% in a yearWork & commuteB+$143K median household income · 1,001 jobs hereNatural hazardsDFEMA risk higher than 87% of U.S. communities · coastal flooding
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Sea Bright
Monmouth UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · West Long Branch5.1 mi$46,552 tuitionBrookdale Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Lincroft8.2 mi$6,270 in-state tuitionYeshiva Gedolah of CliffwoodUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Keyport14.2 mi$8,550 tuition
About 4 of every 100 Sea Bright residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Jersey.
Small town
1,460 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
RumsonMonmouth BeachHighlandsMiddletown TownshipSea Bright
Famous people from Sea Bright
3 notable people were born in Sea Bright.
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About Sea Bright
Borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, US
Sea Bright is a borough located on the Jersey Shore, within Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 1,449, an increase of 37 (+2.6%) from the 2010 census count of 1,412, which in turn had resulted to a decline of 406 (−22.3%) from the 1,818 counted in the 2000 census. Sea Bright was formed as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 21,1889, from portions of Ocean Township, based on the results of a referendum held the previous day. The borough was incorporated again on March 10, 1897. Additional portions of Ocean Township were annexed by the borough in March, 1909. Some sources attribute the name …
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1889
- Area
- 1.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 0 ft
Questions about Sea Bright
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Sea Bright, NJ expensive?
Yes. That is 11.2 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 D−.
What is Sea Bright, NJ known for?
3 notable people were born here, including Juan Trippe and James Waddell Alexander II.