Cape May, New Jersey
Cape May is a city and seaside resort located at the southern tip of Cape May Peninsula in Cape May County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Located on the Atlantic Ocean near the mouth of the Delaware Bay, it is one of the country's oldest vacation resort destinations. The city, and all of Cape May County, is part of the Ocean City metropolitan statistical area, and is part of the Philadelphia-Wilmington-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD combined statistical area, also known as the Delaware Valley or Philadelphia metropolitan area. It is the southernmost municipality in New Jersey.
As of the 2020 United States census, the city's resident population was 2,768, a decrease of 839 from the 2010 census count of 3,607, which in turn reflected a decline of 427 from the 4,034 counted in the 2000 census. In the summer, Cape May's population is expanded by as many as 40,000 to 50,000 visitors. The entire city of Cape May is designated the Cape May Historic District, a National Historic Landmark due to its concentration of Victorian architecture.
In 2008, Cape May was recognized as one of the top 10 beaches in the United States by the Travel Channel. It is part of the South Jersey region of the state.
History
17th and 18th centuries
The area that is now Cape May was originally inhabited by the Kechemeche Native American tribe, a subgroup of the Lenape people. The Kechemeche first encountered Europeans around 1600. The city takes its name from the Dutch captain Cornelius Jacobsen Mey, who charted the coast between 1611 and 1614 and claimed it for the province of New Netherland. It was later settled by New Englanders from the New Haven Colony.Cape May began hosting vacationers from Philadelphia in the mid-18th century and is recognized as the country's oldest seaside resort.
19th century
Following the construction of Congress Hall in 1816, Cape May became increasingly popular in the 19th century and was considered one of the finest resorts in America by the 20th century.What is now Cape May was formed as the borough of Cape Island by the New Jersey Legislature on March 8, 1848, from portions of Lower Township. It was reincorporated as Cape Island City on March 10, 1851, and was renamed Cape May City on March 9, 1869.
Tourism to the city was boosted in 1863 with the opening of the Tuckahoe and Cape May Railroad.
The city suffered devastating fires in 1869 and 1878. In the early hours of August 31, 1869, a fire broke out in the Japanese store on Washington Street. The fire destroyed the post office and at least thirty-five other buildings. Press reports at the time did not mention any deaths. In 1878, a five-day-long fire destroyed 30 blocks of the town center. Replacement homes were almost uniformly of Victorian style, and more recent protectionist efforts have left Cape May with many famously well-maintained Victorian houses—the second largest collection of such homes in the nation after San Francisco.
20th century
Because of the World War II submarine threat off the East Coast of the United States, especially off the shore of Cape May and at the mouth of the Delaware Bay, numerous United States Navy facilities were located here in order to protect American coastal shipping. Cape May Naval facilities, listed below, provided significant help in reducing the number of ships and crew members lost at sea.- Naval Air Station, Cape May
- Naval Base, Cape May
- Inshore Patrol, Cape May
- Naval Annex, Inshore Patrol, Cape May
- Joint Operations Office, Naval Base, Cape May
- Welfare and Recreation Office, Cape May
- Dispensary, Naval Air Station, Cape May
- Naval Frontier Base, Cape May
- Degaussing Range, Naval Base, Cape May
- Joint Operations Office, Commander Delaware Group, ESF, Cape May
- Anti-Submarine Attack Teacher Training Unit, U.S. Naval Base, Cape May
- Naval Annex, Admiral Hotel, Cape May
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Cape May had a total area of 2.90 square miles, including 2.47 square miles of land and 0.42 square miles of water. Cape May is generally low-lying; its highest point, at the intersection of Washington and Jackson Streets, is above sea level.Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the city include Poverty Beach.
Cape May borders the Cape May County municipalities of Lower Township and West Cape May Borough and the Atlantic Ocean. The Cape May–Lewes Ferry provides transportation across the Delaware Bay between North Cape May, New Jersey, and Lewes, Delaware.
Cape May Harbor, which borders Lower Township and nearby Wildwood Crest allows fishing vessels to enter from the Atlantic Ocean, was created as of 1911, after years of dredging completed the harbor which covers. Cape May Harbor Fest celebrates life in and around the harbor, with the 2011 event commemorating the 100th anniversary of the harbor's creation.
Cape May is the southernmost point in New Jersey. It is at approximately the same latitude as Washington, D.C., and Arlington County, Virginia, and equidistant to Manhattan and Virginia.
Climate
According to the Köppen climate classification system, Cape May has a humid subtropical climate with hot, humid summers, cool winters and year-round precipitation. Its climate resembles that of its neighbor, the Delmarva Peninsula. During the summer months in Cape May, a cooling afternoon sea breeze is present on most days, but episodes of extreme heat and humidity can occur with heat index values at or above. During the winter months, episodes of extreme cold and wind can occur with wind chill values. The hardiness zone of Cape May is 8a with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of. The average seasonal snowfall total is around, and the average snowiest month is February which corresponds with the annual peak in nor'easter activity.Ecology
According to the A. W. Kuchler U.S. potential natural vegetation types, Cape May would have a dominant vegetation type of Northern Cordgrass with a dominant vegetation form of Coastal Prairie.Demographics
2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 3,607 people, 1,457 households, and 782 families in the city. The population density was. There were 4,155 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup was 89.05% White, 4.85% Black or African American, 0.30% Native American, 0.67% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 2.30% from other races, and 2.72% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.62% of the population.Of the 1,457 households, 16.3% had children under the age of 18; 44.6% were married couples living together; 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present and 46.3% were non-families. Of all households, 42.0% were made up of individuals and 27.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.95 and the average family size was 2.64.
12.8% of the population were under the age of 18, 20.6% from 18 to 24, 18.6% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 27.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.2 years. For every 100 females, the population had 104.7 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 107.4 males.
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that median household income was $35,660 and the median family income was $50,846. Males had a median income of $43,015 versus $31,630 for females. The per capita income for the city was $30,046. About 2.2% of families and 4.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.1% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.
2000 census
As of the 2000 United States census, there were 4,034 people, 1,821 households, and 1,034 families residing in the city. The population density was. There were 4,064 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the city was 91.32% White, 5.26% African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.40% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 1.26% from other races, and 1.51% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.79% of the population.There were 1,821 households, out of which 18.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.6% were married couples living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.2% were non-families. 39.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 24.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.02 and the average family size was 2.69.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 16.3% under the age of 18, 11.5% from 18 to 24, 19.8% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 28.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $33,462, and the median income for a family was $46,250. Males had a median income of $29,194 versus $25,842 for females. The per capita income for the city was $29,902. About 7.7% of families and 9.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.0% of those under age 18 and 10.9% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
Tourism is Cape May's largest industry. The economy runs on the Washington Street Mall and includes shops, restaurants, lodgings, and tourist attractions including the Cape May boardwalk. Many historic hotels and B&Bs are located in Cape May, and commercial and sport fishing is a significant component of its economy.Cove Beach, located at Cape May southernmost tip, hosts hundreds of swimmers, sunbathers, surfers, and hikers daily during summer months.
Cape May has been a popular resort for French Canadian tourists for several decades. Cape May County established a tourism office in Montreal, Quebec, but around 1995 it closed due to budget cuts. By 2010, the tourism office of Cape May County established a French language coupon booklet.
Prior to the 1980s, many temporary seasonal workers originated from the Philadelphia and, to a lesser extent, the New York City areas. That decade, there had been a wave of temporary workers from Ireland. By 2004, an improvement in the Irish economy meant that not as many Irish people came in that role, and that many of the temporary workers were now from Eastern Europe.