Belmar's housing is dense and shore-town in character, mixing older beach bungalows and raised cottages with duplexes, small apartment buildings, and an increasing number of newer and renovated year-round homes. Lots are compact and streets are tightly gridded, keeping homes close to the beach, the marina, and Main Street. The waterfront parcels nearest the ocean and Shark River are the most prized, while interior blocks offer a more modest, neighborhood feel. As a fully built-out borough, Belmar's market is driven by resale, renovation, and teardown-rebuild activity rather than new subdivisions.

Belmar's layout follows the shore. The oceanfront and boardwalk corridor forms the premier district, with homes and seasonal rentals stepping back from the sand along the numbered streets. The Shark River Inlet and marina area on the north end carries a distinct nautical character, with boating and fishing activity. The central blocks around Main Street hold the borough's commercial core and its older, walkable residential streets, while the western edge nearest Lake Como and Wall Township is quieter and more inland. Throughout, the tight grid keeps everything within walking or biking distance of the water.

Belmar's lifestyle is centered on the beach, the boardwalk, and the water. Summers bring beach days, surfing, fishing from the inlet and party boats, and boardwalk strolls, while the shoulder seasons are prized by locals for quieter, crowd-free shore days. Main Street offers restaurants, bars, and shops within walking distance of most homes, and the marina supports a boating and fishing culture. The Belmar Arts Council's year-round programs add a creative layer. With direct rail and bus service to New York, the borough blends shore-town leisure with genuine commuter practicality.

Belmar is served by the Belmar School District, which educates students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade and also serves Lake Como through a sending/receiving arrangement. For high school, Belmar students attend Manasquan High School as part of a sending relationship that includes Avon-by-the-Sea, Brielle, Lake Como, Sea Girt, Spring Lake, and Spring Lake Heights. Saint Rose of Lima provides a Catholic elementary and high school option in the borough, giving families both public and parochial choices close to home.

Belmar offers unusually strong transit for a shore town. The NJ Transit North Jersey Coast Line stops at Belmar station, providing direct rail service toward New York Penn Station and intermediate points, and Academy Bus routes serve the Shore Points corridor. For drivers, Route 35 runs through the borough, with Route 71, Route 34, and the Garden State Parkway nearby. The borough's compact, flat grid also makes walking and biking practical for everyday trips, a notable asset for a beach community.

Recreation in Belmar revolves around its oceanfront. The borough maintains a roughly 1.25-mile boardwalk and guarded beaches, with surfing, kayaking, and stand-up paddleboarding common along the coast. The Shark River Inlet and the borough's working marina anchor fishing, boating, and charter operations. Inland, the Belmar Arts Council hosts exhibits, concerts, and workshops, and the borough's fields and courts serve organized youth and adult sports. Neighboring shore towns and county parks extend the options for cycling, walking, and beach days along the coast.