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COUNTY

Ocean County

New Jersey · 673,746 residents (2025 est.) · 628 sq mi
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Part of the New York metro area
The short version

Ocean County is a county of 654,362 people in New Jersey. That puts it in the top 2% of US counties for household income. Owners hold 81% of the housing stock. 143,446 more people live here than in 2000. 8% of locals were born outside the United States. There are 1,041 people per square mile.

At a glance
Wealthier
median household income $89,863, above the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 41.2
US median: 38.9
Average education
34% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 71%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place

What stands out about Ocean County

What changed most since 1990

  • Median home value (2024 dollars)$299,289 → $398,400 (+33%)US over the same years: +67%
  • White share93.2% → 81.1% (−12.1 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
  • Median age38.5 → 41.2 (+2.7 years)US over the same years: +6.0 years

Among the 21 counties in New Jersey

  • 15th in household income$89,863
  • 17th in share with a bachelor's degree34.4%
  • 12th in home value$398,400
  • 20th in diversity score41.0
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
654,362
+28%since 2000
from 510,916 in 2000
673,746 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
1,041 / sq mi
+28%since 2000
from 813 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
41.2
Unchangedsince 2000
from 41.0 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
628 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
411K477K544K610K676K19902000201020202024Ocean County
2024654K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 57.3%(48,093)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.8%(44,657)
US avg: 6%
10 to 146.8%(44,266)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196%(39,422)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 245.3%(34,787)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3411.1%(72,525)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4410.3%(67,654)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5410.4%(67,979)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6413.3%(86,972)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7412.4%(80,859)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 847.2%(46,957)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over3.1%(20,191)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$89,863
+6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $46,443 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$44,947
+95%since 2000
from $23,054 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
57.6%
+18.2 ptssince 2009
from 39.4% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
10.5%
+3.5 ptssince 2000
from 7.0% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.450
+6%since 2010
from 0.426 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information12.5%
US avg: 10.8%
Wholesale trade7.8%
US avg: 6.9%
Other services6.4%
US avg: 6.7%
Finance & insurance5.9%
US avg: 5.9%
Retail trade4.9%
US avg: 9.9%
Professional, scientific, technical4.7%
US avg: 5.1%
Public administration4.5%
US avg: 4.8%
Transportation & warehousing2.5%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food2%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services1.2%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.3%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.2%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$398,400
+71%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $128,000 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,755
+18%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $819 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
80.7%
−2.5 ptssince 2000
from 83.2% in 2000
19.3% rent
Vacancy rate
17.7%
−1.4 ptssince 2009
from 19.1% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.65 people
+5%since 2009
from 2.53 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
29.4%
−11.2 ptssince 2009
from 40.7% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
54.1%
−1.9 ptssince 2009
from 56.1% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
4.4
−11%since 2009
from 5.0 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
47
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic89.9%(459,174)
Black2.8%(14,431)
Hispanic / Latino5%(25,638)
Asian1.3%(6,426)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic81.1%(530,679)
Black2.9%(18,756)
Hispanic / Latino10.9%(71,391)
Asian1.9%(12,370)
Other3.2%(21,166)
Diversity Score
41
+41%since 2009
from 29 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
28
−4%since 2020
from 29 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Puerto Rican3.7%(24,045)
Mexican2.4%(15,489)
South American1.8%(11,616)
Central American1.1%(6,931)
Dominican0.9%(6,200)
Colombian0.6%(3,993)
Cuban0.4%(2,811)
Peruvian0.4%(2,787)
Honduran0.4%(2,721)
Ecuadorian0.4%(2,517)
Spaniard0.2%(1,605)
Salvadoran0.2%(1,469)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Argentine0.2%(1,327)
Costa Rican0.2%(1,326)
Guatemalan0.2%(1,101)
Venezuelan0.1%(386)
Chilean0.1%(355)
Nicaraguan0%(187)
Uruguayan0%(131)
Bolivian0%(12)
Asian origin
Filipino0.8%(5,349)
Asian Indian0.3%(2,278)
Chinese0.2%(1,601)
Korean0.2%(1,277)
Pakistani0.1%(764)
Vietnamese0.1%(348)
Japanese0%(295)
Indonesian0%(283)
Thai0%(40)
Cambodian0%(34)
+ 4 more asian origin groups with data
Nepalese0%(19)
Laotian0%(15)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(119)
Chamorro0%(70)
Ancestry
Italian19.4%(126,966)
Irish17.2%(112,613)
German12.1%(79,498)
American7.5%(48,827)
Polish7.1%(46,367)
English6.2%(40,884)
Hungarian1.6%(10,529)
Russian1.3%(8,783)
Scottish1.2%(7,642)
French1%(6,321)
Arab0.8%(5,282)
Dutch0.8%(4,989)
+ 48 more ancestry groups with data
Ukrainian0.7%(4,281)
Norwegian0.6%(4,083)
Portuguese0.6%(3,910)
Lithuanian0.6%(3,697)
Greek0.6%(3,615)
Swedish0.5%(3,594)
Slovak0.5%(3,060)
West Indian0.4%(2,877)
Scotch-Irish0.4%(2,812)
Austrian0.3%(2,147)
Czech0.3%(2,062)
Welsh0.3%(1,847)
Danish0.3%(1,758)
Egyptian0.3%(1,731)
Romanian0.2%(1,566)
Israeli0.2%(1,504)
Jamaican0.2%(1,418)
French Canadian0.2%(1,379)
Canadian0.2%(1,297)
British0.1%(947)
Syrian0.1%(938)
Brazilian0.1%(869)
Swiss0.1%(843)
Turkish0.1%(788)
Croatian0.1%(735)
Guyanese0.1%(686)
Latvian0.1%(639)
Haitian0.1%(628)
Belgian0.1%(618)
Lebanese0.1%(570)
Palestinian0.1%(539)
Finnish0.1%(462)
Moroccan0.1%(455)
Nigerian0.1%(401)
Armenian0.1%(362)
Serbian0%(231)
Iranian0%(213)
Bulgarian0%(112)
Ghanaian0%(110)
Barbadian0%(110)
Australian0%(103)
Iraqi0%(87)
Ethiopian0%(54)
Slovene0%(51)
Kenyan0%(15)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
34.4%
+14.9 ptssince 2000
from 19.5% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
93.5%
+10.5 ptssince 2000
from 83.0% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
12.5%
+6.4 ptssince 2000
from 6.1% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
30.0 min
+21%since 2000
from 24.9 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
75.4%
−6.8 ptssince 2009
from 82.2% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
8.3%
−0.8 ptssince 2009
from 9.1% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.9%
−1.1 ptssince 2009
from 2.1% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
12.5%
+9.0 ptssince 2009
from 3.5% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
1.4%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 1.8% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.3%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.4% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
6.0%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 6.3% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
5.4%
−3.7 ptssince 2011
from 9.2% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
59.1%
+0.1 ptssince 2011
from 59.0% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
76.9%
+1.1 ptssince 2020
from 75.8% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
15.7%
+1.7 ptssince 2009
from 14.0% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
42.5%
+8.9 ptssince 2009
from 33.6% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.7%
+0.9 ptssince 2009
from 47.9% in 2009
Female
51.3%
−0.9 ptssince 2009
from 52.1% in 2009
Foreign born
8.0%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 7.4% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
6.1%
−6.7 ptssince 2009
from 12.8% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
12.3%
−0.6 ptssince 2012
from 12.9% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
4.1%
−4.9 ptssince 2013
from 9.0% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
88.7%
+9.5 ptssince 2017
from 79.2% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
93.4%
+2.9 ptssince 2020
from 90.5% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
92.0%
+1.8 ptssince 2020
from 90.2% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
86.8%
−0.8 ptssince 2016
from 87.5% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
6.1%
Unchangedsince 2016
from 6.1% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married32.8%(81,328)
Married56.2%(139,603)
Widowed3.5%(8,632)
Divorced7.6%(18,756)
Women 15+
Never married25.7%(69,096)
Married51.3%(138,141)
Widowed12.1%(32,588)
Divorced10.9%(29,202)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
4.1%
−4.9 ptssince 2013
from 9.0% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
54.4%
−3.3 ptssince 2020
from 57.7% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
15.6%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 15.9% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
23.4%
−0.5 ptssince 2020
from 23.9% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
23.8%
+3.6 ptssince 2020
from 20.2% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.7%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 2.0% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
67.5%
−3.4 ptssince 2020
from 70.9% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
44.9%
+2.9 ptssince 2020
from 42.0% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)18.3%(5,489)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)13.8%(4,136)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era42.1%(12,625)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War8.7%(2,618)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.2%(351)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 29,973 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time

Ocean County, decade by decade

Ocean County population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
YearPopulationMedian household incomeMedian home valueBachelor's degree+Diversity score
1990433,203$79,466$299,28915.3%16.2
2000510,916$84,603$233,17219.5%23.6
2010576,567$85,768$423,08424.3%31.7
2020637,229$88,090$347,49231.4%40.0
2024654,362$89,863$398,40034.4%41.0

Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.

Drill deeper

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Pop 757,040
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Pop 735,033
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Pop 580,937
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Pop 675,232
Places similar to Ocean County
Head to head

Compare Ocean County to nearby counties

OCEAN COUNTY VS
Burlington County
Income$108,111+20%
Home value$354,000−11%
Population481,439−29%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
OCEAN COUNTY VS
Monmouth County
Income$124,845+39%
Home value$606,100+52%
Population651,035−3%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
OCEAN COUNTY VS
Atlantic County
Income$78,050−13%
Home value$295,000−26%
Population278,657−59%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
OCEAN COUNTY VS
Mercer County
Income$100,645+12%
Home value$377,700−5%
Population399,289−41%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Ocean County, New Jersey?

Ocean County, New Jersey has about 654,362 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Ocean County, New Jersey?

The typical household in Ocean County, New Jersey earns about $89,863 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Ocean County, New Jersey expensive?

In Ocean County, New Jersey, the median home is worth about $398,400, and the typical rent is about $1,755 a month.

How educated are people in Ocean County, New Jersey?

About 34.4% of adults age 25 and over in Ocean County, New Jersey hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Ocean County, New Jersey?

About 10.5% of people in Ocean County, New Jersey live below the federal poverty line.

Has Ocean County, New Jersey grown since 1990?

Yes, Ocean County, New Jersey has grown since 1990. The population has added about 221,159 residents, a change of about 51 percent over that period.

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Explore from here

DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →

Ocean County, New Jersey: demographics, income & housing data · CensusEasy