Howell Township, New Jersey
Howell Township is a township in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The township is the largest municipality in the county by total area, comprising about. It is located in the New York Metro Area and has been a steadily growing bedroom community of New York City. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 53,537, its highest decennial count ever and an increase of 2,462 from the 2010 census count of 51,075, which in turn reflected an increase of 2,172 from the 48,903 counted in the 2000 census.
History
Howell Township was incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 23, 1801, from portions of Shrewsbury Township. Portions of the township were taken to form Brick Township in the newly created Ocean County, Wall Township and Farmingdale. The township was named for Richard Howell, who served from 1794 to 1801 as the third Governor of New Jersey.Founded in 1822 by engineer and philanthropist James P. Allaire, the Howell Works provided iron for Allaire Iron Works, which was a leading supplier of iron in the 19th century. Allaire Village was a bustling mill town at the height of the mining operations and it has been preserved as Allaire State Park, which is in Howell Township and Wall Township.
Some scenes for the War of the Worlds 2005 remake were filmed here, and a neighborhood called Ardena Acres was recreated as a set and left standing in Universal Studios Hollywood.
In June 2017, two separate tornadoes, both rated EF0 on the Enhanced Fujita scale, struck minutes and miles apart. The first one struck the Fort Plains area, damaging a Home Depot, Chase Bank, a strip mall, and a local ice cream parlor. The second one struck a park in the Oak Glen area.
Roughly six years later in April 2023, a tornado rated EF-2 struck Howell and neighboring Jackson Township near the Aldrich Road area. The National Weather Service confirmed that the tornado was 50 yards wide and 1.4 miles in length. It was one of the strongest tornadoes to have hit the state, as it was part of four separate powerful tornadoes that had also impacted the state that same day.
Alleged profiling of residents for purchasing beer
In September 2025, the former deputy township manager of Howell Township filed a suit, alleging that the township ""weaponize housing regulations to punish individuals based on their ethnicity, immigration status, and/or perceived national origin." He alleged that Mayor John Leggio and Councilman Ian Nadel suggested searching through residents' garbage in an effort to find bottles of Modelo, a Mexican beer brand, to target Hispanic residents.Alleged antisemitic profiling
The former deputy township manager also alleged that Councilman Nadel sought to have code enforcement employees stake out a home because it was "owned by Jews" and was used to celebrate the Sabbath.Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 61.21 square miles, including 60.27 square miles of land and 0.94 square miles of water.Howell was formed from territory taken from Shrewsbury Township under an act of the New Jersey General Assembly passed February 23, 1801. The township, as formed, included in addition to its present area all of what is now Wall Township, Lakewood Township, Brick Township, and all the boroughs along the Atlantic Ocean from Barnegat Inlet of the Shark River Inlet at Belmar.
Ramtown is an unincorporated community and census-designated place located within Howell Township.
Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Adelphia, Ardena, Ardmore Estates, Bergerville, Candlewood, Collingwood Park, Fairfield, Fort Plains, Freewood Acres, Jerseyville, Lake Club, Land of Pines, Larrabees, Lippencotts Corner, Lower Squankum, Matthews, Maxim, Oak Glen, Parkway Pines, Salem Hill, Shacks Corner, Southard, Squankum, West Farms, Winston Park, Wyckoff Mills and Yellow Brook.
The township completely surrounds Farmingdale, making it part of 21 pairs of "doughnut towns" in the state, where one municipality entirely surrounds another. The township borders Colts Neck, Freehold Township and Wall Township in Monmouth County; and Brick, Jackson and Lakewood in Ocean County.
Ecology
According to the A. W. Kuchler U.S. potential natural vegetation types, Howell Township would predominantly feature an Appalachian Oak vegetation type, with an Eastern Hardwood Forest.Howell is located within the Outer Coastal Plain ecoregion of New Jersey, characterized by sandy soils and a mix of pine-oak forests and wetlands. Its natural ecosystems include upland oak-hickory woodlands, pine barrens transition zones, and freshwater marshes. These habitats support white-tailed deer, red foxes, wild turkeys, box turtles, and amphibians like spring peepers and wood frogs.
The Manasquan Reservoir, a 1,204-acre site operated by the Monmouth County Park System, is one of Howell’s most ecologically significant areas. It provides habitat for nesting bald eagles, ospreys, great blue herons, and migratory waterfowl. The park also features native wetland plant species, reforested buffer zones, and interpretive trails for conservation education.
Bear Swamp Natural Area, located along Maxim-Southard Road, is a forested wetland that supports a mix of red maple, tupelo, and sweetgum trees, and functions as a critical recharge area for the township’s aquifer. Local conservation groups have identified it as a biodiversity hotspot and a priority for habitat protection.
The Howell Environmental Commission works with local and regional partners to preserve open space, implement native planting projects, and maintain an index of environmentally sensitive lands. In 2022, the township adopted a resolution endorsing New Jersey's Wildlife Action Plan to guide long-term stewardship of native habitats and species.
The Bog Creek Farm Superfund site is an EPA-designated Superfund site located on County Road 547 in the township.
Major bodies of water
The township is uniquely located in the center of the state New Jersey, located on a ridge within Central Jersey. As such, northern sections of the township fall within the hillier terrain and fertile soil found in the Inner coastal plain, while southern sections of the township fall within the more flat terrain and sandier soil found in the Outer coastal plain. The township is located within the sphere of influence of the Jersey Shore, while also being located relatively near the Raritan Bayshore, the Raritan Valley, and the Pine Barrens. Notable bodies of water inside the township include:Lakes
- Manasquan Reservoir
- Aldrich Lake
- Echo Lake
- Lake Louise
Rivers
- Manasquan River
- Metedeconk River
- *North Branch Metedeconk River
- *South Branch Metedeconk River
- Swimming River
- *Mine Brook
Demographics
Italian: 23.8%,
Irish: 18.7%,
German: 12.7%,
Other groups: 11.3%,
Polish: 7.7%,
English: 4.9% and
Russian: 3.0%.
The township is also home to a small, but notable, Kalmyk American community located in the Freewood Acres neighborhood.
2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 51,075 people, 17,260 households, and 13,618 families in the township. The population density was. There were 17,979 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup was 88.30% White, 3.65% Black or African American, 0.15% Native American, 4.52% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 1.61% from other races, and 1.72% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.13% of the population.Of the 17,260 households, 39.9% had children under the age of 18; 65.4% were married couples living together; 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present and 21.1% were non-families. Of all households, 17.3% were made up of individuals and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.95 and the average family size was 3.37.
26.3% of the population were under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 31.2% from 45 to 64, and 10.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.6 years. For every 100 females, the population had 96.3 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 93.5 males.
The Census Bureau showed that in 2010 median household income was $89,287 and the median family income was $102,015. Males had a median income of $71,499 versus $54,308 for females. The per capita income for the township was $35,489. About 4.5% of families and 5.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.5% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over.
2000 census
As of the 2000 United States census there were 48,903 people, 16,063 households, and 13,011 families residing in the township. The population density was. There were 16,572 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the township was 89.99% White, 3.56% African American, 0.12% Native American, 3.58% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.29% from other races, and 1.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.34% of the population.The most common first ancestry group cited by Howell residents in the 2000 Census was German, English, Irish, United States or American, Polish, French and Italian.
There were 16,063 households, out of which 47.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.4% were married couples living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.0% were non-families. 15.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.04 and the average family size was 3.42.
In the township the population was spread out, with 30.9% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 32.8% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 8.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.7 males.
The median income for a household in the township in 2000 was $68,069, and the median income for a family was $74,623. Males had a median income of $55,349 versus $34,722 for females. The per capita income for the township was $26,143. About 3.1% of families and 4.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.2% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over.