County profile

Cape May County

New Jersey · ACS 2020–2024

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Latest estimates

At a glance

U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

Total population
94,941
Median household income
$91,128
People below poverty
8.7%
Median home value
$434,600

Income

The median income of households in Cape May County, New Jersey was $91,128. An estimated 3.3% of households had income below $10,000 a year and 15.3% had income of $200,000 or more.

Household Income in Cape May County, New Jersey in 2020-2024

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Percent
Less than $10,000 3.3
$10,000 to $14,999 3.7
$15,000 to $24,999 5
$25,000 to $34,999 6.5
$35,000 to $49,999 8.3
$50,000 to $74,999 13.8
$75,000 to $99,999 14
$100,000 to $149,999 18.5
$150,000 to $199,999 11.5
$200,000 or more 15.3

Median Earnings for Full-Time Year-Round Workers by Sex in Cape May County, New Jersey in 2020-2024

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Dollars
Male 74560
Female 66193

An estimated 71% of households received earnings. An estimated 46.5% of households received Social Security and an estimated 37.5 % of households received retirement income other than Social Security. The average income from Social Security was $27,680. These income sources are not mutually exclusive; that is, some households received income from more than one source.

Proportion of Households with Various Income Sources in Cape May County, New Jersey in 2020-2024

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Percent
Earnings 71
Social Security 46.5
Retirement income 37.5
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) 4.9
Cash public assistance income 1.7

Poverty and Participation in Government Programs

In 2020-2024, 8.7 % of people were in poverty. An estimated 10.9% of children under 18 were below the poverty level, compared with 6.4% of people 65 years old and over. An estimated 9.3% of people 18 to 64 years were below the poverty level.

Poverty Rates in Cape May County, New Jersey in 2020-2024

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Percent
People in poverty 8.7
Children under 18 years below poverty 10.9
People 65 years old and over below poverty 6.4
People 18 to 64 years below poverty 9.3

In 2020-2024, 7.5 % of households received SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). An estimated 48.7% of households that received SNAP had children under 18, and 38.8% of households that received SNAP had one or more people 60 years and over. An estimated 28.5% of all households receiving SNAP were families with a female householder and no spouse present.


Among the civilian noninstitutionalized population in Cape May County, New Jersey in 2020-2024, 95% had health insurance coverage and 5% did not have health insurance coverage. Private coverage was 74.6% and public coverage was 42.9%, respectively. The percentage of children under the age of 19 with no health insurance coverage was 3.3%.


In 2020-2024, Cape May County, New Jersey had a total population of 94,941 - 48,970 (51.6%) females and 45,971 (48.4%) males. The median age was 51.8 years. An estimated 17.1% of the population was under 18 years, 24.6% was 19 to 44 years, 27.2% was 45 to 64 years, and 29.5 % was 65 years and older.

Population by Age and Sex for Cape May County, New Jersey in 2020-2024

Male Female
Under 5 1819 2185
5 to 9 2448 2208
10 to 14 2249 2439
15 to 19 2244 2103
20 to 24 2383 2022
25 to 29 2237 2385
30 to 34 2753 2296
35 to 39 2551 2405
40 to 44 2063 2317
45 to 49 2206 2205
50 to 54 2792 2858
55 to 59 3157 3451
60 to 64 4249 4908
65 to 69 3815 4631
70 to 74 3978 4053
75 to 79 2715 3186
80 to 84 1294 1786
85 and over 1018 1532

Hispanic Origin and Race

For people reporting one race alone, 85.1% were White; 3.7% were Black or African American; 4.9% were American Indian and Alaska Native; 0.7% were Asian; 0.9% were Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, and 0% were Some Other Race. An estimated 6.2% reported Two or More Races. An estimated 8.3% of the people in Cape May County, New Jersey were Hispanic or Latino. An estimated 83.9% of the people in Cape May County, New Jersey were White alone, non-Hispanic. People of Hispanic origin may be of any race.


Households and Families

In 2020-2024, there were 44,884 households in Cape May County, New Jersey. The average household size was 2.08 people.

Married-couple households made up 51.6% of the households in Cape May County, New Jersey while cohabiting couple households made up 6.2% of households. Female householders with no spouse or partner present were 25% of all households, while 17.3% of households had male householders with no spouse or partner present. Some households had one person, as 12.9% of households were male householders living alone, and 16.9% were female householders living alone, for a total of 29.8% of all households.

In Cape May County, New Jersey, 21.4% of all households had one or more people under the age of 18; 45.1% of all households had one or more people 65 years and over.

Types of Households in Cape May County, New Jersey in 2020-2024

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Percent
Married-couple households 51.6
Cohabiting Couples 6.2
Male Householder
No spouse/partner present
17.3
Female Householder
No spouse/partner present
25

Marital Status

Among persons 15 and older, 61.3% of males and 56.5% of females were currently married.

Population 15 years and over Percent
Males
Percent
Females
Never married 26.4 20.4
Now married, except separated 61.3 56.5
Separated 0.7 0.7
Widowed 4.2 11.1
Divorced 7.5 11.4

Grandparents and Grandchildren

In Cape May County, New Jersey, 2,033 grandparents lived with their grandchildren under 18 years old. Of those grandparents, 33.7% were responsible for the basic needs of their grandchildren.


Nativity and Foreign-Born

In 2020-2024, an estimated 95.4% of the people living in Cape May County, New Jersey were U.S. natives. 48.5% of the Cape May County, New Jersey population were living in the state where they were born.

Approximately 4.6% of Cape May County, New Jersey residents in 2020-2024 were foreign-born. 51.1% of foreign-born were naturalized U.S. citizens and an estimated 66.2 % entered the country before the year 2010.

Foreign-born residents of Cape May County, New Jersey come from different parts of the world. The bar graph below displays the percentage of foreign-born from each world region of birth in 2020-2024 for Cape May County, New Jersey.

Region of Birth for the Foreign-Born Population in Cape May County, New Jersey in 2020-2024

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Percent
Latin America 45.2
Asia 14.5
Europe 30.3
Africa 5.2
Northern America 3.2
Oceania 1.5

Language

Among people at least five years old living in Cape May County, New Jersey in 2020-2024, 8.9 % spoke a language other than English at home. Spanish was spoken by 5.1% of people at least five years old; 2.6% reported that they did not speak English "very well."

Percentage of the Population 5 years and over who Speak a Language other than English in Cape May County, New Jersey in 2020-2024

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Percent
Spanish 5.1
Other Indo-European languages 2.9
Asian and Pacific Islander languages 0.6
Other languages 0.4

Geographic Mobility

In 2020-2024, 89.1 % of the people at least one year old living in Cape May County, New Jersey were living in the same house one year earlier.

Geographic Mobility of Residents of Cape May County, New Jersey in 2020-2024

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Percent
Same house 89.1
Different house, same county 4.6
Different county, same state 2.8
Different state 3.3
Abroad 0.1

Education

In 2020-2024, 94.7 % of people 25 years and over had at least graduated from high school and 39% had a bachelor's degree or higher. An estimated 5.3% did not complete high school.

The total school enrollment in Cape May County, New Jersey was 16,888 in 2020-2024. Nursery school enrollment was 1,045 and kindergarten through 12th grade enrollment was 12,278. College or graduate school enrollment was 3,565.

Educational Attainment of People in Cape May County, New Jersey in 2020-2024

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Percent
Less than high school diploma 5.3
High school diploma or equivalency 31
Some college, no degree 17.3
Associate's degree 7.4
Bachelor's degree 24.3
Graduate or professional degree 14.8

Disability

In Cape May County, New Jersey, among the civilian noninstitutionalized population in 2020-2024, 15 % reported a disability. The likelihood of having a disability varied by age - from 6.3% of people under 18 years old, to 11.5% of people 18 to 64 years old, and to 26.2% of those 65 and over.


Employment Status and Type of Employer

In Cape May County, New Jersey, 53.6 % of the population 16 and over were employed; 42.5% were not currently in the labor force.

An estimated 70.5% of the people employed were private wage and salary workers; 22.2% were federal, state, or local government workers; and 6.9 % were self-employed in their own (not incorporated) business.

Class of worker Number Percent
Private wage and salary workers 30,444 70.5
Federal, state, or local government workers 9,567 22.2
Self-employed workers in own not incorporated business 3,001 6.9

Industries

In 2020-2024, the civilian employed population 16 years and older in Cape May County, New Jersey worked in the following industries:

Percent by Industry in Cape May County, New Jersey in 2020-2024

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Percent
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and mining 0.9
Construction 8.3
Manufacturing 5.2
Wholesale trade 1.9
Retail trade 11
Transportation and warehousing, and utilities 3.4
Information 1.6
Finance and insurance, and real estate and rental and leasing 6.8
Professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services 10.5
Educational services, and health care and social assistance 25.9
Arts, entertainment, and recreation, and accommodation, and food services 12.7
Other Services, except public administration 4.5
Public administration 7.2

Occupations

Occupations for the Civilian Employed Population 16 Years and over in Cape May County, New Jersey in 2020-2024

Civilian employed population 16 years and over Number Percent
Management, business, sciences, and arts occupations 17,989 41.7
Service occupations 8,112 18.8
Sales and office occupations 9,898 22.9
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations 4,083 9.5
Production, transportation, and material moving occupations 3,108 7.2

Commuting to Work

An estimated 72.8% of Cape May County, New Jersey workers drove to work alone in 2020-2024, and 8.2% carpooled. Among those who commuted to work, it took them on average 22 minutes to get to work.

Percent of Workers 16 and over Commuting by Mode in Cape May County, New Jersey in 2020-2024

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Percent
Car, truck, van -- drove alone 72.8
Car, truck, van -- carpooled 8.2
Public transportation (excluding taxicab) 0.9
Walked 3
Other means 3
Worked from home 12.1

In 2020-2024, Cape May County, New Jersey had a total of 99,599 housing units. Of these housing units, 77.7% were single-family houses either not attached to any other structure or attached to one or more structures (commonly referred to as "townhouses" or "row houses"). 19.1% of the housing units were located in multi-unit structures, or those buildings that contained two or more apartments. 3.3% were mobile homes, while any remaining housing units were classified as "other," which included boats, recreational vehicles, vans, etc.

Types of Housing Units in Cape May County, New Jersey in 2020-2024

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Percent
Single-family houses 77.7
Apartments in multi-unit structures 19.1
Mobile homes 3.3
Boat, RV, van, etc 0

8.8% of the housing inventory was comprised of houses built since 2010, while 12.6% of the houses were first built in 1939 or earlier. The median number of rooms in all housing units in Cape May County, New Jersey was 5.7 rooms, and of these housing units 71.1% had three or more bedrooms.


In 2020-2024, Cape May County, New Jersey had 44,884 housing units that were occupied or had people living in them, while the remaining 54,715 were vacant. Of the occupied housing units, the percentage of these houses occupied by owners (also known as the homeownership rate) was 80.3% while renters occupied 19.7%. The average household size of owner-occupied houses was 2.14 and in renter-occupied houses it was 1.85.

3.5% of householders of these occupied houses had moved into their house since 2021, while 12.3% moved into their house in 1989 or earlier. Households without a vehicle available for personal use comprised 5.7% and another 17.5% had three or more vehicles available for use.

The following chart provides the primary fuel used to heat houses in Cape May County, New Jersey:

House Heating Fuel Used in Cape May County, New Jersey in 2020-2024

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Percent
Gas 73.3
Electricity 20.5
Fuel oil, kerosene, etc 3.4
All other fuels 2.3
No fuel used 0.6

In 2020-2024, the median property value for owner-occupied houses in Cape May County, New Jersey was $434,600.

Of the owner-occupied households, 58.9 % had a mortgage. 41.1% owned their houses "free and clear," that is without a primary mortgage or loan on the house. The median monthly housing costs for owners with a mortgage was $2,232 and for owners without a mortgage it was $925.

For renter-occupied houses, the median gross rent for Cape May County, New Jersey was $1,360. Gross rent includes the monthly contract rent and any monthly payments made for electricity, gas, water and sewer, and any other fuels to heat the house.