Photo: Smallbones · Public domainHow is West Cape May run?
West Cape May’s borough government spent $1.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,702 per resident. These are Census Bureau estimates: West Cape May didn’t report its figures, so this page shows them without comparisons.
What stands out about how West Cape May is run
Read from the borough’s budget and official records.
About $1,702 per resident a year, or $4.66 a day
Day-to-day services only (a Census Bureau estimate). The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 33%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Revenue is well above spending. That usually means West Cape May collects property taxes for the school district and county and passes them on, so only its own spending is counted.
West Cape May didn’t report all of its 2022 figures to the Census Bureau, so most of these numbers are the Bureau’s estimates.
No comparison or trend for West Cape May yet
Every year of West Cape May’s figures is a Census Bureau estimate: the borough reported none of its dollars for 2022. Estimates are shown above, labeled, but never ranked against places that reported or drawn as a trend.
How Town Hall compares budgets →The typical homeowner pays $6,383 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.85% of the home’s value, vs 2.11% across New Jersey.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at West Cape May’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. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.
Tax bills are one input to West Cape May’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in West Cape May →
Who’s in charge in West Cape May
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
West Cape May’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The borough posts agendas and minutes on westcapemay.us ↗.
One full-time borough employee for every 165 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (991).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Lower Cape May Regional School District
West Cape May’s middle and high school district, shared with Cape May, Lower Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $29,688 per pupil, $18,269 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.
New Jersey districts overall: 48% local, 46% state, 6% federal.
West Cape May Borough School District · $28,259 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for West Cape May.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: westcapemay.us ↗
- 2New Jersey General AssemblyState representatives
- 3New Jersey SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of New Jersey
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How West Cape May compares with the towns next door
West Cape May’s own figures are Census estimates, so it isn’t placed among its neighbors. 2 of the 2 towns next door reported 2022 figures, from $1,438 to $5,531 per resident. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Lower Township | $1,438 | $4,186 |
| Cape May | $5,531 | $6,165 |
| West Cape May | estimate | $6,383 |
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 West Cape May’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about West Cape May’s government
How much does West Cape May spend per resident?
About $1,702 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, a Census Bureau estimate (West Cape May didn’t report its figures). With building projects and interest, the whole budget was about $2.4 million.
What is the property tax rate in West Cape May?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $6,383 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.85% of the typical home’s value, vs 2.11% across New Jersey. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see westcapemay.us.
Who runs West Cape May’s government?
See westcapemay.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for West Cape May yet.
How many people work for West Cape May?
6 full-time and 25 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $51,657 (about $619,884 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents West Cape May 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 West Cape May’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
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 (for West Cape May, the Bureau’s estimates); 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 →