Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Ocean Township grades B overall, ranked 245th of 466 in New Jersey. It has 30 miles of trail. It reports less crime per resident than 96% of U.S. towns and residents are healthier than 76% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. The trade-off is money: homes are expensive, about $475K for a typical one and 4.8 times the New York metro’s $99K median household income. 33% of residents are 65 or older in Ocean Township, where New Jersey’s towns sit at 18% and U.S. towns at 18%. The biggest place to walk is Forked River Mountains Wilderness Area, 2,257 acres with 8.7 miles of trail.
Where Ocean Township beats most towns.
18.3% of the town is conserved land, across 9 parks and preserves.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New Jersey), ordered by how far Ocean Township is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 484 in 1880, a low of 286 in 1920, 8,835 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 7 maps from 1888 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Ocean Township, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Ocean Township.
Ocean Township reports less crime than Barnegat Township or any other graded neighbor, is one of New Jersey’s best towns for the outdoors and is healthy by national standards but behind most towns in New Jersey.
Its A+ tops all 4 graded towns on its borders; Barnegat Township (A) comes closest. Violent crime is rare: 2 reported in 2025, 0.2 per 1,000 residents.
The property crime rate in Ocean Township is 2.2 per 1,000 residents.
| Ocean Township | New Jersey towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.2 per 1,000 residents | 7.5 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.2 per 1,000 residents | 0.7 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its public schools are run by the Ocean Township School District. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waretown Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–2 | Grades PK–2 | 317 | – |
| Ocean County Vocational Technical School Waretown CenterLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 74 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NJ on state tests
Its A+ for the outdoors ranks #11 of 468 in New Jersey.
Ocean Township’s trail density is 0.9 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Forked River Mountains Wilderness Area | 8.7 mi | 2,257 |
| 2. Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area | 0.9 mi | 365 |
| 3. Island Beach State Park | — | 517 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Within New Jersey it is less healthy than 66% of the 468 graded towns: New Jersey sets a high bar.
13% of Ocean Township adults binge drink. Ocean Township beats the New Jersey average on 14 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 7. 34% of Ocean Township adults sleep under 7 hours.
| Ocean Township | New Jersey towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 16% | 16% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 32% | 33% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 16% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 15% | 17% |
| What stands out | Ocean Township | NJ |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 7% | 12.3% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.5% | 14.3% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 12.9% | 7.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Ocean Township has 1,090 jobs for its 3,695 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out.
Most working residents leave Ocean Township for work: only 6% work in town. Since 2013, Ocean Township has lost 97 jobs, to 1,090 in 2023. 10% of workers work from home in Ocean Township.
| Ocean Township | New Jersey towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 37 minutes | 30 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 10% | 17% | 11% |
| Median household income | $101,000 | $113,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 9% | 6% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Ocean Township has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 26° and about 10 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 65% of U.S. communities. Since 1992, 108 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Ocean Township.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Ocean Township. Close and well known come first.
Big draw29 mi Park & preservePine Barrens
Big draw27 mi Theme parkSix Flags Great Adventure2.2M visitors a year9 mi BeachLong Beach Island
32 mi Stadium & arenaBoardwalk Hall
36 mi LandmarkLucy the Elephant
6 mi LighthouseBarnegat LighthousePine Barrens: Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Six Flags Great Adventure: Unknown, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Boardwalk Hall: Jack Boucher, Public domain · Lucy the Elephant: User:dtcdthingy 3:30 pm 30th July 2004 (Minolta Dimage X20), Public domain · Barnegat Lighthouse: L'Aquatique, CC BY-SA 3.0
None within 15 miles of Ocean Township; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Ocean Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Jersey.
Coastal flooding makes up 10% of the storm damage FEMA expects here.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA · OpenStreetMap
Township in Ocean County, New Jersey, US
Ocean Township is a township located on the Jersey Shore in Ocean County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 8,835, its largest ever decennial count and an increase of 503 (+6.0%) from the 2010 census count of 8,332, which in turn reflected an increase of 1,882 (+29.2%) from the 6,450 counted in the 2000 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
6 towns share a border with Ocean Township.
It grades higher overall than all 4 graded towns on its borders; Lacey Township (B−) comes closest.
| Town | NJ rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ocean Township | #245 | B | C− | A+ | C | A− |
| Lacey Township | #295 | B− | D | B+ | C+ | A− |
| Berkeley Township | #354 | C | C | B+ | C | B+ |
| Barnegat Township | #310 | B− | D | A | C+ | B+ |
| Long Beach Township | #336 | C+ | D− | B− | C+ | A |
| Barnegat Light | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Forked River | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Barnegat Light and Forked River aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Ocean Township with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Ocean Township grades B overall, better than 60% of U.S. towns and #245 of 466 in New Jersey. It grades A− for health, A+ for safety and C for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a C−.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
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