Ocean County, New Jersey

Ocean County
County
Sunrise at Barnegat Lighthouse on Long Beach Island, facing the Atlantic Ocean
Flag Seal
Location within the U.S. state of New Jersey
New Jersey's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 39.87°N 74.25°W / 39.87; -74.25
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
Founded	1850
Named for	Atlantic Ocean
Seat	Toms River
Largest municipality	Lakewood Township (population) Jackson Township (area)
Government
• Commissioner Director	Barbara Jo Crea (R, term ends December 31, 2024)
Area
• Total	914.84 sq mi (2,369.4 km2)
• Land	628.29 sq mi (1,627.3 km2)
• Water	286.55 sq mi (742.2 km2)  31.3%
Population  (2020)
• Total	637,229
• Estimate  (2023)	659,197
• Density	700/sq mi (270/km2)
Congressional districts	2nd, 4th
Website	co.ocean.nj.us

Ocean County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the southernmost county in the New York metropolitan area. The county borders the Atlantic Ocean on the east and in terms of total area is the state's largest county. Its county seat is Toms River. The county is part of the Jersey Shore and is considered part of the Central Jersey region of the state, though it was not among the four counties explicitly listed as included in Central Jersey as part of legislation signed into law in 2023.

Since 2020, Ocean County has been the fastest-growing county in New Jersey, with a population of 637,229 recorded at the 2020 United States census, its highest decennial count ever and ranking the county as the state's sixth-most populous county, with an increase of 60,662 (+10.5%) from the 576,567 enumerated at the 2010 census, which in turn reflected an increase of 65,651 (+12.8%) from the 510,916 counted in the 2000 census. Since 2010, Ocean County's population has been growing faster than the United States as a whole. The United States Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program estimated a 2023 population of 659,197, an increase of 21,968 (+3.4%) from the 2020 decennial census. Ocean County’s most populous and fastest-growing place is Lakewood Township, with an estimated 139,866 residents as of 2023, while Jackson Township covers 100.62 square miles (260.6 km²), the largest total area of any municipality in the county.

Ocean County is located 50 miles (80 km) east of Philadelphia, 70 miles (110 km) south of New York City, and 25 miles (40 km) north of Atlantic City, making it a prime vacation destination for residents of these cities during the summer. As with the entire Jersey Shore, summer traffic routinely clogs local roadways throughout the season. Over 31% of Ocean County's total area is water.

Ocean County is part of the New York metropolitan area. The county is also home to many tourist attractions frequented by Philadelphia metropolitan area residents, including the beachfront communities of Seaside Heights, Long Beach Island, and Point Pleasant Beach, and Six Flags Great Adventure, an amusement park in Jackson Township that was the home to the world's tallest and second-fastest roller coaster, Kingda Ka. Ocean County is a gateway to New Jersey's Pine Barrens, one of the largest protected land areas on the East Coast.

History

Prior to its creation, Ocean County was almost entirely within Shrewsbury township in Monmouth county, With the exception of Tuckerton, and Little Egg Harbor. Ocean County was established on February 15, 1850, from portions of Monmouth County, with the addition of Little Egg Harbor Township which was annexed from Burlington County on March 30, 1891. It derives its name from the Atlantic Ocean that it borders. The most populous municipality in the county is the rapidly growing Lakewood Township, with 135,158 residents in 2020, its highest decennial count ever and an increase of 42,315 (+45.6%) from its 2010 census count of 92,843; while Jackson Township covers 100.62 square miles (260.6 km²), the largest total area of any municipality in Ocean County.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of the 2020 Census, the county had a total area of 914.84 square miles (2,369.4 km²), making it the largest county in New Jersey in terms of total area (ahead of Burlington County), of which 628.29 square miles (1,627.3 km²) was land (68.7%) and 286.55 square miles (742.2 km²) was water (31.3%).

Much of the county is flat and coastal, with an extensive shoreline and many beaches along the Jersey Shore, including Barnegat Light, Beach Haven, Harvey Cedars, Lavallette, Mantoloking, Seaside Heights, Seaside Park, Ship Bottom, and Surf City. The highest point is one of three unnamed hills (one in Jackson Township, the other two in Plumsted Township) that reach at least 230 feet (70 m) in elevation. The lowest elevation in the county is at sea level along the county's lengthy Atlantic Ocean and Barnegat Bay coastlines.

Climate

Climate data for Jackson Township, New Jersey
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	41 (5)	44 (7)	51 (11)	61 (16)	71 (22)	80 (27)	85 (29)	83 (28)	77 (25)	67 (19)	57 (14)	46 (8)	64 (18)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	22 (−6)	24 (−4)	30 (−1)	39 (4)	49 (9)	59 (15)	64 (18)	62 (17)	55 (13)	43 (6)	35 (2)	27 (−3)	42 (6)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	3.92 (100)	3.30 (84)	4.79 (122)	4.07 (103)	3.73 (95)	3.80 (97)	4.60 (117)	4.69 (119)	3.79 (96)	3.90 (99)	4.11 (104)	4.51 (115)	49.21 (1,251)
Source:

Climate data for Beach Haven Beach, New Jersey (1981–2010 averages)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	40.6 (4.8)	42.5 (5.8)	49.2 (9.6)	57.7 (14.3)	67.9 (19.9)	77.0 (25.0)	82.7 (28.2)	81.6 (27.6)	75.6 (24.2)	65.1 (18.4)	55.1 (12.8)	45.3 (7.4)	61.8 (16.6)
Daily mean °F (°C)	33.4 (0.8)	35.4 (1.9)	41.7 (5.4)	50.5 (10.3)	60.3 (15.7)	69.7 (20.9)	75.4 (24.1)	74.5 (23.6)	68.2 (20.1)	57.1 (13.9)	47.7 (8.7)	38.2 (3.4)	54.4 (12.4)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	26.3 (−3.2)	28.2 (−2.1)	34.3 (1.3)	43.2 (6.2)	52.7 (11.5)	62.4 (16.9)	68.2 (20.1)	67.5 (19.7)	60.7 (15.9)	49.0 (9.4)	40.3 (4.6)	31.1 (−0.5)	47.1 (8.4)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	3.21 (82)	3.06 (78)	3.97 (101)	3.40 (86)	2.80 (71)	2.68 (68)	3.80 (97)	4.09 (104)	2.83 (72)	3.44 (87)	2.90 (74)	3.32 (84)	39.50 (1,003)
Average relative humidity (%)	68.1	65.8	64.5	65.3	69.0	72.6	71.9	73.3	72.4	70.2	69.5	68.4	69.3
Average dew point °F (°C)	24.0 (−4.4)	25.1 (−3.8)	30.6 (−0.8)	39.3 (4.1)	50.1 (10.1)	60.5 (15.8)	65.7 (18.7)	65.4 (18.6)	59.0 (15.0)	47.5 (8.6)	38.2 (3.4)	28.7 (−1.8)	44.6 (7.0)
Source: PRISM

Toms River, New Jersey
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D     3.9     41 24     3.3     44 25     4.8     51 32     4.1     61 41     3.7     71 51     3.8     80 61     4.6     85 66     4.7     83 64     3.8     77 58     3.9     67 46     4.1     57 38     4.5     46 29 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F █ Precipitation totals in inches Source: The Weather Channel
Metric conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     100     5 −4     84     7 −4     122     11 0     103     16 5     95     22 11     97     27 16     117     29 19     119     28 18     96     25 14     99     19 8     104     14 3     115     8 −2 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C █ Precipitation totals in mm

Ocean County's area comprises 31.3% water. The coastal county along the Atlantic Ocean has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa and including the coast). In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Toms River have ranged from a low of 24 °F (−4 °C) in January to a high of 85 °F (29 °C) in July, although a record low of −19 °F (−28 °C) was recorded in January 1982 and a record high of 105 °F (41 °C) was recorded in July 1999. Average monthly temperatures in Tuckerton near the south end range from 33.2 °F (0.7 °C) in January to 75.7 °F (24.3 °C) in July.

The highest monthly average temperature for the county was 78.8 °F (26.0 °C) in July 2020; the lowest was 17.2 °F (−8.2 °C) in February 1934.

Average monthly precipitation ranged from 3.30 inches (84 mm) in February to 4.79 inches (122 mm) in March. Areas closer to the coast typically experience more mild winters and cooler summers due to the Atlantic Ocean's influence.

The highest total monthly precipitation recorded for the county was 15.67 in (39.8 cm) in August 2011, the same month Hurricane Irene hit the New Jersey coast; the lowest was .25 in (0.64 cm) recorded in October 1963.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1850	10,032		—
1860	11,176		11.4%
1870	13,628		21.9%
1880	14,455		6.1%
1890	15,974		10.5%
1900	19,747		23.6%
1910	21,318		8.0%
1920	22,155		3.9%
1930	33,069		49.3%
1940	37,706		14.0%
1950	56,622		50.2%
1960	108,241		91.2%
1970	208,470		92.6%
1980	346,038		66.0%
1990	433,203		25.2%
2000	510,916		17.9%
2010	576,567		12.8%
2020	637,229		10.5%
2023 (est.)	659,197		3.4%
Historical sources: 1790–1990 1970–2010 2010 2000–2010 2020

2020 census

The 2020 United States census counted 637,229 people and 237,729 households in the county. The population density was 1,014.2 inhabitants per square mile (391.6/km²). There were 295,648 housing units at an average density of 470.6 per square mile (181.7/km²). The racial makeup was 92.2% (587,525) White, 3.9% (24,852) Black or African American, 0.3% (1,912) Native American, 2.1% (13,382) Asian, 0.1% (637) Pacific Islander, and 1.5% (9,558) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 10.2% (64,997) of the population. The average household size was 2.62.

24.6% of the population were under the age of 18, 52.6% from 18 to 64, and 22.8% were 65 years of age or older. Females made up 51.3% of the total population.

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 576,567 people, 221,111 households, and 149,250 families in the county. The population density was 917 inhabitants per square mile (354/km²). There were 278,052 housing units at an average density of 442.2 per square mile (170.7/km²). The racial makeup was 90.98% (524,577) White, 3.15% (18,164) Black or African American, 0.17% (966) Native American, 1.75% (10,081) Asian, 0.02% (129) Pacific Islander, 2.46% (14,165) from other races, and 1.47% (8,485) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 8.29% (47,783) of the population.

Of the 221,111 households, 26.7% had children under the age of 18; 53.9% were married couples living together; 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present and 32.5% were non-families. Of all households, 27.8% were made up of individuals and 16.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.16.

23.4% of the population were under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 22.2% from 25 to 44, 25.9% from 45 to 64, and 21% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.6 years. For every 100 females, the population had 92 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 88.3 males.

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census there were 510,916 people, 200,402 households, and 137,876 families residing in the county. The population density was 803 inhabitants per square mile (310/km²). There were 248,711 housing units at an average density of 151/km² (390/sq mi). The racial makeup of the county was 93.05% White, 2.99% Black or African American, 0.14% Native American, 1.28% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.24% from other races, and 1.29% from two or more races. 5.02% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Among those who listed their ancestry, 25.3% were of Italian, 23.6% Irish, 18.7% German, 8.8% Polish and 8.5% English ancestry according to Census 2000. There were 200,402 households, out of which 28.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.40% were married couples living together, 9.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.20% were non-families. 27.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.06.

In the county, 23.30% of the population was under the age of 18, 6.60% was from 18 to 24, 26.00% from 25 to 44, 21.90% from 45 to 64, and 22.20% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.40 males. The median income for a household in the county was $46,443, and the median income for a family was $56,420. Males had a median income of $44,822 versus $30,717 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,054. About 4.8% of families and 7.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.0% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over.

As of the 2000 Census, Mantoloking was the wealthiest community in the state of New Jersey with a per capita money income of $114,017 as of 1999.

Economy

The Bureau of Economic Analysis calculated that the county's gross domestic product was $23.8 billion in 2022, which ranked 12th of 21 in the state. This was a 4.1% increase from the prior year, the 5th largest percent change in the state. The 2022 GDP numbers reflected the second year in a row of positive growth for the county, after 2020 saw a -0.4% change from 2019.

Ocean County is home to the Ocean County Mall in Toms River, featuring a gross leasable area of 898,000 square feet (83,400 m²). The now-closed Sears site will be replaced with 100,000 square feet (9,300 m²) of retail space.

Government

County government

The Ocean County Courthouse in Toms River was built in 1851.

Ocean County is governed by a Board of County Commissioners comprised of five members who are elected on an at-large basis in partisan elections and serving staggered three-year terms of office, with either one or two seats coming up for election each year as part of the November general election. At an annual reorganization held in the beginning of January, the board chooses a Director and a deputy director from among its members. In 2016, freeholders were paid $30,000 and the freeholder director was paid an annual salary of $31,000. This remained unchanged in 2018

As of 2024, Ocean County's Commissioners are (with terms for chair and vice-chair ending every December 31):

Commissioner	Party, Residence, Term
Director Barbara Jo Crea	R, Little Egg Harbor Township, 2024
Deputy Director Gary Quinn	R, Lacey Township, 2024
Virginia E. Haines	R, Toms River, 2025
John P. Kelly	R, Eagleswood Township, 2025
Frank Sadeghi	R, Toms River, 2026

Pursuant to Article VII Section II of the New Jersey State Constitution, each county in New Jersey is required to have three elected administrative officials known as "constitutional officers." These officers are the County Clerk and County Surrogate (both elected for five-year terms of office) and the County Sheriff (elected for a three-year term). Constitutional officers elected on a countywide basis are: Constitutional officers elected on a countywide basis are:

Office	Party, Residence, Term
County Clerk Scott M. Colabella	R, Barnegat Light, 2025
Sheriff Michael G. Mastronardy	R, Toms River, 2025
Surrogate Jeffrey Moran	R, Beachwood, 2028

No Democrat has won a countywide office since 1989. The Ocean County Prosecutor is Bradley D. Billhimer, who was nominated by Governor Phil Murphy. Billhimer was sworn in by New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal on October 12, 2018. Ocean County constitutes Vicinage 14 of the New Jersey Superior Court and is seated at the Ocean County Courthouse Complex in Toms River; the Assignment Judge for Vicinage 14 is Marlene Lynch Ford. Ocean County operates the Ocean County Southern Service Center in Manahawkin. This center offers access to all of the Ocean County government services without the need for residents to travel to the county seat located about 20 miles (32 km) to the north.

Federal representatives

The 2nd and 4th Congressional Districts cover the county. For the 118th United States Congress, New Jersey's 2nd congressional district is represented by Jeff Van Drew (R, Dennis Township). For the 118th United States Congress, New Jersey's 4th congressional district is represented by Chris Smith (R, Manchester Township).

State representatives

The 33 municipalities of Ocean County are covered by four legislative districts.

District	Senate	Assembly	Municipalities
9th	Carmen Amato (R)	Brian E. Rumpf (R) Greg Myhre (R)	Barnegat Township, Barnegat Light, Beach Haven, Beachwood, Berkeley Township, Eagleswood Township, Harvey Cedars, Lacey Township, Lakehurst, Little Egg Harbor Township, Long Beach Township, Manchester Township, Ocean Township, Ocean Gate, Pine Beach, Ship Bottom, Stafford Township, Surf City and Tuckerton.
10th	James W. Holzapfel (R)	Gregory P. McGuckin (R) Paul Kanitra (R)	Bay Head, Brick Township, Island Heights, Lavallette, Mantoloking, Point Pleasant, Point Pleasant Beach, Seaside Park, Seaside Heights, South Toms River, and Toms River Township. The remainder of this district includes portions of Monmouth County.
12th	Owen Henry (R)	Alex Sauickie (R) Robert D. Clifton (R)	Jackson Township and Plumsted Township. The remainder of this district includes portions of Burlington County, Middlesex County & Monmouth County.
30th	Robert Singer (R)	Sean T. Kean (R) Avi Schnall (D)	Lakewood Township. The remainder of this district includes portions of Monmouth County.

Politics

Ocean County is the most Republican county in New Jersey, a state that characteristically votes Democratic. In its history, it has failed to support a Republican for president only three times. As of 2024, all of its state legislators, County commissioners, and countywide constitutional officers are Republicans. The last Democratic presidential candidate to win Ocean County was Bill Clinton in 1996, who carried the county with a 46% plurality of the vote. The last Democrat to win a majority in the county was Lyndon Johnson in 1964. As of October 1, 2021, there were a total of 458,230 registered voters in Ocean County, of whom 171,085 (37.3%) were registered as Republicans, 102,005 (22.3%) were registered as Democrats and 179,085 (39.1%) were registered as unaffiliated. There were 6,055 voters (1.3%) registered to other parties. Among the county's 2010 Census population, 63.2% were registered to vote, including 82.6% of those ages 18 and over.

In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 58.4% of the vote here (160,677 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 40.1% (110,189 votes) among the 276,544 ballots cast by the county's 380,712 registered voters, for a turnout of 72.6%. The Republican vote totals and overall turnout were significantly down in 2012 due to damage and displacement caused by Hurricane Sandy just days before the election. In 2016 and 2020, it was New Jersey's most Republican county, and in 2020, it was the only one to give Donald Trump more than 60% of the vote; in fact, Trump won all but two municipalities in Ocean County in 2020.

United States presidential election results for Ocean County, New Jersey

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	217,740	63.53%	119,456	34.85%	5,550	1.62%
2016	179,079	64.71%	87,150	31.49%	10,496	3.79%
2012	146,475	58.16%	102,300	40.62%	3,079	1.22%
2008	160,677	58.43%	110,189	40.07%	4,111	1.50%
2004	154,204	60.13%	99,839	38.93%	2,424	0.95%
2000	105,684	48.84%	102,104	47.18%	8,605	3.98%
1996	82,830	40.81%	94,243	46.43%	25,903	12.76%
1992	95,984	44.39%	75,431	34.88%	44,828	20.73%
1988	124,587	65.38%	64,474	33.83%	1,497	0.79%
1984	124,391	70.23%	51,012	28.80%	1,710	0.97%
1980	98,433	62.47%	46,923	29.78%	12,212	7.75%
1976	77,875	56.93%	56,413	41.24%	2,493	1.82%
1972	77,979	72.43%	27,710	25.74%	1,978	1.84%
1968	41,995	53.87%	26,909	34.52%	9,059	11.62%
1964	25,985	40.78%	36,892	57.90%	837	1.31%
1960	31,430	60.56%	20,113	38.75%	355	0.68%
1956	28,033	74.80%	9,367	24.99%	79	0.21%
1952	23,490	72.80%	8,660	26.84%	117	0.36%
1948	16,740	70.43%	6,366	26.79%	661	2.78%
1944	13,317	63.32%	7,683	36.53%	32	0.15%
1940	13,394	60.38%	8,762	39.50%	26	0.12%
1936	11,293	52.84%	9,889	46.27%	190	0.89%
1932	10,513	56.95%	7,508	40.67%	439	2.38%
1928	12,301	73.19%	4,452	26.49%	54	0.32%
1924	8,677	70.99%	2,594	21.22%	951	7.78%
1920	6,840	74.84%	2,138	23.39%	161	1.76%
1916	3,386	61.26%	2,076	37.56%	65	1.18%
1912	919	18.60%	1,858	37.61%	2,163	43.79%
1908	3,326	65.15%	1,634	32.01%	145	2.84%
1904	3,666	65.94%	1,709	30.74%	185	3.33%
1900	3,182	65.81%	1,413	29.22%	240	4.96%
1896	3,384	72.59%	1,068	22.91%	210	4.50%

In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 65.6% of the vote here (124,238 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 28.4% (53,761 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 4.8% (9,068 votes) and other candidates with 1.2% (1,955 votes), among the 193,186 ballots cast by the county's 371,066 registered voters, yielding a 52.1% turnout. In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 75.7% of the vote here (125,781 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 22.8% (37,930 votes), In the 2017 gubernatorial election, Republican Kim Guadagno received 98,135 (62.1%) of the vote, and Democrat Phil Murphy received 56,682 (35.8%) of the vote. In the 2021 gubernatorial election, Republican Jack Ciattarelli received 67.5% of the vote (145,756 ballots cast) to Democrat Phil Murphy's 31.8% (68,615 votes). Ocean County has been the most Republican in the last three gubernatorial elections.

Gubernatorial elections results

Gubernatorial elections results

Year	Republican	Democratic	Third parties
2021	67.6% 143,148	31.7% 67,176	0.3% 649
2017	62.1% 98,135	35.8% 56,582	2.2% 3,446
2013	75.7% 125,781	22.8% 37,930	0.1% 2,536
2009	65.6% 124,238	28.4% 53,761	6.0% 11,317
2005	54.2% 93,693	41.6% 71,953	4.2% 7,242
2001	47.1% 77,726	51.3% 84,538	1.6% 2,690
1997	53.8% 84,897	36.7% 57,944	9.6% 15,076
1993	51.4% 87,943	45.7% 78,132	2.9% 4,879
1989	42.1% 62,700	56.1% 83,587	1.8% 2,669
1985	73.7% 90,670	25.2% 30,948	1.2% 1,455
1981	59.5% 78,757	39.3% 52,036	1.2% 1,610
1977	41.2% 45,513	53.8% 59,307	5.0% 5,391
1973	36.5% 32,502	60.3% 53,688	3.2% 2,751

Education

Tertiary education

Ocean County College is the two-year community college for Ocean County, one of a network of 19 county colleges statewide. The school is in Toms River and was founded in 1964.

Georgian Court University in Lakewood Township is a private Roman Catholic Sisters of Mercy college, which opened in 1908 on the former winter estate of millionaire George Jay Gould I, son of railroad tycoon Jay Gould. Lakewood is also home to Beth Medrash Govoha, a Haredi yeshiva with 5,000 students, making it one of the largest yeshivas in the world and the largest outside the State of Israel.

Stockton University has a campus located in Manahawkin offering undergraduate and graduate colleges of the arts, sciences and professional studies of the New Jersey state system of higher education.

Primary and secondary schools

Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood is the world's largest yeshiva outside of Israel.

School districts in the county include:

K-12

• Barnegat Township School District
• Brick Public Schools
• Jackson School District
• Lacey Township School District
• Lakewood School District
• Manchester Township School District
• Plumsted Township School District
• Point Pleasant Beach School District
• Point Pleasant School District
• Toms River Regional Schools

Secondary

• Central Regional School District
• Ocean County Vocational Technical School
• Pinelands Regional School District
• Southern Regional School District

Elementary (K-6, except as noted)

• Bay Head School District (K-8)
• Beach Haven School District
• Berkeley Township School District
• Eagleswood Township School District
• Island Heights School District
• Lakehurst School District (K-8)
• Lavallette School District (K-8)
• Little Egg Harbor Township School District
• Long Beach Island Consolidated School District
• Ocean Gate School District
• Ocean Township School District
• Seaside Heights School District
• Seaside Park School District (non-operating)
• Stafford Township School District
• Tuckerton School District

New Jersey's largest suburban school district, Toms River Regional Schools, is located in Ocean County. Toms River is also home to the county's only Roman Catholic high school, Monsignor Donovan High School, operated by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Trenton, which also has six elementary schools located in the county.

In addition to multiple public high schools, the county has an extensive vocational high school program, known as the Ocean County Vocational Technical School district. In addition to its campuses in Brick, Toms River, Waretown, and Jackson, it contains three magnet schools:

• Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Science (MATES)
• OCVTS Performing Arts Academy – theater, dance, and vocal
• OCVTS Academy of Law and Public Safety (ALPS)

Attractions

Ocean County has an extensive shoreline stretching along the Atlantic Ocean, including the Jersey Shore communities and oceanfront boardwalk resorts of Seaside Heights and Point Pleasant Beach.

Six Flags Great Adventure, America's largest Six Flags theme park, was home to the world's tallest and formerly fastest roller coaster, Kingda Ka, which closed in November 2024. The park also contains Six Flags Hurricane Harbor, New Jersey's largest water park, and the 2,200-acre (890 ha) Safari Off Road Adventure, the largest drive-thru animal safari outside of Africa.

Approximately 40 miles (64 km) of barrier beaches form the Barnegat and Little Egg Harbor Bays, offering ample watersports. It also is home of the Tuckerton Seaport, a 40-acre (160,000 m²) maritime history village in Tuckerton. In addition to being the northeast gateway to New Jersey's Pine Barrens, Ocean County is also home to several state parks:

• Barnegat Lighthouse State Park covers 32 acres (13 ha) surrounding Barnegat Lighthouse at the northern tip of Long Beach Island.
• Island Beach State Park has 3,000 acres (1,200 ha) of coastal dunes.
• Double Trouble State Park includes 8,000 acres (3,200 ha) of land in the New Jersey Pine Barrens.
• Brendan T. Byrne State Forest includes 37,000 acres (15,000 ha) and was formerly known as Lebanon State Forest.
• Forked River State Marina

ShoreTown Ballpark located in Lakewood, opened in 2001 with 6,588 reserved seats and is home of the Jersey Shore BlueClaws, the High-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies.

National protected area

• Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge covers 48,000 acres (19,000 ha) of wetlands and coastal habitat in Atlantic and Ocean counties.

Media

The Asbury Park Press and The Press of Atlantic City are daily newspapers that cover Ocean County. Micromedia Publications publishes six weekly local newspapers in the county; their seventh covers Howell Township, New Jersey in Monmouth County, New Jersey.

92.7 WOBM provides news, traffic and weather updates. WOBM-FM radio started broadcasting from the Bayville section of Berkeley Township in March 1968. The station relocated to studios in Toms River in 2013.

91.9 WBNJ provides local news, PSAs and events; as well as weather updates.

Transportation

Roads and highways

Entering Ocean County on the northbound Garden State Parkway in Little Egg Harbor Township

The county had a total of 2,958.5 miles (4,761.2 km) of roadways, of which 2,164.2 miles (3,482.9 km) are maintained by the municipality, 615.5 miles (990.6 km) by Ocean County and 140.19 miles (225.61 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and 38.59 miles (62.10 km) by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.

Ocean County has various major roads that pass through. Those routes are listed below:

• U.S. Route 9 (The only U.S. Highway in the county)
• Route 13
• Route 35
• Route 37
• Route 70
• Route 72
• Route 88
• Route 166
• Interstate 195 (The only Interstate to pass through Ocean County; It runs entirely in Jackson Township)
• The Garden State Parkway extends 38.5 miles (62.0 km) from Bass River Township in Burlington County in the south to Wall Township in Monmouth County to the north.

Several prominent 500 series county highways make up an important portion of the automobile corridors in Ocean County. These include County Road 526, County Road 527, County Road 528, County Road 530, County Road 532, County Road 539, County Road 547, County Road 549, County Road 554, and County Road 571.

Public transportation

Train

NJ Transit's (NJT) North Jersey Coast Line, which serves New York Penn Station and passes through Middlesex and Monmouth counties, offers service at the Bay Head and Point Pleasant Beach stations, located at the northernmost corner of the county. The Monmouth Ocean Middlesex Line is a passenger rail project proposed by NJT to serve the northern central part of the county. Southern Ocean County is also located about 25 miles from the Atlantic City Line, which provides service to Philadelphia.

Bus

NJ Transit

Bus service is provided on NJ Transit bus routes 130, 132, 136, and 139 to and from Lakewood Bus Terminal on the U.S. Route 9 corridor. Expanded use Route 9 BBS (bus bypass shoulder lanes) is under study. Bus route 559 provides service along Route 9 between Lakewood and Pleasantville before continuing to Atlantic City.

Bus route 137 provides service in three variants. One is a nonstop express between Toms River and New York City that operates seven days a week. The other two are rush hour only services, one operating along County Route 549 between Toms River and Brick Township before continuing onto New York City. The Other begins and ends in Lakewood, operating via County Line Road to the Brick park and ride before continuing to New York.

Bus route 67 operates between Toms River and Newark, providing service along County Route 549 between Toms River and Brick before continuing onto Lakewood and points north. Bus Route 317 crosses the county in an east–west fashion on its route between Philadelphia and Asbury Park. This route also provides service to Fort Dix, Camden, and other destinations. Bus route 319 makes a single stop in Toms River on its route between Atlantic City and New York.

Ocean Ride

Ocean Ride is a county wide system with 12 regular routes, many serving Ocean County Mall, which acts as transfer hub. Of these routes, only the OC 10 (Lavallette to Toms River) operates Monday-Saturday, with the OC 4 (Point Pleasant to Lakewood) operating Monday-Friday. All other routes run 2–3 days a week. Ocean Ride also provides paratransit service throughout the county.

Other services

Academy Bus provides service between various areas in the northern part of the county and New York City. Many of the retirement communities contract for the operation of shuttle buses to connect the communities with various shopping centers in the county.

Municipalities

The 33 municipalities in Ocean County with 2010 census data for population, housing units, and area in square miles are: Other, unincorporated communities in the county are listed alongside their parent municipality (or municipalities). Most of these areas are census-designated places that have been created by the United States Census Bureau for enumeration purposes within a Township. The numbers in parentheses stand for the numbers on the map.

Index map of Ocean County municipalities (see index key in table below)

Municipality (map index)	Map key	Mun. type	Pop.	Housing units	Total area	Water area	Land area	Pop. density	Housing density	School district	Unincorporated communities/notes
Barnegat Light	6	borough	574	1,282	0.85	0.12	0.73	785.1	1,753.6	Southern Regional (7–12) Long Beach Island (PK-6)
Barnegat	29	township	20,936	9,085	40.78	6.41	34.38	609.0	264.35	Barnegat Township	Barnegat CDP (2,817), Howardsville, Ocean Acres (part; 925 of 16,142), Warren Grove
Bay Head	16	borough	968	1,023	0.70	0.12	0.58	1,662.8	1,757.3	Point Pleasant Beach (9–12) (S/R) Bay Head (K-8)
Beach Haven	2	borough	1,170	2,667	2.32	1.34	0.98	1,196.0	2,726.2	Southern Regional (7–12) Beach Haven (PK-6)
Beachwood	12	borough	11,045	3,826	2.85	0.00	2.85	3,878.4	1,343.5	Toms River
Berkeley Township	26	township	41,255	23,818	56.00	13.13	42.86	962.5	555.7	Central Regional (7–12) Berkeley Township (PK-6)	Bayville (20,512), Cedar Beach, Crossley, Glen Cove, Holiday City-Berkeley (13,884), Holiday City South (3,689), Holiday Heights (2,099), Holly Park, Pelican Island, Silver Ridge (1,133)
Brick	23	township	75,072	33,677	32.32	6.60	25.72	2,919.4	1,309.6	Brick	Adamston, Breton Woods, Burrsville, Cedarcroft, Herbertsville, Laurelton, Osbornsville, Parkway Pines
Eagleswood	31	township	1,603	760	18.86	2.80	16.06	99.8	47.3	Pinelands Regional (7–12) Eagleswood (PK-6)	West Creek
Harvey Cedars	5	borough	337	1,214	1.19	0.63	0.56	604.6	2,178.0	Southern Regional (7–12) Long Beach Island (PK-6)
Island Heights	10	borough	1,673	831	0.91	0.30	0.61	2,738.3	1,360.2	Central Regional (7–12) Islands Heights (K-6)
Jackson	21	township	54,856	20,342	100.62	1.38	99.24	552.7	205.0	Jackson	Bennetts Mills, Cassville, Harmony, Holmeson (part; 5,231), Jackson Mills, Prospertown, Vista Center (3,689), Whitesville
Lacey Township	27	township	27,644	11,573	98.53	15.27	83.26	332.0	139.0	Lacey Township	Aserdaten, Barnegat Pines, Forked River (5,244), Lanoka Harbor
Lakehurst	19	borough	2,654	943	1.01	0.09	0.91	2,900.8	1,030.7	Manchester (9–12) (S/R) Lakehurst (PK-8)
Lakewood	22	township	92,843	26,337	24.98	0.41	24.58	3,777.7	1,071.6	Lakewood	Lakewood CDP (53,805), Leisure Village (4,400), Leisure Village East (4,217)
Lavallette	14	borough	1,875	3,207	0.95	0.15	0.81	2,319.2	3,966.8	Point Pleasant Beach (9–12) (S/R) Lavallette (K-8)
Little Egg Harbor	33	township	20,065	10,324	73.05	25.69	47.37	423.6	218.0	Pinelands Regional (7–12) Little Egg Harbor (PK-6)	Mystic Island (8,493), Nugentown, Parkertown Warren Grove, West Tuckerton
Long Beach	32	township	3,051	9,216	22.04	16.59	5.44	560.5	1,693.0	Southern Regional (7–12) Long Beach Island (PK-6)	High Bar Harbor, Loveladies, North Beach Haven (2,235)
Manchester	25	township	43,070	25,886	82.69	1.07	81.62	527.7	317.2	Manchester	Bullock, Cedar Glen Lakes (1,421), Cedar Glen West (1,267), Crestwood Village (7,907), Leisure Knoll (2,490), Leisure Village West (3,493), Pine Lake Park (8,707), Pine Ridge at Crestwood (2,369), Ridgeway, Roosevelt City, Wheatland, Whiting
Mantoloking	15	borough	296	535	0.64	0.26	0.39	767.9	1,387.9	Point Pleasant Beach (9–12) (S/R)
Ocean Gate	9	borough	2,011	1,203	0.45	0.01	0.45	4,490.3	2,686.1	Central Regional (7–12) Ocean Gate (PK-6)
Ocean Township	28	township	8,332	4,291	32.04	11.49	20.56	405.3	208.8	Southern Regional (7–12) (S/R) (9–12) Ocean Township (PK-6)	Brookville, Waretown (1,569)
Pine Beach	11	borough	2,127	903	0.62	0.00	0.61	3,465.4	1,471.2	Toms River
Plumsted Township	20	township	8,421	3,067	40.15	0.44	39.71	212.1	77.2	Plumsted Township	Archertown, Brindletown, New Egypt (2,512)
Point Pleasant	18	borough	18,392	8,331	4.17	0.68	3.49	5,272.1	2,388.1	Point Pleasant
Point Pleasant Beach	17	borough	4,665	3,373	1.74	0.32	1.43	3,270.1	2,364.4	Point Pleasant Beach	Clark's Landing
Seaside Heights	8	borough	2,887	3,003	0.75	0.13	0.62	4,662.9	4,850.2	Central Regional (7–12) Seaside Heights (PK-6)
Seaside Park	7	borough	1,579	2,703	0.77	0.12	0.65	2,429.4	4,158.7	Central Regional (7–12) Lavallette (K-6) (Opt. 1) Toms River (K-6) (Opt. 2)
Ship Bottom	3	borough	1,156	2,066	1.00	0.29	0.71	1,620.6	2,896.3	Southern Regional (7–12) Long Beach Island (PK-6)
South Toms River	13	borough	3,684	1,160	1.23	0.06	1.17	3,146.7	990.8	Toms River
Stafford Township	30	township	26,535	13,604	54.88	9.03	45.85	578.8	296.7	Southern Regional (7–12) Stafford Township (PK-6)	Beach Haven West (3,896), Cedar Run, Manahawkin (2,303), Mayetta, Ocean Acres (part; 15,217 of 16,142), Warren Grove
Surf City	4	borough	1,205	2,566	0.92	0.17	0.75	1,616.5	3,442.4	Southern Regional (7–12) Long Beach Island (PK-6)
Toms River	24	township	91,239	43,334	52.88	12.40	40.49	2,253.5	1,070.3	Toms River	Cattus Island, Chadwick Beach Island, Dover Beaches North (1,239), Dover Beaches South (1,209), Gilford Park, Pelican Island, Silverton
Tuckerton	1	borough	3,347	1,902	3.80	0.44	3.36	995.1	565.5	Pinelands Regional (7–12) Tuckerton (PK-6)
Ocean County		county	576,567	278,052	915.40	286.62	628.78	917.0	442.2

Former municipalities

• Island Beach (1933-1965)

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Ocean County, New Jersey

Further reading

• Salter, Edwin. A History of Monmouth and Ocean Counties Embracing a Genealogical Record of Earliest Settlers of Monmouth and Ocean Counties and Their Descendants; The Indians: Their Language, Manners, and Customs; Important Historical Events: The Revolutionary War, Battle of Monmouth, The War of the Rebellion: Names of Officers and Men of Monmouth and Ocean Counties Engaged in It, etc., etc. Bayonne, NJ: E. Gardner and Son, 1890.

External links

• Official county website