Most New Jerseyans think beaches should be free, according to a poll released June 26 by The William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy at Stockton University.
The poll of New Jersey residents took place from June 18-25, 2025. A total of 606 New Jersey voters were interviewed. The poll has a margin of error of +/- 3.9 percentage points.
A majority (65%) of those polled think beaches are a public resource and that they should be free to New Jersey residents, while 30% believe beachgoers should pay for access to generate revenue for essential services.
Half of residents think the cost of beach tags to access their nearest beach in New Jersey is too high. About one in five residents (21%) said the price is reasonable. Only 3% said beach tag prices are too low.
The opinion of residents in the Jersey Shore region, defined as those in Atlantic, Cape May, Monmouth and Ocean counties, differed from those in other parts of the state. A higher rate of residents in Shore counties (40%) said beachgoers should pay to access the beach compared with those in non-Shore counties (27%).
“Residents in Shore counties likely see beach tags as a way to manage crowds and reduce their local tax burden by bringing in other revenue to pay for upkeep, so it makes sense that they’re more amenable to charging than inland New Jerseyans,” said Alyssa Maurice, head of research at the Hughes Center. “It’s notable though that a majority in the Shore region still thinks that beaches should be free.”
In other findings, half of New Jersey residents plan to travel out of state this summer and slightly more (53%) plan to visit destinations along the Jersey Shore this season. More than one-third said that they will not be traveling out of state (38%) or visiting the Jersey Shore (37%), while about 10% were not sure of their plans for the summer.
A slim majority of residents (53%) said the economy or costs impacted their decisions about traveling this season, while 43% said that did not play a role in their decision making.
