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Ship Bottom, fading into a map of Ship Bottom

Living InShip Bottom

Ship Bottom is the Ocean County borough where Route 72 reaches Long Beach Island, with 1.36 miles of ocean beach.

County
Ocean
Population
1,098 (2020 Census)
Land area
0.71 sq mi
Water area
0.28 sq mi

Photo: Boston Public Library, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 · Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors

Ship Bottom is a borough on Long Beach Island in Ocean County, known as the Gateway to Long Beach Island because Route 72, the island's only road link, lands here after crossing Manahawkin Bay. The town takes its name from an 1817 shipwreck, when rescuers cut through the bottom of an overturned hull to free a woman trapped inside, and the anchor of a later wreck stands in front of Borough Hall.

Ship Bottom has 1.36 miles of ocean frontage, with ocean beaches from 3rd to 31st Streets, plus bay-side parks with a boat ramp, a fishing and crabbing pier and a bay beach. A town of about 1,100 year-round residents, it can reach about 20,000 people in summer, and about 92 percent of homes occupied year-round are owner-occupied, by Census count. The whole borough is in FEMA's special flood hazard area, so elevation matters when buying.

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Selling Ship Bottom

Whether you're buying, selling, or just curious about the market, these videos are packed with tips, success stories, and market trends.

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The Ron Jon Surf Shop building in Ship Bottom on a clear winter day

MARKET SNAPSHOT

Ship Bottom At A Glance

Route 72 runs from Garden State Parkway Exit 63 in Stafford Township across Manahawkin Bay into Ship Bottom, and Long Beach Boulevard runs north and south along the island. There is no train on the island; Ocean Ride's OC9 and the free LBI Shuttle serve Long Beach Boulevard. Philadelphia City Hall is about 56 miles away and Manhattan's Penn Station about 77 miles, both in a straight line. Want to know what homes in Ship Bottom are selling for right now? Ask Dennis Mark for a current market snapshot.

Market Snapshot

Ship Bottom Real Estate September 2026

  • Median sale price, September

    No sales

    No closed residential sales in September

  • Homes sold, September

    0

    1 in September 2025

  • Median sale price, 2026 so far

    $1,259,500

    8 homes have sold this year, with the median down 6.7% from last year

  • Homes for sale in September

    5

    5 in September 2025

  • Median days on market

    No sales

  • Months of supply

    5.0 months

    How long the homes for sale would last at the current pace of sales

Email me Ship Bottom’s snapshot every month

Source: MOMLS (Monmouth Ocean Multiple Listing Service), Market Summary, Residential, September 2026, pulled October 5, 2026. Residential sales reported to the MLS; deemed reliable but not guaranteed. These are MLS figures, not Dennis Mark’s own. For what your home could sell for today, ask for a home value.

Photo: Borough of Ship Bottom, shipbottom.org

Browse Listings

Find homes for sale in Ship Bottom here.

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Local Spotlight

The independent restaurants, cafés and shops that make Ship Bottom feel like home.

Local Favorites

Local, independent businesses only, each confirmed open September 2026. Business list from OpenStreetMap contributors. Logos belong to their businesses and are shown to identify them. Own a local business in Ship Bottom? Ask to be featured.

Ship Bottom Q&A

Straight answers to common questions about Ship Bottom, each with its source. Checked September 2026.

What county is Ship Bottom, NJ in?

Ship Bottom is in Ocean County, New Jersey, on Long Beach Island. Source: Wikipedia, Ship Bottom.

What is the ZIP code for Ship Bottom, NJ?

08008. The borough's own address, Borough Hall at 1621 Long Beach Boulevard, uses 08008. Source: Borough of Ship Bottom.

What is the population of Ship Bottom?

1,098 people at the 2020 Census. In summer the population can climb to about 20,000. Sources: Wikipedia, Ship Bottom and Borough of Ship Bottom, History.

How big is Ship Bottom, NJ?

About 0.71 square miles of land plus about 0.28 square miles of water, with 1.36 miles of ocean frontage. Sources: U.S. Census Bureau 2020 Gazetteer and Borough of Ship Bottom, History.

Why is Ship Bottom called the Gateway to Long Beach Island?

Route 72 is the only road onto Long Beach Island, and it lands in Ship Bottom after crossing Manahawkin Bay on the Manahawkin Bay Bridge (the Dorland J. Henderson Memorial Bridge) from the Manahawkin section of Stafford Township. Source: Wikipedia, Ship Bottom.

How did Ship Bottom get its name?

From a March 1817 shipwreck. Rescuers found a ship overturned in the shoals, heard tapping inside, and chopped a hole in the bottom of the hull to free a young woman trapped there. The borough was formed in 1925 as Ship Bottom-Beach Arlington and shortened its name to Ship Bottom in 1947. Sources: Borough of Ship Bottom, History and Wikipedia, Ship Bottom.

Do you need a beach badge in Ship Bottom?

Yes, in summer. Badges are required for the ocean beaches from 3rd to 31st Streets and for the bay beach, starting Saturday, June 20 in 2026. Daily and weekly badges are digital, bought online; season badges are sold at the Beach Badge Office or on the beach; senior badges (65 and over) are sold in person at Borough Hall. Children 12 and under are free, veterans show ID to a badge checker, and active military and their spouses and children are free. Card purchases carry a service fee. Source: Borough of Ship Bottom, beach badges.

When are lifeguards on duty in Ship Bottom?

10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily from the Saturday before Father's Day through Labor Day, at 3rd, 7th, 11th, 15th, 20th, 23rd, 26th and 30th Streets and the bay beach, with weekend patrols from Memorial Day weekend and a guarded beach at 20th Street through September 30. Source: Borough of Ship Bottom, Beach Patrol.

Success Stories

Real stories from the people we've helped buy and sell their homes.

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Santa's gazebo at the Ship Bottom Tree Lighting. Photo: Borough of Ship Bottom, Facebook

Ship Bottom Insider Insights

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