Ocean County is located 50 miles (80 km) east of Philadelphia, PA, 70 miles (110 km) south of New York, NY and 25 miles (40 km) north of Atlantic City, NJ, making it a prime destination for residents of these cities during the summer. As with the entire Jersey Shore, summer traffic routinely clogs local roadways throughout the season.
While officially designated as part of the New York Metropolitan Area, Ocean County is strongly affiliated with the Delaware Valley. Ocean County, while theoretically in the New York Metro Area, is actually in the Southern part of New Jersey and is home many tourist attractions frequently visited by Delaware Valley residents. These attractions include a myriad of beaches such as Long Beach Island and Seaside Heights, along with resorts such as Island Beach State Park and Six Flags Great Adventure. It should also be noted that the Jersey Shore, of which Ocean County is a central part, is a major destination for beach tourism for Delaware Valley residents, as there are no other beaches closer than those of the Jersey Shore. By contrast, New York area residents, especially those who do not live in New Jersey, have alternative options on Long Island or in Connecticut. Therefore, the Delaware Valley residents visiting these attractions in Ocean County influences the complexion of the county in a decisive way.
Ocean County is home to many tourist attractions including the Barnegat Lighthouse, Island Beach State Park, Long Beach Island, Six Flags Great Adventure, which is the home of the world's tallest, fastest roller coaster, Kingda Ka. Ocean County is also a gateway to New Jersey's Pine Barrens, one of the largest protected pieces of land on the East Coast.
The state's largest suburban school district, Toms River Regional Schools, is located in the county.
It is also home to Mantoloking (population 423), the wealthiest community in the state of New Jersey.
As of the census of 2000, there were 510,916 people, 200,402 households, and 137,876 families residing in the county. The population density was 310/km² (803/sq mi). There were 248,711 housing units at an average density of 151/km² (391/sq mi). The racial makeup of the county was 93.05% White, 2.99% Black or African American, 0.14% Native American, 1.28% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.24% from other races, and 1.29% from two or more races. 5.02% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 24.9% were of Italian, 18.2% Irish, 12.5% German, 7.0% Polish and 5.4% English ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 200,402 households out of which 28.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.40% were married couples living together, 9.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.20% were non-families. 27.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.06.
In the county the population was spread out with 23.30% under the age of 18, 6.60% from 18 to 24, 26.00% from 25 to 44, 21.90% from 45 to 64, and 22.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 90.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.40 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $46,443, and the median income for a family was $56,420. Males had a median income of $44,822 versus $30,717 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,054. About 4.80% of families and 7.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.00% of those under age 18 and 5.60% of those age 65 or over.