2 NJ Beaches Named Among Cleanest In United States

Two New Jersey beaches have been named among the cleanest beaches in the United States in a survey that looked at state health department data on bacteria testing.

Point Pleasant Beach and Stone Harbor beach were among the nine beaches named in the Islands.com listing of cleanest beaches in America. The list included two Florida beaches, two from Hawaii, two from California and one from Delaware, all of them saltwater beaches. You can see the full list below.

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"In searching for America's cleanest beaches, we used testing results from beach grading organizations," the report said. "We also consulted state health departments where data was publicly available," looking at testing for the Enterococcus bacteria.

In New Jersey, water samples are taken at the beaches — oceanfront and river and bay beaches — weekly beginning in May through the Cooperative Coastal Monitoring Program. Water samples cannot exceed 104 colonies of Enterococci bacteria per 100 ml of water or a swimming advisory is issued and the water retested. Two consecutive tests exceeding 104 colonies results in a swimming closure.

Point Pleasant Beach has had one incidence of a test exceeding 104 colonies since the beginning of 2020, and no swimming closures due to bacteria, and Stone Harbor has had none, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection's Beaches website.

In addition to bacteria testing the state monitors the beaches with coastal flights looking for debris in the water and other changes in coastal and beach conditions.

Sources of Enterococci in water include stormwater runoff, sewage discharged or dumped from recreational boats, and domestic animal and wildlife waste. Swimming in polluted water can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, sore throat, runny nose, earaches skin rashes and flu-like symptoms.

The Islands.com report said its list was compiled using "a combination of personal experience with a few of the beaches and tourism websites for the towns they were located in, so we could narrow the list down to the most interesting and scenic ones."

Point Pleasant Beach was praised for its "clean sand, clear water, and kid-friendly activities" and its ease of access for those from New York and Philadelphia in addition to New Jersey residents. The attractions of Jenkinson's Aquarium and amusements and plenty of places to eat make it family-friendly.

"Regular cleanups continue to keep Point Pleasant Beach pristine. The borough itself is known for having some of New Jersey's cleanest beaches, so a visit should come with zero worries," the report said.

Stone Harbor Beach in Cape May County "is the kind of beach purists will like," the report said, with "30 miles of pure coastline, where swimming and other beach activities will entice beach bums looking to enjoy sand and sea without getting distracted by surrounding attractions."

"After a morning on the gorgeous sands, the rest of the town awaits with leisurely pursuits like upscale shopping, spa treatments, a theater, and more," the report said, and also cited a local bird sanctuary.

The rest of the beaches named were as follows:

Siesta Key Beach, Florida: It was praised for "having the finest, most powdery sand ... made of quartz from the Appalachian Mountains" and it has low incidences of pollution. "At the time of this writing, the beach got a grade of "good" for Enterococcus levels that do not pass 35.4 species per 100 milliliters of water, way below the threshold of 70 species per 100 milliliters, which would trigger an advisory."

Wailea Beach, Hawaii: "From its lush tropical park to the soft sands, everything looks immaculate. This clean aesthetic is deeper than surface level. Wailea Beach had a grade of 'excellent' for water quality from Safe To Swim Hawaii ... (with) Enterococcus levels that consistently stay below 20 MPN per 100 milliliters of water, way below Hawaii's threshold of 130 per 100 milliliters of water."

Coronado Beach, California: This water at this beach in San Diego consistently stays below 35 MPN per 100 milliliters of water," the report said.

Spanish River Park Beach, Florida: This beach in Boca Raton has fewer crowds and is one of three U.S. beaches awarded a blue flag by the Blue Flag organization for the 2025/2026 season. The water at this beach had less than 35.4 Enterococcus species per 100 milliliters of water, far from Florida's threshold of 70 species per 100 milliliters.

Makena Beach, Hawaii: This Maui beach is popular with more adventurous types who want to bodysurf or board surf, the report said. Its water quality is some of the highest; at the time of publication, it consistently has Enterococcus levels at 2.3 MPN per 100 ml of water, far below the 130 per 100 ml that is the maximum standard in Hawaii.

Dewey Beach, Delaware: The beach "consistently meets requirements for acceptable pollution levels," with the average level of Enterococcus in five samples measuring below 35 cfu per 100 ml of water, and the current single sample is below 104 cfu per 100 milliliter of water.

Westward Beach, California: This beach is a quieter one "that's been ranked among the world's cleanest," and also has earned the Blue Flag recognition for the 2025/2026 season, which is "awarded for superb waste and water management, among other factors. With its purity, beach days feel stress-free, no matter what the day brings."