Ocean City Named NJ's Favorite Beach For Fifth Straight Year

OCEAN CITY, NJ — Five years and running. That’s how long Ocean City’s reign as “New Jersey’s Favorite Beach” has lasted, and it doesn’t appear to be in danger of coming to an end anytime soon.

For the fifth consecutive year, beach goers chose Ocean City as “New Jersey's Favorite Beach” in a statewide poll, city officials announced. Representatives of the New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium announced the winners of the annual contest in a presentation on the Ocean City Music Pier last week.

The New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium introduced the survey in 2008 to “inspire pride in and stewardship of New Jersey’s beaches while promoting a little healthy competition between New Jersey’s favorite beach towns.”

The contest is decided by online voters who are prevented from voting more than once. This year, the contest again included winners for the four coastal counties, and Ocean City was the top beach in Cape May County. Margate was second overall and the top Atlantic County beach.

Ocean City in recent years has been named “Best Beach in America” and “Best Beach” in many other statewide polls. “America’s Greatest Family Resort” also has been recognized for its boardwalk, downtown, ecotourism, family destinations, women-owned businesses and more.

“Congratulations to everybody in Ocean City for achieving this honor,” Mayor Jay Gillian said. “The recognition is a testament to the hard work of the city team, City Council, the Ocean City Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Tourism Development Commission, the Boardwalk and Downtown Merchants associations, local businesses, all volunteer groups and the entire community in making Ocean City a superior place to live, work and play.”

The full list of winners can be found below:

Overall Winners

1. Ocean City
2. Margate

Cape May County’s Favorite Beaches

1. Ocean City
2. Wildwood Crest
3. Cape May
4. Wildwood
5. Sea Isle City

Atlantic County’s Favorite Beaches

1. Margate
2. Brigantine
3. Atlantic City
4. Longport
5. Ventnor

Ocean County’s Favorite Beaches

1. Seaside Heights
2. Beach Haven
3. Point Pleasant Beach
4. Ship Bottom
5. Island Beach State Park

Monmouth County’s Favorite Beaches

1. Asbury Park
2. Sandy Hook — Gateway National Recreation Area
3. Spring Lake
4. Belmar
5. Long Branch

The attached images were provided by Ocean City Public Information Officer Doug Bergen: Councilwoman Karen Bergman, Mayor Jay Gillian, Councilman Keith Hartzell, Council President Pete Madden and Ocean City mascot Martin Z. Mollusk celebrate accept the award naming Ocean City as New Jersey’s favorite beach.