ZIP Code 08226 — Ocean City, NJ

About ZIP 08226

ZIP code 08226 serves Ocean City in Cape May, New Jersey. It centers near 39.2709°, -74.5875° and, by population, qualifies as a small-town or low-density suburban ZIP. Roughly 11,260 people are estimated to live within its boundaries based on the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (2018–2022).

The median household earns about $98,576 per year here. The typical owner-occupied home is valued near $664,100, and asking rents on the open market sit around $1,404 per month. Compared to the rest of New Jersey, that makes 08226 significantly more expensive than typical for the state. Looking at the entire state, the average ZIP code reports a median income closer to $88,698 and a median home value of $357,453.

The median resident is around 56.9 years old, and roughly 25.1% of the population holds at least a bachelor's degree. Unemployment estimates from the same Census release put the share of unemployed adults around 1.3% of the total population (the labor-force-only rate is higher, since not every resident is counted as "in the labor force").

Cost of living read

If you're considering a move into 08226, the most useful exercise is to compare the housing math against your current ZIP. Here, a typical home runs $664,100 and a typical rental runs $1,404 a month. Translate that into your own budget:

• At a 7% 30-year mortgage with 20% down, financing the median home here lands monthly principal & interest near $3,535 — before property tax, insurance, or HOA dues.
• Renting the median unit at $1,404/mo costs roughly $16,848 per year, or about 17.1% of the local median household income.
• For movers from substantially cheaper or more expensive metros, the home-value gap (+$306,647 versus the state average of $357,453) is often the single biggest line item to plan for.

Who lives here

The age and education profile of a ZIP tells you a lot about what daily life feels like there. With a median age of 56.9 and a population of 11,260, ZIP 08226 reads as an older-skewing area, often retirement-oriented or in a slower-growth region.

Geography & nearby ZIPs

This ZIP centers at 39.2709, -74.5875. The eight closest neighboring ZIP codes are listed below — useful if you're scoping out the surrounding area, comparing schools, or just want a feel for the broader neighborhood than this one boundary captures.

How to use this profile

Treat ZipLocal Guide as a starting point — never the final word — when you're researching a relocation. The Census ACS data on this page are reliable medians for the ZIP code tabulation area, but they tell you nothing about which side of the freeway you should live on, which streets the local high schoolers actually walk to school, or how the neighborhood has changed since the 2022 estimate window. For those, walk the area, talk to people on the street, and verify your assumptions with a local agent or community group.

If you find this neighborhood interesting, the easiest next step is to view all ZIPs in Ocean City or browse the rest of New Jersey.