I have lived here at the Jersey Shore most of my life and I love it here at the shore. I still think we have the best beaches in America, although I have never been to Hawaii, so I can't compare. I think our towns here at the Jersey Shore are some of the best in the entire state.

Get our free mobile app

Unsplash.com Sadie Jensen

I came across an article from NJ.COM that ranked our Jersey Shore towns, as their TOP 25. "The Jersey Shore is back to normal — three years ago, those words seemed impossible to fathom. Which means it’s time to brave the inevitable traffic apocalypse on the Garden State Parkway and head for our favorite towns, beaches, and boardwalks."

Unsplash.com Christian Lambert

Here are the TOP 5 Best Jersey Shore Beach Towns:

Google Maps

5. Ocean Grove

"There is no Jersey town quite like Ocean Grove, the “Jewel of the Jersey Shore.”

Google Maps

4. Brigantine

"Brigantine may always be Atlantic City’s little brother, but the former wouldn’t have it any other way."

Barnegat Light

3. Barnegat Light

Between Mustache Bill's Diner and Old Barney, this is a classic LBI beach town.

Google Maps

2. Strathmere

"Being one of just five free Jersey Shore oceanfront beaches should get you on any list"

Google Maps

1. Port Republic

"No New Jersey municipality lives up less to its official “city” designation than Port Republic, a town of barely 1,000 on the Mullica River."

LOOK: Here are the 50 best beach towns in America

Every beach town has its share of pluses and minuses, which got us thinking about what makes a beach town the best one to live in. To find out, Stacker consulted data from WalletHub, released June 17, 2020, that compares U.S. beach towns. Ratings are based on six categories: affordability, weather, safety, economy, education and health, and quality of life. The cities ranged in population from 10,000 to 150,000, but they had to have at least one local beach listed on TripAdvisor. Read the full methodology here. From those rankings, we selected the top 50. Readers who live in California and Florida will be unsurprised to learn that many of towns featured here are in one of those two states.

Keep reading to see if your favorite beach town made the cut.