Is Wildwood, NJ a Good Place to Live?
Wildwood is a small town of 5,164 in New Jersey, with a median household income of $49,131 and a 9.2% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 106 (US average = 100), which is 6% above the national average.
Strengths: Wildwood stands out for solid school ratings (B), short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include a higher-than-average crime index, an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Wildwood is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Wildwood city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 105.8Wildwood's overall cost of living index is 105.8, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Wildwood costs roughly 6% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Wildwood, NJ | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $323,000 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,287 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 46.5% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $49,131 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Higher than AverageWildwood's violent crime rate is 390.8 per 100,000 residents — 3% higher than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Wildwood is served primarily by Wildwood City School District. The student-to-teacher ratio is 9.6:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Wildwood, NJ | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Wildwood City School District | — |
| Elementary Schools | 1 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 9.6:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 16.6% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 88.8% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Wildwood sees average highs of 43.3°F in January and 85.5°F in July, with 44.1 inches of annual precipitation and 14.8 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Wildwood, NJ |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 43.3°F |
| Average High — July | 85.5°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 44.1" |
| Annual Snowfall | 14.8" |
Demographics
| Metric | Wildwood, NJ | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 5,164 | — |
| Median Age | 47.6 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 9.2% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 22.1 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 78.9% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 8.1% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 11.0% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.6% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 17.9% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 15.5% | 16.8% |