Wildwood is a somewhat small coastal city (i.e. on the ocean, a bay, or inlet) located in the state of New Jersey. With a population of 5,157 people and three associated neighborhoods, Wildwood is the 309th largest community in New Jersey. Wildwood has an unusually large stock of pre-World War II architecture, making it one of the older and more historic cities.
Housing costs in Wildwood are among some of the highest in the nation, although real estate prices here don't compare to real estate prices in the most expensive communities in New Jersey.
One interesting thing about the economy is that relatively large numbers of people worked from their home: 7.58% of the workforce. While this number may seem small overall, as a fraction of the total workforce this is high compared to the rest of the county. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.
Another notable thing is that Wildwood is an extremely popular vacation destination. A significant portion of the population is seasonal. During the vacation season, the city experiences a large influx of people who take up residence in second homes they own in the area. As the vacation season ends, the population drops again, leaving behind a substantially quieter and smaller city.
Wildwood 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. Quite often, nautical areas such as these attract visitors and locals who come to enjoy the scenery and various waterfront activities.
In terms of college education, the citizens of Wildwood rank slightly lower than the national average. 16.56% of adults 25 and older in Wildwood have a bachelor's degree or advanced degree, while 21.84% of adults have a 4-year degree or higher in the average American community.
The per capita income in Wildwood in 2022 was $43,732, which is lower middle income relative to New Jersey, and upper middle income relative to the rest of the US. This equates to an annual income of $174,928 for a family of four. However, Wildwood contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.
Wildwood is an extremely ethnically-diverse city. The people who call Wildwood home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Wildwood residents report their race to be White, followed by Black or African-American. Wildwood also has a sizeable Hispanic population (people of Hispanic origin can be of any race). People of Hispanic or Latino origin account for 25.15% of the city’s residents. Important ancestries of people in Wildwood include Irish, Italian, German, English, and Polish.
Foreign born people are also an important part of Wildwood's cultural character, accounting for 16.15% of the city’s population.
The most common language spoken in Wildwood is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and Langs. of India.