Barnegat, NJ: Local News, Events & Neighbors

Barnegat Township (pronounced "BAR-nuh-git") is a township in Ocean County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 24,296, the highest ever count at a decennial census and an increase of 3,360 (+16.0%) from the 2010 census count of 20,936, which in turn reflected an increase of 5,666 (+37.1%) from the 15,270 counted in the 2000 census. What is now Barnegat Township was originally incorporated as Union Township on March 10, 1846, from portions of both Dover Township (now Toms River Township) and Stafford Township, while the area was still part of Monmouth County. It became part of the newly formed Ocean County on February 15, 1850.…

Official town website ↗

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

How Barnegat ranks

All →

#18Fastest growing in NJ #46Most new homes in NJ #49Safest in NJ All NJ rankings →

Town numbers

ZIP code08005

Area code609

Living in Barnegat

Housing in Barnegat

$508K▲ 4.6% in a year Typical home value · Zillow

The typical Barnegat home is worth about $508,000, up 4.6% in a year, 13% below the New Jersey typical home.

A seller's market

Buyer’sBalancedSeller’s

Days on market19

Sale-to-list100.5%

Sold in May6

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Safety in Barnegat

A

Safety Grade A

Barnegat reports less crime per resident than 90% of the U.S. towns and cities we grade.

Violent crime per 1,000

Barnegat 1.3

New Jersey 2

U.S. 3.3

Property crime per 1,000

Barnegat 2.9

New Jersey 12.7

U.S. 15.5

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeCrime & safety →

Schools in Barnegat

All Barnegat schools →

C⁺

School Grade C+

The public schools Barnegat’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 57% of New Jersey’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they sit near the middle.

See how Barnegat’s schools compare in NJ →

DistrictBarnegat Township School DistrictSchools6

Cecil S. Collins ElementaryElementary · Grades K–2 · 744 students Joseph T. Donahue Elementary School B-Elementary · Grades 3–4 · 524 students Russell O. Brackman Middle School B-Middle · Grades 7–8 · 509 students Robert L. Horbelt Elementary School B-Middle · Grades 5–6 · 499 students Barnegat High School B-High · Grades 9–12 · 1,003 students Lillian M. Dunfee ElementaryPrekindergarten · Grades PK · 325 students

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within NJ. Ratings are from neighbors.