The earliest statement which has been found relative to the number of inhabitants in Monmouth County was made in the year 1726, in a letter written by Governor William Burnet to the Lords of Trade, in London. In that communication the Governor gave the population of several counties of New Jersey, of which Monmouth was then the most populous. The figures given were:
| Monmouth | 4,879 |
| Essex | 4,200 |
| Burlington | 4,129 |
| Middlesex | 4,000 |
| Salem | 3,967 |
| Hunterdon | 3,377 |
| Gloucester | 3,229 |
| Bergen | 2,673 |
| Somerset | 2,271 |
| Cape May | 668 |
In 1737 the population of Monmouth County was 6086; in 1745, 8627. By the first United States census, taken in 1790, the population of the county was 16,918. In 1800 (second census) it was 19,872; in 1810, 22,150; in 1820, 25,038; in 1830, 29,233; in 1840, 32,909; in 1850 (the territory of Ocean County having been take from Monmouth), 30,313; in 1860, 39,346. In 1865 (State census) it was 42,868; in 1870, 46,195. The census of 1875 gave a population of 48,500, and that of 1880 (the last enumeration by the United States), 55,538. The population of the several townships and some of the principal villages of the county, in 1870, 1875 and 1880 is here given, viz.:
| Township or Village | 1870. | 1875. | 1880. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic township | 1,713 | 1,653 | 1,743 |
| Allentown village | 1,010 | ||
| Asbury Park village | 1,640 | ||
| Eatontown township | 2,573 | 2,842 | |
| Eatontown village | 525 | ||
| Farmindale village | 882 | ||
| Freehold township | 4,231 | 3,571 | 4,302* |
| Freehold town | 2,432 | ||
| Holmdel township | 1,415 | 1,338 | 1,575 |
| Howell township | 3,371 | 3,300 | 3,374 |
| Long Branch district | 3,833 | ||
| Manalapan township | 2,286 | 2,094 | 2,175 |
| Marlborough township | 2,231 | 2,274 | 2,193 |
| Matawan township | 2,839 | 2,875 | 2,699 |
| Matawan village | 1,437 | ||
| Middletown township | 4,639 | 4,517 | 5,059 |
| Neptune township | 2,087 | 2,091 | 2,080 |
| Ocean township | 6,189 | 6,109 | 6,027 |
| Ocean Grove village | 620 | ||
| Raritan township | 3,443 | 3,564 | 3,891 |
| Red Bank town | 2,684 | ||
| Shrewsbury township | 5,440 | 6,330 | 6,526 |
| Upper Freehold township | 3,640 | 3,598 | 3,236 |
| Wall township | 2,671 | 2,613 | 3,829 |
Directory of Historical Material
History of Atlantic Township-Ellis
Census of 1870 from Atlas of Monmouth County-Beers 1873
Population & Census Information-Woolman & Rose