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Cost of living, pay and housing

40.16° N · 74.32° W · GEOID 3476107

Vista Center

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

Limited data population under 5,000, core figures borrowed from county or metro: median_gross_rent

New JerseyVista Center, NJVista CenterVista Center

The short answer

Vista Center is home to 2,133 people. Median household income is $135,828 a year and median rent is $1,755 a month, 15.5% 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 $549,500, about 4.0x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$1,755
29% above the median place
Median household income
$135,828
69% above the median place
Median home value
$549,500
72% above the median place
Unemployment
0.0%
below the median place (median 4.9%)

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 Vista Center

  • The median resident is 65.8 years old, older than in 99% of the 2,479 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the 3rd-highest of 287 New Jersey places.
  • Unemployment averaged 0.0% over the survey period, lower than in 99% of places its size. It is the lowest of 242 New Jersey places.
  • Half the homes were built after 2004, newer housing than in 94% of places its size. It is the 2nd-highest of 287 New Jersey places.
  • 98% of homes are owner-occupied, more than in 99% of places its size.
  • Households average 2.03 people, smaller than in 91% of places its size.

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 Vista Center

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
3.6% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 0.0% from another state. County figure.
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
$70,200 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,755 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,324 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $549,500.
Getting to work
30 minutes each way on average; 12.5% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
St. Pete Beach, FL matches it on character. Compare the two
Moved from another state1
0.0%
below the median place (median 2.0%)
Moved here in the past year1
3.6%
38% below the median place
Income of households moving in7
$99,173
41% above the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureVista CenterAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure3.6%38% below
Moved from another state10.0%below (median 2.0%)
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure1.9above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$99,17341% above
Income of households moving out7County figure$87,57825% above
02

What it costs to live here

Homeownership is 97.5%, 47% above the median place.

Vista Center15.5%
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
$70,200
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
15.5%
24% below the median place
Home price to income
4.0x
7% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
15%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$109,300
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Vista Center, $1,755 a month, and local prices for everything else (105.2 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Vista Center, but easier on the budget

Close matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income.

PlaceRent to incomeMore left a year
Sanibel, FL9.0% vs 15.5%n/aCompare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Vista Center.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Vista Center? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Homeownership1
97.5%
47% above the median place
Median year built1
2004
1% above the median place
Property tax paid (median)1
$10,001
206% above the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasureVista CenterAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1County figure$1,75529% above
Rent to income115.5%24% below
Home price to income14.0x7% 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$549,50072% above
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure6.0%87% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure73.4%42% above
Homeownership197.5%47% above
Renters paying 30%+1County figure58.3%15% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,32424% above
Vacant homes1County figure17.7%151% above
Median year built120041% above
03

Work and pay

Unemployment is 0.0%, below the median place (median 4.9%).

Unemployment1
0.0%
below the median place (median 4.9%)
Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Income per person1
$66,471
66% above the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureVista CenterAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$135,82869% above
Income per person1$66,47166% above
Unemployment10.0%below (median 4.9%)
Average annual pay6County figure$58,84811% below
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure2.4%35% below
Jobs6County figure192,71528% above
Poverty rate1County figure10.5%3% below
Mean commute1County figure30 min20% above
Works from home1County figure12.5%0% above
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Median age is 65.8, 69% above the median place.

Median age1
65.8
69% above the median place
Household size1
2.0
19% below the median place
Bachelor's or higher1
60.5%
89% above the median place
All 8 people measures
MeasureVista CenterAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population12,1336646th largest
Median age165.869% above
Bachelor's or higher160.5%89% above
High school or higher196.5%4% above
Household size12.019% below
Born abroad1County figure8.0%9% below
No health insurance1County figure4.1%36% below
Homes with broadband196.0%4% above
05

Life in Vista Center

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

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents0.0 −100%
Playgrounds per 10k0.0 −100%
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k0.0 −100%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails0 km −100%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.0 −100%

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.

Students per teacher11
11.8
23% below the median place
Public schools11
115
above the median place (median 9)
Public school students11
65,536
above the median place (median 4,897)
All 16 schools and local life measures
MeasureVista CenterAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools11County figure115above (median 9)
Public school students11County figure65,536above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher11County figure11.823% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure19.37% below
Shops per 10k8County figure31.44% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure4.47% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure22.210% above
Child care centers per 10k8County figure2.013% below
Parks per 10k90.0below (median 10.2)
Playgrounds per 10k90.0below (median 9.4)
Grocery stores per 10k90.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k90.0below (median 11.2)
Libraries per 10k90.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails90.0below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi90.0below (median 0.2)
National Register listings10County figure37185% above
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 Vista Center. Larger places are fetched first.

Wildfire risk13
95.2
56% above the median place
Hurricane risk13
93.2
32% above the median place
Tornado risk13
47.2
42% below the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureVista CenterAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high12County figure86°F1% below
January average low12County figure25°F3% below
Average temperature12County figure54°F1% below
Annual precipitation12County figure47.3 in8% above
Natural hazard risk13County figure96.24% above
Hurricane risk13County figure93.232% above
Tornado risk13County figure47.242% below
Wildfire risk13County figure95.256% above
Heat wave risk13County figure95.76% above
Median air quality index14County figure399% below
Good air days14County figure78.8%15% above
08

Vista Center in 2030: where the trends point

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 household income$135,828 (2024)$172,500$146,000 to $204,000+4.1%
Median home value$549,500 (2024)$762,000$553,000 to $1,050,000+5.6%

The median home would be worth 4.4 years of the median income in 2030, against 4.0 now.

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

09

Places like Vista Center

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

PlaceRentIncome
St. Pete Beach, FL$1,811$114,583Compare
Palmer Ranch, FL$1,794$102,838Compare
Estero, FL$1,920$104,102Compare
Pinehurst, NC$1,664$109,802Compare
Pinehurst, NCEstero, FLPalmer Ranch, FLSt. Pete Beach, FLVista Center, NJVista CenterSt. Pete BeachEsteroPinehurstVista CenterSt. Pete BeachEsteroPinehurst

Common questions

Is Vista Center a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. The median resident is 65.8 years old, older than in 99% of the 2,479 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the 3rd-highest of 287 New Jersey places. Unemployment averaged 0.0% over the survey period, lower than in 99% of places its size. It is the lowest of 242 New Jersey places. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Vista Center expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 15.5% 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 $549,500.

What salary do you need to live in Vista Center?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $70,200 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Vista Center?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are St. Pete Beach, FL, Palmer Ranch, FL, Estero, FL and Pinehurst, NC.

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. 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.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  11. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  12. 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
  13. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  14. 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 Vista Center with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Vista Center itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/vista-center-new-jersey

Citytistics. “Vista Center, New Jersey.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/vista-center-new-jersey/

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