Are you considering moving to Monmouth County and wonder what it’s like to live here? In this episode of Monmouth Redefined, I’m going to share 10 things you need to know about Howell Township, one of the towns within Monmouth County. We’ll look at everything from location to property taxes so you know exactly what to expect.
The Location
The first thing you may want to know is where Howell is located. You’ll find this township within Monmouth County—which is considered to be the central part of New Jersey. Howell has several sections within the town itself. First, there is North Howell, which borders Freehold Township and Colts Neck.
You’ll also find the Ramtown section of Howell, which is the furthest south you can go within the township. This area borders Lakewood and Brick Townships. Farmingdale is located right next to Howell Township (though not part of the township) they do tend to get grouped together. Farmingdale has its own zip code (07727) and is surrounded by Howell Township.
Education
The second thing you need to know about living in Howell is that the public schools are highly rated. Howell Township is part of the Freehold Regional High School District and this is the largest public district in the state. Six towns are part of the Freehold Regional High School District: Freehold Township, Freehold Borough, Manalapan, Marlboro, Howell, and Colts Neck.
Within the district, there are 14 specialized magnet programs. Students must apply to be accepted, although the programs can be competitive. If the students are selected, they have the opportunity to attend the specialized magnet program at one of the six schools.
Things To Do
The third thing you need to know is what there is to do in Howell and the surrounding areas. I remember many years ago driving down Route 9, which is the main road that runs throughout Howell Township and many other towns within Monmouth County. Back then, you were lucky to find one or two gas stations, and there were not many fast food options.
How things have changed! When you drive through Howell now, you have a 7-11, a Wawa, and everything from Chick-fil-A to Taco Bell. There are also several retail stores located right within the town itself. You’ll find a movie theater, a bowling alley, miniature golf, and a climb zone. Additionally, not far from the town is the Freehold Raceway Mall.
You also have iPlay America, an indoor amusement park. Six Flags Great Adventure and Hurricane Harbor are only about 20 minutes from Howell Township.
Outdoor Activities
There are many beautiful outdoor spaces and parks in Howell Township. One of the most popular is the Manasquan Reservoir, a gorgeous park on over 1,200 acres. You can spend the day here fishing, kayaking, ice skating, walking, running, or biking around the five-mile perimeter trail.
Deerwood Park is also located in Howell and has a large open space, which is great for picnics. It has two roller hockey rinks, a playground, and Little League fields. Lastly, Aldridge Lake was recently remodeled. The newly remodeled lake offers residents use year-round.
The next thing you may like to know is Howell’s location in relation to the beaches. Howell is very close to some of the best beaches within Monmouth County. In only a 15 to 20-minute car ride, you can enjoy Belmar, Ocean Grove, Bradley Beach, and Avalon. Not much further away are Siegert, Spring Lake, Manasquan, Asbury Park, and Long Branch.
Traveling And Commuting
The sixth thing you need to know about Howell is traveling or commuting to New York City. If you’re living in this township, your travel time to New York City is going to be a bit longer than in other areas of Monmouth County. When traveling back and forth or commuting to New York City by bus, it’s going to take you about an hour and 15 minutes to an hour and a half and will take you directly to Port Authority.
You do have other options for travel and commuting. You can drive, take the train, or take the ferry. Most residents, however, opt to take the bus when traveling to the city and back.
Water And Sewer
If your home has public water, you can expect your water and sewer bills to be higher in-house than in other parts of Monmouth County. I don’t know why this, but for some unknown reason, water in Howell is higher than in other parts of Monmouth County.
Housing Costs
You may be wondering how much it’s going to cost you to live in Howell Township. Home prices can vary greatly throughout Howell Township, depending upon the section that you live in. North Howell is likely going to be the most expensive; this is because it borders Colts Neck and the lot sizes tend to be very spacious.
If you are looking for a single-family home in Howell, the lowest sold home in the past few months in Howell was for $310,000. The highest sold home recently in Howell Township was $1,275,000. That home offered five bedrooms and four and a half baths and was over 7000 square feet.
Property Taxes And Home Selling
Number nine is property taxes. We all know New Jersey has one of the highest property tax rates in the nation, and Monmouth County is included in that. This year, out of 565 towns, Howell came in at number 305 in terms of property taxes. This means the Township is right around the middle of property taxes within New Jersey.
Lastly, if you already live in Howell and decide to sell your home, you are very lucky in terms of what the township is going to require you to do. Howell Township does not require a full certificate of occupancy, unlike many of the surrounding towns such as Manalapan, Marlboro, and Freehold. Howell only requires a smoke and fire certification when selling your home, which makes it much less stressful than some of the neighboring towns.
Enjoy New Jersey Living In Howell
I hope you enjoyed these 10 things you must know about living in Howell, New Jersey. If you would like any further information or if you are considering moving here or selling your home, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me.
Don’t forget to subscribe to my channel so you never miss an episode of Monmouth Redefined, my show all about Monmouth County. Stay tuned to see what I feature next!
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