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COUNTY · 2020 ACS

Ocean County

New Jersey · 637,229 residents · 628 sq mi
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The short version

Ocean County is a county of 637,229 people in New Jersey. Owners hold 78% of the housing stock. 126,313 more people live here than in 2000. Renters pay $1,459 a month at the median. 8% of locals were born outside the United States. Households here earn about 15% less than in New Jersey as a whole.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $66,278
Older
median age 41.5
US median: 38.8
Average education
31% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Less affordable
home values up 49%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
637,229
+25%since 2000
from 510,916 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
41.5
+1%since 2000
from 41.0 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
628 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
411K477K544K610K676K19902000201020202024Ocean County
2024654K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 57%(44,884)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.8%(43,622)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 146.6%(41,909)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 195.9%(37,880)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 245.5%(35,107)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3411.3%(71,896)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4410.1%(64,640)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5410.6%(67,819)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6413.4%(85,133)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 7412.1%(76,886)
US avg: 10%
75 to 847.4%(47,329)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over3.2%(20,124)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$72,679
+4%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $46,443 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$37,041
+61%since 2000
from $23,054 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
48.7%
+9.3 ptssince 2009
from 39.4% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
9.9%
+2.9 ptssince 2000
from 7.0% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Information13.2%
US avg: 11.1%
Wholesale trade7.9%
US avg: 6.7%
Other services6.6%
US avg: 6.6%
Finance & insurance5.9%
US avg: 5.5%
Retail trade4.8%
US avg: 10%
Public administration4.4%
US avg: 4.7%
Professional, scientific, technical4.4%
US avg: 4.7%
Transportation & warehousing2.7%
US avg: 2.5%
Arts, entertainment, food2%
US avg: 2%
Education & health services1.5%
US avg: 0.8%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.3%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction0.2%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$286,700
+49%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $128,000 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,459
+19%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $819 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
77.6%
−5.6 ptssince 2000
from 83.2% in 2000
22.4% rent
Persons per household
2.59 people
+2%since 2009
from 2.53 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
Afford Score
3.9
−21%since 2009
from 5.0 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic89.9%(459,174)
Black2.8%(14,431)
Hispanic / Latino5%(25,638)
Asian1.3%(6,426)
Other0%
2020
White, non-Hispanic81.7%(520,578)
Black2.8%(17,649)
Hispanic / Latino10.4%(66,329)
Asian1.8%(11,339)
Other1.8%(11,526)
Segregation Score
29
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 Rican3.4%(20,263)
Mexican2.3%(13,713)
South American1.1%(6,780)
Central American0.7%(4,270)
Dominican0.6%(3,765)
Cuban0.5%(3,113)
Peruvian0.3%(1,962)
Ecuadorian0.3%(1,915)
Spaniard0.3%(1,861)
Salvadoran0.3%(1,764)
Colombian0.3%(1,526)
Honduran0.1%(848)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Costa Rican0.1%(772)
Argentine0.1%(660)
Guatemalan0.1%(443)
Chilean0%(301)
Panamanian0%(255)
Venezuelan0%(155)
Uruguayan0%(148)
Bolivian0%(66)
Asian origin
Filipino0.7%(4,193)
Asian Indian0.4%(2,247)
Chinese0.3%(2,095)
Vietnamese0.1%(761)
Korean0.1%(740)
Taiwanese0%(221)
Mongolian0%(220)
Pakistani0%(218)
Japanese0%(211)
Thai0%(72)
Burmese0%(52)
Laotian0%(52)
+ 3 more asian origin groups with data
Pacific Islander origin
Tongan0%(24)
Samoan0%(20)
Chamorro0%(15)
Ancestry
Italian22.7%(136,844)
Irish20.2%(121,857)
German14.8%(88,979)
Polish8.5%(50,975)
English6.7%(40,347)
American5.6%(33,992)
Hungarian2%(12,044)
Russian1.9%(11,381)
French1.4%(8,604)
Scottish1.3%(7,679)
Dutch1.1%(6,414)
Ukrainian0.8%(4,878)
+ 48 more ancestry groups with data
Swedish0.8%(4,557)
Norwegian0.8%(4,532)
Portuguese0.7%(4,363)
Greek0.7%(4,185)
Lithuanian0.7%(4,144)
West Indian0.5%(3,114)
Scotch-Irish0.5%(3,032)
Slovak0.5%(3,009)
Austrian0.5%(2,724)
Czech0.4%(2,662)
British0.4%(2,370)
French Canadian0.3%(2,088)
Welsh0.3%(2,049)
Danish0.3%(1,884)
Romanian0.3%(1,795)
Jamaican0.3%(1,597)
Egyptian0.2%(1,450)
Canadian0.2%(1,368)
Brazilian0.2%(1,085)
Swiss0.2%(1,083)
Syrian0.2%(949)
Latvian0.1%(749)
Guyanese0.1%(668)
Croatian0.1%(646)
Moroccan0.1%(615)
Armenian0.1%(587)
Turkish0.1%(577)
Israeli0.1%(551)
Haitian0.1%(514)
Belgian0.1%(367)
Finnish0.1%(366)
Lebanese0%(300)
Ghanaian0%(232)
Iranian0%(209)
Australian0%(184)
Arab0%(182)
Barbadian0%(128)
Nigerian0%(126)
Slovene0%(124)
Bulgarian0%(108)
Serbian0%(102)
Ethiopian0%(25)
Iraqi0%(8)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
31.4%
+11.9 ptssince 2000
from 19.5% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
92.4%
+9.4 ptssince 2000
from 83.0% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
10.7%
+4.6 ptssince 2000
from 6.1% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
31.0 min
+25%since 2000
from 24.9 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
81.7%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 82.2% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
6.3%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 6.3% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
5.3%
−3.9 ptssince 2011
from 9.2% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
58.7%
−0.3 ptssince 2011
from 59.0% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
75.8%
US average: 73.3%
Management & professional
38.8%
+5.2 ptssince 2009
from 33.6% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.3%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 47.9% in 2009
Female
51.7%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 52.1% in 2009
Foreign born
7.7%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 7.4% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
4.9%
−4.1 ptssince 2013
from 9.0% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
90.5%
US average: 91.9%
Same house as last year
90.2%
US average: 86.2%
Marital status (2024)
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
4.9%
−4.1 ptssince 2013
from 9.0% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Employer-based
57.7%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
15.9%
US average: 13.7%
Medicare
23.9%
US average: 17.6%
Medicaid
20.2%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
2.0%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
70.9%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
42.0%
US average: 35.2%

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, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later)12.4%(4,263)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)9.1%(3,113)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era41.7%(14,309)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War14.3%(4,891)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II4.5%(1,543)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 34,308 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
Drill deeper

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Head to head

Compare Ocean County to nearby counties

OCEAN COUNTY VS
Burlington County
Income$108,111+49%
Home value$354,000+23%
Population481,439−29%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
OCEAN COUNTY VS
Monmouth County
Income$124,845+72%
Home value$606,100+111%
Population651,035−3%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
OCEAN COUNTY VS
Atlantic County
Income$78,050+7%
Home value$295,000+3%
Population278,657−59%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
OCEAN COUNTY VS
Mercer County
Income$100,645+38%
Home value$377,700+32%
Population399,289−41%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Ocean County, New Jersey?

Ocean County, New Jersey has about 637,229 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Ocean County, New Jersey earns about $72,679 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 $286,700, and the typical rent is about $1,459 a month.

How educated are people in Ocean County, New Jersey?

About 31.4% 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 9.9% 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 204,026 residents, a change of about 47 percent over that period.

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

How we source and harmonize this data →