Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Ocean City, New Jersey
A $719,000 home here costs
$5,231per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $3,696. The real number is $1,535 higher every month — 42% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Ocean City against Cape May County and New Jersey
| Measure | Ocean City | Cape May County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $719,100 | $395,000 |
| Median property tax | $5,791 | $5,233 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.805% | 1.325% |
| Median gross rent | $1,670 | $1,345 |
| Population | 11,260 | 95,236 |
The weather behind that power bill
Ocean City sits in Cape May County, which averages a high of 85.5°F in its hottest month and a low of 28.5°F in its coldest, with 43.84" of precipitation a year and 27% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,176 cooling and 4,332 heating degree days, which is what sets the $209 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Cape May County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Cape May County
Full Cape May County cost breakdown · Every county in New Jersey
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Ocean City?
A $719,000 home in Ocean City, New Jersey costs approximately $5,231 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $3,696 principal and interest, $482 property tax, $176 homeowners insurance, $277 utilities and $599 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Ocean City?
Ocean City has an effective property tax rate of 0.805%, based on a median home value of $719,100 and median real estate taxes of $5,791. That is lower than the Cape May County average of 1.325%.
What is the average home price in Ocean City?
The median owner-occupied home value in Ocean City, New Jersey is $719,100, against $395,000 across Cape May County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Ocean City?
Median gross rent in Ocean City is $1,670 a month, against $5,231 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Ocean City — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for New Jersey.
- Electricity price — EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, refreshed weekly.
- Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are national estimates. Every assumption above is editable.