Ocean County, New Jersey Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Ocean County, NJ Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
B
Health Around average
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B
Income Around average
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C
Education Below averageAmong the 5 least educated counties in New Jersey
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Ocean County | New Jersey Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 654,303 | 9,334,304 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 715.7 | 1071.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.41% | 0.59% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.9 | 40.2 | 37.3 |
| Households | 243,816 | 3,503,323 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Ocean County grew by 15.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 654,303 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Ocean County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 21.4% of residents. That is 4.6 points above New Jersey as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 123,000 18.8% -1.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 113,146 17.3% -4.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 121,601 18.6% -2.8 pts
- Boomers 61–79 140,028 21.4% +4.6 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below New Jersey, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.6% of the people living in Ocean County and men 48.4%.
- Women 51.6% New Jersey 50.9%
- Men 48.4% New Jersey 49.1%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Ocean County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Ocean County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Ocean County | New Jersey Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $90,726 | $103,817 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.55% | 4.37% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.4% | 6.3% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Ocean County is about 13% lower than in New Jersey.
Housing
| Metric | Ocean County | New Jersey Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $381,212 | $352,792 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,755 | $1,719 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 80.7% | 63.8% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Ocean County is about 18.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,755 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Ocean County spend about 47 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 195 hours, about 8.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Ocean County | New Jersey Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 23.4 | 26.2 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 46.9 | 52.4 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 195 | 218 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,053 | $6,764 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 12.5% | 16.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 10,724 | 14,317 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,639 | 2,109 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
New Jersey:
Cape May County (18.1 min), Cumberland County (21.2 min), Atlantic County (21.6 min).
Slowest:
Hudson County (32.7 min), Sussex County (32.6 min), Hunterdon County (31.0 min).
The average commute time in Ocean County is 23 minutes, shorter than the 26 minutes in New Jersey.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Ocean County has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Ocean County | New Jersey Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 31.3% | 39.6% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.66 | 2.61 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
New Jersey:
Somerset County (0.4), Morris County (0.4), Hunterdon County (0.4).
Lowest:
Cumberland County (0.2), Salem County (0.2), Passaic County (0.3).
Health
Ocean County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Ocean County | New Jersey Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.4 | 79.4 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 12.6% | 12.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 14.4% | 14.2% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
New Jersey:
Morris County (0.8), Hunterdon County (0.8), Somerset County (0.8).
Lowest:
Cumberland County (0.8), Salem County (0.8), Passaic County (0.8).
Ocean County, NJ Compared With Nearby Counties
Ocean County, NJ is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 654,303 residents against a local median of 467,571. Where Ocean County, NJ breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 37% above the local median of $279,129 at $381,212.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $90,726 against a local median of $108,527, 16% below it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is median household income, and at 16% below the local median it puts Ocean County, NJ at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $186,907 on median home price, so Ocean County, NJ sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Ocean County, NJ has the 2nd highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ocean County, NJ | 654,303 | $90,726 #5/6 | $381,212 #2/6 | 23.4 min #3/6 |
| Burlington County, NJ | 467,571 | $108,527 | $248,885 | 26.0 min |
| Monmouth County, NJ | 645,196 | $124,868 | $433,523 | 25.7 min |
| Atlantic County, NJ | 276,076 | $79,162 | $328,302 | 21.6 min |
| Middlesex County, NJ | 870,701 | $112,064 | $279,129 | 26.6 min |
| Mercer County, NJ | 385,681 | $100,788 | $246,616 | 21.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Ocean County, New Jersey.
How big is Ocean County, New Jersey by population?
About 654,303 people live in Ocean County, New Jersey, in 243,816 households of 2.7 people on average. The median age is 41.9, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
How densely populated is Ocean County, New Jersey?
Averaged over its land area, Ocean County, New Jersey has 716 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 8.3 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Ocean County, New Jersey?
The median home costs 4.2 times the median household income ($381,212 against $90,726), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,755 a month takes about 23% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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