Borough · Ocean County, New Jersey

Surf City, New Jersey

Surf City is a borough in Ocean County, New Jersey, part of the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area. It has 1,195 residents. Surf City, New Jersey has a quality-of-life score of 84 out of 100 (very high), ranking #2,494 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within New Jersey it ranks #240 of 552 cities and towns. It ranks best on poor or fair health (low), food insecurity (low) and lack of reliable transportation (low). It ranks worst on income inequality (Gini index) (high), home price to income ratio (high) and child care cost burden (high).

84Very high

Quality-of-life score: #2,494 of 15,651 cities and towns
New Jersey: #240 of 552 in NJ
Population: 1,195 (2020-2024)
Land area: 1 mi²
Density: 1,606.1 /mi²
FIPS code: 3471640

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 76 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety90#1,474/15,637
Economy71#4,518/15,631
Housing31#10,345/14,977
Health92#1,297/15,609
Healthcare67#5,210/15,650
Environment57#6,657/15,453
Education79#3,311/15,649
Infrastructure82#2,822/15,650
Community82#2,792/15,651
Leisure & amenities48#8,128/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Surf City, New Jersey ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Ocean County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Poor or fair health · low10.1%
98/100New Jersey 15.8%United States 19.9%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate
Food insecurity · low6.5%
97/100New Jersey 15.0%United States 15.6%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Lack of reliable transportation · low4.5%
97/100New Jersey 7.8%United States 8.3%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Uninsured residents (under 65) · low0.4%
97/100New Jersey 9.0%United States 9.8%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B27010High uncertainty
Bachelor's degree or higher · high67.6%
96/100New Jersey 43.6%United States 35.7%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003
Loneliness · low28.1%
96/100New Jersey 33.5%United States 33.2%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate

Weaknesses

Income inequality (Gini index) · high0.535
2/100New Jersey 0.478United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083
Home price to income ratio · high8.7×
4/100New Jersey 4.4×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Child care cost burden · high40.5%
7/100New Jersey 34.2%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteOcean County value
Average commute time · high35.0 min
8/100New Jersey 30.5 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
Preventable hospital stays · high3,791 /100k
12/100New Jersey 3,143 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteOcean County value
High ozone days · high4 days
17/100New Jersey 1 daysUnited States 7 days2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyOcean County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationFalling
1,271 (2015-2019) → 1,195 (2020-2024)
−6%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Bachelor's degree or higherImproving
52.9% (2015-2019) → 67.6% (2020-2024)
+15 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
86.2% (2015-2019) → 98.0% (2020-2024)
+12 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Child poverty rateImproving
10.7% (2015-2019) → 0.0% (2020-2024)
−11 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
46.1% (2015-2019) → 39.5% (2020-2024)
−6.6 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Median household incomeImproving
$90,313 (2015-2019) → $118,750 (2020-2024)
+31%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Surf City, New Jersey improved on 3 of 9 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 6 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved3

Bachelor's++15 points52.9% → 67.6%
Broadband+12 points86.2% → 98.0%
Household income+31%$90,313 → $118,750

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 9 measures

Change of every measure of Surf City, New Jersey between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	26.9 min2015-2019	35.0 min2020-2024	+8.1 min	Within the margin of error	4%
Bachelor's degree or higher	52.9%2015-2019	67.6%2020-2024	+15 points	Improved	97%
Broadband subscriptions	86.2%2015-2019	98.0%2020-2024	+12 points	Improved	68%
Effective property tax rate	0.85%2015-2019	0.64%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	60%
High school diploma or higher	97.7%2015-2019	98.9%2020-2024	+1.2 points	Within the margin of error	48%
Home price to income ratio	8.1×2015-2019	8.7×2020-2024	+0.6×	Within the margin of error	39%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.5112015-2019	0.5352020-2024	+0.024	Within the margin of error	31%
Median household income	$90,3132015-2019	$118,7502020-2024	+31%	Improved	58%
Poverty rate	5.5%2015-2019	4.5%2020-2024	−1 points	Within the margin of error	53%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Surf City, New Jersey five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Surf City, New Jersey in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Surf City, New Jersey itself moved +1.7 points in standing on average over the same 8 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

1,195 residents (±145)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

610 households (±72)

Surf City, New Jersey
New Jersey share

Under $25k11%†65
$25k–50k9.8%†60
$50k–75k

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

610 households (±72)

Surf City, New Jersey
New Jersey share

Own92%559
Rent8.4%†51

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+5.9 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

452 workers (±90)

Surf City, New Jersey
New Jersey share

Drive alone59%267
Carpool3.1%†14
Public transit0.9%†4

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Ocean County, the county holding most of Surf City's residents.

Ocean County has 15,020 employer establishments, 227 for every 10,000 residents (0.91× the US rate of 248; 0.90× New Jersey's), with 172,650 paid employees at an average annual pay of $50,824. The Census Bureau also counts 56,836 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 15,020; 56,836 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 227; US 248 · New Jersey 253
Paid employees: 172,650
Average annual pay: $50,824; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Ocean County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	1,454	22	1.05×About typical	18,947	$62,480	2,608
Specialty trade contractors	1,278	19.3	1.25×About typical	7,023	$65,135	3,549
Restaurants and other eating places	1,150	17.4	0.95×About typical	16,033	$27,763	278
Lessors of real estate	922	13.9	1.13×About typical	4,393	$59,153	9,210
Construction of buildings	624	9.4	1.25×About typical	2,890	$69,458	1,516
Building equipment contractors	604	9.1	1.52×More than typical	3,475	$65,890	808
Services to buildings and dwellings	569	8.6	1.28×More than typical	3,058	$47,097	2,372
Offices of physicians	498	7.5	1.16×About typical	4,950	$93,870	294
Limited-service restaurants	485	7.3	0.91×About typical	6,416	$23,901	118
Offices of other health practitioners	480	7.3	1.19×About typical	5,756	$46,723	1,662
Full-service restaurants	472	7.1	0.93×About typical	8,010	$31,197	116
Personal care services	460	7	1.46×More than typical	2,671	$24,246	1,119

Rank places for an industry Open Ocean County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 661,368 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated -$48.5K of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Surf City, New Jersey: -$40.61 per resident (US $1,995).

Obligations: -$48.5K; −130% vs FY2025
Per resident: -$40.61; US $1,995
Sole-source: —; US 30%
Single offer: —; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

GREAT LAKES DREDGE & DOCK CO, LLC-$48.5K0.0%

Spending by fiscal year

594.7KFY2017
140.5KFY2018
-5.5KFY2019
-67.5KFY2020
7.6KFY2021
3.7MFY2024
163.1KFY2025
-48.5KFY2026

What was bought

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 6, 2026, loaded Oct 6, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Surf City, New Jersey, so they do not add up across cities.

Surf City, New Jersey's figures are part of those of Ocean County, NJ ($100.5M in FY2026), never added to them: 0.0% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Surf City is mostly in Ocean County.

See federal money in Ocean County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Surf City, New Jersey is split between congressional districts: each representative is shown with the share of its residents in their district (current boundaries).

House

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Ocean County77100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ69

Other cities and towns in Ocean County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/3471640

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends