Cape May County, New Jersey

County Distress Index: Elevated · 51.2 | 94,610 people · 9th most distressed in New Jersey
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Cape May County, NJ registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 51.2 — 1495th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within New Jersey, it ranks 9th of 21 counties. Among its 4 neighboring counties, 3 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Cape May County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 78.8 — worse than roughly 79% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 78.8
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 94
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 95
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 96
Homeownership Rate 22
Rent-to-Income Ratio 87
Employment & Wages 73.3
Unemployment Rate 99
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 98
Business Formation Rate 22
Income & Poverty 42.5
Poverty Rate 16
Income vs. State Median 86
Child Poverty Rate 26
Community Vulnerability 32.8
Uninsured Rate 25
Disability Rate 41
Debt & Delinquency 28.5
Debt in Collections 21
Medical Debt 30
Student Loan Delinquency 31
Auto Loan Delinquency 12
Credit Card Delinquency 35
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 42

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed. The median line is shown on each bar.

Neighbors and Peers

How Cape May County compares to its 4 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Cape May County
Cape May County, NJ 51.2 Elevated —
Cumberland County, NJ 74.9 Serious +23.7
Atlantic County, NJ 63.5 Elevated +12.3
Kent County, DE 61.4 Elevated +10.2
Sussex County, DE 46.3 Normal -4.9

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Cape May County
Lee County, AL 51.1 Elevated -0.1
Hall County, NE 51.0 Elevated -0.2
Alamance County, NC 51.5 Elevated +0.3
Coffee County, AL 51.6 Elevated +0.4
Grady County, OK 50.8 Elevated -0.4

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Cape May County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Cape May County

Find an Attorney

New Jersey State Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

New Jersey State Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service 1-800-792-8315

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Cape May County residents at no cost.

Legal Services of New Jersey 1-888-576-5529
Community Health Law Project
New Jersey State Bar Foundation — Lawyer Referral Service 1-800-792-8315
Central Jersey Legal Services, Inc. (732) 249-7600
Essex-Newark Legal Services Project, Inc. (973) 624-4500
Legal Services of Northwest Jersey, Inc. (908) 231-0840
Northeast New Jersey Legal Services Corporation (201) 792-6363
South Jersey Legal Services, Inc. (800) 496-4570

Self-Help Resources

NJ Courts Foreclosure Self-Help Center Official NJ Courts self-help guidance on foreclosure proceedings

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Cape May County, New Jersey?

    Cape May County has a County Distress Index score of 51.2 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,495th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 9th in New Jersey out of 21 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Cape May County?

    The primary driver of distress in Cape May County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 78.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Cape May County compare to neighboring counties?

    Cape May County (51.2) can be compared to its 4 neighboring counties: Cumberland County, NJ (74.9); Atlantic County, NJ (63.5); Kent County, DE (61.4).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses percentile-rank averaging across five domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • What is the population of Cape May County?

    Cape May County, New Jersey has a population of approximately 94,610 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.