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Compare towns

Upper Township vs Belleplain

Next-door neighbors. The biggest differences: size (25.3× in Upper Township) and street grid (2.8× in Upper Township).

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Upper Township, NJA colonial town, settled 1723Cape May County · 12,525 people
B ×
Belleplain, NJAn outdoors townNew Jersey · 495 people
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Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

Upper TownshipA colonial town, settled 1723
HistorySettled in 17236 places on the National Register Outdoors#12 most conserved land in NJ20 miles of trails across 8 parks and preserves Schools#115 for schools in NJof 458 towns All about Upper Township →
BelleplainAn outdoors town
Outdoors73.8% conserved land19 miles of trails across 1 parks and preserves All about Belleplain →
The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Size25.3×
Upper Township is the bigger place
Upper Township 12,525Belleplain 495
Street grid2.8×
Upper Township has the more walkable street grid
Upper Township 9.6Belleplain 3.4
Bachelor’s degree++28 pts
More adults in Upper Township have a degree
Upper Township 45.5%Belleplain 17.5%
Home values+35%
Homes cost more in Upper Township
Upper Township $411,500Belleplain $304,200
Conserved land+22.9 pts
Belleplain has more conserved land
Belleplain 73.8%Upper Township 50.9%
Seasonal homes+17.1 pts
Upper Township has more second homes
Upper Township 18.5%Belleplain 1.4%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $680 more a month in Upper Township

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Upper Township$2,670/mo
Typical home $412K (Census) · tax rate 1.51% · or rent about $1,843/mo · Housing →
Belleplain$1,990/mo
Typical home $304K (Census) · tax rate 1.56% · Housing →

The difference: $680 a month, about $8,200 a year, between Upper Township and Belleplain.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Where they are

Upper Township and Belleplain share a border

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

Upper TownshipBelleplainUpper TownshipBelleplain
Upper Township ↔ Belleplain7.9 miles apart · They share a border
Who commutes between them
11 Belleplain residents work in Upper Township (4.7% of its workers)
Work & commute in Belleplain →
Report cards

Grades and rankings, side by side

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every New Jersey ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Schools
A−Upper TownshipBetter than 75% of districts in the state –BelleplainNot graded
Health
B+Upper TownshipHealthier than 75% of U.S. towns –BelleplainNot graded
Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons
Upper TownshipBelleplain
Snow a year22″22″
January low23°F23°F
July high87°F87°F
Growing season (days)180d180d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)60th67th
Outdoors & history
Upper TownshipBelleplain
Trails20 mi19 mi
Conserved land50.9%73.8%
Settled1723—
National Register places6—
Archive photos15—
Community
Upper TownshipBelleplain
Library hours a week48 hrs—
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Upper TownshipBelleplain
People
Population 12,525Highest 495Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +1.3%Lowest NJ: +5.7% +2.8%Highest NJ: +5.7%
Median age 44.6±2.2Lowest 11% above NJ 45.7±17.5Highest 14% above NJ
Belleplain and Upper Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 21.5%±2.7Lowest NJ: 21.8% 24.8%±12.8Highest NJ: 21.8%
Belleplain and Upper Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 25.7%±3.5Lowest NJ: 17.2% 27.1%±14.6Highest NJ: 17.2%
Belleplain and Upper Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 45.5%Highest NJ: 43.6% 17.5%Lowest NJ: 43.6%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.5%±1.3Highest NJ: 6.4% 0%±4Lowest NJ: 6.4%
Upper Township and Belleplain are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $111,991±$8kHighest 8% above NJ $94,722±$28kLowest 9% below NJ
Upper Township and Belleplain are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $411,500±$19kHighest 9% below NJ $304,200±$75kLowest 33% below NJ
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,843±$388 7% above NJ —
Property taxmedian, yearly $6,195Highest 35% below NJ $4,734Lowest 51% below NJ
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 53.8%±23.7Highest NJ: 51.6% 0%±100Lowest NJ: 51.6%
Upper Township and Belleplain are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 2.7%Lowest NJ: 9.7% 15.6%Highest NJ: 9.7%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 95.1%Lowest NJ: 63.8% 98.5%Highest NJ: 63.8%
Typical home builtmedian year 1982Highest 12 yrs newer than NJ 1971Lowest 1 yr newer than NJ
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 24 minLowest 21% below NJ 27 minHighest 10% below NJ
Work from home 9%±3.2Highest NJ: 16.8% 8.7%±14.2Lowest NJ: 16.8%
Upper Township and Belleplain are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 12.4%Highest 4.2%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 13.8 miLowest 14.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.54Lowest 0.57Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Ocean City (10%)Dennis Township (16%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Belleplain5% work in Upper Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 50.9%Lowest 73.8%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 20.1 miHighest 18.8 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.3 miLowest 2.6 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 8Highest 1Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 9.6Highest 3.4Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #115 of 458 in NJ—
School district Upper Township School District—
High school in town None in town—
New Jersey average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024
Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Upper Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Upper Township’s Town Square.

Belleplain neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Belleplain’s Town Square.

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Bordering Upper Township

+ Compare
Estell Manor1,565 people · $308K homes
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Corbin City662 people · $224K homes
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Dennis Township6,205 people · $360K homes
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Ocean City11,261 people · $841K homes

Towns like Upper Township

M
+ Compare
Mantua Township15,404 people · $335K homes
+ Compare
Ringwood11,657 people · $450K homes
+ Compare
North Haledon8,778 people · $548K homes
+ Compare
East Greenwich Township12,187 people · $407K homes

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

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