CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

40.07° N · 74.05° W · GEOID 3403520

Bay Head

Ocean County, New Jersey · part of the New York, NY metro

Limited data population under 5,000

New JerseyBay Head, NJBay HeadBay Head

The short answer

Bay Head is home to 1,205 people. Median household income is $181,667 a year and median rent is $1,424 a month, 9.4% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $1,864,000, about 10.3x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$1,424
4% above the median place
Median household income
$181,667
126% above the median place
Median home value
$1,864,000
above the median place (median $319,400)
Unemployment
5.5%
11% above the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Bay Head

  • Between the 2019 and 2024 surveys, household income rose 11.9% a year while rent rose -4.7%, so pay gained on rent more than in 99% of the 2,476 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the 2nd-lowest of 287 New Jersey places.
  • Owning with a mortgage costs about $2,577 a month more than the median rent, a wider gap than in 99% of places its size. It is the 2nd-highest of 287 New Jersey places.
  • Public schools here have 6.9 students per teacher, fewer than in 99% of places its size. It is the lowest of 224 New Jersey places.
  • The median home is valued at $1,864,000, more than in 99% of places its size. It is the highest of 287 New Jersey places.
  • The median rent takes only 9.4% of the median household's income, a smaller share than in 99% of places its size. It is the 3rd-lowest of 287 New Jersey places.

High pay has not made renting easy. Household income is higher than in 96% of places we track, yet 65% of renters still spend 30% or more of income on rent.

Rent is light relative to pay, but the county has a FEMA natural hazard risk score of 96 out of 100. Budget for insurance before counting the savings.

01

Moving to Bay Head

Ocean County gains about 1.9 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in21,206
Moved out20,140
Net+1,066

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Monmouth County, NJ4,6574,088+569
Burlington County, NJ6171,181−564
Kings County, NY1,548

Within New Jersey, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within New JerseyOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$99K
Leavers$88K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Ocean County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
5.1% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 1.2% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Ocean County report $99,200 a year in income on average; those leaving, $87,600, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need
$57,000 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,424 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $4,001 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $1,864,000.
Getting to work
27 minutes each way on average; 17.7% work from home; 3.5% take transit.
If it is close but not quite
Northwest Harbor, NY matches it on character. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
5.1%
11% below the median place
Income of households moving in8
$99,173
41% above the median place
Income of households moving out8
$87,578
25% above the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureBay HeadAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year15.1%11% below
Moved from another state1County figure1.2%37% below
Net movers per 1,000 people8County figure1.9above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in8County figure$99,17341% above
Income of households moving out8County figure$87,57825% above
02

What it costs to live here

Rent to income is 9.4%, 54% below the median place.

Bay Head9.4%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$56,960
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
9.4%
54% below the median place
Home price to income
10.3x
170% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
9%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$156,800
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Bay Head, $1,424 a month, and local prices for everything else (105.2 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Bay Head.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Bay Head? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Vacant homes1
44.1%
above the median place (median 7.1%)
Median home value1
$1,864,000
above the median place (median $319,400)
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$4,001
114% above the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasureBay HeadAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,4244% above
Rent to income19.4%54% below
Home price to income110.3x170% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure112.612% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$2,28341% above
HUD area median income4County figure$140,60031% above
Property tax paid (median)1$10,001206% above
Median home value1$1,864,000above (median $319,400)
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure6.0%87% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure73.4%42% above
Homeownership186.3%30% above
Renters paying 30%+165.5%29% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$4,001114% above
Vacant homes144.1%above (median 7.1%)
Median year built119631% below
03

Work and pay

Income per person is $125,314, 213% above the median place.

Income per person1
$125,314
213% above the median place
Median household income1
$181,667
126% above the median place
Poverty rate1
5.5%
49% below the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Commutes by transit3.5% 4.2×
Works from home17.7% +42%
Mean commute27 min +10%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureBay HeadAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$181,667126% above
Income per person1$125,314213% above
Unemployment1County figure5.5%11% above
Average annual pay6County figure$58,84811% below
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure2.4%35% below
Jobs6County figure192,71528% above
Poverty rate15.5%49% below
Mean commute127 min10% above
Works from home117.7%42% above
Commutes by transit13.5%318% above
04

Who lives here

High school or higher is 99.4%, 8% above the median place.

High school or higher1
99.4%
8% above the median place
Median age1
58.6
50% above the median place
Bachelor's or higher1
75.2%
134% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Household size2.0 −19%
No health insurance3.4% −47%
Homes with broadband96.1% +4%
Born abroad3.3% −62%
All 9 people measures
MeasureBay HeadAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population11,2056646th largest
Population change since 202074.3%275% above
Median age158.650% above
Bachelor's or higher175.2%134% above
High school or higher199.4%8% above
Household size12.019% below
Born abroad13.3%62% below
No health insurance13.4%47% below
Homes with broadband196.1%4% above
05

Life in Bay Head

2 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, 2 of them National Historic Landmarks.

  • Bay Head Historic District listed 2006
  • L. Ron Hubbard Residence at Bay Head

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents33.2 3.3×
Playgrounds per 10k33.2 3.5×
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k8.3 −26%
Libraries per 10k8.3 9.5×
Named paths and bike trails0 km −100%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi3.4 16.3×

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars19.3 −7%
Shops31.4 +4%
Arts, recreation and fitness4.4 +7%
Doctors' offices and clinics22.2 +10%
Child care centers2.0 −13%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Public schools12
1
89% below the median place
Students per teacher12
6.9
55% below the median place
Public school students12
125
97% below the median place
All 16 schools and local life measures
MeasureBay HeadAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools12189% below
Public school students1212597% below
Students per teacher126.955% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k9County figure19.37% below
Shops per 10k9County figure31.44% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k9County figure4.47% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k9County figure22.210% above
Child care centers per 10k9County figure2.013% below
Parks per 10k1033.2226% above
Playgrounds per 10k1033.2253% above
Grocery stores per 10k100.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k108.326% below
Libraries per 10k108.3above (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails100.0below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi103.4above (median 0.2)
National Register listings11285% below
06

Safety, weather and risk

Wildfire risk is 95.2, 56% above the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Bay Head. Larger places are fetched first.

Wildfire risk14
95.2
56% above the median place
Hurricane risk14
93.2
32% above the median place
Tornado risk14
47.2
42% below the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureBay HeadAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high13County figure86°F1% below
January average low13County figure25°F3% below
Average temperature13County figure54°F1% below
Annual precipitation13County figure47.3 in8% above
Natural hazard risk14County figure96.24% above
Hurricane risk14County figure93.232% above
Tornado risk14County figure47.242% below
Wildfire risk14County figure95.256% above
Heat wave risk14County figure95.76% above
Median air quality index15County figure399% below
Good air days15County figure78.8%15% above
08

Bay Head in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 9% of the median income in 2030, down from 9% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,424/mo (2024)$1,730/mo$1,420 to $2,100/mo+3.3%
Median household income$181,667 (2024)$238,000$201,000 to $281,500+4.6%
Median home value$1,864,000 (2024)$2,740,000$1,989,000 to $3,775,000+6.6%
Population968 (2025)990950 to 1,040+0.5%

The median home would be worth 11.5 years of the median income in 2030, against 10.3 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Bay Head

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Northwest Harbor, NY$1,807$160,375Compare
Park City, UT$1,943$133,558Compare
El Granada, CA$2,034$213,347Compare
Palm Beach, FL$2,311$168,403Compare
Palm Beach, FLEl Granada, CAPark City, UTNorthwest Harbor, NYBay Head, NJBay HeadPark CityPalm BeachBay HeadPark CityPalm Beach

Common questions

Is Bay Head a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Between the 2019 and 2024 surveys, household income rose 11.9% a year while rent rose -4.7%, so pay gained on rent more than in 99% of the 2,476 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the 2nd-lowest of 287 New Jersey places. Owning with a mortgage costs about $2,577 a month more than the median rent, a wider gap than in 99% of places its size. It is the 2nd-highest of 287 New Jersey places. On cost, space and class size it scores 77 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Bay Head expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 9.4% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $1,864,000.

What salary do you need to live in Bay Head?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $56,960 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Bay Head?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Northwest Harbor, NY, Park City, UT, El Granada, CA and Palm Beach, FL.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
  8. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  9. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  10. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  13. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  14. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  15. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Bay Head with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Bay Head itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/bay-head-new-jersey

Citytistics. “Bay Head, New Jersey.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/bay-head-new-jersey/

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