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Map of Stafford Township with Ocean Acres marked

Notable Neighborhoods of Stafford Ocean Acres

Stafford's biggest neighborhood, west of the Garden State Parkway and north of Route 72, with lake and ballfield parks of its own.

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors

The Quick Take

Ocean Acres At A Glance

Ocean Acres is a census-designated place split between Stafford and Barnegat townships, west of the Garden State Parkway. It was started in the early 1960s; a state moratorium on building west of the Parkway held the 5,500-lot community to fewer than 800 homes until the 1990s, when sewer lines went in and building took off. The township counts about 5,500 units in the subdivision.

Sources: Wikipedia, Ocean Acres; Stafford Township, History. Checked October 2026.

Known For Two Neighborhood Parks

Nautilus Park on Nautilus Drive and Ocean Acres Lake Park on Buccaneer Lane are township parks inside the neighborhood. Ocean Acres Lake Park has a basketball court, grill, picnic shelters and tables, playground, restrooms and a tennis court.

Sources: Stafford Township, Nautilus Park; Stafford Township, Ocean Acres Lake Park. Checked October 2026.

Home Prices

What Homes Have Sold For

Recent closed sales in Ocean Acres listed on neighborhoods.com range from $200,000 to $850,000, with a median sale price of $594,495. The page may also include the Barnegat side of Ocean Acres.

Source: neighborhoods.com (MLS-based brokerage data), read October 2026. The source does not state the time period covered. These are not Dennis Mark's figures. For a current price opinion on a specific home, ask for a home value.

Local Favorites

Where To Eat Nearby

All on Route 72 in Manahawkin, the closest restaurants to Ocean Acres. Each checked as open in October 2026. Businesses change: check hours before you go.

Know Before You Buy

Flood Zones And Schools

Before you make an offer, look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center and ask the seller for the flood zone and any elevation certificate. Dennis Mark can pull the flood zone for any home you're considering.

The Stafford Township School District runs pre-kindergarten through grade 6, and federal school data shows each grade taught at one school for the whole township: Oxycocus Elementary School and the Ronald L. Meinders Primary Learning Center (pre-K and kindergarten), Ocean Acres Elementary School (grades 1 and 2), McKinley Avenue Elementary School (grades 3 and 4) and Stafford Intermediate School (grades 5 and 6). Grades 7 to 12 attend Southern Regional Middle School and Southern Regional High School on Cedar Bridge Road in Manahawkin. Ocean Acres Elementary School is in the neighborhood, at 489 Nautilus Drive. The Barnegat side of Ocean Acres is in the Barnegat Township School District.

School information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed, and boundaries change often. Verify enrollment with the school district.

Sources: Stafford Township School District; NCES school list; Southern Regional School District. Checked October 2026.

Ocean Acres Q&A

Common questions, each with its source. Checked October 2026.

Where is Ocean Acres?

West of the Garden State Parkway, split between Stafford and Barnegat townships. Source: Wikipedia, Ocean Acres.

How big is Ocean Acres?

About 5,500 lots on roughly 6 square miles; the township counts about 5,500 units in the subdivision. Sources: Wikipedia; Stafford Township, History.

When were Ocean Acres homes built?

It began in the early 1960s, but building stayed slow until a state moratorium west of the Parkway was lifted and sewers went in during the 1990s. Source: Wikipedia, Ocean Acres.

Does Ocean Acres have an HOA?

Recent MLS-based records for the neighborhood show $0 association fees. Check the listing for any specific home. Source: neighborhoods.com.

What parks are in Ocean Acres?

Nautilus Park on Nautilus Drive and Ocean Acres Lake Park on Buccaneer Lane. Sources: Stafford Township, Nautilus Park; Ocean Acres Lake Park.

Which Parkway exit serves Ocean Acres?

Stafford's interchange is Exit 63 at Route 72; Exit 67 is in neighboring Barnegat Township. Source: Wikipedia, Garden State Parkway.

Which schools serve Ocean Acres?

Stafford Township School District schools for pre-K to grade 6 (each grade at one school township-wide), then Southern Regional Middle and High School on Cedar Bridge Road. Verify enrollment with the district. Sources: Stafford Township School District; Southern Regional.

How Much Do I Think You Can Get For Your Home?

Own a home in Ocean Acres? Get my opinion of what it could sell for, backed by real sales data and a marketing plan.

Photo: Dennis Mark InterdonatoPhoto: CityLimitsJunction, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Success Stories

Real stories from the people we've helped buy and sell their homes.

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SPENCER & SARAH RAITT-FOREST

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