Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Population 1,528: a town settled in 1873.
30% of residents are 65 or older in South Dennis, above both the New Jersey town median (18%) and the median of U.S. towns (18%). Only 6 of the 469 New Jersey towns we compare have a lower share of working residents who work in town than South Dennis. 38% of the land in South Dennis is conserved, against 11% in New Jersey’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. The biggest park or preserve is Beaver Swamp Wildlife Management Area, at 1,063 acres. We don’t grade South Dennis yet; the figures below are still real.
Where South Dennis’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1933 and 6 maps from 1888 on.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around South Dennis. Close and well known come first.
23 mi Stadium & arenaBoardwalk Hall
19 mi LandmarkLucy the Elephant
13 mi Theme parkMorey's Piers
24 mi Theme parkSteel Pier5 mi Zoo & aquariumCape May County Park & Zoo
15 mi Theme parkGillians Wonderland Pier and Island WaterparkBoardwalk Hall: Jack Boucher, Public domain · Lucy the Elephant: User:dtcdthingy 3:30 pm 30th July 2004 (Minolta Dimage X20), Public domain · Morey's Piers: Smallbones, CC0 · Steel Pier: Make Lemons, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Gillians Wonderland Pier and Island Waterpark: Kevin Jarrett from Northfield, NJ, USA, CC BY 2.0
South Dennis is unincorporated, so Cape May County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in South Dennis.
4 parks and preserves cover 1,349 acres in South Dennis.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Beaver Swamp Wildlife Management Area | — | 1,063 |
| 2. Cape May National Wildlife Refuge | — | 250 |
| 3. Dennis Township Recreation Center | — | 20 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The top destinations are Middle Township (20%), Dennis Township (11%) and Lower Township (6%). Commuting out is the norm in South Dennis: 2% of working residents work locally. The share of residents in South Dennis who live below the poverty line: 3.1%. Half of commuters travel less than 12 miles.
| South Dennis | New Jersey towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 3.1% | 6.1% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $102,000 | $113,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 30 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The midpoint age in South Dennis is 47.2 years. Among adults 25 and older, 34% have a four-year degree or more, against 44% across New Jersey. 18% never finished high school.
| South Dennis | New Jersey towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 47.2 years | 42 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 34% | 45% | 29% |
48% women, 52% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±6.9 points. Across New Jersey, 50.8% of residents are women.
| South Dennis | NJ | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 14.2% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 11.5% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 4.3% | 8.4% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 8.7% | 12.9% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.9% | 13.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.3% | 12.9% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10.3% | 13.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 15.7% | 10% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 14.1% | 7.2% | 7% |
| No diploma | 18.4% | 9.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 28.5% | 25.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 13.3% | 15% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 5.7% | 6.7% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 17.4% | 26.1% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 16.7% | 17.6% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,500, single groups can be off by several points
In July, afternoons reach 85°; in January, nights fall to 25°, and about 22 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
13% of adults report frequent physical distress in South Dennis. Of 32 CDC measures, South Dennis beats the New Jersey average on 9 and trails it on 2. In South Dennis, 19% of adults have been diagnosed with depression, and 33% sleep under 7 hours.
| South Dennis | New Jersey towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 32% | 33% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 16% | 23% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 36% | 36% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 22% | 25% |
| What stands out | South Dennis | NJ |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 5.7% | 9.6% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6.8% | 11.3% |
| More adults with depression | 19.2% | 15.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
FEMA puts 38% of South Dennis’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 25% to hurricanes. Storm and flood damage is expected to run lower than in 56% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
South Dennis’ midpoint rent comes in at $1,875 a month. 88% of South Dennis households are owner-occupiers.
| South Dennis | New Jersey towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 88% | 77% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,875 a month | $1,778 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
None within 15 miles of South Dennis; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 South Dennis residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Jersey.
Populated place in Cape May County, New Jersey, US
South Dennis is an unincorporated community located within Dennis Township in Cape May County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 census, South Dennis had a population of 1,703. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its postal ZIP Code is 08245. The post office was established in 1873, with Robert Hutchinson as the first postmaster.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with South Dennis.
| Town | NJ rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Dennis | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Dennis Township | #356 | C | C | — | C | B |
| Middle Township | #405 | C− | D | C | C+ | B+ |
| South Seaville | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Dennis Township reports no FBI crime data of its own. South Dennis and South Seaville aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare South Dennis with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
We don’t grade South Dennis yet; the figures below are still real.
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