Is Ocean City Really The 'Drunkest City In New Jersey?'

OCEAN CITY, NJ — This doesn’t sound right. A recent report claims that America’s Favorite Family Resort — or rather its Metropolitan Statistical Area — is home to the largest number of drunk people in the state.

A report posted on USA Today's website has named the “drunkest city in each state,” and the result for New Jersey may come as a complete surprise to many. Yes, Ocean City has been named the “Drunkest City in New Jersey,” based on an evaluation by 24/7 Wall St., using numbers compiled by the Centers for Disease Control.

The report identified the metropolitan areas in each state that reported the highest number of "binge drinkers" and "heavy drinkers." According to the statistics, 18.3 percent of adults who live in the Ocean City Metropolitan Area “binge drink,” a number higher than the 17.6 percent average quoted for the state. The national rate is 18 percent.

“Binge drinking” for men is defined as having five or more drinks in a single occasion, and four or more drinks in a single occasion for women. “Heavy drinking” is defined as 15 or more drinks in a week for men, and eight drinks or more in a week for women.

But how can America’s Favorite Family Resort top this list? Four Methodist ministers founded Ocean City in 1879, and one of the religious principles they founded the resort on was that no alcohol should be allowed on the island.

Nearly 140 years later, Ocean City remains a highly religious resort. This was evident in 2012, when voters defeated a proposal to allow patrons to bring their own alcohol to restaurants by a 2-1 margin.

It’s important to note the term “Ocean City Metropolitan Area” when referring to this report. Cape May County is listed as part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Area by Data USA. Along with Ocean City, the Villas and Wildwood are listed as the largest places by population in the area. The combined population for the area is 95,805 people, while Ocean City’s individual population for 2016 was listed at 11,340 by the U.S. Census.

Earlier this year, The Press of Atlantic City reported there are still secret places to find a stiff drink in Ocean City, even though The Riverboat was closing. The Riverboat was one of those rare places that found a loophole in local law that allowed it to serve alcohol. There is also no shortage of bars, liquor stores and restaurants just outside of Ocean City that serve alcohol.

What do you think? Do these numbers sound about right? Let us know in the comments section.

Image via Shutterstock