Cape May is home to 2,767 people in New Jersey. At a median age of 56.7, this is an older place than the country as a whole. Home values have more than tripled since 2000, reaching $863,900. 56% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, against 36% nationally. Households here earn about 40% less than in New Jersey as a whole. There are 1,267 fewer people here than in 2000.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $62,576, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 56.7
US median: 38.9
More educated
56% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 108%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Cape May
What changed most since 1990
Median age38.1 → 56.7(+18.6 years)US over the same years: +6.0 years
Adults with a bachelor's degree25.2% → 55.9%(+30.7 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts
Population4,668 → 2,767(−41%)US over the same years: +35%
Cape May's population equals 2.9% of Cape May County's. Its number of veterans equals 1.7% of the county's. Its number of foreign-born residents equals 4.7% of the county's.
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)0%(0)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)0%(0)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era59.1%(55)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War28%(26)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0%(0)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 93 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Cape May, decade by decade
Cape May population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
4,668
$66,146
$359,290
25.2%
24.0
2000
4,034
$60,956
$414,791
30.8%
24.4
2010
3,607
$51,299
$1,007,000
35.2%
36.3
2020
2,768
$77,970
$789,765
47.1%
35.7
2024
2,767
$62,576
$863,900
55.9%
37.9
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
