City profile · New Jersey · Census ACS 2023

Cliffwood Beach, NJ

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Cliffwood Beach - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

3,044
Residents
$108,854
Median income
$340,600
Median home
$2,328
Median rent (state)

Cliffwood Beach - the verdict

Cliffwood Beach ranks in the 83rd percentile for household income nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS.

83rd
percentile, household income
71st
percentile, home value
90th
percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Cliffwood Beach, NJ

Cliffwood Beach is a small town in New Jersey, home to 3,044 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The typical household in Cliffwood Beach brings in $108,854 a year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 1.8%. Home values in Cliffwood Beach run a median of $340,600, and the median resident age is 43.7 years. 24.0% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 60.5% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The city is served by 1 public schools according to NCES Common Core of Data.

New Jersey carries a cost-of-living premium: the state registers 108.8 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Well Above Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $2,328 monthly. Monthly utility costs average around $275 across New Jersey, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 96.3 out of 100 (Very High).

Population

3,044 residents

Census ACS 2023 - New Jersey

Median Household Income

$108,854 /yr

Poverty 1.8%

Cost of Living Index (state)

108.8 (US=100)

Well Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, New Jersey average

How does Cliffwood Beach compare to other US cities?

Cliffwood Beach measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 83% higher than other cities
Home value 71% pricier than other cities
Median rent 90% pricier than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Cliffwood Beach's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in New Jersey, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

83rdIncome percentile

83rd percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Cliffwood Beach's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$340,600 29th percentile more affordable than 29% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). This entry sits in this band. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Cliffwood Beach $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Cliffwood Beach, NJ Cliffwood Beach, NJ's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Cliffwood Beach, NJ-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Cliffwood Beach, NJ median $108,854/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Cliffwood Beach, NJ's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Cliffwood Beach, NJ. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 24.0%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 1.8%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 60.5%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
3,044
Median Income
$108,854
Median Home Value
$340,600
Median Age
43.7
Poverty Rate
1.8%
Labor force participation
60.5%
Bachelor's Degree+
24.0%

Schools

Total Schools
1
Public schools in this city

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
86.2%
Carpool
3.3%
Public Transit
1.3%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
7.1%
Other
2.1%

Based on 1,551 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for New Jersey - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$120
avg/month
Natural Gas
$95
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$60
avg/month
Total Utilities
$275
estimated/month

Estimates reflect New Jersey state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a New Jersey state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Cliffwood Beach sits in

Cost of Living Index
108.8
Well Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$2,328/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
96.3 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in New Jersey

National Park
3,043 people
Rutgers University-Livingston Campus
3,041 people
Shark River Hills
3,035 people
Sewell
3,065 people
Turnersville
3,071 people
Groveville
3,007 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Cliffwood Beach's 3,044 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Auberry, CA
3,043 people
Cuthbert, GA
3,045 people
Cache, OK
3,045 people
Lakeview, OR
3,043 people
Kotzebue, AK
3,046 people
Holmes Beach, FL
3,042 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Cliffwood Beach's $108,854 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

East Ithaca, NY
$108,839 median income
New Eucha, OK
$108,839 median income
Seltzer, PA
$108,869 median income
Forest View, IL
$108,833 median income
Manitou, KY
$108,802 median income
Hatboro, PA
$108,927 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Cliffwood Beach, NJ Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Cliffwood Beach, NJ - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 58.8% 17.4% 6.8% 11.9% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 23.4% White 58.8% Black or African American 17.4% Asian 6.8% American Indian 0.0% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 5.2% Two or more races 11.9% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Cliffwood Beach compares to nearby New Jersey cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Cliffwood Beach (this city) 3,044 $108,854
National Park 3,043 $81,507
Rutgers University-Livingston Campus 3,041 N/A
Shark River Hills 3,035 $133,193
Census ACS 5-year FIPS NJ NCES CCD OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Cliffwood Beach, NJ?

What is the population of Cliffwood Beach, NJ? +

3,044 people live in Cliffwood Beach, NJ according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Cliffwood Beach, NJ? +

Cliffwood Beach households earn a median of $108,854 annually, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Cliffwood Beach? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Cliffwood Beach; the closest available measure is the New Jersey state average, a cost of living index of 108.8 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Well Above Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within New Jersey vary by metro area.

What is the median home value in Cliffwood Beach, NJ? +

Cliffwood Beach's median home value sits at $340,600, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, NCES CCD, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

Verify with HUD →

Verify with FBI →

Verify with NOAA →

Verify with U.S. Census Bureau →

Verify with EPA →

Verify with FEMA →

Verify with BEA →

Verify with EIA →

Verify with NCES →

Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.