Belmar, New Jersey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Belmar, New Jersey
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Borough
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Boardwalk along the Atlantic Ocean shoreline in Belmar
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Location of Belmar in Monmouth County highlighted in red (left). Inset map: Location of Monmouth County in New Jersey highlighted in orange (right).
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Census Bureau map of Belmar, New Jersey
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 Belmar, New Jersey
Location in Monmouth County, New Jersey
Belmar, New Jersey
Location in New Jersey
Belmar, New Jersey
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  New Jersey |
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| County | Monmouth | |
| Incorporated | April 9, 1885 as Ocean Beach borough | |
| Renamed | April 16, 1889 as City of Elcho borough | |
| Renamed | May 14, 1889 as City of Belmar borough | |
| Renamed | November 20, 1890 as Borough of Belmar | |
| Named for | Italian language "beautiful sea" | |
| Government | ||
| • Type | Faulkner Act (small municipality) | |
| • Body | Borough Council | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 1.61 sq mi (4.18 km2) | |
| • Land | 1.04 sq mi (2.71 km2) | |
| • Water | 0.57 sq mi (1.48 km2) 35.19% | |
| Area rank | 437th of 565 in state 35th of 53 in county |
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| Elevation | 13 ft (4 m) | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 5,907 | |
| • Estimate
(2023)
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5,816 | |
| • Rank | 351st of 565 in state 30th of 53 in county |
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| • Density | 5,652.6/sq mi (2,182.5/km2) | |
| • Density rank | 98th of 565 in state 10th of 53 in county |
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| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST)) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT)) | |
| ZIP Codes |
07715, 07719
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| Area codes | 732 exchange: 681 | |
| FIPS code | 3402504930 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 0885155 | |
Belmar is a borough located on the Jersey Shore in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 5,907, an increase of 113 (+2.0%) from the 2010 census count of 5,794, which in turn reflected a decline of 251 (−4.2%) from the 6,045 counted in the 2000 census.
What is now Belmar was originally incorporated as Ocean Beach borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 9, 1885, from portions of Wall Township, based on the results of a referendum held two days earlier. On April 16, 1889, it became the City of Elcho borough, which lasted for a few weeks until the name was changed to the City of Belmar Borough on May 14, 1889. The city acquired its current name, Borough of Belmar, on November 20, 1890. The borough's name means "beautiful sea" in Italian.
Contents
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 1.62 square miles (4.18 km2), including 1.05 square miles (2.71 km2) of land and 0.57 square miles (1.48 km2) of water (35.19%).
Belmar borders the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Monmouth County municipalities of Avon-by-the-Sea to the north, Neptune Township to the northwest, Wall Township to the west, and Lake Como and Spring Lake to the south.
Demographics
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2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 5,794 people, 2,695 households, and 1,267 families in the borough. The population density was 5,544.0 per square mile (2,140.6/km2). There were 3,931 housing units at an average density of 3,761.4 per square mile (1,452.3/km2). The racial makeup was 87.06% (5,044) White, 3.49% (202) Black or African American, 0.24% (14) Native American, 0.91% (53) Asian, 0.14% (8) Pacific Islander, 5.66% (328) from other races, and 2.50% (145) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 16.76% (971) of the population.
Of the 2,695 households, 18.1% had children under the age of 18; 33.9% were married couples living together; 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present and 53.0% were non-families. Of all households, 41.9% were made up of individuals and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.14 and the average family size was 2.98.
16.8% of the population were under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 30.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.9 years. For every 100 females, the population had 106.3 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 108.3 males.
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $59,928 (with a margin of error of ± $6,993) and the median family income was $59,929 (± $10,255). Males had a median income of $52,215 (± $4,278) versus $44,453 (± $11,259) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $35,223 (± $4,105). About 9.2% of families and 12.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.6% of those under age 18 and 10.6% of those age 65 or over.
Parks and recreation
Belmar is a popular vacation destination because of its natural and recreational resources and close proximity to New York and Philadelphia. It features wide beaches for sunbathing, surfing, swimming, and fishing. The boardwalk and town offer shops, restaurants, an active arts scene, sporting events, festivals, and a variety of family-oriented activities (see "Annual Events" below). Belmar sits on the south side of the Shark River and boasts a large municipal marina in the bay and on the inlet itself, including the only private marina in town, Seaport Inlet Marina.
Belmar beach (as well as those of municipalities to the south, such as Manasquan and Point Pleasant) is among the most popular surf spots on the East Coast. Belmar frequently hosts surfing events and competitions. Along with surfing, Belmar also has an active skate community and skatepark constructed by American Ramp Company.
The Jersey Shore Basketball League, a competitive summer basketball league, takes place at St. Rose High School every summer.
The Belmar Arts Council (BAC) sponsors regular art shows, workshops, concerts, and performances year around. BAC's gallery and workshop, the Boatworks, is located at 608 River Road near the Shark River Inlet.
Education
The Belmar School District serves students in public school for pre-kindergarten through eighth grade at Belmar Elementary School. As of the 2020–21 school year, the district, comprised of one school, had an enrollment of 448 students and 52.8 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 8.5:1. The district also serves students from Lake Como who attend as part of a sending/receiving relationship. The school was constructed in 1909 and has had additions built in 1929, 1949, 1969 and 1993. There are 61 certified staff members, including the district's administrators, teachers, nurses and child study team personnel, with an additional 12 paraprofessionals. The single school facility is two schools in one, a primary school for Pre-K–5 and a middle school structure for 6–8.
Students attending public high school for ninth through twelfth grades are assigned to either Manasquan High School or Asbury Park High School based on sending/receiving relationships with the Manasquan Public Schools and Asbury Park Public Schools, respectively. Manasquan High School also serves students from Avon-by-the-Sea, Brielle, Lake Como, Sea Girt, Spring Lake, Spring Lake Heights who attend as part of sending/receiving relationships with their respective districts. As of the 2020–21 school year, Manasquan High School had an enrollment of 1,006 students and 76.9 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 13.1:1, while Asbury Park High School had an enrollment of 682 students and 54.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.5:1.
Students may also attend Red Bank Regional High School, Marine Academy of Science and Technology, Academy of Allied Health & Science, Academy Charter School, High Technology High School, Communications High School or Biotechnology High School.
Students also have the option to attend Academy Charter High School in Lake Como, which accepts students on a lottery basis from the communities of Allenhurst, Asbury Park, Avon-by-the-Sea, Belmar, Bradley Beach, Deal, Interlaken and Lake Como.
Belmar is home of St. Rose High School, which was established in 1923 by the local parish and the Sisters of St. Joseph, and operates under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Trenton.
Mesivta Keser Torah of Central Jersey, a yeshiva and high school for men that serves Haredi students mainly from Lakewood Township, Deal and Brooklyn, has been in the borough since the 1920s.
The Belmar Public Library is one of New Jersey's original 36 Carnegie libraries.
Transportation
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Roads and highways
As of May 2010[update], the borough had a total of 26.12 miles (42.04 km) of roadways, of which 20.85 miles (33.55 km) were maintained by the municipality, 3.40 miles (5.47 km) by Monmouth County and 1.87 miles (3.01 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.
Route 35 and Route 71 are the two main highways that pass through Belmar. The closest limited access roads are all in neighboring Wall Township: Route 18, the Garden State Parkway and Interstate 195.
Public transportation
NJ Transit provides rail transportation at the Belmar station to and from New York Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan, Newark Penn Station and Hoboken Terminal on the North Jersey Coast Line. New Jersey Transit also provides bus transportation between Belmar and Philadelphia on the 317 route and service on the 830 route.
Airport
Monmouth Executive Airport is a public-use airport located west of Belmar.
Annual events
- Belmar 5 Mile Johnny Cobb Memorial Run
- New Jersey Seafood Festival celebrated its 30th year in 2016. The festival, which attracted an estimated 200,000 visitors in 2015, had to be modified in scope to allow the borough to cope with the volumes of traffic.
- New Jersey Sand Castle Contest, which featured 200 participants at the 27th annual event in 2013
- St. Patrick's Day Parade, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2023
- Belmar Pro Surf Contest
- Belmar Fall Festival
- Belmar Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony
- Belmar Spring Kite Festival
- Howard Rowland Memorial Lifeguard Tournament – an bi-annual tournament of lifeguard teams from the Jersey Shore
- Meters for Mike
- Belmar Sprint Triathlon
- The Jersey Shore Relay Run, which has a leg that goes through Belmar
- Surfer's Healing
Sister city
In August 2008, the borough established a Sister City relationship with Balbriggan, a town of nearly 16,000 in County Dublin, Ireland.
Community
- Belmar was home to the first and oldest first-aid squad in the United States. The Squad, organized in 1927 ceased operations in 2021.
- Belmar's "E" Street is the original source of Bruce Springsteen's "E Street Band". Springsteen's original keyboardist, David Sancious, was a resident of E Street in Belmar at the time the band was formed. The Sancious' family home was often used as a practice venue where they honed their musical craft in the formative pre-fame years.
- Monmouth Executive Airport in nearby Wall Township is designated with the call letters "BLM" based on its initial name of Belmar Airport.
- In the HBO series The Sopranos, Belmar is shown as the home port of Tony Soprano's boat, the Stugots.
- Guy Fieri featured Belmar and local restaurant 10th Avenue Burrito in an episode of Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives which originally aired on December 13, 2010.
Climate
According to the Köppen climate classification system, Belmar has a Humid subtropical climate (Cfa).
| Climate data for Belmar (40.1782, -74.0220), Elevation 10 ft (3 m), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1981–2022 | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 71.4 (21.9) |
78.6 (25.9) |
82.2 (27.9) |
89.5 (31.9) |
94.8 (34.9) |
96.8 (36.0) |
99.7 (37.6) |
100.2 (37.9) |
97.5 (36.4) |
93.6 (34.2) |
80.2 (26.8) |
74.7 (23.7) |
100.2 (37.9) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 40.9 (4.9) |
42.6 (5.9) |
48.6 (9.2) |
58.7 (14.8) |
68.2 (20.1) |
77.8 (25.4) |
83.2 (28.4) |
81.6 (27.6) |
75.8 (24.3) |
65.3 (18.5) |
55.0 (12.8) |
46.3 (7.9) |
62.1 (16.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 25.8 (−3.4) |
27.0 (−2.8) |
33.3 (0.7) |
42.7 (5.9) |
52.2 (11.2) |
61.8 (16.6) |
67.9 (19.9) |
66.6 (19.2) |
60.4 (15.8) |
48.6 (9.2) |
38.9 (3.8) |
31.2 (−0.4) |
46.5 (8.1) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −5.5 (−20.8) |
1.0 (−17.2) |
6.1 (−14.4) |
18.3 (−7.6) |
34.5 (1.4) |
45.3 (7.4) |
49.5 (9.7) |
45.7 (7.6) |
39.8 (4.3) |
27.1 (−2.7) |
14.6 (−9.7) |
0.2 (−17.7) |
−5.5 (−20.8) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.78 (96) |
3.12 (79) |
4.30 (109) |
3.80 (97) |
3.72 (94) |
4.15 (105) |
4.19 (106) |
4.62 (117) |
3.83 (97) |
4.23 (107) |
3.47 (88) |
4.59 (117) |
47.81 (1,214) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 8.6 (22) |
7.1 (18) |
4.0 (10) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.3 (0.76) |
3.2 (8.1) |
23.4 (59) |
| Average dew point °F (°C) | 22.4 (−5.3) |
23.0 (−5.0) |
28.2 (−2.1) |
37.3 (2.9) |
48.7 (9.3) |
59.4 (15.2) |
64.6 (18.1) |
64.1 (17.8) |
58.6 (14.8) |
47.0 (8.3) |
36.2 (2.3) |
28.3 (−2.1) |
43.2 (6.2) |
| Source 1: PRISM | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: NOHRSC (Snow, 2008/2009 - 2022/2023 normals) | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Atlantic City, NJ Ocean Water Temperature, 1911–present normals | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 39.7 (4.3) |
38.5 (3.6) |
41.9 (5.5) |
48.7 (9.3) |
56.4 (13.6) |
64.7 (18.2) |
68.9 (20.5) |
73.1 (22.8) |
72.2 (22.3) |
64.1 (17.8) |
53.6 (12.0) |
45.2 (7.3) |
55.7 (13.2) |
| Source: NCEI | |||||||||||||
Ecology
According to the A. W. Kuchler U.S. potential natural vegetation types, Belmar would have an Appalachian Oak (104) vegetation type with an Eastern Hardwood Forest (25) vegetation form.
Notable people
People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Belmar include:
- Jay Alders (born 1973), artist and photographer
- Tom Brower (born 1965), member of the Hawaii House of Representatives
- Dave Calloway (born 1968), college basketball coach and the former head men's basketball coach at Monmouth University
- Harriett Ephrussi-Taylor (1918–1968), geneticist, microbiologist and educator, who initiated and made crucial contributions to the fields of transformation and bacterial recombination
- Christian Fuscarino (born c. 1981), community organizer and LGBT activist who is the executive director of Garden State Equality
- James Gallagher (1909–1992), soccer player who earned two caps with the United States national soccer team
- Michael Gerson (born 1964), political writer and commentator who served as chief speechwriter for President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2006
- Stephen L. Hoffman (born 1948), physician-scientist, tropical medicine specialist and vaccinologist
- Brian Lynch (born 1978), professional basketball player who played for the Belgian team Euphony Bree and is married to former World No. 1-ranked tennis star Kim Clijsters
- Jay Lynch (1945–2017), cartoonist best known for his comic strip Nard n' Pat
- Marina Mabrey (born 1996), basketball player with the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association
- Balls Mahoney (1972–2016), professional wrestler
- Joseph Mayer (1877–1942), Mayor of Belmar who later served on the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders
- Tom McGowan (born 1956), actor
- Douglas Crawford McMurtrie (1888–1944), type designer
- David Sancious (born 1953), early member of the E Street Band
- Joe Shimko, American football long snapper for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League
- Sarah Spiegel, singer and actress
- Neal Sterling (born 1992), tight end who played in the NFL for the New York Jets
- E. Donald Sterner (1894–1983), politician
See also
In Spanish: Belmar (Nueva Jersey) para niños
