Single-Level Homes in Monmouth and Ocean County: Ranch, Raised Ranch or First-Floor Primary Suite?

A true single-level home puts the kitchen, a bedroom, a full bathroom and the laundry on the floor you walk in on, with few or no steps at the door. A ranch is usually the closest fit; a raised ranch and a split-level usually aren't, and a two-story home with a first-floor primary suite can work if everything you use every day is on the main floor.

I'm Dennis Mark Interdonato with The Dennis Mark Group, and a former New Jersey home builder and residential remodeler. When homeowners in Monmouth and Ocean County tell me they want "one floor," we start by defining it, because listings use the same words for very different houses.

What counts as single-level living?

Forget the style name for a minute and check the main floor. For most people downsizing, it needs:

• A bedroom you'd use every night, not a den with a pull-out
• A full bathroom, and whether that's a walk-in shower or a tub matters
• The kitchen and the main living space
• The washer and dryer, not a flight of stairs away in the basement
• An entry from the driveway or garage with as few steps as possible

Write your own list, including what the home doesn't need. That list is what I search on.

Is a ranch the same as single-level?

Usually, but check two things. A ranch has its living space on one floor, but many have a basement, and that's often where the laundry, the furnace and the water heater live. Ranches built on a slab or a crawlspace keep the mechanicals elsewhere, in a utility closet, the garage or the attic. The other thing is the entry. Some ranches sit a few steps up from the driveway or the garage, so count the steps on every door you'd use.

Why isn't a raised ranch single-level?

Because every trip in or out includes stairs. A raised ranch, sometimes called a bi-level, opens onto a landing between two floors, with a half flight up to the main living area and a half flight down to the lower level. The main floor may have the kitchen and bedrooms, but the front door, the garage and often the laundry are on the stairs or below them.

What about split-levels and Cape Cods?

A split-level stacks several short flights of stairs between levels, so most daily routines cross at least one. A Cape Cod often has one or two bedrooms on the first floor with more space upstairs under the roof. That can work well if a first-floor bedroom and full bath are there, though you're still heating, cooling and maintaining the second floor.

Does a first-floor primary suite count?

It can. A two-story home with the primary bedroom and bath on the main floor gives you one-floor living day to day, with upstairs space for guests or storage. The trade-off is size: you're still keeping up a full second floor, which may be more house than you meant to buy. If you'd rather stay where you are and add that suite, read add a first-floor bedroom or move?

Are condos and 55+ communities single-level?

Many are, and some aren't. A ground-floor condo or a unit in a building with an elevator can be fully single-level, while many townhouses are two or three stories. The 55+ community guides on this site list many single-family models along with attached homes and condos, so check each model's floor plan rather than the community's name. Browse the communities across Ocean and Monmouth County, and read how 55+ communities work.

What does a former builder check in a single-level home?

• The roof. A one-story home has more roof over the same living space than a two-story home, so the roof's age and condition carry more weight in your budget.
• The steps. Front door, back door and garage. Two steps at the garage is a different house than six.
• Doorways, hallways and the bathroom. Width, the shower or tub, and room to turn around.
• Where the mechanicals are, and whether you can reach them without a ladder or a basement stair.
• Converted space. A garage, porch or basement turned into a bedroom changes how the house lives. New Jersey sorts construction work into three groups: work that needs a permit, minor work that needs a lighter permit, and ordinary maintenance that needs none (NJ Department of Community Affairs). For a conversion, ask the town's construction office for the permit history.

I walk every home on your short list with that eye, so the upkeep you're leaving behind doesn't follow you to the next one.

How do you search for one-floor homes in Monmouth and Ocean County?

Listings describe style in different ways, so "ranch" alone misses homes and catches others that don't fit. Tell me what the main floor has to have, and I'll filter for it and send you the right homes as they come up. You can also look through current listings to get a feel for what's out there. If you're selling a two-story home to make the move, start with a free home value so the budget is real.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a raised ranch considered single-level?

Not really. The entry is on a landing between floors, so getting in and out, and often doing laundry, involves stairs.

What's the difference between a ranch and a raised ranch?

A ranch has its living space on one floor, usually near ground level. A raised ranch splits the home into an upper and lower level with the front door between them.

Do single-level homes cost more to maintain?

Not always, but there's more roof and foundation for the same living space than in a two-story home, so check the roof's age before you make an offer.

Can a two-story home work for one-floor living?

Yes, if the primary bedroom, a full bath, the kitchen and the laundry are all on the main floor.

This is general information, not legal, tax or lending advice. Permit categories come from the NJ Department of Community Affairs page linked above, checked October 10, 2026. A licensed home inspector and your town's construction office confirm the condition and permit history of a specific home.

About the author

Dennis Mark Interdonato is a REALTOR® and Master CDRE® who leads The Dennis Mark Group at Keller Williams Realty Ocean Living in Point Pleasant, NJ, helping buyers and sellers throughout New Jersey make their next move, with Monmouth and Ocean County as home base. Read more about Dennis Mark.

Keep reading

• How Dennis Mark plans a downsizing move and the Downsizing Guide
• Townhouse vs. condo vs. single-family home in New Jersey
• How to downsize your home in New Jersey, step by step
• Have a question this didn't answer? Send it to Dennis Mark and it may become the next article.