City government · Cape May County, NJ

Ocean City's money: where it comes from and where it goes

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended December 31, 2023), Ocean City took in $88.8 million and spent $63.1 million.

Latest recorded year: ended December 31, 2023Estimated by the U.S. Census BureauComes fromGoes to

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Where it comes from

City taxes78%Fees for services (parking, parks and recreation)8.4%State tax money8.0%Federal tax money3.2%Fines and other2.7%

What stands out

75%

of Ocean City's money comes from property tax.A typical U.S. city of 10,000 to 50,000 people gets 19%.

City taxes78%

Property tax
75%$66.3 million
Other taxes
3.0%$2.7 million
What's in other taxesOther licenses
  • Other licenses$2.7 million

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services8.4%

Fees for services
8.4%$7.5 million
What's in fees for servicesParking; parks and recreation and 4 more
  • Parking$3.8 million
  • Parks and recreation$1.7 million
  • Other service charges$994 thousand
  • Housing$807 thousand
  • Airport$243 thousand
  • Garbage collection$11 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money3.2%

Grants from Washington, paid for by the federal taxes residents also pay.

From the federal government
3.2%$2.9 million

State tax money8.0%

Money the state passes on, paid for by the state taxes residents also pay.

From the state
8.0%$7.1 million

County and local tax money<0.1%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From the county and other local governments
<0.1%$3 thousand

Fines and other2.7%

Interest, rents and other
2.1%$1.8 million
Fines
0.6%$538 thousand

Where it goes

Police, fire, courts and jails35%Running the government and other costs32%Parks, recreation and libraries13%Roads, transit and parking12%Interest on debt7.1%All other spending2.4%

What stands out

32%

of Ocean City's spending goes to running the government and other costs.A typical U.S. city of 10,000 to 50,000 people spends 18%.

Spending by category100%

Police, fire, courts and jails
35%$21.8 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPolice; fire protection and 2 more
  • Police$10.0 million
  • Fire protection$9.2 million
  • Inspections and regulation$1.5 million
  • Courts and legal services$1.1 million
Running the government and other costs
32%$19.9 million
What's in running the government and other costsOther and not broken out; central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology) and 2 more
  • Other and not broken out$10.8 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$4.1 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$3.5 million
  • Government buildings$1.5 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
13%$7.9 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesLibraries and parks and recreation
  • Libraries$5.2 million
  • Parks and recreation$2.7 million
Roads, transit and parking
12%$7.5 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways and parking
  • Roads and highways$7.1 million
  • Parking$398 thousand
Interest on debt
7.1%$4.5 million
Housing and community development
1.8%$1.1 million
Health and hospitals
0.5%$310 thousand
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$310 thousand
Social services
0.1%$69 thousand
What's in social servicesOther public welfare
  • Other public welfare$69 thousand
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

City of Ocean City. U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, individual unit file, fiscal year ended December 31, 2023. Most of this government's figures were estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau from a sample; the government did not report them itself.

What this covers. The money of City of Ocean City itself. Other governments that serve the same area (the city, county, school district and state) are separate and not included. Borrowing, transfers between a government's own funds, and pension trust funds are not counted as revenue.