Population 11,248 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Ocean City
Household size in Ocean City
| Period | Ocean City | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1.95 | 2.77 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.03 | 2.82 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.11 | 2.78 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 1.99 | 2.76 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.04 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Ocean City is a place of small households, averaging 1.99 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Since 2006–10, household size has crept up from 1.95, even as the national average fell. Of the 415 New Jersey cities with 5,000+ people, only six have smaller households.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Ocean City
| Period | Ocean City | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 50.9 | 39.1 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 53.2 | 40.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 54.2 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 53.0 | 40.9 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.1 | +1.8 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 53.0, Ocean City is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. The median age has climbed from 50.9 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Of the 415 New Jersey cities with 5,000+ people, only 11 are older.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Ocean City
| Period | Ocean City | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.6% | 11.6% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 6.0% | 11.8% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 7.2% | 10.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.9% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −7.8 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 6.9% of households in Ocean City, well below the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has fallen 7.8 points, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Ocean City
Renters in Ocean City
| Period | Ocean City | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.7% | 33.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 37.2% | 35.0% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 28.7% | 36.1% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 27.3% | 36.2% | 34.8% |
| Change | −6.4 pts | +3.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
More than a quarter of households in Ocean City rent their homes (27.3%), below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Nearly half of owners (48.0%) have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the northeast; owners are most common in the southwest. The renter share has fallen 6.4 points since 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Ocean City
| Period | Ocean City | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 61.9% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 65.1% | 9.3% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 66.3% | 9.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 66.4% | 6.6% | 9.6% |
| Change | +4.5 pts | −2.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Ocean City: 66.4% of homes are empty, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand. Since 2006–10, vacancy has risen 4.5 points, even as the national rate fell.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Ocean City
| Period | Ocean City | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1969 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1969 | 1966 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1974 | 1967 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1977 | 1969 | 1980 |
| Change | +8 | +5 | +6 |
The typical home in Ocean City was built around 1977, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are newer than in New Jersey overall, where the median home dates to 1969. The median year built has moved up from 1969 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the center, while the northeast has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Ocean City
| Period | Ocean City | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,005 | $1,246 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,099 | $1,324 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,332 | $1,522 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,714 | $1,896 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$709 | +$651 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Ocean City costs $1,714 a month with utilities, above the national median of $1,571. Even so, rents here are lower than in New Jersey as a whole ($1,896). Rent has climbed $709 a month since 2006–10, up 71%, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 36.2% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Ocean City
Bachelor's degrees in Ocean City
| Period | Ocean City | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.8% | 34.7% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 46.5% | 36.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 51.3% | 39.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 57.0% | 43.4% | 35.6% |
| Change | +15.2 pts | +8.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Ocean City: 57.0% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 35.6% nationally. Education tends to track local incomes and the kinds of jobs nearby. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 15.2 points, mirroring the country.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Ocean City
| Period | Ocean City | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 91.0% | 87.0% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 95.9% | 88.1% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 96.7% | 89.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 97.4% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +6.4 pts | +3.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Ocean City: 97.4% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 6.4 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Ocean City has a higher share of high school graduates than at least four in five New Jersey cities.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Ocean City
| Period | Ocean City | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.9% | 7.9% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.2% | 9.8% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.2% | 5.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.0% | 6.4% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.9 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been easier to find in Ocean City than nationally: unemployment was 4.0%, against 5.4%. Unemployment has fallen 4.9 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Ocean City compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ocean City | 1.99 | 53.0 | 6.9% | 27.3% | 66.4% | 1977 | $1,714 | 57.0% | 97.4% | 4.0% |
| Somers Point | 2.25 | 43.8 | 10.1% | 43.8% | 18.1% | 1971 | $1,421 | 37.0% | 92.9% | 10.3% |
| Marmora | 2.21 | 51.7 | 3.7% | 5.0% | 25.4% | 1978 | $1,843 | 48.0% | 98.1% | 0.8% |
| Longport | 1.98 | 62.0 | 3.2% | 12.0% | 60.3% | 1974 | $2,240 | 58.7% | 98.8% | 11.6% |
| Linwood | 2.57 | 44.8 | 8.6% | 15.3% | 11.2% | 1969 | $1,952 | 57.7% | 96.2% | 6.3% |
| Margate City | 2.07 | 58.4 | 3.8% | 10.0% | 53.9% | 1969 | $760 | 57.8% | 96.3% | 3.8% |
| Palermo | 2.56 | 42.1 | 4.3% | 5.8% | 6.4% | 1981 | $1,903 | 52.5% | 99.6% | 3.2% |
| Strathmere | 2.09 | 53.9 | 2.3% | 7.5% | 75.0% | 1960 | $1,892 | 41.0% | 100.0% | 30.2% |
| Northfield | 2.55 | 45.1 | 4.4% | 12.5% | 4.9% | 1966 | $1,871 | 48.5% | 94.5% | 3.3% |
| Ocean View | 2.59 | 46.4 | 4.8% | 6.4% | 16.5% | 1984 | $1,901 | 45.6% | 96.6% | 2.1% |
| Ventnor City | 1.96 | 55.1 | 6.4% | 37.7% | 35.1% | 1962 | $1,360 | 41.0% | 95.9% | 8.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Oxford, MA · Napoleon, OH · Natrona Heights, PA · New Haven, MI · New Market, AL · Newport Coast, CA · Newport, OR · Noble, OK · North Bellport, NY · North Smithfield, RI
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Ocean City. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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