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The Beach Cost Index

Where to swim without breaking the bank.

Methodology

Factual

Pure factual ranking: towns by their daily beach badge price (cheapest first = ranked #1). Towns with free beaches lead. Towns that don't sell beach badges or have no oceanfront access are excluded. Prices reflect adult daily-rate at 141 Miles' last data check. Always verify with the town on the day of your visit.

#1$6/day

Island Beach State Park

A protected barrier-island landscape south of Seaside Park, known for undeveloped beaches, dunes, surf fishing, birding, and bay-side access.

Visit Island Beach State Park

31 more towns ranked

  1. #2Long BranchLong Branch is an oceanfront city in Monmouth County and one of the more developed beachfronts on the northern Shore.$6/day
  2. #3Asbury ParkAsbury Park is the Shore's music-and-nightlife town, the one that pulls a different crowd than the family beaches nearby.$7/day
  3. #4Harvey CedarsA small LBI borough with a residential, family-oriented atmosphere and limited commercial development.$7/day
  4. #5AvalonThe northern half of Seven Mile Island, known for quiet beaches, high-end homes, polished retail, and a restrained resort atmosphere.$10/day
  5. #6Barnegat LightBarnegat Light is the quiet northern tip of Long Beach Island, a borough built around Old Barney, the inlet, and a working fishing fleet.$10/day
  6. #7Beach HavenA charming town on Long Beach Island, Beach Haven offers plenty to those who want family attractions combined with costal beauty.$10/day
  7. #8BrigantineMinutes form Atlantic City, but miles away in terms of pace, Brigantine is renowned for its chill vibes and sparsely packed beaches, an ideal destination for families and those looking for slower pace in Atlantic City.$10/day
  8. #9Cape MayCape May is the Shore's Victorian town: a National Historic Landmark at the southern tip of New Jersey, known for blocks of preserved nineteenth-century houses, a walkable downtown on the Washington Street Mall, and wide Atlantic beaches.$10/day
  9. #10Cape May PointA small borough at the southwestern tip of Cape May County, known for quiet streets, birding, state park access, and views around the lighthouse and Delaware Bay.$10/day
  10. #11Loch ArbourOne of New Jersey's smallest municipalities, tucked between Allenhurst and Deal Lake.$10/day
  11. #12Ocean CityOcean City is the Shore's big family resort: a dry town built around a long boardwalk, amusement rides, downtown shopping on Asbury Avenue, and wide beaches.$10/day
  12. #13Sea BrightA narrow barrier-island town between the ocean and the Shrewsbury River, known for beach clubs, waterfront restaurants, and one of the most compact geographies on the Shore.$10/day
  13. #14Sea Isle CityA barrier-island town known for beaches, a concrete promenade, bayfront restaurants, fishing culture, and a lively summer bar scene.$10/day
  14. #15Ship BottomThe gateway town to Long Beach Island, where traffic from the Route 72 causeway first reaches the beach.$10/day
  15. #16Stone HarborThe southern half of Seven Mile Island, known for beaches, a walkable shopping district, nature areas, and a quieter upscale atmosphere.$10/day
  16. #17Surf CityA central LBI borough with a balanced mix of residential blocks, small businesses, beach access, and casual restaurants.$11/day
  17. #18Sea GirtSea Girt is a small, affluent, almost entirely residential beach borough in Monmouth County, between Spring Lake and Manasquan.$12/day
  18. #19AllenhurstA compact residential borough with historic homes, quiet beach blocks, and a strong preservation-minded identity.$12/day
  19. #20BelmarBelmar is the busy, youth-heavy beach town on the south side of the Shark River inlet, the loud middle between quieter Avon and Spring Lake.$12/day
  20. #21DealDeal is a small, affluent beachfront borough in Monmouth County, between Long Branch and Asbury Park.$12/day
  21. #22LavalletteLavallette is the quiet borough between the Shore's louder towns: a small, walkable beach community on the Barnegat Peninsula, surrounded by Toms River's sections and a short drive north of Seaside Heights.$13/day
  22. #23Ocean GroveA historic seaside community founded as a Methodist camp meeting town in the late 19th century.$13/day
  23. #24Seaside HeightsSeaside Heights is the Shore's loud, neon boardwalk town, the one most outsiders picture when they think Jersey Shore.$13/day
  24. #25Seaside ParkIf you find yourself in Seaside Heights, you're probably looking to do one of a couple of things, depending on whether you have kids in tow or not.$13/day
  25. #26Spring LakeA quiet residential beach town known for its long noncommercial boardwalk, Victorian homes, and slower pace.$13/day
  26. #27Avon-by-the-SeaAvon-by-the-Sea is one of the North Shore's small, quiet residential beach towns, a borough of under two thousand people set between Sylvan Lake and the Shark River inlet.$14/day
  27. #28Bradley BeachBradley Beach is the small, family-first stretch of the Monmouth coast between Avon and Ocean Grove, known less for any single attraction than for being calmer than the towns around it.$14/day
  28. #29Point Pleasant BeachPoint Pleasant Beach is the quintessential family-friendly anchor of the northern Jersey Shore, home to Jenkinson's, the family name now synonymous with the town's boardwalk empire.$14/day
  29. #30Bay HeadBay Head is the quiet, old-money end of the northern Shore, a small residential borough where the appeal is what it doesn't have.$15/day
  30. #31MantolokingMantoloking is a small, intensely private barrier-island borough on the Barnegat Peninsula, sitting between Bay Head and the Brick Township beaches with the ocean on one side and Barnegat Bay on the other.$15/day
  31. #32Monmouth BeachA primarily residential beach borough between Sea Bright and Long Branch, with a quieter pace centered around the ocean, river, and private beach clubs.$15/day

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