West Wildwood is a borough in Cape May County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The borough, and all of Cape May County, is part of the Ocean City metropolitan statistical area, and is part of the Philadelphia-Wilmington-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD combined statistical area, also known as the Delaware Valley or Philadelphia metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 540, The summer population grows to as much as 5,000.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 0.36 square miles (0.94&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>), including 0.29 square miles (0.74&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) of land and 0.08 square miles (0.20&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) of water (21.67%).

Located on a small island connected to Wildwood by a two-lane bridge, the borough consists primarily vacation and year-round homes with a single night club, a miniature golf course and several marinas. Created using landfill to cover existing marshes in the 1920s, the borough is surrounded by bulkheads to protect it from flooding, though heavy winds and high tides can overtop the flood protection mechanisms.

Demographics

thumb|upright=1.3|West Wildwood Bible Church

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 603 people, 276 households, and 160 families in the borough. The population density was . There were 893 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup was 95.36% (575) White, 1.49% (9) Black or African American, 0.00% (0) Native American, 0.00% (0) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 0.66% (4) from other races, and 2.49% (15) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.65% (16) of the population.

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census

There were 202 households, out of which 20.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.0% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.6% were non-families. 36.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.92. In addition to other benefits to encourage employment and investment within the Zone, shoppers can take advantage of a reduced 3.3125% sales tax rate (half of the % rate charged statewide) at eligible merchants. Established in November 2002, the borough's Urban Enterprise Zone status expires in December 2023. The joint UEZ is overseen by the Enterprise Zone Development Corporation of the Wildwoods Board, which includes representatives from all four municipalities.

Government

Local government

West Wildwood has been governed under the Walsh Act form of New Jersey municipal government since 1964. The borough is one of 71 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use the commission form of government. The governing body is comprised of three commissioners, who are elected at-large on a non-partisan basis to serve concurrent four-year terms of office as part of the November general election. At a reorganization meeting conducted after each election, the commission selects one of its members to serve as mayor and designates for each commissioner an assigned department to oversee.

, members of the West Wildwood Borough Board of Commissioners are

Mayor Matthew J. Ksiazek (Commissioner of Public Works, Parks and Public Property),

John J. Banning (Commissioner of Public Safety and Public Affairs),

Joseph D. Segrest (Commissioner of Revenue and Finance), all serving concurrent terms of office ending December 31, 2024.

In June 2019, Cornelius J. Maxwell (who had been serving as Commissioner of Revenue and Finance) resigned from office, citing personal reasons. The meeting where Maxwell resigned was the first following the disclosure of ethics fines of nearly $25,000—the largest in state history by the board—that had been assessed by the Local Finance Board against Mayor Fox relating to his actions on behalf of Police Chief Jacqueline Ferentz. In November 2019, Amy Korbellis was elected to fill the vacant seat.

In the same May 2012 election in which the three incumbent commissioners were elected, the voters approved a ballot question shifting elections from May to November, extending the terms of the three elected commissioners by an additional six months, with the next municipal election taking place in November 2016.

In December 2025, the borough signed a deal under which neighboring North Wildwood will provide police services in West Wildwood using its existing staff and new hires as part of a ten-year deal that will have West Wildwood pay $6&nbsp;million during the term of the shared-services agreement.

Federal, state and county representation

West Wildwood is located in the 2nd Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 1st state legislative district.

Politics

thumb|left|Borough Hall

As of March 2011, there were a total of 463 registered voters in West Wildwood, of which 124 (26.8%) were registered as Democrats, 184 (39.7%) were registered as Republicans and 154 (33.3%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There was one voter registered to another party.

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In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 51.6% of the vote (165 cast), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 48.1% (154 votes), and other candidates with 0.3% (1 vote), among the 323 ballots cast by the borough's 459 registered voters (3 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 70.4%. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 52.4% of the vote (177 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama, who received 45.0% (152 votes), with 338 ballots cast among the borough's 462 registered voters, for a turnout of 73.2%. In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 51.4% of the vote (171 ballots cast), outpolling Republican George W. Bush, who received 47.1% (157 votes), with 333 ballots cast among the borough's 422 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 78.9.

{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; font-size:95%;"

|+ Presidential elections results

|- bgcolor=lightgrey

! Year

!Republican

!Democratic

|-

| style="text-align:center;" |2024

| style="text-align:center;" |65.7% 253

| style="text-align:center;" |33.3% 128

|-

| style="text-align:center;" |2020

| style="text-align:center;" |62.6% 228

| style="text-align:center;" |36.3% 132

|-

| style="text-align:center;" |2016

| style="text-align:center;" |60.9% 181

| style="text-align:center;" |36.0% 107

|-

| style="text-align:center;" |2012

| style="text-align:center;" |48.1% 154

| style="text-align:center;" |51.6% 165

|-

| style="text-align:center;" |2008

| style="text-align:center;" |52.4% 177

| style="text-align:center;" |45.0% 152

|-

| style="text-align:center;" |2004

| style="text-align:center;" |47.1% 157

| style="text-align:center;" |51.4% 174

|}

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 75.4% of the vote (175 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 23.3% (54 votes), and other candidates with 1.3% (3 votes), among the 236 ballots cast by the borough's 435 registered voters (4 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 54.3%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 48.2% of the vote (148 ballots cast), ahead of both Democrat Jon Corzine with 41.7% (128 votes) and Independent Chris Daggett with 4.9% (15 votes), with 307 ballots cast among the borough's 493 registered voters, yielding a 62.3% turnout.

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Education

thumb|West Wildwood students are zoned to Margaret Mace School of the [[North Wildwood School District for grades PreK–8.]]

Public school students from West Wildwood, a non-operating school district, attend Margaret Mace School in North Wildwood for grades PreK–8 as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the North Wildwood School District. As of the 2024–25 school year, the district, comprised of one school, had an enrollment of 164 students and 29.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 5.7:1. In 2019, North Wildwood district received 20 students from West Wildwood, making up 11% of the North Wildwood district enrollment.

For ninth through twelfth grades, public school students from West Wildwood attend Wildwood High School in Wildwood as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Wildwood City School District, together with students from North Wildwood and Wildwood Crest. As of the 2024–25 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 261 students and 26.4 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 9.9:1.

Students are also eligible to attend Cape May County Technical High School in the Cape May Court House area, which serves students from the entire county in its comprehensive and vocational programs, which are offered without charge to students who are county residents. Special needs students may be referred to Cape May County Special Services School District in the Cape May Court House area.

In 2020, the West Wildwood School Board commissioned a study from Stockton University exploring the impact of switching K–8 education to the Wildwood City School District, which triggered a negative reaction from multiple parents who preferred that their children attend Mace School in North Wildwood. The study estimated that West Wildwood would save more than $175,000 per year if it switched to the Wildwood City district for K–8.

Transportation

thumb|right|[[County Route 614 (Cape May County, New Jersey)|County Route 614 entering West Wildwood]]

, the borough had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality and by Cape May County.

County Route 614 (Glenwood Avenue) runs through the borough to its northern tip.

References

  • West Wildwood Borough website
  • The Wildwood Leader, covering West Wildwood.