Population 1,151 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Surf City
Household size in Surf City
| Period | Surf City | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.02 | 2.79 | 2.77 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 1.85 | 2.85 | 2.82 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.00 | 2.82 | 2.78 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 1.97 | 2.79 | 2.76 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.05 | −0.00 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Surf City are small: just 1.97 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home.
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 Surf City
| Period | Surf City | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 61.7 | 38.0 | 39.1 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 62.9 | 38.7 | 40.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 65.1 | 39.8 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 63.5 | 40.4 | 40.9 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.8 | +2.4 | +1.8 | +2.3 |
Surf City skews older: half of its residents are older than 63.5, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 61.7, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 Surf City
| Period | Surf City | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.4% | 13.1% | 11.6% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 3.0% | 12.8% | 11.8% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 2.1% | 11.4% | 10.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.7% | 11.6% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.3 pts | −1.5 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 3.7% of households in Surf City, well below the national share of 11.6%.
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 Surf City
Renters in Surf City
| Period | Surf City | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.7% | 47.1% | 33.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 16.7% | 48.7% | 35.0% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 14.9% | 48.8% | 36.1% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 8.2% | 48.6% | 36.2% | 34.8% |
| Change | −6.4 pts | +1.5 pts | +3.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 8.2% of households in Surf City rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Among homeowners, 55.9% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%.
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 Surf City
| Period | Surf City | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 72.3% | 9.1% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 76.0% | 9.0% | 9.3% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 74.1% | 9.1% | 9.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 76.0% | 7.9% | 6.6% | 9.6% |
| Change | +3.7 pts | −1.2 pts | −2.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Surf City: 76.0% 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.
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 Surf City
| Period | Surf City | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1967 | 1957 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1967 | 1958 | 1966 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1968 | 1959 | 1967 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1970 | 1962 | 1969 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +5 | +5 | +6 |
Surf City is a place of older homes: half were built before 1970, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. Even so, homes here are newer than in the New York area as a whole, where the median home dates to 1962.
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 Surf City
| Period | Surf City | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,036 | $1,268 | $1,246 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,239 | $1,377 | $1,324 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,332 | $1,645 | $1,522 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,802 | $2,060 | $1,896 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$767 | +$792 | +$651 | +$606 |
Rent in Surf City runs $1,802 a month at the median, utilities included, above the U.S. median of $1,571. Still, rents here are lower than in the New York area as a whole ($2,060). The typical renter here spends 27.2% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
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 Surf City
Bachelor's degrees in Surf City
| Period | Surf City | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 44.0% | 35.0% | 34.7% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 44.9% | 36.7% | 36.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 52.4% | 39.9% | 39.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 66.2% | 43.6% | 43.4% | 35.6% |
| Change | +22.2 pts | +8.6 pts | +8.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
Surf City is highly educated: about two-thirds of adults 25 and older (66.2%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, far above the national share of 35.6%.
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 Surf City
| Period | Surf City | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 96.3% | 83.7% | 87.0% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 96.7% | 84.6% | 88.1% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 97.9% | 86.2% | 89.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 98.8% | 86.9% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.5 pts | +3.3 pts | +3.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Surf City: 98.8% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%.
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 Surf City
| Period | Surf City | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.5% | 7.9% | 7.9% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 11.7% | 9.5% | 9.8% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.0% | 5.7% | 5.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.0% | 6.9% | 6.4% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.5 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.0%, unemployment in Surf City is close to the national rate of 5.4%. The rate is lower than in the New York area as a whole (6.9%). Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's 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).
Surf 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surf City | 1.97 | 63.5 | 3.7% | 8.2% | 76.0% | 1970 | $1,802 | 66.2% | 98.8% | 5.0% |
| Ship Bottom | 1.99 | 64.6 | 1.8% | 8.4% | 74.0% | 1970 | $1,497 | 62.4% | 98.8% | 2.6% |
| Harvey Cedars | 1.99 | 63.4 | 3.4% | 4.9% | 78.1% | 1982 | $1,167 | 72.0% | 98.7% | 4.7% |
| Beach Haven | 2.11 | 62.9 | 1.7% | 6.8% | 79.3% | 1982 | $1,639 | 69.0% | 94.7% | 7.1% |
| Manahawkin | 2.28 | 54.6 | 5.6% | 9.3% | 28.9% | 1987 | $1,685 | 42.6% | 92.5% | 4.6% |
| North Beach Haven | 2.21 | 61.9 | 1.1% | 11.5% | 81.8% | 1972 | $2,062 | 59.5% | 97.4% | 11.8% |
| Staffordville | 2.29 | 52.9 | 4.7% | 6.8% | 23.9% | 1978 | $1,275 | 42.5% | 95.1% | 4.5% |
| West Creek | 2.41 | 51.7 | 5.5% | 9.8% | 17.4% | 1988 | $1,101 | 36.1% | 92.9% | 5.3% |
| Barnegat Light | 2.06 | 65.1 | 5.8% | 3.9% | 83.1% | 1979 | $1,167 | 66.6% | 98.9% | 13.9% |
| Mayetta | 2.47 | 43.1 | 13.1% | 25.5% | 5.0% | 1999 | $1,592 | 53.3% | 97.3% | 6.9% |
| Barnegat | 2.56 | 48.1 | 10.8% | 12.6% | 8.7% | 1993 | $1,715 | 33.8% | 94.8% | 6.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Walterville, OR · Crab Orchard, TN · Cranmoor, WI · Creston, CA · Crosby, ND · Cross Roads, AR · Croton Heights, MI · Dallas, WI · Dammeron Valley, UT · East Corinth, ME
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 Surf 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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