Living in
Pleasantville.

If you're considering a move to Pleasantville, you're looking at a compact urban community of about 20,600 people in Atlantic County that's undergone steady growth and is genuinely working to reinvent itself. This is a diverse, working-class city where the median household income sits around $53,661 and median home values hover near $194,100—relatively affordable for the Jersey Shore region. The real catch: property taxes are steep, among the eighth-highest rates in New Jersey at nearly 4.9%, so your actual housing costs will feel heavier than the sale price suggests.

The job market is modest but supported by the Urban Enterprise Zone designation, which brings some employment and business development incentives, though you'll likely find yourself commuting into Atlantic City or beyond for better opportunities—the average commute is under 21 minutes, which is manageable. What actually keeps people here is the community feel and diversity. The population is roughly 46% Black, 41% Latino, and the rest a mix of other backgrounds, creating a neighborhood with real character and local food and cultural scenes you won't find in more homogeneous suburbs.

Families represent a solid portion of the population, with over a third of households including children, and the school system, while modestly resourced, benefits from state funding as a former Abbott district. Weekends mean access to real outdoor spaces—the Great Egg Harbor River is just nine miles away, and you're positioned between the Pine Barrens and the Shore without being trapped in tourist sprawl. The honest trade-offs: you're dealing with humid Jersey summers and gray winters like anywhere in the region, you'll absolutely need a car despite some NJ Transit bus routes, and the job market won't compete with Philadelphia or Newark without a commute.

The unemployment rate sits at 6.7%, slightly above national averages, reflecting an economy that's been working to diversify.