Eighteen miles of barrier beach where the Atlantic meets a way of life.
Long Beach Island stretches eighteen miles from the Barnegat Lighthouse in the north to Holgate at the southern tip. Six municipalities share the island — Barnegat Light, Harvey Cedars, Surf City, Ship Bottom, Long Beach Township, and Beach Haven — each with a distinct feel, from the working fishing fleet in Viking Village to the Victorian streets of Beach Haven.
Properties here range from original 1950s cottages to fully custom bayfront and oceanfront new construction. Inventory is tight, the season is intense, and year-round residency has grown steadily since the post-Sandy rebuild. Most buyers fall into one of three groups: full-time residents, second-home owners from North Jersey and the Philadelphia metro, and investors running summer rentals.
What ties the island together is unchanged — the light off the dunes in the morning, the ride over the Causeway, the smell of the bay at low tide, and a community that knows the difference between a north-end summer and a south-end one.
Island students attend the Long Beach Island Consolidated School District for elementary grades, then move to Southern Regional in Manahawkin for middle and high school.
The beach is the obvious draw, but the bay side is where most locals spend their summers — sunsets, paddleboarding, and a sailing scene that runs from junior racing through serious club regattas.
Lifeguarded swimming, surfing breaks at Ship Bottom and Harvey Cedars, and quiet stretches in Loveladies and Holgate.
Sailing, fishing, crabbing, clamming, and paddleboarding. Bay access points throughout all six towns.
Climb the 1859 lighthouse, walk the jetty trail, and watch the inlet boat traffic.
Offshore charters out of Beach Haven and Barnegat Light, surf fishing tournaments, and full-service marinas on both sides of the island.
Beach Haven boardwalk, the Bay Trail, and dedicated bike lanes the length of Long Beach Boulevard.
Loveladies-based gallery, classes, and summer programs for kids and adults.
Most island student-athletes play under the Southern Regional Rams banner, with strong programs in swimming, sailing, surfing, lacrosse and football.
NJSIAA Group IV competition; long-running success in swimming, wrestling, baseball and lacrosse.
Yacht clubs in Beach Haven, Surf City and Harvey Cedars run summer race programs from Opti through 420.
Active local surf scene with shops, lessons and contests at Ship Bottom and Holgate throughout the summer.
LBI Recreation runs basketball, baseball and soccer; mainland clubs serve travel-level players.
A short list of the everyday spots that show up on every long-time resident’s map — the shops, the restaurants, the bay bars, and the institutions that have been here for generations.
Matt Dunn has helped buyers and sellers across Long Beach Island for over a decade. Get local insight, current listings, and a no-pressure conversation about your next move.
LBI is made up of six distinct communities, each with its own character and price point — from the ultra-luxury enclaves of Long Beach Township to the historic Victorians of Beach Haven and the lighthouse-anchored quiet of Barnegat Light.