Method

How the numbers are made.

We lay out a real season, set the rent against every cost of keeping the house, and say plainly whether it pays.

The season
Laid out Saturday to Saturday. Weeks that start in July or August are peak; June and September are shoulder; the rest is off-season. Family weeks come off the calendar first.
Rent
A peak weekly rate by bedrooms, adjusted for the town, the location, amenities and baths, or your own price for each summer week. A share of the open weeks books, by season and by who rents the house.
Costs
Every cost of keeping the house: some by the year, some by the week, fees as a share of rent, and the mortgage last. Guest taxes are shown, never counted as income.
The answer
Earns well when rent pays every cost and leaves at least four percent a year on the cash put in. Covers its costs when rent pays everything, mortgage included. Covers bills, not mortgage when rent pays the bills and ten years of rising value carry the mortgage. Costs more than it earns otherwise.

How sure are these numbers?

Each of the 106 figures says what stands behind it: an official table, a count of data points, or our own assumption where no data was found. Listing prices are asking rates, not what weeks finally booked for.

High: Official tables, or 40 or more data points; 27figures
Medium: 10 to 39 data points; 10figures
Low: Fewer than 10 data points; 47figures
Assumption: Our assumption: no data found; 22figures

Every figure

106 figures, each with its source, its date and the data points behind it. 77 are marked Estimate where the number is our model rather than a published figure. Replace any of them in the report’s Assumptions.

Guest taxes are shown, never counted as income. Since 2019, New Jersey taxes rentals booked through a marketplace like Airbnb or Vrbo; rentals executed by a licensed broker, and owner-direct rentals by owners of fewer than three units, are excluded.

New Jersey sales tax: 6.625%; NJ Division of Taxation, Sales and Use Tax. As of November 2026. 6.625% since January 1, 2018 (TB-81R). Bills A2702/S2466 to cut it to 6.0% were introduced in January 2026 and have not been enacted.Official table.
State Occupancy Fee: 5%; NJ Division of Taxation, Hotel/Motel State Occupancy Fee and Municipal Occupancy Tax. As of November 2026. 5% on taxable transient accommodations. The reduced 1% rate applies only to Newark, Jersey City, Atlantic City and Elizabeth.Official table.
Municipal occupancy tax, Barnegat Light: None found; EstimateNJ Division of Taxation, Municipal Occupancy Tax list. As of November 2026. None found on the state list. Confirm with the borough.Based on 1 data point: not on the state's official list; the borough may differ.
Municipal occupancy tax, Harvey Cedars: None found; EstimateNJ Division of Taxation, Municipal Occupancy Tax list. As of November 2026. None found on the state list. Confirm with the borough.Based on 1 data point: not on the state's official list; the borough may differ.
Municipal occupancy tax, Surf City: None found; EstimateNJ Division of Taxation, Municipal Occupancy Tax list. As of November 2026. None found on the state list. Confirm with the borough.Based on 1 data point: not on the state's official list; the borough may differ.
Municipal occupancy tax, Ship Bottom: 3%; NJ Division of Taxation, Municipal Occupancy Tax list. As of November 2026. 3%, effective June 1, 2019.Official table.
Municipal occupancy tax, Long Beach Township: None found; EstimateNJ Division of Taxation, Municipal Occupancy Tax list. As of November 2026. None found on the state list. Confirm with the township.Based on 1 data point: not on the state's official list; the township may differ.
Municipal occupancy tax, Beach Haven: 3%; NJ Division of Taxation, Municipal Occupancy Tax list. As of November 2026. 3%, effective July 1, 2004.Official table.
Guest taxes: Airbnb or Vrbo: Taxed; NJ Division of Taxation, Transient Accommodations FAQ (P.L.2019, c.235). As of November 2026. Taxable since 2019. Some platforms may not collect the municipal tax; the owner is then responsible.Official table.
Guest taxes: Local agency: Excluded; NJ Division of Taxation, Transient Accommodations FAQ (P.L.2019, c.235). As of November 2026. The broker must handle the rental itself: advertising, the lease, rent collection and keys.Official table.
Guest taxes: Self-managed: Excluded; NJ Division of Taxation, Transient Accommodations FAQ (P.L.2019, c.235). As of November 2026. Owners renting three or more units a year are treated as professionally managed and must collect.Official table.

Peak weekly rent by bedrooms, ocean block: 1: $2,000 · 2: $3,000 · 3: $5,500 · 4: $8,200 · 5: $10,400 · 6: $12,800 · 7: $14,600 · 8: $16,400; EstimateOur fit to 159 LBI rental listings' peak-week asking rates (Vacation Rentals LBI and others), read November 2026. As of November 2026. Asking rates, not booked ones. Listings by bedrooms: 1 (1), 2 (7), 3 (23), 4 (49), 5 (43), 6 (28), 7 (7), 8 (1). With one listing each, 1 and 8 bedrooms are set from their neighbours: 8 is 7 plus the 6-to-7 step ($1,800); 1 sits between the fit's per-bedroom step down from 2 bedrooms ($2,250) and the 2-to-3 ratio carried down ($1,650), beside the one 1-bedroom listing at the ocean block ($2,014). 2 and 7 bedrooms (7 listings each, mostly price ranges) are low confidence.Based on 159 data points: LBI listings, 2026–27 asking rates.
Rent index, Barnegat Light: 0.80; EstimateOur fit to 159 LBI rental listings' peak-week asking rates (Vacation Rentals LBI and others), read November 2026. As of November 2026. Fit 0.77; the one town clearly below Surf City.Based on 17 data points: listings in the town, 2026–27 asking rates.
Rent index, Loveladies: 1.02; EstimateOur fit to 159 LBI rental listings' peak-week asking rates (Vacation Rentals LBI and others), read November 2026. As of November 2026. Fit 1.00; 1.07 without the pool term, since 46% of its listings have pools. Estates listed through agencies may run higher.Based on 41 data points: listings in the town, 2026–27 asking rates.
Rent index, Harvey Cedars: 1.05; EstimateOur fit to 159 LBI rental listings' peak-week asking rates (Vacation Rentals LBI and others), read November 2026. As of November 2026. Fit 1.05.Based on 8 data points: listings in the town, 2026–27 asking rates.
Rent index, North Beach: 1.12; EstimateOur fit to 159 LBI rental listings' peak-week asking rates (Vacation Rentals LBI and others), read November 2026. As of November 2026. Kept at the earlier figure. The fit says 0.85 on two listings, which tells us nothing; estates here are mostly listed through agencies.Based on 2 data points: listings in the town: too few to move it.
Rent index, Surf City: 1.00; EstimateOur fit to 159 LBI rental listings' peak-week asking rates (Vacation Rentals LBI and others), read November 2026. As of November 2026. The reference town.Based on 34 data points: listings in the town, 2026–27 asking rates.
Rent index, Ship Bottom: 0.85; EstimateOur fit to 159 LBI rental listings' peak-week asking rates (Vacation Rentals LBI and others), read November 2026. As of November 2026. Fit 0.79 (bedroom-only ratio 0.63); set a little toward 1.0 on the small sample.Based on 13 data points: listings in the town, 2026–27 asking rates.
Rent index, Brant Beach: 1.00; EstimateOur fit to 159 LBI rental listings' peak-week asking rates (Vacation Rentals LBI and others), read November 2026. As of November 2026. Fit 1.02. Counts Long Beach Township’s sections from Brant Beach south to North Beach Haven.Based on 25 data points: listings in the town, 2026–27 asking rates.
Rent index, Beach Haven: 0.95; EstimateOur fit to 159 LBI rental listings' peak-week asking rates (Vacation Rentals LBI and others), read November 2026. As of November 2026. Fit 0.96.Based on 13 data points: listings in the town, 2026–27 asking rates.
Rent index, Holgate: 1.05; EstimateOur fit to 159 LBI rental listings' peak-week asking rates (Vacation Rentals LBI and others), read November 2026. As of November 2026. Fit 1.16 on six listings; set toward 1.0.Based on 6 data points: listings in the town, 2026–27 asking rates.
Location factor: Oceanfront ×1.45 · Ocean block ×1 · Interior ×0.88 · Bayside ×0.85 · Bayfront ×0.93 · Lagoon ×0.8; EstimateOur fit to 159 LBI rental listings' peak-week asking rates (Vacation Rentals LBI and others), read November 2026. As of November 2026. Listings by location: oceanfront 34 (fit 1.43, 95% range 1.20–1.71), ocean block 43, bayfront 17 (0.93), interior 13 (0.90), bayside 9 (0.86), lagoon 4 (0.78), not stated 39. Only oceanfront is clearly apart from the ocean block. Published broker guides put the bayside gap wider (0.60–0.75).Based on 159 data points: LBI listings, 2026–27 asking rates.
Amenity premiums: Pool +35% · hot tub +4% · elevator +3% · pets +3% · renovated +1% · walk to beach +5%; EstimateOur fit to 159 LBI rental listings' peak-week asking rates (Vacation Rentals LBI and others), read November 2026. As of November 2026. Pool: the fit gives ×1.41 (95% range 1.23–1.61); we use +35%. An elevator travels with pools and new builds (15 listings): fitted beside a pool the two read as one new-build premium of about 1.35–1.5, so the elevator adds 3% (was 5%) to avoid counting it twice. Walk to beach adds nothing for oceanfront or ocean-block houses; it is already priced in.Based on 159 data points: LBI listings, 39 with a pool; the other premiums are ours.
Quieter-season (shoulder) and off-season rent, share of peak: 8% · 5%; EstimateOur fit to 159 LBI rental listings' peak-week asking rates (Vacation Rentals LBI and others), read November 2026. As of November 2026. Asking rates. June and September weeks ask a median 0.82 of the house's own peak (June 0.85, September 0.78; 119 weeks). Off-season weekly asks: May 0.68, October 0.49, November 0.43. Booked revenue falls much further (AirROI, Long Beach Township: June 0.63 of July, September 0.40, October to May 0.19), which the model carries in occupancy. Broker guides quoting shoulder weeks at 0.4–0.7 of peak describe revenue, not asking rates.Based on 15 data points: LBI listings' full summer calendars; 12 with off-season weekly rates.
Booked share of offered weeks, local agency: Peak 88% · shoulder 45% · off 4%; EstimateVacation Rentals Jersey Shore in the Philadelphia Inquirer (83% of the eight summer weeks booked by April 1, 2026); Prodigy Real Estate (well-placed houses book 11–13 of 14 peak weeks). As of May 2026. Peak 0.88, was 0.92: 83% booked by April 1 is a pace, not the season's final count, and less well-placed houses book 7–9 of 14. No season-final agency figure was found. Shoulder and off-season kept: no agency data.Based on 3 data points: agency booking reports for the peak; the quieter weeks are ours.
Booked share of offered weeks, airbnb or vrbo: Peak 7% · shoulder 45% · off 2%; EstimateAirROI, monthly occupancy of Airbnb listings in six LBI towns, 12 months to October 2026. As of October 2026. July and August run 0.60–0.79 by town; June and September 0.36–0.56; November to April 0.19 in Long Beach Township, May and October about 0.25. Peak was 0.85, off-season 0.06. With the 0.80 shoulder rate share, a shoulder week earns 0.51 of a peak week (AirROI: June 0.63, September 0.40); an off-season week 0.14 (AirROI October–May 0.19), on the cautious side.Based on 60 data points: AirROI monthly occupancy, 6 LBI towns: 12 for July–August, 12 for June and September, 36 for October–May.
Booked share of offered weeks, self-managed: Peak 85% · shoulder 4% · off 3%; EstimateOur model. As of May 2026. No data on owner-direct bookings. Kept between the agency and platform figures.Our assumption, no data found.

The island's median July or August week: $7,000 a week; Duane Watlington, Vacation Rentals Jersey Shore, in the Philadelphia Inquirer, May 17, 2026. As of May 2026. Weeks range from $1,000 to $55,000. 2026 asking prices held or eased up to 10% after a soft 2025; 83% of the eight summer weeks were booked by April 1.Based on 1 data point: one agency's island median, quoted in the press.
Surf City, 4 bedrooms, ocean side: $2,800 to $8,500 a week; Prodigy Real Estate, LBI short-term rental yield by town, May 2, 2026. As of May 2026. Oceanfront $12,000 to $20,000 a peak week. Ship Bottom 3 bedrooms from $4,300.Based on 1 data point: one broker's published range.
Beach Haven, 4 bedrooms, 2.5 blocks from the beach: $9,200 a week; Vacation Rentals LBI listing 3746. As of 2026. Asking price for July 18 to September 4, 2026.Based on 1 data point: one listing's asking rate.
North Beach Haven, 4 bedrooms: $8,900 a week; Rental Retreat listing 8409. As of July 2024. July 20 to August 10, 2024.Based on 1 data point: one listing's asking rate.
Ship Bottom, 4 bedrooms, a few houses from the beach: $5,500 a week; Rental Retreat listing 6736. As of July 2024. 3.5 baths, July 2024.Based on 1 data point: one listing's asking rate.
Surf City, 3 bedrooms: $4,200 a week; Vacation Rentals LBI listing 3447. As of 2026. Summer 2026.Based on 1 data point: one listing's asking rate.
Surf City, 2 bedrooms: $3,600 a week; Nest Seekers listing 5219896. As of 2026. 2026; holiday weeks $4,600.Based on 1 data point: one listing's asking rate.
A summer week's typical price, as a share of a peak week: 76% to 1% · Fourth of July week 1% · Labor Day week 78%; EstimateOur reading of 15 LBI listings' week-by-week asking rates (Vacation Rentals LBI), 2024–27. As of November 2026. Listings per week: 13 for the first June week, 14 for the next two and for weeks 9 and 12, 15 for the rest. The median listing charges full peak from the last June week through the week before Labor Day.Based on 15 data points: LBI listings with near-full summer calendars, 2024–27 asking rates.

Flood insurance by location: Oceanfront $3,500 · Ocean block $1,800 · Interior $1,600 · Bayside $2,200 · Bayfront $2,800 · Lagoon $2,800; EstimateOur model; checked against NFIP average premiums by town (Ocean County and state hazard plans, ValuePenguin, Policygenius) and broker ranges (Prodigy Real Estate, 2026). As of November 2026. For a house at the flood line. Elevation moves it (below). Cross-check: the average NFIP policy in the six island towns runs $866–1,184 a year (10,317 policies), New Jersey single-family homes $1,506 on average (median $1,230). Those averages mix raised houses and low ones and are older than Risk Rating 2.0; V-zone oceanfront averages about $4,700. Use your quote.Based on 9 data points: NFIP town averages, a cross-check only; the split by location is ours.
Flood, by the lowest floor against the flood level: Above ×0.6 · at ×1 · below ×2.6; EstimateOur model, informed by FEMA Risk Rating 2.0, which prices the first-floor height against the flood line. As of November 2026. An elevation certificate settles it. Houses below the flood line can pay several times the island norm.Our assumption, no data found.
Flood, when the elevation is not known: Built before 1983: below · 2013 on: above · between: at; EstimateOur model. As of November 2026. When the elevation is not known: houses built before the first flood maps (late 1970s to early 1980s on the island) are assumed below the line; houses built after Sandy (2013 on) above it.Our assumption, no data found.
Federal flood program building limit: $250,000; FEMA, National Flood Insurance Program coverage limits. As of November 2026. Building coverage for a one-to-four family house tops out at $250,000; contents at $100,000. Anything above needs excess flood cover.Official table.
Extra flood insurance, per $1,000 above the federal limit: $2.50; EstimateOur model; private insurers set excess flood rates by elevation, foundation and distance to water (ValuePenguin). As of November 2026. Per $1,000 of rebuild value above the federal limit. No insurer publishes a rate; the one national average found is $1,191 a policy (NAIC, 2021). Get a quote.Our assumption, no data found: no published rate found.
Default living area: 600 sq ft + 450 a bedroom; EstimateOur model. As of November 2026. Default living area: 600 sq ft plus 450 a bedroom (a four-bedroom is 2,400).Our assumption, no data found.
Rebuild cost of the building: $425 a sq ft; EstimateOur model, informed by HomeAdvisor's 2025 beach-house build costs ($150–$700 a sq ft for coastal homes). As of 2025. Elevated, code-built island houses on pilings sit in the upper half of the range. Use your insurer's replacement cost if you have it.Based on 2 data points: published cost ranges (HomeAdvisor; Prodigy Real Estate $350–400 for new island houses).
Age of the house: insurance · maintenance: 0–10 yrs ×0.9 · ×0.8; 11–30 yrs ×1 · ×1; 31–50 yrs ×1.15 · ×1.2; 51+ yrs ×1.3 · ×1.35; EstimateOur model. As of November 2026. Newer houses are built to current wind and flood codes and need fewer repairs.Our assumption, no data found.
Homeowners and wind: 0.55% of rebuild value, at least $2,500; EstimateOur reading of published premiums: ValuePenguin by LBI town, NerdWallet for coastal New Jersey, the NAIC homeowners report. As of September 2026. Homeowners and wind, as a share of the building's rebuild value (not the price). Was 0.45%. Barnegat Light and Beach Haven quotes run 0.68% of a $350,000 dwelling, coastal Atlantic City 0.62%, New Jersey homes insured for $1 million or more about 0.33%: 0.45–0.68%. Those are owner-occupied policies; a seasonal rental pays more. Use your premium.Based on 7 data points: published premiums, read as a share of the dwelling cover.
Cleaning per changeover: $150 + $40 a bedroom; EstimateAirROI, cleaning fees on Airbnb listings in six LBI towns (12 months to October 2026); fees stated on island rental listings. As of October 2026. Cleaning per changeover: $150 plus $40 a bedroom, so a four-bedroom is $310 (was $200 plus $45). Town medians run $172–240 a stay, averages $214–330; listing-stated fees $120–400, median $188. A family week gets the same departure clean, without the linen service.Based on 12 data points: 6 town averages over 448 Airbnb listings and 6 listing-stated fees.
Linens per rented week: $25 a bedroom; EstimateOur model. As of November 2026. A linen service where the house supplies sheets and towels: platform and owner-direct rentals.Our assumption, no data found.
Linens per rented week, local agency: $0 a bedroom; EstimateVacation Rentals LBI listing 3804 ('does not include linens'); Berger Realty lease terms (tenant furnishes linens). As of 2026. Weekly agency tenants on the island bring their own sheets and towels, so the owner pays no linen service.Based on 2 data points: a by-owner listing and a shore agency lease: weekly tenants bring their own.
Guest supplies per rented week: $50 + $10 a bedroom; EstimateOur model. As of November 2026. Per rented week: paper goods, soaps, coffee, trash bags, starter supplies.Our assumption, no data found.
Utilities, a year: $2,200 + $200 a bedroom; pool +$3,000; hot tub +$1,200; EstimateOur model; rates from Atlantic City Electric, New Jersey Natural Gas and the island towns' water and sewer ordinances. As of November 2026. Electric, gas, water and sewer, trash: what the house uses empty, year-round. Rates behind it: Atlantic City Electric about $0.31 a kWh all in (June 2026); NJ Natural Gas about $1.72 a therm, plus $12 a month; water and sewer minimums a year: Long Beach Township $1,200, Ship Bottom $1,050, Surf City $770, Harvey Cedars $760 (Beach Haven and Barnegat Light not found). How much an empty house uses is our assumption.Based on 6 data points: published rates: 4 towns' water and sewer minimums, the electric and the gas tariff; the usage is ours.
Utilities, each occupied week: $80 + $20 a bedroom; EstimateOur model. As of November 2026. Air conditioning, hot water and laundry for a week with people in the house, renters or family.Our assumption, no data found.
Internet and television: $1,600; EstimateOur model. As of November 2026.Our assumption, no data found.
House tech, local agency: $300; EstimateOur model. As of November 2026. Smart thermostat and Wi-Fi. The agency handles keys.Our assumption, no data found.
House tech, airbnb or vrbo: $900; EstimateOur model. As of November 2026. Smart lock, noise monitor, thermostat and a pricing tool.Our assumption, no data found.
House tech, self-managed: $900; EstimateOur model. As of November 2026. Smart lock, noise monitor, thermostat and a pricing tool.Our assumption, no data found.
Landscaping and pest control: $1,500; EstimateOur model. As of November 2026. Landscaping and pest control.Our assumption, no data found.
Maintenance reserve: 0.5% of rebuild value, at least $3,000; $60 each occupied week; EstimateOur model. As of November 2026. Routine repairs as a share of the building's rebuild value, adjusted for age.Our assumption, no data found.
Capital reserve: cost and salt-air life: Roof $9/sq ft, 18 yrs · Heating and cooling $6/sq ft, 10 yrs · Decks $5/sq ft, 15 yrs · Water heater $2,500, 8 yrs · Appliances $9,000 + $500/bedroom, 10 yrs · Furnishings refresh $4,000 + $3,500/bedroom, 7 yrs · Pool equipment $18,000, 10 yrs · Elevator $15,000, 12 yrs; EstimateOur model; salt-air lives informed by Lessen, How salt air is damaging your HVAC units. As of November 2026. Inland norms: roof 20–25 years, HVAC 15, decks 20, water heater 10–12. Furnishings in a weekly rental are refreshed, not replaced whole: about half the cost to furnish.Based on 1 data point: one article on salt-air wear; the costs and lives are ours.
Shortest catch-up for a worn component: 3 years; EstimateOur model. As of November 2026. A component at or past its life is saved for over three years, not charged in one.Our assumption, no data found.
Rental registration and inspection, Barnegat Light: $150; EstimateOur model; Ocean County Fire Marshal. As of November 2026. Confirm registration with the borough. The county certificate is $45.Based on 1 data point: the county's $45 certificate only; no borough fee found.
Rental registration and inspection, Harvey Cedars: $150; EstimateOur model; Ocean County Fire Marshal. As of November 2026. Confirm registration with the borough. The county certificate is $45.Based on 1 data point: the county's $45 certificate only; no borough fee found.
Rental registration and inspection, Surf City: $50; Borough of Surf City, 2026 rental and fire inspection applications. As of February 2026. $45 fire inspection for a single-family rental plus a $5 rental liability insurance registration.Official table.
Rental registration and inspection, Ship Bottom: $150; EstimateOur model; Ocean County Fire Marshal. As of November 2026. Confirm registration with the borough. The county certificate is $45. A registration of $900 or more was proposed and rejected in December 2025.Based on 1 data point: the county's $45 certificate only; no borough fee found.
Rental registration and inspection, Long Beach Township: $145; Long Beach Township, Business and Rental Property Owner Registration; Ocean County Fire Marshal. As of 2026. $100 insurance registration filing fee, due April 1, plus $45 for the county certificate. Ocean County Fire Marshal, smoke and CO certificate: $45 when applied for 10+ business days ahead, valid 12 months for seasonal rentals.Official table.
Rental registration and inspection, Beach Haven: $80; EstimateBorough of Beach Haven seasonal rental application, via Prodigy Real Estate (2026); Ocean County Fire Marshal. As of May 2026. $35 for a seasonal application by May 31 ($70 after), plus $45 for the county certificate. The registration ordinance adopted March 17, 2026 did not publish a new fee; was $145. Ocean County Fire Marshal, smoke and CO certificate: $45 when applied for 10+ business days ahead, valid 12 months for seasonal rentals.Based on 2 data points: the borough's seasonal application fee and the county certificate.
Umbrella liability: $450; EstimatePublished umbrella price ranges: Mercury, Coverage Cat, Steadily, Ramsey Solutions, Baselane. As of October 2026. A $1–2 million personal umbrella with a rental property declared; was $500. Ranges run $150–675 a year for $1 million, $475–1,000 for $2 million; landlords pay more than owner-occupiers.Based on 5 data points: published price ranges for a $1–2 million umbrella.
Accounting: $1,000; EstimateOur model. As of November 2026. A CPA's fee for the rental schedule and the New Jersey return on top of an existing return.Our assumption, no data found.
Furnishing, buyers: $8,000 + $7,000 a bedroom; EstimateOur model. As of November 2026. One-time. Buyers only.Our assumption, no data found.
Closing costs, buyers with a mortgage: 1.5%; EstimateProdigy Real Estate, LBI closing costs for buyers and sellers (a $2.5M purchase worked through); NJ average closing costs (LodeStar via Rocket Mortgage). As of May 2026. A financed buyer's closing costs as a share of price: title, survey, inspection, attorney and the lender's fees. 1.1–2.0% on a $2.5M island purchase; was 2%. The seller pays New Jersey's transfer taxes.Based on 3 data points: a worked $2.5M island closing (cash and financed) and the New Jersey average.
Closing costs, buyers paying cash: 0.7%; EstimateProdigy Real Estate, LBI closing costs for buyers and sellers (a $2.5M purchase worked through); NJ average closing costs (LodeStar via Rocket Mortgage). As of May 2026. A cash buyer's closing costs: 0.5–0.8% on a $2.5M island purchase; the New Jersey average is 0.9%. 53% of island closings in early 2026 were all cash.Based on 3 data points: a worked $2.5M island closing (cash and financed) and the New Jersey average.

30-year fixed mortgage rate: 7.11%; Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, 30-year fixed. As of November 12, 2026.Official table.
Premium for a rental property: +0.38%; EstimateFFIEC HMDA 2025 originations, median 30-year rates by occupancy (via Crowdfunded Wealth); lender quotes (Bankrate, The Mortgage Reports, LendingTree). As of November 2026. Second-home loans: 0.375 points over primary homes in the 2025 median (and in 2024); investment loans 0.50. Was 0.50. Jumbo loans, which most island purchases need above $832,750, carry no second-home adjustment: at $1 million and more the premium was 0 to −0.125 points.Based on 9 data points: published medians and quotes, 2025–26.
Default down payment: 25%; EstimateFFIEC HMDA 2025 second-home purchases (via Crowdfunded Wealth). As of 2025.Based on 1 data point: one published median: 75% combined loan-to-value on second homes.
Home value growth: 4% a year; EstimateFHFA house price index for Ocean and Cape May counties (FRED), Case-Shiller New York, Census values by island town, island MLS series. As of 2025. Long series run 2.3–7.3% a year: Ocean County 2.9% over 20 years and 5.5% over 50, Cape May 3.3% over 20, island towns 5.1–7.1% from 2000 to 2020, island oceanfront 4.4% from the 2006 peak. Was 3%. The plan's low and high cases are 1% and 6%. Recent five-year gains (11–15% a year) are left out as a one-off.Based on 17 data points: price series of 19 years or more.
Rent growth: 2.5% a year; EstimateIsland rent reports (News12, the Philadelphia Inquirer, NJBIZ), AirROI revenue changes, BLS lodging prices (FRED); 2027 asking rates on island listings. As of November 2026. A long-run rate. 2024 and 2026 asks held level with the year before or eased up to 10%; US lodging prices rose 1.3–1.8% a year over 7 to 26 years. For 2026 to 2027, three listings with the same peak weeks priced both years rose 0%, 5.9% and 10.5%, and four Loveladies listings about 3.5%: +3–6%, low confidence on so few. The plan's low and high cases are 1% and 4%.Based on 12 data points: published rate and revenue changes, 2018–2026.
Cost growth: 3% a year; EstimateBLS consumer prices, New York–Newark–Jersey City (FRED). As of 2026. Every cost except fees. The island's municipal budgets rose 3.9–5.0% in 2025–26 (four towns) and New Jersey's average tax bill 5%, so property tax may grow nearer 4%; the calculator has no separate rate for it. Insurance growth is set apart in the plan.Based on 1 data point: one price index: 3.1% a year over ten years.
Selling costs in year ten: 6.25%; EstimateNew Jersey commission surveys (Clever Real Estate, Offerpad); NJ Division of Taxation, realty transfer fee; Prodigy Real Estate, LBI seller costs. As of August 2026. Commission about 5.1% in New Jersey, the realty transfer fee about 1.1% above $1 million, and the seller's attorney; was 6%. The mansion tax is not in it: it is charged apart (below), so nothing is counted twice. A non-resident's 2% withholding is a prepayment of tax, not a cost.Based on 6 data points: published figures: 3 commission surveys, the transfer fee schedule, 2 worked island sales.
Seller’s transfer tax in year ten, by price: over $1,000,000: 1% · over $2,000,000: 2% · over $2,500,000: 2.5% · over $3,000,000: 3% · over $3,500,000: 3.5%; Troutman Pepper, New Jersey increases mansion tax rates and shifts payment to sellers (A5804, effective July 1, 2025); Atlantic County Clerk RTF-EE fee sheet. As of July 1, 2025. Paid by the seller on sales over $1 million, at the rate for the price band, on the whole price. The ordinary realty transfer fee sits in the 6.25% selling costs.Official table.
Typical value by location: Oceanfront ×1.9 · Interior ×0.85 · Bayside ×0.8 · Bayfront ×1.05 · Lagoon ×0.95; ±12% a bedroom; EstimateOur model. As of November 2026. Location multiplier, plus 12% per bedroom above or below four. Oceanfront houses sold for 2.27× the island average in 2025 (31 sales), bayfront 1.06× (17); both include larger houses, so we keep oceanfront at 1.9 and set bayfront at 1.05. Interior, lagoon and bayside are ours.Based on 2 data points: published 2025 ratios of oceanfront and bayfront sales to the island average.

Long Beach Island was known for generations as Eighteen Mile Beach, for its length.

Begin the interview

How the numbers are made.

The season

Rent

Costs

The answer

How sure are these numbers?

Every figure