HomeNew JerseyOcean County
Ocean County, New Jersey: commercial real estate data.
Ocean County, New Jersey had an estimated 666,434 residents on July 1, 2024, up 4.6 percent since the 2020 census base of 637,300, across 629 square miles. County output reached $31.71 bn in 2024, 15,020 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 1,064 7(a) approvals worth $451.2 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Ocean County
How many people live in Ocean County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024654,362
- Households243,843
- Average household size2.68
- Median household income$89,863
- Median age41.2
- Median gross rent$1,755 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$398,400
- Home value to household income4.4 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income23.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher34.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree12.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over443,137
- Population under 18163,366
- Share under 1825.0 percent
- Population 65 and over148,007
- Share 65 and over22.6 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64342,989
- Civilian labor force300,196
- Unemployment rate5.4 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over61.1 percent
- Rank by population among New Jersey counties5th of 21
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included107th of 3,222
Ocean County is the 5th largest of 21 New Jersey counties by population. A median home costs 4.4 times median household income, which is seriously unaffordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 25.0 percent against 22.6 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Ocean County
Is Ocean County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 2024666,434
- Census 2020 base population637,300
- Population change since the 2020 census base4.57 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 20245,989
- Births, 202410,235
- Deaths, 20247,156
- Natural change, 20243,079
- Net domestic migration, 20241,130
- Net international migration, 20241,776
- Total net migration, 20242,906
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 202414,819
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents602nd of 3,144
The county has grown 4.57 percent since the 2020 census base. The population grew in 2024 from both sources: births exceeded deaths and more people moved in than left.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Ocean County
Where are people moving to Ocean County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving13,731
- People arriving, from those returns23,239
- Tax returns filed by households leaving12,654
- Net household movement1,077
- Adjusted gross income arriving$1.44 bn
- Net adjusted gross income movement$148.2 m
- Average income of an arriving household$104,688
- Average income of a leaving household$101,885
- Largest single originMonmouth County (3,127 households)
- Largest single destinationMonmouth County (2,213 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monmouth County | 3,127 | 5,254 | $307.4 m |
| Middlesex County | 1,155 | 1,893 | $110.8 m |
| Kings County | 706 | 1,841 | $68.9 m |
| Bergen County | 627 | 991 | $78.4 m |
| Union County | 548 | 948 | $76.1 m |
| Burlington County | 443 | 752 | $45.0 m |
| Richmond County | 437 | 763 | $39.4 m |
| Hudson County | 418 | 651 | $51.8 m |
Households arriving report $2,803 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around. The largest single source of arrivals is Monmouth County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Ocean County
What is the Ocean County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$31.71 bn
- County GDP, 2023$30.34 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.5 percent
- GDP change over five years31.9 percent
- Rank by GDP among the New Jersey areas BEA publishes12th of 21
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes187th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$48,458
Output grew 4.5 percent in the latest year and 31.9 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Ocean County
Employment by industry in Ocean County
- Covered employment, annual average189,912
- Establishments reporting15,958
- Average annual pay$57,452
- Average weekly wage$1,105
- Health care and social assistance, employment43,504
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$60,910
- Retail trade, employment27,121
- Retail trade, average annual pay$42,945
- Accommodation and food services, employment18,323
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$28,468
- Construction, employment11,059
- Construction, average annual pay$72,329
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment9,098
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment8,517
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 43,504 | 2,882 | $60,910 |
| Retail trade | 27,121 | 1,770 | $42,945 |
| Accommodation and food services | 18,323 | 1,298 | $28,468 |
| Construction | 11,059 | 1,810 | $72,329 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 9,098 | 1,430 | $86,173 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 8,517 | 979 | $55,733 |
| Educational services | 8,349 | 278 | $34,205 |
| Other services, except public administration | 7,979 | 1,306 | $37,737 |
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 43,504 jobs, 22.9 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Ocean County
How many businesses are in Ocean County?
- Establishments, all industries15,020
- Employment at those establishments172,650
- Annual payroll$8.77 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents23.0
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Ocean County
Building permits in Ocean County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20243,706
- Declared construction value permitted$618.9 m
- Single family units authorized2,808
- Multifamily units authorized898
- Multifamily share of units24.2 percent
- Average declared value per unit$166,994
- Units authorized per 1,000 households15.2
Single-family homes are 75.8 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Ocean County
SBA loans in Ocean County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded1,064
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$451.2 m
- Average 7(a) approval$424,049
- Median 7(a) approval$150,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,121,910
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)7,912
- Jobs per approval7.4
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active85
- Distinct industries receiving approvals280
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer12.5 percent
- Loans on real estate terms133
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter902
- Franchise loans48
- Franchise share of approvals4.5 percent
- Leading industry by approval countResidential Remodelers (46)
- Most active lenderTD Bank, National Association (386)
- 504 approvals recorded104
- 504 gross approval dollars$114.9 m
- Average 504 approval$1,104,529
- Median 504 approval$697,000
- Distinct CDCs active4
- 504 jobs per approval12.9
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved11.7
- Most active CDCTrenton Business Assistance Corporation (66)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$566.1 m
The average approval of $424,049 sits well above the median of $150,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 12.5 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Ocean County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Ocean County
Do SBA loans in Ocean County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded192
- Paid in full154
- Charged off38
- Charge-off rate on resolved loans19.8 percent
- Status: Exempt from disclosure697
- Status: Paid in full154
- Status: Cancelled118
- Status: Charged off38
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed57
Of the 192 loans that have reached a final outcome, 19.8 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Ocean County
SBA lending by place in Ocean County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending51
- Lakewood, approvals312
- Toms River, approvals214
- Jackson, approvals100
- Brick, approvals80
- Forked River, approvals42
- Manahawkin, approvals40
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Lakewood | 312 | $143,482,600 |
| Toms River | 214 | $80,658,800 |
| Jackson | 100 | $37,040,800 |
| Brick | 80 | $27,861,300 |
| Forked River | 42 | $12,575,400 |
| Manahawkin | 40 | $11,812,300 |
| Barnegat | 36 | $12,526,500 |
| Bayville | 24 | $10,205,000 |
| 43 other borrower cities | 216 | $115,025,200 |
Lakewood accounts for 312 approvals against 214 in Toms River. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Ocean County
How large is Ocean County?
- Land area629 sq mi
- Rank by land area among New Jersey counties2nd of 21
- Width, east to west27.7 mi
- Height, north to south46.4 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary3
- Residents per square mile of land1,040
- Establishments per square mile23.88
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Ocean County
Flood risk in Ocean County
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book33
- Of those, participating in the NFIP33
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 5
- Communities carrying a CRS class22
- Radon levels in Ocean County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
The EPA places Ocean County in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. The best Community Rating System class among the county's communities is 5, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for policies written in that community. 100.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Ocean County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Ocean County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024654,362
- Households243,843
- Average household size2.68
- Median household income$89,863
- Median age41.2
Common questions
Ocean County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Ocean County, New Jersey?
The Census Bureau estimates 666,434 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 654,362, in 243,843 households, ranking 5th of 21 New Jersey counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Ocean County's population growing?
The population has grown 4.57 percent since the 2020 census base of 637,300, to 666,434 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 10,235 births against 7,156 deaths, with net migration of 2,906. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Ocean County?
$89,863. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $398,400, which is 4.4 times income, and median gross rent is $1,755 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Ocean County?
15,020 establishments, employing 172,650 people with an annual payroll of $8.77 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Ocean County?
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 43,504 jobs, 22.9 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 189,912 jobs at an average annual pay of $57,452, or $1,105 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Ocean County?
1,064 7(a) approvals totaling $451.2 m since FY2020, across 85 lenders, with a median approval of $150,000, plus 104 504 approvals worth $114.9 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Ocean County get paid back?
Of the 192 loans that have reached a final outcome, 154 were paid in full and 38 charged off, a charge-off rate of 19.8 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
How many building permits were issued in Ocean County?
3,706 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $618.9 m. Multifamily was 24.2 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Ocean County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Ocean County come from?
The largest single origin is Monmouth County, with 3,127 households. Arriving households report an average income of $104,688 against $101,885 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Ocean County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Ocean County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Ocean County
Cities and places in Ocean.
46 Census places lie wholly or partly in Ocean County. All 46 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toms River | CDP | 94,956 | 214 | Wholly in this county |
| Lakewood | CDP | 69,585 | 312 | Wholly in this county |
| Point Pleasant | borough | 19,334 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Ocean Acres | CDP | 19,204 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Holiday City-Berkeley | CDP | 12,995 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Beachwood | borough | 11,088 | 8 | Wholly in this county |
| Pine Lake Park | CDP | 9,795 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Mystic Island | CDP | 8,259 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Crestwood Village | CDP | 7,830 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Leisure Village | CDP | 5,751 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Forked River | CDP | 5,196 | 42 | Wholly in this county |
| Beach Haven West | CDP | 5,120 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Point Pleasant Beach | borough | 4,855 | 18 | Wholly in this county |
| Holiday City South | CDP | 4,270 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Leisure Village East | CDP | 4,247 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Leisure Village West | CDP | 3,969 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| South Toms River | borough | 3,716 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Tuckerton | borough | 3,654 | 7 | Wholly in this county |
| Barnegat | CDP | 3,360 | 36 | Wholly in this county |
| Pine Ridge at Crestwood | CDP | 2,719 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Lakehurst | borough | 2,681 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Leisure Knoll | CDP | 2,668 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Seaside Heights | borough | 2,478 | 9 | Wholly in this county |
| Manahawkin | CDP | 2,392 | 40 | Wholly in this county |
| Pine Beach | borough | 2,306 | 6 | Wholly in this county |
| North Beach Haven | CDP | 2,277 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Vista Center | CDP | 2,133 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Holiday Heights | CDP | 2,121 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Waretown | CDP | 2,076 | 8 | Wholly in this county |
| New Egypt | CDP | 2,050 | 8 | Wholly in this county |
| Lavallette | borough | 1,865 | 6 | Wholly in this county |
| Seaside Park | borough | 1,793 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Island Heights | borough | 1,720 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Dover Beaches South | CDP | 1,601 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Ocean Gate | borough | 1,599 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Dover Beaches North | CDP | 1,586 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Cedar Glen Lakes | CDP | 1,519 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Cedar Glen West | CDP | 1,504 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Silver Ridge | CDP | 1,279 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Bay Head | borough | 1,205 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Surf City | borough | 1,195 | 7 | Wholly in this county |
| Beach Haven | borough | 1,055 | 12 | Wholly in this county |
| Ship Bottom | borough | 957 | 8 | Wholly in this county |
| Barnegat Light | borough | 500 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Harvey Cedars | borough | 487 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Mantoloking | borough | 481 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
A further 307 of the county's 1,064 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Ocean County, the largest being Jackson (100), Brick (80), Bayville (24). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.
Nearby