What is the rental vacancy rate in Ocean City, NJ?

Name: Vacancy rate in Ocean City, NJ, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

The rental vacancy rate in Ocean City, NJ is 36.6% (±7.5 points) (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

The homeowner vacancy rate is 4.8% (±2.5 points).

15,502 (±327) homes, 73.2% of all housing units, were vacant, a count that includes seasonal homes and homes being sold or rented.

In Ocean City, the rental vacancy rate went from 42.8% in 2015–2019 to 36.6% in 2020–2024 (−6.2 percentage points), not a measurable change.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Rental vacancy rate: 36.6% (±7.5 points)
Homeowner vacancy rate: 4.8% (±2.5 points)
Vacant homes: 15,502 (±327)

Vacancy in Ocean City against Cape May County, its state and the nation

Estimate (90% margin of error)
	Ocean City	Cape May County	New Jersey	United States
Rental vacancy rate	36.6% (±7.5 points)	26.1% (±3.3 points)	3.5% (±0.2 points)	5.5%
Homeowner vacancy rate	4.8% (±2.5 points)	1.6% (±0.6 points)	0.7% (±0.1 points)	0.9%
Vacant housing units	15,502 (±327)	54,715 (±739)	283,653 (±4,943)	14,547,859

The rental vacancy rate is the share of rental homes that are vacant and for rent; it leaves out homes already rented but not yet moved into, and seasonal homes.

In Ocean City, the rental vacancy rate is higher than in Cape May County (26.1%).

It is also higher than in New Jersey (3.5%).

It is higher than the national figure (5.5%).

Rental vacancy rate in places near Ocean City

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Ocean City
Place	Distance	Rental vacancy rate	Compared with this place
Ocean City	—	36.6% (±7.5 points)	—
Marmora	3.2 mi	0.0% (±31.0 points)	Lower
Somers Point	3.3 mi	5.3% (±4.3 points)	Lower
Longport Borough	4.8 mi	21.4% (±24.8 points)	Not measurably different
Palermo	5.2 mi	0.0% (±69.8 points)	Not measurably different
Linwood	5.4 mi	0.0% (±24.2 points)	Lower
Corbin City	6.1 mi	0.0% (±60.7 points)	Not measurably different
Margate City	6.5 mi	10.3% (±11.2 points)	Lower
Bargaintown	6.8 mi	0.0% (±36.4 points)	Not measurably different

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Marmora, NJ (0.0%), Somers Point, NJ (5.3%), Linwood, NJ (0.0%).

Distance is measured in a straight line between the Census Bureau’s internal points for each place.

Rental vacancy rate across Cape May County, place by place

Rank	Place	Rental vacancy rate
1	Cape May Point Borough	98.0% (±4.4 points)
2	Sea Isle City	85.0% (±7.4 points)
3	Avalon Borough	77.5% (±9.3 points)
4	Stone Harbor Borough	70.2% (±12.9 points)
5	West Cape May Borough	56.1% (±15.3 points)
6	Cape May	44.3% (±12.5 points)
7	Ocean City	36.6% (±7.5 points)
8	Wildwood Crest Borough	35.7% (±18.8 points)
9	West Wildwood Borough	22.6% (±30.5 points)
10	North Wildwood	22.0% (±21.0 points)
11	Wildwood	18.1% (±7.5 points)
12	Lower Township	7.8% (±4.8 points)
13	Dennis Township	3.9% (±6.6 points)

Showing 13 of 16 places in Cape May County, ranked from highest to lowest.

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

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Questions about Ocean City

Is it hard to find a rental in Ocean City?

The rental vacancy rate in Ocean City, NJ is 36.6% (±7.5 points); a low rate means few rental homes stand empty and for rent at any time, which usually means more competition for each one.

Is the rental market in Ocean City tighter than it was?

In Ocean City, the rental vacancy rate went from 42.8% in 2015–2019 to 36.6% in 2020–2024 (−6.2 percentage points), not a measurable change.

How many homes are vacant in Ocean City?

An estimated 15,502 (±327) housing units, 73.2% of the total, including seasonal homes and homes waiting to be sold or rented.

Sources

To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Ocean City city, Cape May County, New Jersey (county subdivision:54360, in state:34 county:009).

Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).

The 2015–2019 figures are DP04_0005E, DP04_0005M from the 2019 release.

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0005E, DP04_0005M, DP04_0004E, DP04_0004M, DP04_0003E, DP04_0003M, DP04_0003PE, DP04_0003PM

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.