City profile · New Jersey · Census ACS 2023

West Wildwood, NJ

West Wildwood's Census ACS profile: residents, income, housing, and the joined public-record layers available for this place.

564
Residents
$64,750
Median income
$364,900
Median home
$2,132
Median rent (state)
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State rank, size-class rank, and four peer cities for West Wildwood.

Place dossier plate

Sheet NJ-WEST-WILDWOOD-NJ · West Wildwood, NJ 564 pop · income 43rd pct

POP-VILLAGE · INC-MID · COL-ABOVE · SAFE-UNK · RANK-MID · PHOTO-FINISH · HOME-MID · BOOK-UNK

  • POP-VILLAGE 564
  • INC-MID $64,750
  • COL-ABOVE 108.8
  • SAFE-UNK Safety pending
  • RANK-MID 43rd
  • PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Lincoln Park
  • HOME-MID $364,900
  • BOOK-UNK Tracts pending

Nearest income peer: Lincoln Park, CO (+ $0 income $)

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 Wildwood

Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest West Wildwood on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.

median HH income

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.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2026-08-08

Compare beyond this state

Nationwide peers by population, income

Out-of-state nearest neighbors for West Wildwood 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: 564.

4 peers

Similar household income

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS median household income. This city: $64,750. Population peers are excluded.

4 peers

West Wildwood - the verdict

Nationally, West Wildwood sits in the 43rd percentile for household income among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS.

43rd
percentile, household income
74th
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 Wildwood, NJ

West Wildwood is a small town in New Jersey, home to 564 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Households in West Wildwood report a median income of $64,750 per year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 3.1%. West Wildwood's housing stock carries a median value of $364,900, and the median resident age is 63.3 years. About 18.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 36.4% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 26 residential building permits were authorized in West Wildwood (Building Boom), up 117% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data.

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. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $2,132 per month. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in New Jersey run around $275, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. 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 Wildwood'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 population change to comparison shortlist to work and mobility to housing and income; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.

For West Wildwood, city-specific coverage includes annual population history, commute-mode shares, local building permits. No matched row is reported here for FBI reported-crime rates, within-city Census tract profiles, matched public-school count; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.

1. Population change

Is West Wildwood 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 -10 residents from 2020 to 2025, a -1.9% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 26 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.

See the national growth ranking →

Question 2

Which cities make useful reference points for West Wildwood?

Within New Jersey, the closest population matches are Three Bridges (564 residents); Mountain Lake (566 residents, $99,063 income); Newport (551 residents, $64,327 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Junction City, AR (564 residents); El Nido, CA (564 residents); Beverly Beach, FL (564 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.

Open a side-by-side comparison →

3. Work and mobility

What does the journey to work look like in West Wildwood?

Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.

Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 78.2%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.

Compare commute patterns →

Question 4

How far does income reach against housing in West Wildwood?

The home-value-to-income reference is comparatively stretched: the ACS median home value is 5.6 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 3.1%, 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.

Compare the housing trade-off →

Population

564 residents

Micro place (under 10k)

Median Household Income

$64,750 /yr

Below median income · poverty 3.1% (Low poverty)

Cost of Living Index (state)

108.8 (US=100)

High cost · BEA RPP 2024, New Jersey average

City profile score · West Wildwood, NJ

41/100

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 B+
3.1%

Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.

Household income D
$64,750

Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.

Bachelor's+ share F
18.8%

Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; 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 Wildwood profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions) 4-axis radar comparing 1 series across Poverty rate, Household income, Bachelor's+ share, Cost of living. Poverty rateHousehold incomeBachelor's+ shareCost of living 41 D
West Wildwood profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)
Read the chart values
  • Poverty rate: 78/100 (B+) · 3.1%
  • Household income: 42/100 (D) · $64,750
  • Bachelor's+ share: 31/100 (F) · 18.8%
  • Cost of living: 10/100 (F) · 108.8 index

How does West Wildwood compare to other US cities?

Here's how West Wildwood stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 43% higher than other cities
Home value 74% pricier than other cities
Median rent 94% 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 Wildwood 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 Wildwood near the bottom of New Jersey's cities

Among the 686 New Jersey cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, West Wildwood ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares West Wildwood only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#598 of 659
9th percentile in New Jersey
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 686
0th percentile in New Jersey
Median Home Value
#389 of 672
42nd percentile in New Jersey
Poverty Rate
#342 of 680
49th percentile in New Jersey
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#611 of 686
11th 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.

43rdIncome percentile
Gauge source note

43rd percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How West Wildwood's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$364,900 26th percentile more affordable than 26% of 15,600 US cities

Show national distribution $0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). This entry sits in this band. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. West Wildwood $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

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 Wildwood's home-value-to-income ratio: 5.6×

ACS median home value divided by median household income.

Band
pressured
> 5.0×
National rank
#13,744 of 15,516
More affordable than 11% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#10,254 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)

At 5.6×, West Wildwood sits in the pressured band: national rank #13,744 of 15,516 and #10,254 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

$64,750 West Wildwood, NJ median household income (Census ACS)

Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Household income distribution - West Wildwood, NJ West Wildwood, NJ's median household income ($64,750) against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern. The Lorenz curve and quintile bars are national context, not West Wildwood, NJ-specific shares. $ Household Income Distribution West Wildwood, NJ median $64,750/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
West Wildwood, 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 Wildwood, NJ.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 18.8%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 3.1%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 36.4%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
564
Median Income
$64,750
Median Home Value
$364,900
Median Age
63.3
Poverty Rate
3.1%
Labor force participation
36.4%
Bachelor's Degree+
18.8%

Population Change

PEP vintage

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
525 residents530 residents535 residents540 residents545 residents 202020212022202320242025 539 residents 529 residents ▼ -1.9%
West Wildwood's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.
Read the chart as text
Period Population
2020 539 residents
2021 543 residents
2022 542 residents
2023 540 residents
2024 533 residents
2025 529 residents

Housing Supply

BPS source

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
26
housing units authorized
Single-Family
26
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
46.1
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 12
2020 10
2021 23
2022 25
2023 25
2024 26

Permit volume increased 117% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

Commute source

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
78.2%
Carpool
3.4%
Public Transit
1.7%
Walk
4.6%
Work from Home
12.1%

Based on 174 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 Wildwood. 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 Wildwood 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 Wildwood sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.

How West Wildwood 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.

City Population Median Household Income
West Wildwood (this city) 564 $64,750
Three Bridges 564 N/A
Mountain Lake 566 $99,063
Newport 551 $64,327
Census BPS 2024
Primary sources on this page

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, 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.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES. Joins use OMB Bulletin 23-01 / FIPS keys.

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Estimate caveats

ACS and UCR figures are citywide estimates with vintage lags; they do not replace a local visit, school visit, or insurance quote.

Editorial standards, provenance, and how to cite this page

Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

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