Cape May is a very small coastal city (i.e. on the ocean, a bay, or inlet) located in the state of New Jersey. With a population of 2,778 people and four associated neighborhoods, Cape May is the 392nd largest community in New Jersey. Cape May home prices are not only among the most expensive in New Jersey, but Cape May real estate also consistently ranks among the most expensive in America.The armed forces are a huge part of the life in Cape May, employing 12.29% of the workforce. While it is a military town, the civilian sector still plays an important role in the local economy, where the Healthcare and Education industries employ 15.11% and 12.51% of the civilian workforce, respectively. Another notable thing is that Cape May is a major vacation destination. Much of the city’s population is seasonal: many people own second homes and only live there part-time, during the vacation season. The effect on the local economy is that many of the businesses are dependent on tourist dollars, and may operate only during the high season. As the vacation season ends, Cape May’s population drops significantly, such that year-round residents will notice that the city is a much quieter place to live. Cape May is also nautical, which means that parts of it are somewhat historic and touch the ocean or tidal bodies of water, such as inlets and bays. Such areas are often places that visitors and locals go for waterfront activities or taking in the scenery. Compared to the rest of the country, citizens of Cape May spend much less time in their cars: on average, their commute to work is only 17.23 minutes. This also means that noise and pollution levels in the city are less than they would otherwise be.If knowledge is power, Cape May is a pretty powerful place. 52.75% of the adults in Cape May have earned a 4-year college degree, masters degree, MD, law degree, or even PhD. Compare that to the national average of 21.84% for all cities and towns. The per capita income in Cape May in 2022 was $64,513, which is upper middle income relative to New Jersey, and wealthy relative to the rest of the US. This equates to an annual income of $258,052 for a family of four. However, Cape May contains both very wealthy and poor people as well. Cape May is a very ethnically-diverse city. The people who call Cape May home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Cape May residents report their race to be White, followed by Black or African-American. Cape May also has a sizeable Hispanic population (people of Hispanic origin can be of any race). People of Hispanic or Latino origin account for 18.40% of the city’s residents. Important ancestries of people in Cape May include Irish, German, Italian, English, and Polish. The most common language spoken in Cape May is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and Arabic.
