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Place dossier plate
SheetNJ-WEST-CAPE-MAY-NJ · West Cape May, NJ 934 pop · income 61st pct
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around West Cape May
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest West Cape May on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Gerber · lowest
30,694
Gerber · lowest
30,694 median HH income
14.8% of the leader · rank #1
West Cape May · this city
79,375
West Cape May · this city
79,375 median HH income
38.2% of the leader · rank #2
Waverly · near
79,375
Waverly · near
79,375 median HH income
38.2% of the leader · rank #3
Bee Ridge · near
79,375
Bee Ridge · near
79,375 median HH income
38.2% of the leader · rank #4
Gillsville · near
79,375
Gillsville · near
79,375 median HH income
38.2% of the leader · rank #5
Henning · near
79,375
Henning · near
79,375 median HH income
38.2% of the leader · rank #6
Griggstown · highest
207,542
Griggstown · highest
207,542 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for West Cape May on ACS population and median household income
. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 934.
Nationally, West Cape May sits in the 61st percentile for household income among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS.
61st
percentile, household income
93rd
percentile, home value
94th
percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: West Cape May, NJ
Census ACS 2023 estimates count 934 residents in West Cape May, a small town within New Jersey. Median household income here is $79,375 per year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 1.4%. West Cape May's housing stock carries a median value of $698,300, and the median resident age is 59.4 years. Educational attainment runs 48.5% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 56.6% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 18 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Rapid Growth), up 38% from five years earlier.
New Jersey carries a cost-of-living premium: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, New Jersey scores 108.8 (Well Above Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $2,132 monthly. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts New Jersey's average monthly utility costs around $275 (state average). Natural-hazard exposure scores 90.8 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very High).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of West Cape May's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from work and mobility to housing and income to comparison shortlist to population change to schools and households; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For West Cape May, city-specific coverage includes local building permits, annual population history, matched public-school count, commute-mode shares.
No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles, FBI reported-crime rates; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
1. Work and mobility
What does the journey to work look like in West Cape May?
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. Remote work has a visible role in the local pattern. That can reduce commute exposure for some workers, but it says nothing about job availability or broadband quality; read it alongside income and housing rather than as a stand-alone lifestyle score.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 46.5%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
How far does income reach against housing in West Cape May?
The home-value-to-income reference is comparatively stretched: the ACS median home value is 8.8 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 1.4%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median. That flags a question for comparison, not a verdict: tenure, household composition, financing costs, and the age of the ACS estimate can all change what a resident actually pays.
Which cities make useful reference points for West Cape May?
Within New Jersey, the closest population matches are Griggstown (928 residents, $207,542 income); Vienna (940 residents, $124,893 income); Elwood (920 residents, $68,698 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Gerber, CA (934 residents); Stonington, CT (934 residents); Mars Hill, ME (934 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching.
Is West Cape May growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Recent estimates point downward. A falling count can reflect migration, household size, annexation boundaries, or estimation noise, so it is a prompt to inspect the full series rather than a claim about local economic health.
Census PEP estimates show the population declined by -18 residents from 2020 to 2025, a -1.8% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 18 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Schools and households
What does the education layer cover for West Cape May?
The NCES join finds 1 public school within the city match. 48.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
The matched institution count is small, so district boundaries and schools outside the city line may matter more than the municipal count suggests. Use the number as a coverage cue, then verify attendance zones with the district before making a household decision.
Matched public schools
1
Bachelor's degree+
48.5%
Poverty estimate
1.4%
NCES Common Core of Data school locations plus Census ACS resident characteristics.
Above median income · poverty 1.4% (Very low poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
108.8 (US=100)
High cost · BEA RPP 2024, New Jersey average
C
City profile score · West Cape May, NJ
59/100
4 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Poverty rate A+
1.4%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Bachelor's+ share A-
48.5%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Household income C
$79,375
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Cost of living F
108.8 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Violent crime N/A
N/A
No FBI UCR violent-crime rate for this place (coverage is incomplete).
West Cape May profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Poverty rate: 90/100 (A+) · 1.4%
Bachelor's+ share: 83/100 (A-) · 48.5%
Household income: 59/100 (C) · $79,375
Cost of living: 10/100 (F) · 108.8 index
How does West Cape May compare to other US cities?
West Cape May measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.
Household income61% higher than other cities
Home value93% pricier than other cities
Median rent94% pricier than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares West Cape May against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to New Jersey only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
New Jersey-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places West Cape May near the bottom of New Jersey's cities
Among the 686 New Jersey cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, West Cape May ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares West Cape May only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#523 of 659
21st percentile in New Jersey
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 686
0th percentile in New Jersey
Median Home Value
#101 of 672
85th percentile in New Jersey
Poverty Rate
#470 of 680
30th percentile in New Jersey
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#277 of 686
59th percentile in New Jersey
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within New Jersey only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
61st percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
How West Cape May's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$698,3007th percentilemore affordable than 7% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
West Cape May's home-value-to-income ratio: 8.8×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
pressured
> 5.0×
National rank
#15,214 of 15,516
More affordable than 2% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#11,140 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)
At 8.8×, West Cape May sits in the pressured band:
national rank #15,214 of 15,516 and #11,140 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000).
Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median, a comparison flag, not a verdict on any household.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$79,375West Cape May, NJ median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context West Cape May, NJ median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for West Cape May, NJ.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)48.5%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)1.4%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)56.6%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
934
Median Income
$79,375
Median Home Value
$698,300
Median Age
59.4
Poverty Rate
1.4%
Labor force participation
56.6%
Bachelor's Degree+
48.5%
Schools
Total Schools
1
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
West Cape May's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
999 residents
2021
1,000 residents
2022
1,002 residents
2023
996 residents
2024
989 residents
2025
981 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📈 Rapid Growth
Total Permits (2024)
18
housing units authorized
Single-Family
18
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
19.3
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
13
13
0
$4.1M
2020
16
16
0
$3.0M
2021
23
19
4
$6.2M
2022
17
17
0
$5.3M
2023
18
16
2
$6.1M
2024
18
18
0
$6.7M
Permit volume increased 38% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
46.5%
Carpool
11.5%
Public Transit
0.9%
Walk
0.7%
Work from Home
21.7%
Other
18.7%
Based on 443 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
New Jersey statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $275
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across New Jersey at $275 (electricity about $120 , water and sewer about $60 ).
These are New Jersey statewide averages, not a meter reading for West Cape May. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
New Jersey's BEA cost-of-living index is 108.8 (Well Above Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around West Cape May is $2,132/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to New Jersey statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 90.8 / 100 (Very High).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a New Jersey statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county West Cape May sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How West Cape May compares to similar-size New Jersey cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.