Cole River, 2008
Ocean Grove’s story
114 years in pictures
The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2008.
- 1912Ocean Grove is settled
Ocean GroveMA
This town of 3,453 people was settled in 1912.
Photo: John Phelan · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
3,453
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$362K
Census ACS
Household income
$119K
median
Median age
36.9
years
Jobs based here
279
A commuter town
Is Ocean Grove a good place to live?
Of the 284 Massachusetts towns we compare, none has a lower share of working residents who work in town than Ocean Grove. We don’t grade Ocean Grove yet; the figures below are still real.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Ocean Grove for work
Where Ocean Grove’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
279jobs based in Ocean Grove
1%of working residents work in town
14 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Nearby attractions
All 261 attractions →USS Massachusetts and 98 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Ocean Grove. Close and well known come first.
3 mi MuseumUSS Massachusetts
Big draw25 mi Stadium & arenaGillette Stadium
Big draw19 mi MuseumThe Breakers
12 mi Ancient siteHMS Endeavour
Big draw39 mi LakeLake Chaubunagungamaug
3 mi MuseumBattleship CoveSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
USS Massachusetts: USN, Public domain · Gillette Stadium: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0 · The Breakers: UpstateNYer, CC BY-SA 3.0 · HMS Endeavour: Samuel Atkins (c.1760-1810), Public domain · Lake Chaubunagungamaug: Bree from Worcester, MA, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Battleship Cove: Electroengie at English Wikipedia, Public domain
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Getting set up
Moving to Ocean Grove: who provides what
Ocean Grove is unincorporated, so Bristol County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerNational Grid33.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterSwansea Water District4 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesBristol CountyBristol County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn Massachusetts you can register online until 10 days before Election Day, in person until 10 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 10 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereSwansea Town ClerkTown of Swansea; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP code0277702777 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Ocean Grove.
Natural hazards
Ocean Grove stands out in Massachusetts and nationally, with the FEMA risk score lower than most
Of the losses FEMA expects in Ocean Grove, 67% come from inland flooding and 15% from hurricanes. Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 93% of U.S. communities.
7risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHurricanes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commute
Compared with most of Massachusetts and the rest of the country, fewer of Ocean Grove’s residents live below the poverty line
In Ocean Grove, the middle household income is $119,000, against $120,000 in Massachusetts’ towns and $80,000 across U.S. towns. Between 2013 and 2023, jobs here rose by 82, to 279. Also worth knowing: for Ocean Grove, the average commute is 20 minutes. Most working residents leave Ocean Grove for work: only 1% work in town.
1%work in town
| Ocean Grove | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 30 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 0.5% | 6% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $119,000 | $120,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 14% | 18% | 11% |
Where working residents work
In Ocean Grove1%
Fall River15%
Swansea9%
Boston8%
Providence4%
14 mi
median commute distance
279
jobs based in Ocean Grove
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
In Ocean Grove, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
A winter brings about 37 inches of snow, with January nights at 23° and July afternoons at 82°.
37″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter25–41°
Spring39–57°
Summer62–80°
Fall46–63°
Oct 30
typical first frost
Apr 11
typical last frost
+1.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Ocean Grove is
For adults in Ocean Grove, the share who get no exercise outside work is 20%. The town does better than the Massachusetts average on 7 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 2. Two figures for adults locally: 18% binge drink, 29% have obesity.
| Ocean Grove | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 83% | 82% | 79% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 17% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 28% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 19% | 25% |
32 measures vs. Massachusetts
7 better23 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Ocean Grove | MA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 3.8% | 5.2% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.1% | 12.4% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.3% | 8.5% |
Saint Anne's Hospital
3.4 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Housing
A home in Ocean Grove sells for about $525K at the median
The typical rent for Ocean Grove comes to $1,266 a month. Ocean Grove: 88% of households live in a home they own.
$525Kmedian sale price
| Ocean Grove | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 88% | 79% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,266 a month | $1,683 a month | $1,185 a month |
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Ocean Grove
15pages on Ocean Grove
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
10 within 15 miles of the center of Ocean Grove
Bristol Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Fall River4.7 mi$5,832 in-state tuitionRoger Williams UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Bristol, RI6 mi$44,418 tuitionUniversity of Massachusetts-DartmouthUniversity or college · Public · North Dartmouth12.6 mi$15,612 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Ocean Grove residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Massachusetts.
About Ocean Grove
Census-designated place in Massachusetts, United States
Ocean Grove is a census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Swansea in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States, on the north shore of Mount Hope Bay near the Cole River. The population was 2,811 at the 2010 census, and 2,904 as of the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 16 ft
Questions about Ocean Grove
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Ocean Grove, MA a good place to live?
We don’t grade Ocean Grove yet; the figures below are still real.