Ocean City, NJ Crime Map

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Ocean City, NJ

Is Ocean City, NJ safe?

Ocean City ranks as Very Safe with a city-wide safety rating of A — the highest tier in our grading system. Remarkably, all 11 neighborhoods analyzed earned a Grade A or better, meaning 100% of Ocean City neighborhoods fall into the safe category. Six of those neighborhoods — OC Homes, Bay Landings, Merion Park, Riviera, Gardens, and South End — achieved a perfect A+, the top possible rating. For context, most U.S. cities of comparable size have at least some neighborhoods grading C or below; Ocean City has none. Its overall crime grade of B+ reflects the entire metro area context, while the neighborhood-level data tells an even stronger story.

What is the crime rate in Ocean City, NJ?

Ocean City's crime profile is exceptionally low relative to national benchmarks. Every single one of the 11 neighborhoods analyzed earned a letter grade of A- or higher — a distribution almost never seen in cities with populations near 11,000. The two neighborhoods with the most residents, Central (population 2,046) and North End (population 1,811), received grades of A- and A respectively, meaning even the densest parts of the city remain very safe. The city's 3.1% unemployment rate and 8.8% poverty rate — both well below national averages — are consistent with the low crime environment the data reflects.

What are the safest neighborhoods in Ocean City, NJ?

Six neighborhoods earned the top grade of A+: OC Homes, Bay Landings, Merion Park, Riviera, Gardens, and South End. Among these, Gardens stands out with a median household income of $125,006 and a population of 307 — a compact, affluent, and highly secure community. Merion Park ($108,565 median income) and Bay Landings ($103,830 median income) also combine high income levels with A+ safety grades. Even the neighborhoods with slightly lower grades tell a positive story: 18th - 34th (Grade A, population 717), Gold Coast (Grade A, population 119), and North End (Grade A, population 1,811) all remain firmly in the safe tier. The Central neighborhood and Bay Area, both graded A-, represent the most relative crime activity in the city — yet still earn a grade that most cities would envy across their entire footprint.

Which Ocean City neighborhoods have the most relative crime activity?

In a city where every neighborhood grades at least an A-, identifying higher-crime areas is more about relative comparison than absolute risk. The four neighborhoods with the most relative crime activity are Bay Area (A-), Central (A-), North End (A), and 18th - 34th (A). Notably, Central is the most populous neighborhood at 2,046 residents, which may contribute to its slightly lower grade compared to smaller communities like Bay Landings (population 29) or OC Homes (population 57). Even so, an A- grade places these neighborhoods well above average by any national standard.

Is Ocean City, NJ a good place to live?

The data makes a compelling case. Ocean City combines a Very Safe (A) city-wide rating with a median household income of $87,060, a median home value of $571,575, and an unemployment rate of just 3.1%. The poverty rate of 8.8% is modest, and the median rent of $1,291 reflects a stable housing market. With 100% of its 11 analyzed neighborhoods grading A- or better — and 55% grading A+ — Ocean City offers one of the most uniformly safe residential environments on the Jersey Shore. Families, retirees, and seasonal residents alike benefit from low crime density (632 residents per square mile) combined with strong community economic indicators.

How does Ocean City's safety compare to other New Jersey cities?

Ocean City's overall crime grade of B+ and city-wide neighborhood safety rating of Very Safe (A) place it among the safest municipalities in New Jersey. The fact that 0% of its neighborhoods received a grade of B, C, D, or F is a statistical outlier — most New Jersey cities of any size show a spread across multiple grade tiers. With a population of just over 11,000 and a low population density of 632 per square mile, Ocean City's structure naturally limits the conditions that drive higher crime rates, and the income and employment data reinforce that pattern.