Ocean County, New Jersey Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for Ocean County, New Jersey, including popular demographics data like median age, number of households, household income, gender, employment and unemployment rates, occupations, religion, and more.

We are using the latest American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year survey data from the US Census Bureau, which is accurate up to 2021.

Table of Contents

Population

There is a lot of data that lets us see how many people live in Ocean County, New Jersey. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in Ocean County, New Jersey. The estimated population of Ocean County, New Jersey is 630,057 people, with a median age of 42.

We can look at the total population in Ocean County over the last 5 years to see how much it has changed.

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
630,057
+4.66%
+6.84%
2020
602,018
+0.94%
-
2019
596,415
+0.76%
-
2018
591,939
+0.38%
-
2017
589,699
 - -

Population of Ocean County, New Jersey by Race and Ethnicity

We can also look at how the population has changed over the last 5 years by each of the race/ethnicity types as defined by the US Census Bureau.

Race 2021 2017 Change
White
83.9%
84.9%
 -1.18%
Black/African American
2.8%
2.8%
 0.00%
Native
0%
0%
 0.00%
Hispanic
9.5%
9%
 +5.56%
Asian
1.9%
1.9%
 0.00%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0%
0%
 0.00%
Two Or More Races
1.7%
1.2%
 +41.67%
Other
0.3%
0.1%
 +200.00%

This data can be very important for a number of reasons, including social and economic research, planning and development, and marketing to a multi-cultural population.

Note that the Native group includes both Native American and Alaskan Native people.

Population of Ocean County, New Jersey by Age and Gender

The age and gender of a population is another interesting demographic statistic because it lets us track trends in the population over time. For example, we can see how the population has changed over the last 5 years by median age as a total, and also by male and female.

Year Total Male Female
2021 42 -0.94% 39.6 -0.25% 44.6 -1.55%
2020 42.4 -0.7% 39.7 -0.75% 45.3 -0.22%
2019 42.7 -0.47% 40 -0.25% 45.4 0%
2018 42.9 0% 40.1 -0.25% 45.4 0%
2017 42.9 - 40.2 - 45.4 -

The median age of Ocean County, New Jersey gives you an idea of the age distribution, with half of the population being older than the median age and half being younger.

This can then be used to infer and compare against birth rates, parent ages, and more metrics to understand the population. For example, an increasing median age indicates an aging population, which can be a sign of a declining population in terms of birth rates and workforce participation.

Age 2021 2017
(Years) Male Female Male Female
0 to 9 39,834 +13.26% 38,674 +7.03% 45,302 41,440
10 to 19 37,656 +7.35% 34,628 +14.08% 40,478 39,705
20 to 29 33,171 +5.26% 32,147 +5.94% 34,941 34,084
30 to 39 30,669 +9.44% 30,688 +7.06% 33,646 32,870
40 to 49 32,595 -0.73% 33,448 -3.71% 32,293 32,202
50 to 59 38,152 +2.07% 40,716 +0.82% 38,881 41,043
60 to 69 33,118 +16.71% 40,381 +10.24% 38,986 44,643
70+ 38,764 +7.31% 55,058 +5.01% 41,676 57,867

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of Ocean County, New Jersey is $76,644.00.

In simple terms, the median income is the middle income of a group of people. Half of the people in the group make more than the median income, and half make less. The median income is a good indicator of the overall income of a group of people, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more.

Median Income by Age

We can also look at the median income by age to see how the median income varies by age, and how it compares to the overall median income for Ocean County.

  • Under 25
    $36,085.00
  • 25 to 44
    $89,483.00
  • 45 to 64
    $100,794.00
  • 65 and over
    $53,262.00

Average Household Income

Whenever we ask what is the average household income in Ocean County, we are actually talking about the mean household income.

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in Ocean County, and then dividing that number by the total number of households. This is a good way to get a general idea of the average income of a group of people, but it can be skewed by a very high or very low incomes.

The average household income of Ocean County, New Jersey is currently $102,046.00.

In terms of accurately summarizing income at a geographic level, the median income is a better metric than the average income because it isn't affected by a small number of very high or very low incomes.

If you had an area where the average income was greater than the median, it can mean that there is significant income inequality, with income being concentrated in a small number of wealthy households.

10.01% of households in Ocean County are classed as high income households (making $200,000+ per year).

Household Income Tiers

The US Census Bureau divides households into income tiers based on the median income for the area. This is a good way to compare the income of Ocean County against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    14.07%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    18.62%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    16.28%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    13.35%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    18.14%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    9.54%
  • $200,000 or more
    10.01%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in Ocean County is $39,035.00.

Per capita income is the average income of a person in a given area. It is calculated by dividing the total income of Ocean County by the total population of Ocean County.

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people in Ocean County, New Jersey, including people like children, the elderly, unemployed people, retired people, and more.

Education Levels

We can also look at the education levels in Ocean County to see how many people have a high school degree, a bachelor's degree, or a graduate degree.

Educational attainment is a good indicator of the overall education level of a population, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more to see how education levels affect income, unemployment rates, and more.

  • Master's degree or higher
    12.44%
  • Bachelor's degree
    30.42%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    10.27%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    44.05%
  • Less than high school diploma
    2.81%

Employment

Employment rates are all based around the total population in Ocean County that are over the age of 16.

The total population of Ocean County over the age of 16 is 491,970.

Of those people, a total of 59.10% are working or actively looking for work. This is called the labor force participation rate.

The participation rate is a useful market measure because it shows the relative amount of labor resources available to the economy.

The employment to total population rate in Ocean County is 55.50%.

Employment by Age

We can look at the employment rates by age to see how it compares to the overall employment rate.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
16 to 19 years 28,838 38.60% 13.40%
20 to 24 years 33,679 75.30% 7.60%
25 to 29 years 35,346 83.10% 4.70%
30 to 34 years 33,113 82.30% 4.90%
35 to 44 years 64,208 82.90% 3.80%
45 to 54 years 71,373 84.20% 4.70%
55 to 59 years 42,241 75.90% 6.60%
60 to 64 years 43,392 61.50% 6.20%
65 to 74 years 76,221 27.90% 7.80%
75 years and over 63,559 6.60% 5.30%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in Ocean County. The table below shows the rates for each of the ethnicity groups types defined by the US Census Bureau.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
White 439,226 57.90% 5.60%
Black or African American 15,880 65.10% 7.20%
American Indian and Alaska Native 881 81.80% 22.50%
Asian 9,933 68.40% 6.50%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 88 69.30% 32.80%
Other 12,068 71.30% 3.50%
Two or more races 13,894 70.60% 7.90%
Hispanic or Latino 41,547 70.10% 5.20%
Not Hispanic or Latino 418,050 57.50% 5.70%

Occupations

In this section we can look at the most common occupations in Ocean County as well as the gender breakdown and earnings of them.

The total population of civilian employees that are 16 years old or older in Ocean County is 273,262, with median earnings of $46,394.00.

Women in Ocean County, New Jersey earning approximately 63.40% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 273,262 $46,394.00
Male 139,051 $57,025.00
Female 134,211 $36,162.00

Occupations by Category

In the table below, we can break down the population and earnings even further by occupation. The list of occupation categories below will show you how many people are employed in each category and the median earnings of each profession.

Occupation Employed Earnings
Management 28,198 $85,768.00
Business and Financial 13,784 $73,505.00
Computer and Mathematical 6,035 $82,737.00
Architecture and Engineering 4,470 $88,510.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 1,955 $68,069.00
Community and Social Service 5,499 $54,417.00
Legal 2,792 $71,438.00
Educational and Library 26,074 $48,282.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 3,767 $41,030.00
Healthcare Practitioners 17,945 $64,472.00
Healthcare Support 8,323 $27,216.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 3,822 $42,899.00
Law Enforcement 4,521 $102,105.00
Food Preparation and Serving 13,217 $15,700.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 8,150 $28,443.00
Personal Care and Service 9,087 $17,410.00
Sales 32,877 $35,829.00
Office and Administrative Support 34,748 $37,081.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 205 $39,671.00
Construction and Extraction 14,057 $54,135.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 9,575 $59,285.00
Production 7,074 $54,462.00
Transportation and Material Moving 10,293 $41,042.00

Occupations by Gender

The table below shows the same occupations from the list above, but we have split them by male and female to see how many male and females work in each occupation, the median earnings, and the male to female ratio of earnings.

That last metric is important because it can be used to look at the gender pay gap between men and women.

Occupation Male Female
Population Earnings Population Earnings
Management 17,322 $96,602.00 10,876 $69,577.00
Business and Financial 6,769 $79,489.00 7,015 $66,831.00
Computer and Mathematical 4,762 $90,431.00 1,273 $64,159.00
Architecture and Engineering 3,953 $89,800.00 517 $55,417.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 773 $76,793.00 1,182 $67,703.00
Community and Social Service 1,760 $54,328.00 3,739 $54,480.00
Legal 1,199 $83,782.00 1,593 $65,900.00
Educational and Library 7,840 $48,808.00 18,234 $44,742.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 1,654 $52,071.00 2,113 $26,893.00
Healthcare Practitioners 4,090 $88,646.00 13,855 $61,976.00
Healthcare Support 1,579 $31,601.00 6,744 $26,667.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 3,157 $44,695.00 665 $22,193.00
Law Enforcement 4,160 $103,952.00 361 $90,188.00
Food Preparation and Serving 5,716 $20,189.00 7,501 $13,583.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 6,033 $32,332.00 2,117 $16,978.00
Personal Care and Service 1,720 $21,816.00 7,367 $16,679.00
Sales 17,162 $50,476.00 15,715 $24,303.00
Office and Administrative Support 6,916 $51,406.00 27,832 $35,289.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 190 $39,605.00 15 $0.00
Construction and Extraction 13,685 $55,654.00 372 $33,571.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 9,440 $59,640.00 135 $14,890.00
Production 5,193 $63,206.00 1,881 $32,616.00
Transportation and Material Moving 9,075 $43,306.00 1,218 $28,750.00

Households and Family Size

A household defined bu the US Census Bureau is a group of people who occupy a housing unit. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, group of rooms, or single room occupied as separate living quarters.

There are currently 237,729 households in Ocean County, with an average household size of 2.62 people.

A family is defined as a group of two or more people related by birth, marriage, or adoption who live together in the same household.

There are 156,769 families in Ocean County with an average family size of 3.29 people.

Households by Marital Status

The four categories of household by marital status are:

  • Married-couple family
  • Male householder with no spouse present
  • Female household with no spouse present
  • Nonfamily household

The table below shows the total number of households and families, with the average sizes of each.

Married Male Female Nonfamily
Total Households 125,838 8,958 21,973 80,960
Average Household Size 3.43 3.16 3.06 1.19
Total Families 125,838 8,958 21,973 0
Average Household Size 3.4 2.8 2.87 0

Poverty

Of the 156,769 families in Ocean County, 6.50% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in Ocean County:

Household Size Poverty Threshold
1 Person $14,580.00
2 People $19,720.00
3 People $24,860.00
4 People $30,000.00
5 People $35,140.00
6 People $40,280.00
7 People $45,420.00
8 People $50,560.00

Housing

There are 292,546 housing units in Ocean County, New Jersey.

The table below shows the split between occupied and vacant units:

Total Percentage
Occupied 237,729 81.26%
Vacant 54,817 18.74%

15.52% of the total 292,546 housing units in Ocean County are rental units. This is approximately 45,407 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 189,354 are occupied by the owner - or 64.73% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in Ocean County is $1,538.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in Ocean County that fall into a particular rent range. These can then be used to compare with other areas, or to see how they have changed over time.

  • No rent paid
    2,968
  • Less than $500
    2,329
  • $500 to $999
    3,484
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    15,799
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    14,519
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    6,652
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    1,821
  • $3,000 or more
    803

Property Value

The median value of a property in Ocean County is $298,800.00.

Just like with rental rates, we can look at the number of properties in Ocean County that fall into a particular value range.

  • Less than $50,000
    8,495
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    7,738
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    10,570
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    19,322
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    49,135
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    64,107
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    25,823
  • $1,000,000 or more
    4,164

Property Age

We can also look at the age of properties in Ocean County. The chart below shows the number of properties in Ocean County that fall into a particular age range.

  • 1939 or earlier
    12,257
  • 1940 to 1949
    8,247
  • 1950 to 1959
    27,545
  • 1960 to 1969
    38,251
  • 1970 to 1979
    57,993
  • 1980 to 1989
    49,845
  • 1990 to 1999
    37,117
  • 2000 to 2009
    38,929
  • 2010 to 2013
    21,649
  • 2014 or later
    713

Vehicles per Household

The number of vehicles available per household can be a good indicator of the level of affluence in an area. The chart below shows the number of households in Ocean County that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    14,263
  • 1 vehicle available
    83,202
  • 2 vehicles available
    91,891
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    48,373

Commuting to Work

In this section, we can also look at how people in Ocean County get to work. The chart below shows the number of people in Ocean County that commute to work in a particular way.

30.6 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in Ocean County.

These commute times can be compared to other date like income and educational levels to see how they relate to each other and if there are any trends in the data that might suggest a correlation.

  • Less than 5 minutes
    6,442
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    25,591
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    31,555
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    33,444
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    30,785
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    13,491
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    26,945
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    7,692
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    10,848
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    20,577
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    23,554
  • 90 or more minutes
    13,187

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for Ocean County, New Jersey in this article! Hopefully you have found it very useful in your research of the area.

If you use any of the data found on this page, please consider linking back to USPopulation.org as the source and if you have any feedback or data requests, click here to contact us.

Places in Ocean County, New Jersey

We have data for 40 places in Ocean County, New Jersey. Click on a place below to see more information about the demographics of that place.