Cape May County

Cape May County, New Jersey — key demographics

Population

• Total population: 95,263 (2020 Census)
• 2023 estimate: ~96,000 (Census Bureau estimate)

Age

• Median age: ~50 years
• Under 18: ~18%
• 65 and older: ~28%

Gender

• Female: ~51%
• Male: ~49%

Race and ethnicity (mutually exclusive where noted)

• White, non-Hispanic: ~82–83%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~9%
• Black or African American, non-Hispanic: ~5%
• Asian, non-Hispanic: ~1–2%
• Two or more races, non-Hispanic: ~3%
• Other (American Indian/Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander), non-Hispanic: <1%

Households and housing

• Households: ~41,300
• Persons per household: ~2.20
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~83%
• Total housing units: ~98,000 (large seasonal/second-home stock)

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2018–2022 5-year estimates; Population Estimates/QuickFacts for 2023).

Cape May County, NJ — email usage snapshot (estimates)

• Population/scale: ~95K year‑round residents; density ~370–380 people/mi². Summer tourism swells the on‑island population several‑fold, increasing network load.
• Estimated email users: ~70–75K residents use email (based on ~77K adults and ~90–92% adult email adoption; a small share of teens also use email).
• Age mix of users (skews older vs U.S. average):
  • 18–34: ~18–22%
  • 35–64: ~48–52%
  • 65+: ~26–32%
• Gender split among users: roughly even; ~52% female, ~48% male (aligned with county demographics).
• Digital access trends:
  • Household internet/broadband subscription roughly mid‑ to high‑80s percent (NJ is high; Cape May slightly lower due to older population and seasonal homes).
  • Smartphone-only internet users: ~10–15%.
  • Cable broadband (DOCSIS) is the primary fixed access; fiber is available in pockets; inland/rural and barrier‑island edges see more variability in speeds/reliability.
  • Public Wi‑Fi is common in shore towns and tourism corridors; summer peaks can congest cellular networks.
• Notes: County has one of NJ’s oldest age profiles, which modestly lowers email adoption vs younger counties but overall usage remains high.

Sources: Aggregated from U.S. Census/ACS and Pew Research email adoption benchmarks. Estimates; use local provider data for precise counts.

Summary: Mobile phone usage in Cape May County, New Jersey

Executive takeaways (what’s different from NJ overall)

• Older year‑round population and lower median income than NJ drive slightly lower smartphone penetration, higher feature‑phone retention, and a higher share of prepaid/MVNO lines than the statewide mix.
• Extreme seasonality (tourism) produces multi‑fold surges in devices on the network, with carriers relying on small cells and temporary capacity (COWs/COLTs) around shore towns—an effect far more pronounced than in most NJ counties.
• Coverage and performance are strong along the Garden State Parkway and barrier‑island corridors but more variable in inland/rural and marsh areas; median speeds tend to trail NJ’s metro‑county averages, especially on peak summer days.
• Second‑home and hospitality economies add many IoT and hotspot lines (security systems, short‑term rentals), shifting the line mix more than in typical NJ suburbs.

User estimates (residents; rounded ranges)

• Baseline population: 95,000 residents (ACS). Adults (18+): ~75,000–77,000.
• Adult mobile phone users (any phone): ~72,000–74,000 (93–96% of adults).
• Adult smartphone users: ~62,000–66,000 (≈82–87% of adults; a few points below NJ overall).
• Total resident smartphone users (including teens): ~67,000–72,000.
• Seasonal swell: On peak summer days the county’s daytime/overnight population can be several hundred thousand (multiple of the resident base). That implies 250,000–500,000+ devices present, depending on event/weekend—orders of magnitude more network load than the resident baseline.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age (key differentiator vs NJ):
  • 65+ share in Cape May is notably higher than NJ overall (county ~28–30% vs NJ ~17%). Smartphone adoption among 65+ is typically 60–70% (Pew benchmarks), pulling down the county’s aggregate smartphone rate and raising the share of basic/feature phones and voice‑centric use.
  • Working‑age adults and teens align with national/NJ patterns (smartphone adoption 90–96%), but their share of the population is smaller than in NJ, keeping the countywide average lower.
• Income/plan type:
  • Median household income in Cape May County trails the NJ median; this correlates with higher prepaid/MVNO penetration and a modestly higher rate of mobile‑only internet access among lower‑income households and seasonal workers than statewide averages.
• Race/ethnicity:
  • The county is less diverse than NJ as a whole (higher non‑Hispanic White share). Differences in smartphone adoption by race/ethnicity are minimal today, but language‑support needs for seasonal and hospitality workers may be higher in certain pockets.
• Seasonal workforce and second homes:
  • Seasonal/hospitality workers show elevated prepaid use and hotspot tethering.
  • Second‑home owners contribute additional lines (security cameras, thermostats, alarms), plus intermittent high‑throughput usage when in residence.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Radio access:
  • All three national carriers have macro coverage along the Parkway, bridges, and shore towns; inland pine barrens/marsh zones can have pockets of weaker signal.
  • Mid‑band 5G covers most populated corridors; very‑high‑band small cells (and venue DAS) are concentrated in downtown/boardwalk commercial areas where deployed. Carriers typically add temporary capacity (COWs/COLTs) for major events and peak holiday weeks.
• Backhaul and fiber:
  • Fiber backhaul is present along primary corridors, but countywide fiber‑to‑premises is spottier than in North/Central NJ metros; many inland areas rely on cable DOCSIS for backhaul. This can cap 5G cell capacity compared with fiber‑dense NJ counties.
• Performance and congestion:
  • Off‑season median mobile speeds are competitive along the coast; inland speeds and reliability can lag NJ’s top‑tier counties.
  • During peak summer weekends, congestion can materially reduce speeds and raise latency, especially in boardwalk and beach sectors, more so than typical NJ locales without heavy tourism swings.
• Siting and environment:
  • Coastal wetlands, historic districts, and low‑rise zoning mean more emphasis on small cells, rooftop sites, and stealth poles versus tall macro towers—different from urban NJ where rooftops and dense fiber are abundant.
• Public safety and alerts:
  • County EMA leverages Wireless Emergency Alerts for coastal flooding, storms, and evacuation messaging; high tourist density and device penetration make WEA particularly impactful relative to other NJ counties.

Method notes and sources

• Population and demographics: U.S. Census Bureau/ACS for Cape May County and NJ.
• Smartphone/phone adoption: Pew Research Center adult device adoption, adjusted for the county’s older age structure.
• Coverage and 5G: Carrier public coverage maps and FCC National Broadband Map context; generalized to avoid over‑specific claims.
• Tourism/seasonality: County tourism figures and municipal/event patterns; ranges reflect variability by weekend/event and are meant for planning, not billing.

Cape May County, NJ social media snapshot (est.)

Population baseline

• Residents: ~95,000; adults (18+): ~80,000; older-skewing county (median age ≈ high 40s)
• Estimated adults using at least one social platform: ~65,000–70,000 (≈80–85% of adults)
• Seasonal effect: Audience swells sharply May–Sept with visitors/second-home owners, lifting reach and engagement for tourism-facing accounts

Most-used platforms among county adults (estimated share)

• YouTube: 80–85%
• Facebook: 70–75% (dominant locally, especially 45+ and community Groups)
• Instagram: 35–40%
• Pinterest: 30–35% (strong among women 30–64)
• LinkedIn: 25–30% (hiring, hospitality/healthcare management)
• TikTok: 20–28% (high among <35; lower overall due to older population)
• Snapchat: 18–22% (teens/college-aged)
• X (Twitter): 15–20% (news, weather, sports)
• Nextdoor: 15–20% (homeowners, neighborhoods; varies by shore town)

Age profile of users (share using at least one platform)

• 13–17: 90%+ (heavy YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat; light Facebook)
• 18–29: ~95% (IG/TikTok first; YouTube universal)
• 30–49: ~90% (YouTube/FB/IG mix; rising TikTok)
• 50–64: ~75–80% (FB dominant; YouTube; some Pinterest/IG)
• 65+: ~50–55% (FB and YouTube primarily; some Pinterest)

Gender notes

• County population ≈ 51% female / 49% male; overall social use is similar by gender
• Platform skews locally mirror national patterns:
  • More women on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest
  • More men on YouTube; X; Reddit (niche)
  • LinkedIn slightly male-leaning; TikTok roughly balanced among under-35

Behavioral trends to know

• Seasonality drives behavior:
  • Summer: spikes in discovery content (things to do, restaurants, events), Reels/TikToks, Stories; peak Thu–Sun and on rainy beach days
  • Off-season: local community news, school sports, municipal and emergency updates, storm prep/recovery posts
• Facebook Groups rule for hyperlocal: town alerts, lost/found pets, buy-sell-trade, beach/parking info; post text + photo performs well; official town/EM pages see surges during storms and road/ferry disruptions
• Visual discovery for tourism: Instagram Reels and TikTok lead trip planning; geotags/hashtags like #CapeMay, #WildwoodNJ, #StoneHarbor, #AvalonNJ
• UGC drives reach: visitor photos, short-form “day-in-Cape-May,” boardwalk food clips; respond/repost quickly in peak season
• YouTube utility: beach cams, fishing/boating, charter highlights, long-form hotel/B&B walk-throughs; consistent search traffic year-round
• Reviews matter: Facebook and Google reviews influence dining/lodging choices; timely replies affect conversion in peak months
• Nextdoor/Homeowner chatter: off-season renovation, services, public works, safety; helpful for local services and civic agencies
• Timing: Early evening local posts (6–8 p.m.) and morning updates (7–9 a.m.) perform well; align ads to weather and weekend patterns

Notes on method

• Local counts are estimates derived by applying recent Pew Research Center U.S. adoption rates by platform/age to Cape May County’s age profile (U.S. Census/ACS). Older county skew lifts Facebook/Pinterest and moderates Instagram/TikTok/Snapchat relative to national averages. Percent ranges reflect that adjustment.