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North Wildwood beach looking south at 18th AvenuePhoto: Dough4872 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Town Hall · North Wildwood

North Wildwood spent more per resident in 2022 than 98% of similar cities

North Wildwood’s city government spent $22.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $6,058 per resident.

Town website
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$22.7M
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$6,058
In 2022: $6,058, more than 98% of 48 similar cities
Long-term debt
$76.7M
end of 2022, reported
City staff, 2022
112
full-time · 48 part-time · March payroll $714,840
Typical tax bill
$5,798
1.26% of home value · NJ 2.11%

What stands out about how North Wildwood is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$6,058 per resident in 2022: more than 98% of them

North Wildwood’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($6,058 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 48 New Jersey cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,439, and the middle half spent $1,079–$2,186. North Wildwood spent more than 98% of them.

Middle half of the group, $1,079–$2,186Median $1,439North Wildwood

Includes sewer and trash ($6.3 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
48

New Jersey cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; North Wildwood itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $6,058 per resident a year, or $16.60 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 28%.

Where the money comes from
Property taxes 74%Fees & charges 21%Interest, fines & other 3%Other taxes & licenses 1%From the state <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $3.6 million; interest on debt $1.6 million; payments to other governments $90,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $28.1 million.
About “Other”.28% of North Wildwood’s day-to-day spending ($6.4 million) is filed by the Census Bureau outside the named functions above, so the receipt can’t say what it buys.
Over the years

No trend yet

North Wildwood reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $5,798 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.26% of the home’s value, vs 2.11% across New Jersey.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Stone Harbor$10,000+
New Jersey$9,590
Wildwood$6,507
North Wildwood$5,798
Middle Township$5,344
West Wildwood$4,721
$5,798
typical bill a year
1.26%
effective rate
$459,900
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at North Wildwood’s rate.

Can I afford it? →

The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.

Tax bills are one input to North Wildwood’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in North Wildwood →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in North Wildwood

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

See northwildwood.com for North Wildwood’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for North Wildwood yet.northwildwood.com ↗
Agendas

North Wildwood’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on northwildwood.com ↗.

Who works for North Wildwood

One full-time city employee for every 33 residents

On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (3,739).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Police37 + 17 pt
Fire19 + 8 pt
Sewer & trash21 + 1 pt
Administration & buildings15 + 9 pt
Parks & libraries12 + 11 pt
Courts, inspections & corrections3
Other5 + 2 pt
112
full-time
48
part-time
$714,840
payroll for March 2022
$8.6M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$68,300
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
28
sworn police officers
18
full-time firefighters
Compared, 2022.North Wildwood had 30.0 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 33 of the 48 New Jersey cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 8.7: North Wildwood had more than 97% of them. Same group and year as the budget comparison.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

North Wildwood City School District

North Wildwood’s elementary school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in North Wildwood →
$54,405
per pupil · NJ $28,441
173
students
$3.9 million
long-term debt

Of the $54,405 per pupil, $33,393 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 69%State 24%Federal 7%

New Jersey districts overall: 48% local, 46% state, 6% federal.

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Who represents North Wildwood

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for North Wildwood.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
  2. 2
    New Jersey General AssemblyState representatives
  3. 3
    New Jersey SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of New Jersey

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Next door

How North Wildwood compares with the towns next door

North Wildwood spent $6,058 per resident in 2022; the 3 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,429 to $13,535. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.

Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
Middle Township$1,429$5,344
Wildwood$5,743$6,507
Stone Harbor$13,535$10,000+
West Wildwoodestimate$4,721
North Wildwood$6,058$5,798

Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).

Reach North Wildwood’s government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about North Wildwood’s government

How much does North Wildwood spend per resident?

About $6,058 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $6,058 was more than 98% of 48 New Jersey cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in North Wildwood?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $5,798 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.26% of the typical home’s value, vs 2.11% across New Jersey. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see northwildwood.com.

Who runs North Wildwood’s government?

See northwildwood.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for North Wildwood yet.

How many people work for North Wildwood?

112 full-time and 48 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $714,840 (about $8.6M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents North Wildwood in the state legislature?

State Senate District 1 (Mike Testa) and General Assembly District 01 (Antwan McClellan and Erik Simonsen). The General Assembly district also covers 26 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about North Wildwood’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →