Population Trends and Housing in Bay Head, NJ

Bay Head, NJ is a small coastal borough in Ocean County known for limited housing supply and high property values. With fewer than 1,500 year-round residents across the Bay Head, NJ zip codes, the community holds a very small footprint along the Jersey Shore. Buyers tracking real estate here tend to watch demographic shifts closely - because in a town this size, even minor population changes tell you something real about how many homes might come to market in a given year.

The numbers back that up. The median sale price in Bay Head recently reached roughly $4.2 million, with homes averaging just 22 days on the market. When you understand exactly how small this community is, the tightness of the inventory stops being surprising.

The official 2020 U.S. Census recorded 930 residents in Bay Head, making it one of the smaller incorporated municipalities in Ocean County. Since then, demographic tracking organizations and government surveys have shown slight variations in the exact headcount - nothing dramatic, but enough to watch.

One thing worth keeping in mind: these figures count year-round residents only, not the full universe of property owners. Coastal markets like Bay Head carry significant secondary-home inventory, so the permanent population understates the true buyer pool considerably.

Starting from that 2020 baseline of 930, the numbers point to modest growth. The Census Bureau's 2023 estimate placed the population at 965. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates came in a bit higher, at 1,205. For 2026, World Population Review projects 977 current residents.

Three sources, three slightly different answers - but the consistent direction is a slow, steady uptick in year-round population through the first half of this decade.

Go back a bit further and the picture flips. Between the 2010 census and the 2020 census, Bay Head shrank - population dropped from 968 to 930, a decline of 3.9%. The 2020s have reversed that. According to World Population Review, the population has increased by about 5.05% since the 2020 census and is currently growing at an annual rate of roughly 0.93%.

Small numbers, but in a borough this size, they move the needle.

When fewer than 1,300 people live somewhere, the pool of locals who might sell - downsizing, trading up, settling an estate - is inherently thin. That's the most straightforward explanation for why Bay Head's inventory stays so tight: there simply aren't many sellers to begin with.

Recent market data reflects exactly that. Buyers are competing for very few available properties, and the median sale price has reached approximately $4.2 million. When something does hit the market here, it moves fast and draws real competition.

Active listings in Bay Head run consistently in the single digits or low double digits. Recent MLS data showed just 2 active properties; other local realty sites like Movoto reported between 7 and 9 active listings as of September 2026. Either way, you're not scrolling through pages of options.

With only 1.3 months of supply available, demand isn't just outpacing inventory - it's lapping it. Roughly 40% of recent sales closed above asking price, and the average sale-to-list ratio sits at 104.7%.

The borough's boundaries are fixed. There's minimal vacant land available for large-scale residential subdivisions, and new construction is largely limited to custom rebuilds on existing lots. So the total number of housing units stays relatively flat year over year.

Any increase in the number of people wanting to live in Bay Head year-round puts immediate pressure on a housing stock that can't meaningfully expand to meet it.

Bay Head covers a total area of just 0.71 square miles. Based on the 2020 Census count of 930 residents, the population density works out to approximately 1,588 people per square mile - a figure that reflects a traditional shoreline grid of closely spaced lots, not the kind of suburban spread you'd find inland.

Water forms a significant portion of the municipal boundaries, which concentrates everything - roads, homes, infrastructure - into a tight area of usable land.

Of that 0.71 square miles, 0.59 square miles is land and 0.12 square miles is water. Water accounts for 17.32% of the borough's total area. Most residential lots end up in close proximity to the water as a result, which maximizes coastal access but keeps the total number of buildable parcels firmly limited.

The road network is proportionally small. Residents share a limited number of main thoroughfares connecting to neighboring Ocean County towns and major highways - which, at less than a square mile, is all you need for getting around the borough itself.

Seasonal traffic on surrounding coastal routes is a different story. During peak months, travel times on those roads can stretch considerably beyond what the map suggests.

Yes, modestly. The population declined by 3.9% between 2010 and 2020, but recent projections show it has increased by about 5% since the 2020 census. The community is currently growing at an annual rate of roughly 0.93%.

Approximately 1,588 people per square mile, based on the 2020 Census count of 930 residents living within the borough's 0.59 square miles of land.

Bay Head is one of the smallest municipalities in Ocean County. With a year-round population hovering around 1,000 to 1,200 residents, it represents a tiny fraction of the county's overall size.

Yes. The official census figures - which estimate between 930 and 1,205 people - count only year-round residents. Secondary homeowners and seasonal visitors add meaningfully to the local footprint during warmer months.

The small, slightly growing population keeps available housing inventory extremely low. There are currently very few active listings, which has helped push the median sale price to roughly $4.2 million.

It's a mix of both. Census data tracks the modest growth of year-round residents, but the high median sale prices and low inventory - around 2 to 9 active listings - reflect strong demand from secondary home buyers as well.