Town Hall · Ocean

Ocean, NJ town hall & government

Ocean spent $61.6 million in the year to December 31, 2023, about $5,505 per resident.

Where the money goes, where it comes from, property taxes, and how to reach Ocean's government.

Local leadership

Who runs Ocean

From public records (Open States and Wikidata), which can lag behind an election. If a name is out of date, tell us: when two neighbors agree, it's hidden until the records catch up.

Town budget

Where Ocean's money goes

Spent
$61.6 million
fiscal year to December 31, 2023
Per resident
$5,505
typical New Jersey cities: $2,790
Long-term debt
$148.5 million
$13,270 per resident
Police
$9.8 million16%
Fire
$9 million15%
Administration & buildings
$8.8 million14%
Parks & libraries
$7.7 million12%
Roads & transportation
$7.3 million12%
Interest on debt
$4.5 million7%
Courts, inspections & corrections
$2.5 million4%
Housing & development
$988,0002%
Health & welfare
$369,0001%
Paid to other governments
$151,000<1%
Other
$10.5 million17%

Where the money comes from

  • Property taxes 78%
  • Fees & charges 8%
  • From the state 7%
  • Other taxes & licenses 3%
  • From the federal government 3%
  • Interest, fines & other 2%
  • From other local governments <1%

Revenue here is well above spending. That usually means Ocean collects property taxes for the school district and county and passes them on, so only its own spending is counted above.

Town workforce · Census estimate

Who works for Ocean

Full-time staff
257
232 part-time too
Average full-time pay
$110,700
a year, before benefits
Sworn police officers
58
and 66 full-time firefighters
Police
63 full-time50 part
Parks & libraries
26 full-time123 part
Fire
67 full-time
Administration & buildings
34 full-time12 part
Roads & transportation
7 full-time21 part
Sewer & trash
11 full-time9 part
Courts, inspections & corrections
7 full-time1 part
Housing & development
3 full-time1 part
Other
39 full-time15 part

Staff on the town's payroll in March 2025. Pay is March payroll times twelve, so it's approximate. Ocean didn't report its staffing to the Census Bureau, so these are the Bureau's estimates.

Schools · school year 2023–24

Ocean City School District

Ocean's K–12 school district. It is its own government, with a budget separate from the town's.

Spending per pupil
$31,049
New Jersey: $28,441
Students
1,850
in the whole district
Long-term debt
None
at year end

Where the district's money comes from New Jersey districts overall: 48% local, 46% state, 6% federal

  • Local 66%
  • State 29%
  • Federal 5%

Of the $31,049 per pupil, $19,843 goes to classroom instruction (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to support services such as buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren't in the per-pupil figure.

Property tax

What homeowners in Ocean pay

Typical tax bill
$6,040
a year · New Jersey typical $9,590
Effective rate
0.72%
of home value · New Jersey 2.11%
Typical home value
$840,500
owner-occupied

The median yearly bill homeowners report, covering every local property tax on the home (town, schools, county). The effective rate is that bill divided by the median home value, so it's a rough guide, not the official tax rate.

Local

Contact Ocean's government

🏛️ Official websiteocnj.us ↗

Town hall & decisions in Ocean →

Beyond town hall

Who represents Ocean

Ocean is represented in Congress by Senators Cory A. Booker and Andy Kim and Representative Jefferson Van Drew. Mikie Sherrill is governor.

All of Ocean's representatives, with contacts →

Budget: U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Finance (every city and town government's revenue, spending and debt, grouped into plain categories). Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 5-year estimates.

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Ocean

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01