The 5 Best Assisted Living Facilities in Ocean City, NJ for 2024

Ocean City is a vibrant community with a large senior population that accounts for over a third of the 11,000 residents, promoting social opportunities and access to community-based services for retirees. The city appeals to active seniors with its low violent crime rate and generally pleasant weather, and retirement-friendly tax laws make it affordable for many older adults.

There are also several assisted living facilities in Ocean City, further making the city a favorable option for seniors. These facilities offer private and semiprivate housing, with many featuring apartment-style units. Residents can enjoy three meals daily and participate in a range of fitness and recreational activities, and many facilities have amenities, such as libraries and computer rooms, and offer pharmacy services. On average, these facilities charge $7,490 per month for care, although rates may vary depending on a facility’s size, pricing structure and amenities. This monthly rate exceeds the state norm of $6,495 and the national average of $4,500.

This guide provides more information on assisted living in Ocean City, including some licensing rules facilities follow and common ways to pay for services. It also provides more details on the benefits and drawbacks to consider before moving to this city.

New Jersey’s Department of Health regulates assisted living facilities in Ocean City and the rest of the state, promoting a high standard of care for residents. This department has strict licensing requirements and enforces minimum standards for building features, care planning, staffing and nutrition services. It also publishes a comprehensive list of licensed assisted living facilities in the state.

• Seniors in Ocean City don’t pay state income taxes on their Social Security income, and those aged 62 and over can claim large deductions to reduce what they owe in taxes on income from other sources. Property taxes in this state are among the highest in the nation, but seniors may avoid this expense by transitioning to residential care.
• On a cost of living index set to a national norm of 100, Ocean City rates 148.7. This is about 30 points higher than the state score, indicating that this city is one of the costlier places to live in New Jersey. Housing costs and groceries are substantially higher in this city than in most other communities across the state and nation, but seniors may be able to have greater control over their living costs by moving into an assisted living facility.
• Property crime is more prevalent in Ocean City than in the typical U.S. city, but violent crime is relatively uncommon. The city has a score of 53.5 for property crime on a 100-point index, compared to the national score of 35.4. However, its violent crime score is about half the national rating at 11.9, which may provide peace of mind to seniors moving to this city for long-term care.
• Ocean City has a high score of 8.6 on a 10-point comfort index, which may appeal to retirees who enjoy spending time outdoors. Year-round temperatures range from lows of 25 degrees in the winter to highs of 84 in the summer, and the city gets 42 inches of rain and 16 inches of snow annually.
• There are no hospitals in Ocean City proper, and there are only about 159 doctors per 100,000 people compared to the national norm of 210. To promote access to medical and wellness services, many assisted living facilities have on-call physicians and some even have dedicated office space to reduce the need for off-campus medical appointments.

In Ocean City, the typical assisted living facility charges approximately $7,490 per month for services.

Seniors in Ocean City pay monthly median rates of $7,490 for assisted living, which is about $1,000 higher than the New Jersey norm and almost $3,000 over the national average. While local care costs are economical compared to rates in Trenton, where seniors pay $8,145 for services, facilities in other cities in the region typically charge less for care. For example, in Vineland, rates are considerably lower than in Ocean City at $6,400, and in Atlantic City, seniors pay $5,807 for care. Seniors may also spend a little less on assisted living by looking across state lines in cities such as Philadelphia, PA, where care costs average $5,685.

Assisted living is one of the most expensive senior care options in Ocean City, with seniors paying approximately $7,490 per month for this level of care. This is considerably more than what seniors pay for private home-based care, with agencies charging $5,529 per month for in-home care and specialized home health care, and adult day health care costs are even lower at $1,993. Only nursing home care, which includes housing and around-the-clock medical support, is more expensive than assisted living at $10,007.

While many families use their own funds or personal assets to pay for assisted living, there are plenty of additional options to cover these costs. Some additional ways to finance assisted living costs include:

• Veterans Benefits
• Life Insurance Policy
• Long-Term Care Insurance
• Reverse Mortgage

For more information about different ways to finance assisted living, visit our Assisted Living in New Jersey page.