CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

39.01° N · 74.80° W · GEOID 3453490

North Wildwood

Cape May County, New Jersey · part of the Atlantic City, NJ metro

Limited data population under 5,000

New JerseyNorth Wildwood, NJNorth WildwoodNorth Wildwood

The short answer

North Wildwood is home to 3,602 people. Median household income is $90,833 a year and median rent is $1,210 a month, 16.0% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $459,900, about 5.1x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$1,210
11% below the median place
Median household income
$90,833
13% above the median place
Median home value
$459,900
44% above the median place
Unemployment
5.3%
8% above the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about North Wildwood

  • Public schools here have 5.7 students per teacher, fewer than in 99% of the 1,648 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 224 New Jersey places.
  • 77% of homes stand vacant, more than in 99% of places its size. It is the highest of 149 New Jersey places.
  • The median resident is 65.6 years old, older than in 99% of places its size. It is the 3rd-highest of 287 New Jersey places.
  • Households average 1.82 people, smaller than in 98% of places its size. It is the 3rd-lowest of 287 New Jersey places.
  • Household income has grown 12.5% a year across the last five survey releases, faster than in 97% of places its size. It is the 2nd-highest of 287 New Jersey places.

Rent is light relative to pay, but the county has a FEMA natural hazard risk score of 91 out of 100. Budget for insurance before counting the savings.

01

Moving to North Wildwood

Cape May County gains about 0.7 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in4,317
Moved out4,262
Net+55

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Within New Jersey, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within New JerseyOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$117K
Leavers$103K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Cape May County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
6.3% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 3.3% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Cape May County report $116,800 a year in income on average; those leaving, $102,800, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need
$48,400 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,210 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,258 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $459,900.
Getting to work
21 minutes each way on average; 13.8% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Rotonda, FL matches it on character. Compare the two
Income of households moving in8
$116,835
66% above the median place
Income of households moving out8
$102,827
46% above the median place
Moved from another state1
3.3%
66% above the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureNorth WildwoodAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure6.3%10% above
Moved from another state1County figure3.3%66% above
Net movers per 1,000 people8County figure0.7above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in8County figure$116,83566% above
Income of households moving out8County figure$102,82746% above
02

What it costs to live here

Vacant homes is 76.5%, above the median place (median 7.1%).

North Wildwood16.0%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$48,400
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
16.0%
22% below the median place
Home price to income
5.1x
33% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
16%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$77,300
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in North Wildwood, $1,210 a month, and local prices for everything else (98.9 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in North Wildwood.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to North Wildwood? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Vacant homes1
76.5%
above the median place (median 7.1%)
Renters paying 30%+1
34.0%
33% below the median place
Homeownership1
83.7%
26% above the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureNorth WildwoodAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,21011% below
Rent to income116.0%22% below
Property tax rate11.3%38% above
Home price to income15.1x33% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure98.92% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,85715% above
HUD area median income4County figure$115,8008% above
Property tax paid (median)1$5,79878% above
Median home value1$459,90044% above
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure3.9%24% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure78.7%53% above
Homeownership183.7%26% above
Renters paying 30%+134.0%33% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,25821% above
Vacant homes176.5%above (median 7.1%)
Median year built119730% below
03

Work and pay

Income per person is $73,680, 84% above the median place.

Income per person1
$73,680
84% above the median place
Poverty rate1
4.8%
56% below the median place
Mean commute1
21 min
14% below the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureNorth WildwoodAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$90,83313% above
Income per person1$73,68084% above
Unemployment1County figure5.3%8% above
Average annual pay6County figure$50,12624% below
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure3.2%14% below
Jobs6County figure43,31671% below
Poverty rate14.8%56% below
Mean commute121 min14% below
Works from home113.8%11% above
Commutes by transit1County figure0.9%4% above
04

Who lives here

Median age is 65.6, 68% above the median place.

Median age1
65.6
68% above the median place
Household size1
1.8
27% below the median place
Population change since 20207
-3.0%
below the median place (median 1.1%)

More about who lives here, against the typical place

High school or higher95.8% +4%
Homes with broadband92.9% +1%
Bachelor's or higher32.8% +2%
All 9 people measures
MeasureNorth WildwoodAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population13,6026646th largest
Population change since 20207-3.0%below (median 1.1%)
Median age165.668% above
Bachelor's or higher132.8%2% above
High school or higher195.8%4% above
Household size11.827% below
Born abroad1County figure4.6%48% below
No health insurance1County figure5.0%22% below
Homes with broadband192.9%1% above
05

Life in North Wildwood

1 site is on the National Register of Historic Places, one of them a National Historic Landmark.

  • Hereford Lighthouse listed 1977

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents27.8 2.7×
Playgrounds per 10k19.4 2.1×
Grocery stores per 10k2.8 +31%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k44.4 4.0×
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails3 km +30%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.0 −100%

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars69.6 3.3×
Shops64.7 2.1×
Arts, recreation and fitness15.7 3.8×
Doctors' offices and clinics16.7 −17%
Child care centers1.4 −39%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Public schools13
1
89% below the median place
Students per teacher13
5.7
63% below the median place
Public school students13
159
97% below the median place
All 16 schools and local life measures
MeasureNorth WildwoodAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools13189% below
Public school students1315997% below
Students per teacher135.763% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k9County figure69.6235% above
Shops per 10k9County figure64.7114% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k9County figure15.7283% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k9County figure16.717% below
Child care centers per 10k9County figure1.439% below
Parks per 10k1027.8173% above
Playgrounds per 10k1019.4106% above
Grocery stores per 10k102.831% above
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k1044.4298% above
Libraries per 10k100.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails102.630% above
Transit stops per sq mi100.0below (median 0.2)
National Register listings11192% below
06

Safety, weather and risk

Violent crime per 100k is 85, 56% below the median place.

Violent crime per 100k
85
56% below the median place
Property crime per 100k
2,260
86% above the median place
Months reported
12 of 12
by the city police department to the FBI

Counts only offenses reported by the city police department. Sheriff, state and campus police are not included, and some departments do not report to the FBI at all, so compare with care.

Median air quality index16
36
16% below the median place
Tornado risk15
38.3
53% below the median place
Hurricane risk15
93.1
32% above the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureNorth WildwoodAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high14County figure85°F2% below
January average low14County figure27°F6% above
Average temperature14County figure55°F1% above
Annual precipitation14County figure46.1 in5% above
Natural hazard risk15County figure91.02% below
Hurricane risk15County figure93.132% above
Tornado risk15County figure38.353% below
Wildfire risk15County figure86.441% above
Heat wave risk15County figure92.43% above
Median air quality index16Metro figure3616% below
Good air days16Metro figure82.2%20% above
08

North Wildwood in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 16% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 16% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,210/mo (2024)$1,540/mo$1,260 to $1,870/mo+4.1%
Median household income$90,833 (2024)$119,000$100,500 to $140,500+4.6%
Median home value$459,900 (2024)$645,000$468,000 to $888,000+5.8%
Population3,518 (2025)3,4903,350 to 3,640−0.2%

The median home would be worth 5.4 years of the median income in 2030, against 5.1 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like North Wildwood

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Rotonda, FL$1,155$74,573Compare
Laurel, FL$1,323$92,340Compare
Punta Gorda, FL$1,410$85,779Compare
Ormond-by-the-Sea, FL$1,434$79,120Compare
Ormond-by-the-Sea, FLPunta Gorda, FLLaurel, FLRotonda, FLNorth Wildwood, NJNorth WildwoodRotondaLaurelPunta GordaOrmond-by-the-SeaNorth WildwoodRotondaLaurelPunta GordaOrmond-by-the-Sea

Common questions

Is North Wildwood a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Public schools here have 5.7 students per teacher, fewer than in 99% of the 1,648 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 224 New Jersey places. 77% of homes stand vacant, more than in 99% of places its size. It is the highest of 149 New Jersey places. On cost, space and class size it scores 79 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is North Wildwood expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 16.0% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $459,900.

What salary do you need to live in North Wildwood?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $48,400 a year. Work it out from your current city.

Is North Wildwood safe?

There were 85 reported violent crimes per 100,000 residents, against 192 in the typical place.

What places are similar to North Wildwood?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Rotonda, FL, Laurel, FL, Punta Gorda, FL and Ormond-by-the-Sea, FL.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
  8. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  9. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  10. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Crime Data Explorer · Federal Bureau of Investigation · 2025 data
  13. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  14. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  15. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  16. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares North Wildwood with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for North Wildwood itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/north-wildwood-new-jersey

Citytistics. “North Wildwood, New Jersey.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/north-wildwood-new-jersey/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.