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The Family Town

Where to take the kids on the Jersey Shore.

Methodology

Composite

Blends three signals: our editorial familyScore (50%) — what 141 Miles editors say about a town's family vibe, the count of family-friendly places per town (30%) — restaurants, mini-golf, arcades, ice cream, bowling, and parking ease (20%) — measured by parkingPainScore inverted (low pain = easier family day). Higher overall score = better family destination. Towns without an editorial familyScore are excluded.

#178.5

Ocean City

Ocean 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.

Visit Ocean City

56 more towns ranked

  1. #2WildwoodThe loudest and most amusement-driven of the Wildwoods, known for free beaches, a large boardwalk, Morey's Piers, waterparks, tram cars, motels, and summer events.68.5
  2. #3Wildwood CrestWildwood Crest is the southernmost of the three main Wildwoods.60.5
  3. #4Point 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.60.0
  4. #5Stone HarborThe southern half of Seven Mile Island, known for beaches, a walkable shopping district, nature areas, and a quieter upscale atmosphere.59.5
  5. #6LavalletteLavallette 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.58.5
  6. #7Fair HavenA small residential borough along the Navesink River known for boating, tree-lined streets, and a quiet downtown atmosphere.57.5
  7. #8MargateA Downbeach town known for Lucy the Elephant, residential beach blocks, restaurants, and a strong summer-home culture.57.5
  8. #9BrigantineMinutes 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.55.5
  9. #10Cape 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.55.0
  10. #11Sea Isle CityA barrier-island town known for beaches, a concrete promenade, bayfront restaurants, fishing culture, and a lively summer bar scene.55.0
  11. #12AvalonThe northern half of Seven Mile Island, known for quiet beaches, high-end homes, polished retail, and a restrained resort atmosphere.54.5
  12. #13Beach HavenA charming town on Long Beach Island, Beach Haven offers plenty to those who want family attractions combined with costal beauty.54.0
  13. #14Surf CityA central LBI borough with a balanced mix of residential blocks, small businesses, beach access, and casual restaurants.53.0
  14. #15Toms RiverToms River is the seat of Ocean County and one of the largest, most sprawling townships on the Shore, set on the mainland where the river meets Barnegat Bay.51.5
  15. #16HolmdelAn affluent inland Monmouth County township known for parks, large residential neighborhoods, Bell Works, and the PNC Bank Arts Center.51.0
  16. #17Lower TownshipThe Cape May area is sprawling, much befitting an area that shares a name with a County.51.0
  17. #18RumsonAn affluent riverfront borough between the Navesink and Shrewsbury rivers known for large homes, boating culture, and quiet residential streets.51.0
  18. #19KeansburgA Bayshore borough on Raritan Bay known for its boardwalk, amusement rides, fishing pier, and working-class beach-town history.50.5
  19. #20OceanportA small borough along the Shrewsbury River known for Monmouth Park Racetrack, waterfront neighborhoods, and the ongoing redevelopment of Fort Monmouth.50.5
  20. #21Spring Lake HeightsA residential borough just west of Spring Lake and Sea Girt, known for quiet neighborhoods, local businesses, and proximity to the beach communities nearby.50.5
  21. #22Sea GirtSea Girt is a small, affluent, almost entirely residential beach borough in Monmouth County, between Spring Lake and Manasquan.50.0
  22. #23Ship BottomThe gateway town to Long Beach Island, where traffic from the Route 72 causeway first reaches the beach.49.5
  23. #24Harvey CedarsA small LBI borough with a residential, family-oriented atmosphere and limited commercial development.49.0
  24. #25LongportThe quiet southern end of Absecon Island, with limited commercial activity, wide beaches, and a heavily residential feel.49.0
  25. #26West Cape MayWest Cape May is a small borough on Cape Island, just inland of Cape May City.49.0
  26. #27North WildwoodThe northern section of the Wildwoods, known for free beaches, the inlet, the seawall, Hereford Inlet Lighthouse, and a strong bar and restaurant scene around Olde New Jersey Avenue.47.5
  27. #28West WildwoodA small bayside borough west of Wildwood, separated from the oceanfront towns by back-bay water and reached by bridge.47.5
  28. #29Barnegat LightBarnegat Light is the quiet northern tip of Long Beach Island, a borough built around Old Barney, the inlet, and a working fishing fleet.47.0
  29. #30Monmouth BeachA primarily residential beach borough between Sea Bright and Long Branch, with a quieter pace centered around the ocean, river, and private beach clubs.47.0
  30. #31Ventnor CityA residential beach city just south of Atlantic City, sharing the same barrier island but with a quieter pace.47.0
  31. #32Atlantic HighlandsAtlantic Highlands is a bayshore borough in northern Monmouth County, on hills overlooking Sandy Hook Bay and the distant Manhattan skyline.46.5
  32. #33AberdeenA large suburban township in western Monmouth County with commuter rail access, shopping corridors, and residential neighborhoods stretching toward the Bayshore region.46.0
  33. #34HazletA suburban township in northern Monmouth County with strong transportation access to both the Bayshore and New York City.46.0
  34. #35Avon-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.45.0
  35. #36Seaside 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.45.0
  36. #37Spring LakeA quiet residential beach town known for its long noncommercial boardwalk, Victorian homes, and slower pace.45.0
  37. #38Bradley 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.44.5
  38. #39Long BranchLong Branch is an oceanfront city in Monmouth County and one of the more developed beachfronts on the northern Shore.44.5
  39. #40Bay 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.43.0
  40. #41ManasquanA beach town at the southern end of Monmouth County, bordered by the Manasquan Inlet and known for surfing, fishing, and a strong local identity.43.0
  41. #42Ocean GroveA historic seaside community founded as a Methodist camp meeting town in the late 19th century.43.0
  42. #43Seaside HeightsSeaside Heights is the Shore's loud, neon boardwalk town, the one most outsiders picture when they think Jersey Shore.43.0
  43. #44Atlantic City"The World's Famous Playground" — Atlantic City, also known as the Las Vegas of the East and Monopoly City, is the East Coast's gaming and resort capital, drawing more than 27 million visitors a year.42.5
  44. #45BelmarBelmar 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.42.5
  45. #46Red BankOne of the Shore region's most prominent downtowns, known for restaurants, theaters, nightlife, shopping, and NJ Transit rail access.42.5
  46. #47AllenhurstA compact residential borough with historic homes, quiet beach blocks, and a strong preservation-minded identity.42.0
  47. #48Asbury ParkAsbury Park is the Shore's music-and-nightlife town, the one that pulls a different crowd than the family beaches nearby.42.0
  48. #49Cape 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.42.0
  49. #50Island Beach State ParkA protected barrier-island landscape south of Seaside Park, known for undeveloped beaches, dunes, surf fishing, birding, and bay-side access.42.0
  50. #51DealDeal is a small, affluent beachfront borough in Monmouth County, between Long Branch and Asbury Park.40.0
  51. #52KeyportA small waterfront borough on Raritan Bay known for its marina, restaurants, fishing culture, and walkable downtown.40.0
  52. #53Loch ArbourOne of New Jersey's smallest municipalities, tucked between Allenhurst and Deal Lake.39.0
  53. #54Ortley BeachOrtley Beach is Toms River's beach: a small, residential, rental-heavy strip of the barrier island between Seaside Heights and Lavallette.38.0
  54. #55HighlandsA small bayshore borough at the entrance to Sandy Hook Bay with a working-waterfront identity and strong boating culture.37.0
  55. #56MantolokingMantoloking 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.37.0
  56. #57Sea 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.31.0

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