Ocean County, New Jersey

County Distress Index: Normal · 46.9 | 659,197 people · 11th most distressed in New Jersey
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Ocean County, NJ falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 46.9 — 1840th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within New Jersey, it ranks 11th of 21 counties. Among its 3 neighboring counties, 2 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Ocean County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 82.0 — worse than roughly 82% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 82.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 98
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 98
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 98
Homeownership Rate 18
Rent-to-Income Ratio 98
Employment & Wages 63.0
Unemployment Rate 74
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 99
Business Formation Rate 16
Income & Poverty 44.4
Poverty Rate 21
Income vs. State Median 79
Child Poverty Rate 34
Debt & Delinquency 29.7
Debt in Collections 16
Medical Debt 24
Student Loan Delinquency 24
Auto Loan Delinquency 23
Credit Card Delinquency 35
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 58
Community Vulnerability 15.2
Uninsured Rate 10
Disability Rate 20

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed. The median line is shown on each bar.

Neighbors and Peers

How Ocean County compares to its 3 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Ocean County
Ocean County, NJ 46.9 Normal —
Atlantic County, NJ 63.5 Elevated +16.6
Burlington County, NJ 38.9 Normal -7.9
Monmouth County, NJ 35.9 Normal -10.9

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Ocean County
South Central Connecticut Planning Region, CT 46.7 Normal -0.1
Orange County, NY 47.1 Normal +0.2
Pierce County, WA 47.1 Normal +0.2
Richmond County, NY 47.1 Normal +0.3
Charleston County, SC 46.5 Normal -0.3

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Ocean County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Ocean County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Ocean County.

OCEAN, INC. (OCEAN COMMUNITY ECONOMIC ACTION NOW, INC.)
Toms River
732-244-5333-1108 Website
Foreclosure PreventionMortgage HelpFinancial CounselingFinancial Counseling

See all counselors in New Jersey →

Find an Attorney

New Jersey State Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

New Jersey State Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service 1-800-792-8315

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Ocean County residents at no cost.

Legal Services of New Jersey 1-888-576-5529
Community Health Law Project
New Jersey State Bar Foundation — Lawyer Referral Service 1-800-792-8315
Central Jersey Legal Services, Inc. (732) 249-7600
Essex-Newark Legal Services Project, Inc. (973) 624-4500
Legal Services of Northwest Jersey, Inc. (908) 231-0840
Northeast New Jersey Legal Services Corporation (201) 792-6363
South Jersey Legal Services, Inc. (800) 496-4570

Self-Help Resources

NJ Courts Foreclosure Self-Help Center Official NJ Courts self-help guidance on foreclosure proceedings

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in New Jersey →

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Ocean County, New Jersey?

    Ocean County has a County Distress Index score of 46.9 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,840th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 11th in New Jersey out of 21 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Ocean County?

    The primary driver of distress in Ocean County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 82.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Ocean County compare to neighboring counties?

    Ocean County (46.9) can be compared to its 3 neighboring counties: Atlantic County, NJ (63.5); Burlington County, NJ (38.9); Monmouth County, NJ (35.9).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses percentile-rank averaging across five domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • What is the population of Ocean County?

    Ocean County, New Jersey has a population of approximately 659,197 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.