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 5,098 people and three associated neighborhoods, Wildwood is the 309th largest community in New Jersey. Much of the housing stock in Wildwood was built prior to World War II, making it one of the older and more historic cities in the country. 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.Unlike some cities where white-collar or blue-collar occupations dominate the local economy, Wildwood is neither predominantly one nor the other. Instead, it has a mixed workforce of both white- and blue-collar jobs. Overall, Wildwood is a city of service providers, sales and office workers, and construction workers and builders. There are especially a lot of people living in Wildwood who work in food service (20.07%), maintenance occupations (13.26%), and office and administrative support (11.80%). A relatively large number of people in Wildwood telecommute to their jobs. Overall, about 8.01% of the workforce works from home. While this may seem like a small number, as a fraction of the total workforce it ranks among the highest in the country. 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 a major vacation destination. Much of the city’s population is seasonal: many people own second homes and only live there part-time, during the vacation season. The effect on the local economy is that many of the businesses are dependent on tourist dollars, and may operate only during the high season. As the vacation season ends, Wildwood’s population drops significantly, such that year-round residents will notice that the city is a much quieter place to live. 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. The citizens of Wildwood are slightly less educated than the national average of 21.84% for the average city or town: 15.06% of adults in Wildwood have a bachelor's degree or advanced degree The per capita income in Wildwood in 2022 was $40,173, which is low income relative to New Jersey, and upper middle income relative to the rest of the US. This equates to an annual income of $160,692 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 31.73% of the city’s residents. Important ancestries of people in Wildwood include Irish, German, Italian, Polish, and English. Foreign born people are also an important part of Wildwood's cultural character, accounting for 19.57% 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.
