In a TikTok video posted on Sunday, Aug. 2, the individual details the rental costs while journeying through Sea Isle City in Cape May County with a beach chair on her back.
“Every year, we pay $10,000 to come down to the Jersey Shore,” the influencer said in the video. “These houses, you rent — and you need to bring your own sheets, toilet paper, paper towels, no food. You gotta bring your coffee, everything, everything.”
Once regarded as an affordable beach getaway, Jersey Shore getaways have now increased exponentially over recent years.
FOX Digital News cited research from Affinity Federal Credit Union in the Garden State, which found that the average cost of a Jersey Shore vacation this summer is 11.29% higher than last year. Week-long vacation rentals in Asbury Park, Point Pleasant, and Seaside Heights have also risen by 53% year over year.
Locals and frequent Jersey Shore visitors have said the experience isn’t worth the price tag.
“I live at the Jersey Shore, and I can promise you [that] nothing you rent is worth $10,000!” one commenter noted.
Others noted that the prices aren’t exactly out of the ordinary. “For those outside the tri-state [area] … just know it’s tradition,” one person wrote. “For families that vacation down [at] the shore, it’s the same town every year, same rental/hotel, same groups of vacation friends. … It’s what makes it all worth it.”
Duane Watlington, founder of Vacation Rentals Jersey Shore, which operates websites featuring more than 3,100 vacation rentals, has another take on the situation.
“Somebody spending $10,000 a week at the Jersey Shore is definitely an above-average luxury rental,” he explained to FOX News Digital.
“On Long Beach Island, the midpoint of a weekly rental during the summer is $7,000. … Ocean City’s midpoint is $4,700 a week, and Wildwood’s midpoint is only $3,500 a week,” he confirmed.
He reiterated that June or September can cut prices significantly — perhaps up to half — while driving minimizes airfare, but food costs are one non-negotiable.