Seaside Heights is a borough situated on the Jersey Shore, within Ocean County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 census, the borough's population was 2,440, a decrease of 447 (−15.5%) from the 2010 census count of 2,887, which in turn had reflected a decline of 268 (−8.5%) from the 3,155 counted in the 2000 census.Table 7. Population for the Counties and Municipalities in New Jersey: 1990, 2000 and 2010, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, February 2011. Accessed May 1, 2023. Seaside Heights is located on the Barnegat Peninsula, a long, narrow barrier peninsula that separates the Barnegat Bay from the Atlantic Ocean. During the summer, the borough attracts a crowd largely under the age of 21, mainly highschoolers and young adults, drawn to a community with boardwalk entertainment and one of the few shore communities with sizable numbers of apartments, attracting as many as 65,000 people who are often out until early morning visiting bars and restaurants.Mansnerus, Laura. "So, Just Who Goes Where When Going to the Shore?", The New York Times, June 6, 1999. Accessed July 13, 2011. "Seaside Heights, with a summer population of about 65,000, is packed, one of the few shore towns with larger apartment buildings. The boardwalk has almost a mile of skeeball and video arcades and enough fast food and bars to amuse the young into the early-morning hours. 'I don't think they let you into Seaside Heights if you're over 21,' said Kristin Farfalla, a sales representative at Midway Beach Real Estate in South Seaside Park."
Based on the results of a referendum held on March 25, 1913, Seaside Heights was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 26, 1913, from portions of both Berkeley Township and Dover Township (now Toms River).Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 205. Accessed May 30, 2024. The borough was named for its location on the Atlantic Ocean.Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed October 1, 2015.
As a resort community, the beach, an amusement-oriented boardwalk, and numerous clubs and bars make it a popular destination. Seaside Heights calls itself, "Your Home For Family Fun Since 1913!"Seaside Heights Beach Information , accessed April 5, 2007 The beach season runs from March to October, with the peak months being July and August, when the summer population explodes to as many as 30,000 to 65,000.About Seaside Heights , Seaside Heights. Accessed May 10, 2007. "A community of 3,100 year-round residents, Seaside Heights expands to more than 30,000 in the summer." Route 37 in Toms River is routinely gridlocked on Friday afternoons in the summer months as vacationers travel to the barrier islands. The community is also known as the location of the hit MTV show Jersey Shore, with the director of the borough's business improvement district saying in 2010 that "we can't even calculate the economic benefit" to Seaside Heights from the continued presence of the show.Ditzian, Eric. "'Jersey Shore' Brings Seaside Heights A Fiscal Fist-Pump: 'We can't even calculate the economic benefit,' local business exec says.", MTV.com, April 12, 2010. Accessed July 13, 2011. "'Ever since it aired in the beginning of December, the phones have been ringing earlier and more often,' Maria Maruca, executive director of the Seaside Heights Business Improvement District, told MTV News. 'Now that the show is coming back, we can't even calculate the economic benefit.'
History
In 1915, Senate Amusement Company of Philadelphia planned to build an ocean-side attraction in Seaside Heights within feet of the border to Seaside Park. Their plan was to build a covered pier to house a carousel. The structure was built in 1915 under the direction of Joseph Vanderslice of Senate Amusement Company. Budget issues stalled the project in 1916, and the amusement ride and building was subsequently sold to Frank Freeman. The combination of the completion of the Toms River Bridge on October 23, 1914,The Toms River Bridge, Discover Seaside Heights. Accessed January 25, 2015. and the DuPont Avenue carousel and boardwalk are what likely led to the 159% population growth shown between the 1920 and 1930 censuses in Seaside Heights.Boardwalk History: Some Seaside Heights' Firsts, Discover Seaside Heights. Accessed January 25, 2015.
Disasters On June 9, 1955, a malfunctioning neon sign component caused a fire at a shop on the corner of Ocean Terrace and DuPont Avenue. The fire was driven by winds estimated at , blowing the fire south and engulfing the entire pier. The fire was stopped at Stockton Avenue due in part to the fact that the boardwalk and pier ended there. In what became known as Freeman's Fire, a total of 85 buildings were destroyed with an estimated $4 million in damage.Chang, David. "Boardwalk Fire Brings Back Memories of Devastating Seaside Blaze Nearly 60 Years Ago", WCAU, September 16, 2013. Accessed September 18, 2013. "On June 9, 1955, a fire broke out at a shop on the corner of Ocean Terrace and DuPont Avenue in Seaside Heights. Driven by 50 mile per hour winds, the fire spread south, until it was finally placed under control at Stockton Avenue in Seaside Park..."
Beginning on October 29, 2012, substantial portions of the boardwalk were damaged and much of the borough was flooded as a result of Hurricane Sandy. Both the Funtown Pier and Casino Pier suffered major damage, with sections of both piers torn apart by powerful storm surges and waves causing many of the rides to collapse into the ocean.Queally, James. "Seaside Heights swallowed up by Hurricane Sandy's surge", The Star-Ledger, October 29, 2012. Accessed January 1, 2013. With a curfew set at 4:00 pm to prevent looting, a New Year's Eve party was held at the Beachcomber for hundreds of area residents at which the arrival of 2013 was celebrated at 3:00 in the afternoon.Harris, Chris; and Koloff, Abbott. "Shore residents refuse to let rebuilding get in way of party", The Record, January 1, 2013. Accessed January 1, 2013. "The party, at the Beachcomber, was held in the afternoon to comply with a curfew that remains in effect to curtail looting in an area where many homes remain empty and uninhabitable.... A crowd heralded the new year at the Beachcomber at 3 p.m., one hour in advance of the borough's mandatory 4 p.m. curfew." Casino Pier began cleanup attempts soon after, in an attempt to reopen in time for the summer 2013 season. The Star Jet roller coaster that fell into the water with the Casino Pier had become an attraction in itself. It was taken apart by a wrecker from Weeks Marine on May 14, 2013, just a short time after Prince Harry's visit to the site the same day with Governor Chris Christie. Repairs to the boardwalk were completed on June 21, 2013, with New Jersey's First Lady, Mary Pat Christie, hammering the nail into the final board of the project.via Associated Press. "Mary Pat Christie marks start of summer, hammers in last plank on new Seaside boardwalk", NJ.com, September 13, 2013. Accessed January 25, 2015.
On September 12, 2013, a ten-alarm fire swept from the Funtown Pier northward."Seaside Park fire 100 percent contained; no word on cause", WPVI-TV, October 7, 2013. Accessed January 25, 2015. The fire is believed to have started under the boardwalk, below the Kohr's Custard stand at the southern end of the pier. The wind pushed it northward, and fire crews were able to make a stand at Lincoln Avenue by tearing up the newly replaced boardwalk which had been destroyed less than a year before by Hurricane Sandy.Rose, Lisa; and Augenstein, Seth. "Christie promises to rebuild, as firefighters continue to knock down hot spots at Seaside Boardwalk", The Star-Ledger, September 13, 2013. Accessed August 10, 2014. Jack & Bill's Bar and Kohr's Custard were two businesses that were both destroyed in the 1955 and 2013 fires.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 0.74 square miles (1.92 km2), including 0.62 square miles (1.60 km2) of land and 0.13 square miles (0.32 km2) of water (16.89%).
Seaside Heights borders the Ocean County municipalities of Berkeley Township, Seaside Park and Toms River.Areas touching Seaside Heights, MapIt. Accessed March 5, 2020.Ocean County Map , Coalition for a Healthy NJ. Accessed March 5, 2020.New Jersey Municipal Boundaries, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed November 15, 2019.
Demographics
2020 census As of the 2020 census, Seaside Heights had a population of 2,440. The median age was 40.3 years. 19.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 12.3% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 109.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 108.1 males age 18 and over.
100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 1,148 households in Seaside Heights, of which 21.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 22.0% were married-couple households, 33.5% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 33.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 44.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 2,870 housing units, of which 60.0% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 9.1% and the rental vacancy rate was 13.9%.
+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number Percent White 1,676 68.7% Black or African American 153 6.3% American Indian and Alaska Native 44 1.8% Asian 36 1.5% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0 0.0% Some other race 201 8.2% Two or more races 330 13.5% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 566 23.2%
2010 census The 2010 United States census counted 2,887 people, 1,376 households, and 586 families in the borough. The population density was . There were 3,003 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup was 80.74% (2,331) White, 6.69% (193) Black or African American, 0.59% (17) Native American, 1.52% (44) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 6.96% (201) from other races, and 3.50% (101) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 17.87% (516) of the population.
Of the 1,376 households, 20.5% had children under the age of 18; 21.0% were married couples living together; 14.9% had a female householder with no husband present and 57.4% were non-families. Of all households, 46.0% were made up of individuals and 6.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.10 and the average family size was 3.03.
19.7% of the population were under the age of 18, 10.8% from 18 to 24, 32.5% from 25 to 44, 28.6% from 45 to 64, and 8.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36.2 years. For every 100 females, the population had 112.3 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 113.2 males.
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $33,380 (with a margin of error of +/− $12,171) and the median family income was $39,688 (+/− $28,475). Males had a median income of $46,005 (+/− $18,386) versus $18,928 (+/− $13,004) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $19,865 (+/− $4,981). About 37.0% of families and 33.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 73.5% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.DP03: Selected Economic Characteristics from the 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates for Seaside Heights borough, Ocean County, New Jersey , United States Census Bureau. Accessed January 28, 2012.
2000 census