Jobs & Economy in Asbury Park
Asbury Park's economy carries a real, genuinely two-sided story: a substantial, ongoing tourism-and-creative-economy revitalization alongside real, current economic hardship that has not fully resolved.
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Learn moreA real, substantial revitalization
Asbury Park's downtown and creative economy have undergone a real, well-documented revitalization since roughly 2000, drawing new residents and businesses and earning the city the nickname 'Brooklyn on the Beach.'
Real, unresolved economic hardship
A poverty rate cited at 22.5% (versus a roughly 14-15% national average cited alongside it) and an unemployment rate cited in a 6.1%-8.3% range both remain genuinely elevated, even amid the city's revitalization.
Tourism and hospitality anchor much of the growth
Music venues, restaurants, boutique hospitality (the Asbury Hotel), and boardwalk/beach-related businesses anchor much of the city's current economic activity, with real seasonal hiring patterns tied to the Shore tourism season.
Key takeaways
- Asbury Park's tourism-and-creative-economy revitalization since roughly 2000 is real and substantial.
- A real, genuinely elevated poverty rate (22.5%) and unemployment rate persist alongside that revitalization.
- Tourism, hospitality, and the arts anchor much of the city's current economic activity.
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