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Living in
Ocean City.
About
Life in Ocean City
Ocean City is a community of 11,260 people in New Jersey. The median household income is $101,782, median rent runs about $1,670 per month, and median home values are around $840,500. Unemployment sits at 9.2%, which is above the national average.
Ocean City at a Glance
Population, income, housing and more
Median Age
56.1 yrs
Poverty Rate
9.8%
Foreign-Born
7.5%
Broadband Internet
94.1%
of households
Population Growth
-1.2%
recent change · Census Bureau
Median household income
Demographics7.5% foreign-born, most often from Mexico
Who lives in Ocean City: race and ethnicity, ages, households, languages and countries of origin
In Ocean City, the largest foreign-born group is from Mexico (56.9%), and 6.7% of residents speak Spanish at home.
Under 18
15.5%
of residents
65 and Older
33.8%
of residents
Households with Kids
16.6%
anyone under 18
Living Alone
32.4%
of households
Married Couples
50.3%
of households
Avg Household Size
1.97
people
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino of any race; other groups are non-Hispanic
Top countries of origin (foreign-born)
Languages Spoken at Home
Cost of Livingrent about average for NJ
Rent, home values, and income in Ocean City
In Ocean City, home values are 85% above the NJ average.
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
Rent Burdened
55.9%
spending 30%+ of income on rent
Severely Rent Burdened
40.7%
spending 50%+
Cost of Living Index
98.9
metro area (BEA) · US avg = 100
Median Property Tax
$6,040
per year, owner-occupied homes
Homeowners
72.7%
of occupied homes are owned
Typical Home Built
1984
median year built
Vacant Homes
73.2%
of housing units
Home Value Trend
Latest: $1,135,534 (September 2026)
Jobs & Economyunemployment 4 pts above NJ average
Unemployment in Ocean City
Unemployment in Cape May County, which includes Ocean City, is 4 percentage points higher than the NJ average.
Unemployment rate
Ocean City: Cape May County rate (county-wide) · BLS annual average
Unemployment Rate — 10 Year Trend
Cape May County (county-wide) · Annual averages
What Ocean City Residents Do for Work · share of employed residents by industry
City residents, wherever they work
Commute27.3 min avg
How Ocean City residents get to work, and the nearest airports
In Ocean City, most residents drive alone to work (58%), and 60% get there in under 30 minutes.
How People Get to Work
Commute Time Distribution
Nearest airports · with airline service
- 13 mi
Atlantic City International Airport (ACY)
Regional airport · few flights389k passengers boarded in 2025
- 54 mi
Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)
Major hub14.8M passengers boarded in 2025
Straight-line distance. Size is the FAA’s hub category, based on passenger traffic: regional airports may have only a few flights a day.
Safetyviolent crime 81% below national average
Crime rates for 2025
Violent crime in Ocean City runs 81% below the national average.
Violent Crime Rate
62.4
per 100,000 residents
Below average (329 national, 2025)
Property Crime Rate
1,765.2
per 100,000 residents
Above average (1,552 national, 2025)
Ocean City Police Department
Natural DisastersThunderstorm Wind most common — 17 events in 2025
Natural hazard risk, storms and earthquakes
FEMA National Risk Index
Relatively Moderate
91.0 / 100
Compares expected losses from natural hazards, social vulnerability and community resilience against every US county (higher = more risk).
Cape May County, county-wide · FEMA NRI December 2025
In Cape May County, which includes Ocean City, the most common type is thunderstorm wind, with 17 recorded events in 2025.
Most common events:
Storm events by year
| Year | Events | Top Type | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 17 | Winter Weather | None reported |
| 2024 | 14 | Coastal Flood | $10,000 |
| 2023 | 14 | Dense Fog | $5,000 |
| 2022 | 20 | Coastal Flood | None reported |
| 2021 | 8 | High Wind | None reported |
| 2020 | 20 | Thunderstorm Wind | $1,000 |
| 2019 | 12 | Winter Weather | None reported |
| 2018 | 10 | Coastal Flood | $100,000 |
Property damage is the National Weather Service's estimate filed with each event. “None reported” means the events were logged with $0 damage; “Not estimated” means no estimate was filed. Storms covering several counties aren't counted here, since NOAA doesn't split their damage by county.
0 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5+ within 100 miles in the past year
Cape May County, county-wide
Air Quality36 median AQI — Good
Days by air quality category (2025)
Air quality in Atlantic County, NJ (the nearest EPA-monitored county, about 14 miles from Ocean City) is typically good — 300 good-air days per year.
Median AQI
36
Good Days
300
per year
Moderate Days
64
per year
Unhealthy Days
0
per year
Nearest EPA monitor county: Atlantic County, NJ (14 mi away)
Climate78°F summers, 32°F winters
30-year climate averages (1991–2020) — monthly temperatures and precipitation
Ocean City has mild summers (avg high 78°F) and mild winters (avg low 32°F).
Spring (Mar–May)
57°/46°F
avg high / low
Summer (Jun–Aug)
78°/69°F
avg high / low
Fall (Sep–Nov)
65°/54°F
avg high / low
Winter (Dec–Feb)
44°/32°F
avg high / low
Annual Precipitation
48.2"
Annual Snowfall
17.4"
Hot Days/Year
19
days above 90°F
Freeze Days/Year
42
days below 32°F
Rainy Days/Year
114
Average month
Show month-by-month table ↓Hide table ↑
| Month | High | Low | Precip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42°F | 30°F | 3.09" |
| Feb | 43°F | 31°F | 3.27" |
| Mar | 48°F | 37°F | 4.27" |
| Apr | 57°F | 46°F | 3.36" |
| May | 66°F | 55°F | 3.10" |
| Jun | 75°F | 65°F | 3.23" |
| Jul | 80°F | 71°F | 3.75" |
| Aug | 79°F | 70°F | 4.13" |
| Sep | 74°F | 65°F | 3.56" |
| Oct | 65°F | 54°F | 4.25" |
| Nov | 55°F | 43°F | 3.44" |
| Dec | 47°F | 35°F | 4.17" |
Healthcare
Hospitals, ratings, and health insurance in Ocean City
Uninsured
5.9%
of residents
No hospitals inside Ocean City's limits — nearest hospitals · within 15 miles
Shore Medical Center
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 3.3 mi away · Somers Point
Atlanticare Regional Medical Center - City Campus
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 10.9 mi away · Atlantic City
Adult Health · vs. the typical US place
Share of adults. Modeled estimates, not counted cases. “US” = the typical US place.
Medicare-certified hospitals only. Doesn’t include clinics, urgent care, or freestanding ERs.
Education8.5:1 student/teacher ratio
Schools and degree attainment in Ocean City
Ocean City's student/teacher ratio is 8.5:1 (lower than the national average of 16:1), and 56.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Public Schools
3
within city limits
Private Schools
0
within city limits
College Degree Rate
56.7%
adults 25+ with bachelor's or higher
Student/Teacher Ratio
8.5:1
National avg 16:1
Schools located within city limits (2023) — school-level metrics change slowly year to year
Parks & Recreationclosest: Great Egg Harbor River, 4 mi
Nearby national parks, recreation areas and public libraries for Ocean City
Ocean City has 8 nearby national parks or recreation areas, closest being Great Egg Harbor River (4 mi away).
Nearby National Parks & Recreation Areas
Great Egg Harbor River
National Park Site
4 mi awayNew Jersey Pinelands National Reserve
National Reserve
46 mi awayGloria Dei Church National Historic Site
National Historic Site
54 mi awayIndependence National Historical Park
National Historical Park
55 mi awayThaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial
National Memorial
55 mi awayEdgar Allan Poe National Historic Site
National Historic Site
56 mi awayWashington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail
National Historic Trail
59 mi awayFirst State National Historical Park
National Historical Park
64 mi awayPublic Libraries in Ocean City
Ocean City Free Pub. Lib.
1735 Simpson Avenue, Ocean City
Cities Near Ocean City
The closest cities within 60 miles
Planning a move to Ocean City?
Read our full moving guide — what it's really like to live here.
Ocean City FAQ
Is Ocean City, New Jersey affordable?⌄
Ocean City's median rent is $1,683/month, which is above the national average. The median household income is $101,782/year. Median home value is $840,500.
Is Ocean City, New Jersey safe?⌄
Ocean City's violent crime rate was 62 per 100,000 residents in 2025, which is well below the national average — one of the safer cities in the country of 329/100k that year. Property crime rate is 1765 per 100,000. As with any city, crime rates vary by neighborhood.
What is the job market like in Ocean City, New Jersey?⌄
Cape May County, which includes Ocean City, has an unemployment rate of 9.2%, which is above the national average of 4.3%.
What is the cost of living in Ocean City, New Jersey?⌄
The cost of living in Ocean City is primarily driven by housing. Median rent is $1,683/month and median household income is $101,782/year. The median home value is $840,500. About 56% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing.
How is the commute in Ocean City, New Jersey?⌄
The average commute in Ocean City is 27 minutes, which is about average compared to the national average of 26 minutes.
Data from the US Census Bureau, BLS, FBI, NOAA, EPA, Zillow Research and other public sources. Where our data comes from