Cape May County is the
southernmost county in the U.S. state of New Jersey
. As of the
2000 Census, the population was
102,326.
This county is part of the Delaware Valley area as well as the Ocean
City
Metropolitan Statistical
Area. Its county seat is
the Cape May Court House
section in Middle Township
.
Geography
According to the
U.S.
Census Bureau, the
county has a total area of 620 square miles (1,607 km²).
255 square miles (661 km²) of it is land and
365 square miles (946 km²) of it (58.86%) is water.
Most of the county is flat and coastal.
Sea level is the
lowest point; the highest elevation is found at three areas in
Belleplain State
Forest
in the county's northern corner which are
approximately 60 feet (18.2 m) above sea
level.
Adjacent counties
Climate
Being the southernmost point in New Jersey, Cape May has fairly
mild wintertime temperatures. Contrary to that, the summertime has
lower temperatures than most places in the state, making the town a
popular place to escape the heat. It is in zone 7a/7b which is the
same as parts of Coastal Virginia, therefore being
Humid/Temperate.It is a perfect location to grow traditional
Northeastern Plants including English Yew,Boxwoods,and Sugar
Maples. Because of the warmer wintertime temperatures, Hardy Palms
including Trachycarpus Fortunei (Chinese Windmill Palm) and Needle
Palms would work quite well in the landscape,these plants having
survived for many years also in other parts of coastal ,NJ also
zones 7a/7b from sandy Hook to Cape May. Wine grapes also do
particularly well, given the long growing season. The wine industry
is growing - four vineyards and wineries operate in the county now
- three more are planted and on the way. Wine grapes are quickly
replacing the once vibrant lima bean industry.
According to the Köppen climate classification system, Cape May has
a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) typical of New Jersey with warm
summers and cold winters.
Demographics
As of the
census of 2000, there were 102,326
people, 42,148 households, and 27,354 families residing in the
county. The
population density
was 401 people per square mile (155/km²). There were 91,047 housing
units at an average density of 357 per square mile (138/km²).
The racial makeup of the county was 91.57%
White, 5.06%
Black or
African American, 0.18%
Native American, 0.65%
Asian, 0.04%
Pacific Islander, 1.35% from
other races, and 1.16%
from two or more races. 3.30% of the population were
Hispanic or
Latino of any race.
23.0% were of Irish, 16.7% Italian, 15.9% German, 9.4% English and 5.8% American
ancestry
according to Census 2000.
There were 42,148 households out of which 26.10% had children under
the age of 18 living with them, 50.50% were
married couples living together, 10.90% had a
female householder with no husband present, and 35.10% were
non-families. 30.20% of all households were made up of individuals
and 14.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or
older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family
size was 2.94.
In the county the population was spread out with 22.30% under the
age of 18, 6.40% from 18 to 24, 25.50% from 25 to 44, 25.60% from
45 to 64, and 20.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median
age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 92.60 males. For
every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.80 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $41,591, and
the median income for a family was $51,402. Males had a median
income of $39,340 versus $27,621 for females. The
per capita income for the county was
$24,172. About 6.40% of families and 8.60% of the population were
below the
poverty line, including
11.70% of those under age 18 and 7.30% of those age 65 or
over.
Government
Cape May County is governed by a
Board of Chosen Freeholders
consisting of five members, all currently Republicans, elected at
large in partisan elections to serve staggered three-year terms in
office. Cape May County's Freeholders are:
Politics
Though New Jersey is generally a
blue
state, Cape May County is a
red county. In the
2008 U.S. Presidential
election,
John McCain carried the
county by an 8.6% margin over
Barack
Obama, with Obama winning statewide by 15.5% over McCain.
Industry
The
majority of Cape May County's industry is tourism, due to its
beaches and location between the Delaware Bay
and the Atlantic Ocean
. During the summer season (which
traditionally ranges from
Memorial Day
to
Labor Day), tourists
often outnumber "locals" 9 to 1. The commercial fishing industry is
also important in Cape May County. In 2005 Cape May County ranked
5th nationally in commercial fishing landings and generated $68.1
million. Cape May County ranked 13th in the nation in pounds of
fish landed with 97.5 million pounds.
[13996]
Municipalities
The following municipalities are located in Cape May County. The
municipality type is listed in parentheses after the name, except
where the type is included as part of the name.
Census-designated places and other
unincorporated communities are
listed under their municipalities.

Index map of Cape May County
Municipalities (click to see index key)
Education
Atlantic
Cape Community College
, founded in 1964 with campuses in Mays
Landing
and Cape May Court House
, serves students from both Atlantic
County
and Cape May County.
Rutgers, the State University of New
Jersey
has a partnership with Atlantic
Cape Community College
which offers Bachelor degree completion programs at
Atlantic Cape's Mays Landing campus. For more information on
this program please visit http://www.rutgersataccc.org.
Notable residents
- Marla Adams, soap opera actress
- Mary O'Hara Alsop, Author,
accomplished pianist and composer.
- Kevin Bramble, disabled ski racer, freeskier, and monoski
designer and builder.
- Chris Ford, an American basketball
player and coach.
- Greg Fulginiti, an American
recording and mastering engineer.
- Joy Bright Hancock, one of
the first women officers in the United States Navy.
- Thomas Millet
Hand, an American
Republican Party politician
who represented New
Jersey
's 2nd congressional
district in the United States House of
Representatives from 1945-57.
- Thomas "Tommy" Lee, thoroughbred horse jockey.
- Gregory
Goodwin Pincus, American
biologist and researcher, was co-inventor of the
combined oral
contraceptive pill.
- Charles W. Sandman, Jr., an American politician
who represented Cape May in the New Jersey State Senate from
1956-66; the 2nd district in the U.S. House of Representatives from
1967-75; candidate for Governor of New Jersey, 1973.
- Andrew J. Tomlin, American Civil War Medal of Honor recipient and County Sheriff from Goshen
, Cape May County,
New
Jersey
buried in Goshen Methodist cemetery.
- Harriet Tubman, a leading African
American abolitionist who helped liberate scores of slaves through
the Underground Railroad.
References
External links