Eatontown is a borough in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 13,597, an increase of 888 (+7.0%) from the 2010 census count of 12,709, which in turn reflected a decline of 1,299 (−9.3%) from the 14,008 counted in the 2000 census.Table 7. Population for the Counties and Municipalities in New Jersey: 1990, 2000 and 2010, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, February 2011. Accessed May 1, 2023. Background The community that is now Eatontown was originally incorporated as Eatontown Township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 4, 1873, from portions of Ocean Township and Shrewsbury Township. Portions of the township were taken to form West Long Branch (April 7, 1908) and Oceanport (April 6, 1920). Eatontown was reincorporated as a borough on March 8, 1926, replacing Eatontown Township, based on the results of a referendum held on April 13, 1926.Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606–1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. Accessed May 1, 2026.} The borough was named for Thomas Eaton, an early settler who built a mill in the area .Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed Accessed May 1, 2026.Gannett, Henry. The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States, p. 113. United States Government Printing Office, 1905. Accessed August 30, 2015.About Eatontown , Eatontown Public Schools. Accessed August 30, 2015. "The Borough was incorporated on March 8, 1926 and is named for Thomas Eaton, who built a Grain Mill here c. 1670. The Mill's site is now a landmark."
The United States Army's Fort Monmouth operated in Eatontown from 1917 until its closure in September 2011, based on recommendations from the Base Realignment and Closure Commission.Staff. "Fort Monmouth Closing After 94 Years; Relocating To Maryland', WCBS, September 15, 2011. Accessed July 29, 2012. "Jersey's Fort Monmouth will close for good today and its mission that began 94 years ago will be transferred to Maryland." It was home to the United States Army Materiel Command's Communication and Electronics Command. Fort Monmouth was also home to the United States Military Academy Preparatory School, which trains approximately 250 students per year to enter as freshmen (plebes) at the United States Military Academy at West Point.Welcome to West Point Prep, United States Military Academy Preparatory School. Accessed August 4, 2008.
Netflix Studios Fort Monmouth is under construction on the site of the former military installation.
In the center of Eatontown is the Monmouth Mall, located at the intersection of Route 35 and Route 36, featuring a variety of stores, restaurants, and a 15-screen cineplex, with a gross leasable area of .Monmouth Mall , Malls and Outlets. Accessed October 9, 2013. Celebrity chef Bobby Flay previously owned a restaurant in Eatontown.
As of 2025, the Monmouth mall was torn down, but some stores were retained, i.e., Barnes & Noble and Macy's.
History Eatontown's history is documented in the book Eatontown and Fort Monmouth.Pike, H.C., Vogel, G.D., Eatontown and Fort Monmouth, Arcadia Publishing Library Editions, 1995.
In 1670, Thomas Eaton (for which the town is named) surveyed the area and constructed a grist mill in present-day Wampum Lake Park.Taylor, Davidson. "2 events planned to salute 325 years; Eatontown year long celebration includes a Family Day In July and a parade In October", Asbury Park Press, May 4, 1995. Accessed March 14, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Thomas Eaton settled in an area now known as Wampum Park and built a grist mill at Wampum Lake. That was 325 years ago. The mill he created in 1670 became the first business to operate in what would become Eatontown."
From the book Eatontown and Fort Monmouth:
By 1796, a village had developed across from Eaton's mill, with a tannery and general store on the east side of the Red Bank Turnpike [now State Route 35]. A tavern for the New York - Philadelphia stage coach trade was built on what would become the intersection of Main and Broad Streets. A second stage coach stop was established in Mechanicsville on the ocean-bound road. This village would later be called West Long Branch.
By 1850, Eaton's village had grown to include four stores on Main Street and nearly forty homes. The Eatontown Steamboat Company built docks on Oceanport Creek to ship milled flour and other farm produce up the South Shrewsbury River to markets in New York City. Entrepreneur James P. Allaire built a four-story stone warehouse at the docks, from which he shipped his bog iron forged at the Howell Works 15 miles away.
In 1886, a mob broke into the jail and removed a black man, Samuel "Mingo Jack" Johnson, who was being held for the alleged rape of a white woman. The mob brutally beat and then hanged Johnson, the father of five. Later events show that it was extremely unlikely that Johnson was guilty of the crime. In 2012, mayor Gerald Tarantolo issued a public apology for the failure of security at the jail.Spahr, Rob. "Lynching of former slave memorialized as 'low point' in Eatontown history", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, September 24, 2012. Accessed February 1, 2018. "In 1886, an angry mob broke into the borough’s lockup and lynched a black man accused of raping a white woman. This was New Jersey’s only documented lynching in the 19th century and a subsequent trial discovered that the man, Samuel 'Mingo Jack' Johnson, could have been innocent. Current Eatontown Mayor Gerald Tarantolo called the incident 'a low point in the history of Eatontown.'"English, Bob. " Memorial Unveiled Near The Eatontown Location Of The Lynching Of Samuel 'Mingo Jack' Johnson In 1888. Samuel 'Mingo Jack' Johnson lynched without a fair trail at the former site of Eatontown Lockup, midnight on March 5, 1886. New Jersey's only documented 19th century lynching.", Long Branch Patch, September 26, 2012. Accessed February 1, 2018. "On a grassy area overlooking Wampum Lake in Eatontown, people gathered this past Sunday afternoon to dedicate a memorial marker and plaque that reads: 'Samuel "Mingo Jack" Johnson lynched without a fair trial at the former site of Eatontown Lockup, midnight on March 5, 1886. New Jersey's only documented 19th century lynching.'"
In 2020, Eatontown was to celebrate its 350th anniversary, but most of the activities were delayed due to COVID-19 concerns.
Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 5.89 square miles (15.26 km2), including 5.84 square miles (15.13 km2) of land and 0.05 square miles (0.13 km2) of water (0.87%).
The Unincorporated community of Locust Grove is located within the borough.Locality Search, State of New Jersey. Accessed May 21, 2015.
The borough borders the Monmouth County municipalities of Shrewsbury on the north, Oceanport to the northeast, West Long Branch to the east, Ocean Township to the south and Tinton Falls to the west.Areas touching Eatontown, MapIt. Accessed March 29, 2020.Regional Location Map, Monmouth County, New Jersey. Accessed March 29, 2020.New Jersey Municipal Boundaries, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed November 15, 2019.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Eatontown had a population of 13,597. The median age was 41.6 years. 17.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 90.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 87.6 males age 18 and over.
100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 5,842 households in Eatontown, of which 24.7% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 40.2% were married-couple households, 20.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 32.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 34.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 6,182 housing units, of which 5.5% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.2%.
+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number Percent White 7,912 58.2% Black or African American 1,748 12.9% American Indian and Alaska Native 81 0.6% Asian 1,325 9.7% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 5 0.0% Some other race 1,032 7.6% Two or more races 1,494 11.0% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 2,005 14.7%
2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 12,709 people, 5,319 households, and 3,138 families in the borough. The population density was 2,181.5 per square mile (842.3/km2). There were 5,723 housing units at an average density of 982.3 per square mile (379.3/km2). The racial makeup was 71.29% (9,060) White, 12.41% (1,577) Black or African American, 0.28% (36) Native American, 8.67% (1,102) Asian, 0.09% (11) Pacific Islander, 3.64% (463) from other races, and 3.62% (460) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.36% (1,571) of the population.
Of the 5,319 households, 26.3% had children under the age of 18; 41.2% were married couples living together; 13.4% had a female householder with no husband present and 41.0% were non-families. Of all households, 34.2% were made up of individuals and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 3.02.
20.7% of the population were under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 28.5% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.6 years. For every 100 females, the population had 97.2 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 93.4 males.
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $60,188 (with a margin of error of +/− $8,468) and the median family income was $77,846 (+/− $8,290). Males had a median income of $56,086 (+/− $7,155) versus $43,750 (+/− $5,817) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $35,200 (+/− $2,933). About 6.4% of families and 9.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.7% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.DP03: Selected Economic Characteristics from the 2006–2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates for Eatontown borough, Monmouth County, New Jersey , United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 29, 2012.
2000 census As of the 2000 United States census there were 14,008 people, 5,780 households, and 3,444 families residing in the borough. The population density was . There were 6,341 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the borough was 73.29% White, 11.61% African American, 0.34% Native American, 9.32% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 2.31% from other races, and 3.10% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.62% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Eatontown borough, New Jersey , United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 29, 2012.DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 – Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Eatontown borough, Monmouth County, New Jersey , United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 29, 2012.
There were 5,780 households, out of which 28.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.8% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.4% were non-families. 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 3.08.