Ocean City retains title as New Jersey's most popular beach in annual vote

The winner and still champion of New Jersey's Top Ten Beaches contest is ... Ocean City.

The southern New Jersey beach town that bills itself as "America's Greatest Family Resort" was named the state's most popular beach Thursday. It's the second straight win for Ocean City, which also won in 2009.

The contest is sponsored by the New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium and Stockton College as a way of making people feel more connected to, and protective of, the state's 127-mile coastline.

This year's runners up were: Wildwood; Wildwood Crest; Sea Isle City; North Wildwood; Asbury Park; Manasquan; Belmar; Brigantine and Long Beach Township.

Since the contest began, either Ocean City or the Wildwoods (the three Wildwood municipalities used to compete as a single entity) has won the online vote.