Photo: Dough4872 · CC BY-SA 4.0Wildwood spent more per resident in 2022 than 96% of similar cities
Wildwood’s city government spent $28.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $5,743 per resident. Water and other utilities ($3.8 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Wildwood is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$5,743 per resident in 2022: more than 96% of them
Wildwood’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($5,743 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. Wildwood spent more than 96% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($6 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 →
New Jersey cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Wildwood itself left out).
About $5,743 per resident a year, or $15.73 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 23%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Wildwood reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $6,507 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.66% 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 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 Wildwood’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Wildwood →
Who’s in charge in Wildwood
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Wildwood’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on wildwoodnj.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 24 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 (4,916).
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.
Wildwood City School District
Wildwood’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $31,130 per pupil, $19,154 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.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Wildwood.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: wildwoodnj.org ↗
- 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 Wildwood compares with the towns next door
Wildwood spent $5,743 per resident in 2022; the 4 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,429 to $6,058. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Middle Township | $1,429 | $5,344 |
| Lower Township | $1,438 | $4,186 |
| Wildwood Crest | $5,603 | $5,633 |
| North Wildwood | $6,058 | $5,798 |
| West Wildwood | estimate | $4,721 |
| Wildwood | $5,743 | $6,507 |
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 Wildwood’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Wildwood’s government
How much does Wildwood spend per resident?
About $5,743 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 $5,743 was more than 96% of 48 New Jersey cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Wildwood?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $6,507 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.66% of the typical home’s value, vs 2.11% across New Jersey. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see wildwoodnj.org.
Who runs Wildwood’s government?
See wildwoodnj.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Wildwood yet.
How many people work for Wildwood?
203 full-time and 41 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $1.4M (about $16.3M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents 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 Wildwood’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; 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 →