Is Cliffwood Beach, NJ a Good Place to Live?
Cliffwood Beach is a small town of 3,008 in New Jersey, with a median household income of $111,786 and a 5.1% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 112 (US average = 100), which is 12% above the national average.
Strengths: Cliffwood Beach stands out for solid school ratings (B).
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an above-average cost of living, an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Cliffwood Beach is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Cliffwood Beach city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 112.5Cliffwood Beach's overall cost of living index is 112.5, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Cliffwood Beach costs roughly 12% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Cliffwood Beach, NJ | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $302,900 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | N/A | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 93.2% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $111,786 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeCliffwood Beach's violent crime rate is 40.1 per 100,000 residents — 89% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Cliffwood Beach is served primarily by Old Bridge Township School District. The student-to-teacher ratio is 12.2:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Cliffwood Beach, NJ | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Old Bridge Township School District | — |
| Elementary Schools | 11 | — |
| Middle Schools | 2 | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 12.2:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 18.9% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 91.2% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Cliffwood Beach sees average highs of 41.7°F in January and 86.5°F in July, with 49.5 inches of annual precipitation and 29.0 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Cliffwood Beach, NJ |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 41.7°F |
| Average High — July | 86.5°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 49.5" |
| Annual Snowfall | 29.0" |
Demographics
| Metric | Cliffwood Beach, NJ | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 3,008 | — |
| Median Age | 44.8 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 5.1% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 28.8 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 64.1% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 17.9% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 8.0% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 5.3% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 14.6% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 17.2% | 16.8% |