County · New Jersey

Cape May County, New Jersey

Cape May County, New Jersey. Cape May County had 93,390 residents in 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 2.0% since 2020, while New Jersey grew 2.8%. It holds 37 places (12 cities, villages and boroughs, 4 towns and townships and 21 census-designated) and 33 census tracts. GEOID 34009.

Cape May County is one of the 2 counties of the Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ metropolitan statistical area (the Census Bureau's July 2023 delineation).

Residents, July 2025 estimate

93,390

Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 95,263 · ACS 2020-2024: 94,941

Median household income

$91,128

±$3,274 (90% margin)
New Jersey: $103,556

Median home value

$434,600

±$9,304 (90% margin)
New Jersey: $454,400

Median gross rent

$1,360

±$96 (90% margin)
New Jersey: $1,720

How many people live in Cape May County, and is it growing?

The 2020 Census counted 95,263 residents in Cape May County. The Census Bureau estimates 93,390 for July 1, 2025, down 2.0% since 2020, while New Jersey grew 2.8%. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts the population at 94,941 over 252 square miles of land.

July 2020→2021 +638 (95,667)
2021→2022 −502 (95,165)
2022→2023 −588 (94,577)
2023→2024 −483 (94,094)
2024→2025 −704 (93,390)

Cape May County in New Jersey. Boundaries: Census Bureau 2024.

Counts, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates, with the change from 2015-2019
Measure	Cape May County	New Jersey	Change since 2015-2019
Total population	94,941	9,343,809	+1,855
Households	44,884±745	3,507,701	+4,713
Average household size	2.08±0.03	2.62	−0.17
Housing units	99,599±85	3,791,354	+287

Cape May County's population since 2000

From 102,326 in 2000 to 93,390 in 2025: down 8.7%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.

2000 Census 102,326
2005 (estimate) 99,269
2010 Census 97,265
2015 (estimate) 94,330
2020 Census 95,263
2025 (estimate) 93,390

Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); PEP Vintage 2025 (CO-EST2025); 2020 Census · Check it at data.census.gov

What cities and towns are in Cape May County?

Cape May County holds 37 places: 12 cities, villages and boroughs (incorporated places), 4 towns and townships (county subdivisions with their own government) and 21 census-designated places. The largest is Lower Township with 21,533 residents (2025 estimate). Places that cross a county line are listed with the share of their 2020 residents who live in this county.

Places in Cape May County, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Ring: estimate with a coefficient of variation over 40%.

Lower Township	township	22,057	21,956±56	$84,962	$364,900	7.7%	100%
Middle Township	township	20,380	20,277±42	$83,508	$342,200	12.0%	100%
Upper Township	township	12,539	12,525±23	$111,991	$411,500	2.7%	100%
Ocean City	city	11,229	11,261±25	$101,782	$840,500	9.8%	100%
Villas	CDP	9,134	9,735±589	$80,974	$301,600	10.6%	100%
Dennis Township	township	6,285	6,205±22	$105,506	$360,400	5.7%	100%
Cape May Court House	CDP	5,573	5,628±808	$74,464	$381,200	17.0%	100%
Wildwood	city	5,157	5,130±17	$75,222	$391,300	13.7%	100%
North Cape May	CDP	4,007	3,731±426	$86,962	$393,300	6.1%	100%
North Wildwood	city	3,621	3,602±14	$90,833	$459,900	4.7%	100%
Rio Grande	CDP	3,610	3,485±652	$76,250	$317,400	10.1%	100%
Palermo	CDP	3,183	2,696±464	$101,005	$395,400	2.0%	100%
Wildwood Crest	borough	3,101	3,077±14	$69,089	$590,900	9.6%	100%
Cape May	city	2,768	2,767±15	$62,576	$863,900	10.3%	100%
Seaville	CDP	2,426	2,589±374	$139,444	$461,300	3.5%	100%
Marmora	CDP	2,413	2,039±429	$105,536	$438,400	3.9%	100%
WhitesboroGEOID 3480840	CDP	2,300	2,766±933	$95,522	$248,700	10.9%	100%
Woodbine	borough	2,128	2,023±238	$46,078	$218,200	30.3%	100%
Sea Isle City	city	2,104	2,000±231	$108,359	$1,087,300	5.4%	100%
Erma	CDP	2,031	1,959±388	$96,885	$409,900	5.0%	100%
South Dennis	CDP	1,703	1,528±356	$101,500	$372,100	3.1%	100%
Avalon	borough	1,243	1,488±158	$139,167	$1,959,000	4.8%	100%
West Cape May	borough	1,010	1,011±199	$91,250	$751,100	5.4%	100%
Dennisville	CDP	830	736±231	$96,148	$358,700	11.4%	100%
Beesleys PointGEOID 3404540	CDP	816	1,335±539	not published	$339,800	2.0%	100%
Stone Harbor	borough	796	893±131	$169,167	$2,000,000 or more	6.0%	100%
BurleighGEOID 3408890	CDP	766	159±111	$117,928	not published	27.0%	100%
South SeavilleGEOID 3469480	CDP	695	564±266	$129,722	$302,600	15.1%	100%
Ocean ViewGEOID 3454600	CDP	685	728±286	$107,344	$376,700	4.2%	100%
BelleplainGEOID 3404660	CDP	614	495±193	$94,722	$304,200	15.6%	100%
West Wildwood	borough	540	588±175	$74,432	$400,800	4.3%	100%
GoshenGEOID 3427030	CDP	400	340±197	$132,895	$350,000	0.0%	100%
MarshallvilleGEOID 3444345	CDP	376	480±381	$116,563	$282,100	0.0%	100%
TuckahoeGEOID 3474180	CDP	357	175±172	$138,750	$287,500	0.0%	100%
Cape May PointGEOID 3410330	borough	305	138±46	$86,125	$1,050,000	8.0%	100%
Diamond BeachGEOID 3417815	CDP	203	350±192	$125,357	$696,700	0.0%	100%
Strathmere	CDP	137	266±207	$108,953	$1,089,300	0.0%	100%

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 place-by-county parts · Check it at data.census.gov

Who lives in Cape May County?

The median resident of Cape May County is 51.8 years old; 17.1% are under 18 and 29.5% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 83.9%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 8.3%. 4.6% of residents were born outside the United States.

Age, origin and education, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Race groups are non-Hispanic; Hispanic includes any race.
Measure	Cape May County	New Jersey	Change since 2015-2019
Median age	51.8±0.2	40.1	+2.2
Under 18 years	17.1%±0.1 pts	21.8%	–
65 years and over	29.5%±0.1 pts	17.2%	–
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	8.3%	22.5%	+0.6 pts
White alone, not Hispanic	83.9%±0.4 pts	50.9%	−1.4 pts
Black or African American alone, not Hispanic	3.4%±0.4 pts	12.2%	−1.0 pts
Asian alone, not Hispanic	0.7%±0.1 pts	10.0%	no clear change
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic	0.0%±0.1 pts	0.1%	–
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic	0.0%±0.1 pts	0.0%	–
Two or more races, not Hispanic	3.3%±0.5 pts	3.5%	–
Some other race alone, not Hispanic	0.4%±0.3 pts	0.8%	–
Born outside the United States	4.6%±0.6 pts	23.9%	no clear change
Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+)	8.9%±0.8 pts	33.1%	–
Civilian veterans (age 18+)	6.9%±0.6 pts	3.7%	–
With a disability	15.0%±1.0 pts	10.8%	–
No health insurance coverage	5.0%±0.8 pts	7.5%	no clear change
High school graduate or higher (age 25+)	94.7%±0.6 pts	90.7%	–
Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+)	39.0%±1.4 pts	43.6%	+6.2 pts
Graduate or professional degree (age 25+)	14.8%±0.8 pts	17.6%	–
Moved from another state in the past year	3.3%±0.5 pts	1.8%	–

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov

What do households in Cape May County earn?

Half of Cape May County's 44,884 households earn less than $91,128 a year (±$3,274), against $103,556 in New Jersey. In 2015-2019 the median was $82,548 in 2024 dollars, so it rose by $8,580 after inflation. 8.7% of residents live below the poverty line.

Income and poverty in 2024 dollars, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Cape May County	New Jersey	Change since 2015-2019
Median household income	$91,128±$3,274	$103,556	+$8,580
Mean household income	$122,129±$3,797	$143,363	–
Per capita income	$55,694±$1,721	$54,253	+$5,988
People below the poverty line	8.7%±1.1 pts	9.7%	no clear change
Children under 18 below the poverty line	10.9%±2.3 pts	13.0%	no clear change
Households receiving SNAP	7.5%±1.1 pts	9.1%	–
Households with a broadband subscription	93.1%±1.1 pts	92.8%	–

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov

What does housing cost in Cape May County?

Owners occupy 80.3% of Cape May County's occupied homes and renters 19.7%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $434,600 by its owner (±$9,304). The median renter pays $1,360 a month including utilities, and 46.4% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.

Housing, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Cape May County	New Jersey	Change since 2015-2019
Median home value (owner-occupied)	$434,600±$9,304	$454,400	+$64,776
Median gross rent	$1,360±$96	$1,720	no clear change
Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent	46.4%±4.9 pts	42.7%	−6.4 pts
Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage	$2,232±$50	$2,829	–
Owner-occupied homes	80.3%±1.5 pts	63.8%	+2.7 pts
Housing units	99,599±85	3,791,354	+287
Homeowner vacancy rate	1.6%±0.6 pts	0.7%	–
Rental vacancy rate	26.1%±3.3 pts	3.5%	–
Single-family detached homes	51.7%±1.0 pts	52.6%	–
Mobile homes	3.3%±0.5 pts	0.9%	–
Built 2020 or later	1.8%±0.4 pts	1.1%	–
Built 1939 or earlier	12.6%±0.7 pts	17.4%	–

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov

How many new homes is Cape May County building?

Builders took permits for 854 new housing units across Cape May County in 2025 (671 single-family), 9.1 per 1,000 residents.

2019 863 units
2020 675 units
2021 917 units
2022 838 units
2023 803 units
2024 895 units
2025 854 units

Source: Building Permits Survey, annual county files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey

How do people in Cape May County get to work?

72.8% of Cape May County's workers drive alone and 12.1% work from home. The average trip to work takes 22.0 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 5.3%.

Work and commuting, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Cape May County	New Jersey	Change since 2015-2019
In the labor force (age 16+)	57.5%±1.2 pts	66.4%	–
Unemployment rate	5.3%±0.9 pts	6.3%	−1.5 pts
Drove alone to work	72.8%±1.8 pts	62.2%	–
Carpooled	8.2%±1.3 pts	7.7%	–
Public transportation	0.9%±0.4 pts	8.1%	–
Walked	3.0%±0.7 pts	2.6%	–
Worked from home	12.1%±1.0 pts	16.8%	+7.9 pts
Mean travel time to work	22.0 min±0.9	30.5 min	no clear change

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov

What are Cape May County's census tracts?

Cape May County is divided into 33 census tracts. Among those with a reliable estimate, median household income runs from $46,078 (Tract 205) to $169,167 (Tract 209.01).

All 33 census tracts of Cape May County, with their figures

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · Check it at data.census.gov

How does Cape May County compare with New Jersey's other counties?

Cape May County's rank among New Jersey's counties with a reliable estimate (1 = highest)
Measure	Rank
Population	20th of 21
Growth 2020-2025	21st of 21
Residents per square mile	16th of 21
Median household income	14th of 21
Median home value	11th of 21
Median gross rent	19th of 21
Poverty rate	11th of 21
Bachelor's degree or higher	12th of 21
Median age	1st of 21

Every county in New Jersey

Source: PlainCities ranks from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed

How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections

Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Cape May County are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' school search.