Asbury Park, New Jersey Demographics & Population 2026

Population Overview

Asbury Park is a small city located in New Jersey, within Monmouth County. The total population is 15,295. It ranks as the 77th most populous out of 700 Census-designated places in New Jersey.

Age Demographics

The median age in Asbury Park is 38.2 years. This is 5% lower than the state median of 40.1 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Asbury Park is $75,544. This is 27% lower than the state median of $103,556. It is also 6% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 21.9%. This is 126% higher than the state poverty rate of 9.7%. With more than one in five residents living below the poverty line, economic hardship is a significant challenge for the community. The unemployment rate is 5.6%. This is 11% lower than the state rate of 6.3%. The median home value is $581,100. Housing costs are 28% higher than the state median of $454,400. The home-value-to-income ratio of 7.7x suggests that housing affordability is a significant concern for many residents. 27.7% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 57% lower than the state average of 63.8%.

Race & Ethnicity

Asbury Park is a highly diverse community where no single racial or ethnic group constitutes a majority of the population. Black or African American residents account for 29.7%. The Black or African American population is significantly higher than the state average (29.7% vs 12.2%). The Asian population (2.2%) is well below the state average of 10.1%.

Education

43.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 1% lower than the state rate of 43.6%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 89.4%. Notably, 18.1% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Asbury Park, New Jersey is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against New Jersey state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 700 Census-designated places in New Jersey. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.