WOBM’s Ocean County Population Records From 1950 – 1975 [50 Memories in 50 Days]

Up until only the last 15 years or so, getting historic information wasn't as easy as just logging on to the Internet and looking something up.

Sure, you could go to the local library or the nearest town hall, but for a news operation like WOBM it was important for us to have records on hand.

That's why this table of the Ocean County population from 1950 - 1975 was included in our archives.

The final page of our 1976 newsroom policy book was this:

With information from the census in 1950, 1960, and 1970, plus the population estimate for 1975, there are a number of interesting things that we can pull out.

• First, you can look for Toms River all day long but you won't find it. As long time residents know, Toms River didn't exist as an official township until 2006. Before then, Toms River was an unincorporated "village" within Dover Township.
• While Mantoloking is still the smallest municipality in Ocean County population-wise, take a look at the 1950 population - 72 people.
• In 1950, Lakewood was the largest municipality in Ocean County. A title that it held only until the following census in 1960, when both Dover Township and Brick outgrew Lakewood.
• Still true as of the last census in 2010, Point Pleasant Borough has been the most densely populated municipality for quite some time. 

I could go on all day picking out interesting tidbits that we can learn from this table but if you want to comb over it for yourself, right click on the image above to see it larger.

If you'd like to take a look at the full 1976 WOBM newsroom policy book that this table was attached to, just click here.

Do you have a piece of WOBM history that you'd like to share? Just fill out the form below to send it to us!