PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · New Jersey

Cape May County, NJ

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Cape May County residents. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert here and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it, from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).

32.8%
low-access pop.
6
food-desert tracts
7.5%
on SNAP
95K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 NJ

The food-access picture

32.8% of Cape May County residents live in a low-access area, and 6 of its 32 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

18
low-access tracts
9K
food-desert residents
5.7%
households, no vehicle
8.7%
below poverty line

Low access = living more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket. Food deserts add a low-income condition (USDA LILA, 1-and-10-mile measure).

USDA data puts Cape May County's low-access share at 32.8%, above the national share. 18 of the county's 32 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 31,929 people. 6 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 8,505 low-income residents.

How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts

The USDA measures food access by distance to the nearest supermarket. A census tract is "low-access" when a meaningful share of residents live more than one mile from a supermarket in urban areas, or more than ten miles in rural areas. A tract becomes a "food desert" only when it is both low-access and low-income, because distance is far harder to overcome for households without a car or a cushion in the budget. Counts on this page are aggregated from the tract level, where the federal data is actually published, so a single county figure can hide neighbourhoods that are much better or much worse served than the average. Distance also does not capture everything that shapes whether a family eats well: the presence of a full-service grocer rather than a convenience store, public transit, food pantries, and the price and quality of what is on the shelf all matter beyond the radius the Atlas can draw.

How Cape May County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Cape May County's 32.8% low-access share is elevated, higher than 76% of them and ranked #759 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Cape May County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 32 census tracts in Cape May County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).

Food access tier distribution for Cape May County, NJ USDA-defined food-access tiers: 14 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 12 limited, 6 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 32 tracts evaluated. 14 tracts adequate (43.8%) 12 tracts limited (37.5%) 6 tracts severe / food desert (18.8%) Adequate 44% Limited 38% Severe 19% Food-access tier distribution: Cape May County, NJ
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Cape May County vs. other New Jersey counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in New Jersey

% low-access
Source USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas As of 2019 edition

Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Cape May County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts32
Atlas Population (2010 basis)97,265
Low-Access Tracts18
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)6
Low-Access Population31,929
Low-Access Share32.8%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population8,505

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Cape May County
IndicatorValue
Population94,941
Median Household Income$91,128
Poverty Rate8.7%below the national average
SNAP Households3,380
SNAP Participation Rate7.5%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.7%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.7%
SNAP participation in Cape May County 7.5%

About 7.5% of Cape May County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 32.8% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 7.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,380 households here.
  • 5.7% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 6 tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access).

USDA low-access figures reflect the 2019 Atlas (2010 tract populations); socioeconomic context is the latest Census ACS 5-year (2024).

What the food-access data shows for Cape May County

above the national share

6 of Cape May County's 32 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 18.8% of all its tracts.

A further 12 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 18.

An estimated 31,929 residents, roughly 32.8% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 8,505 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 14 tracts (43.8%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Cape May County

Cape May County has 74 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 26 locations (35% of the total), followed by convenience store.

Combination Grocery/Other · 26

  • cvs 4125, villas
  • cvs pharmacy 398, north wildwood
  • cvs pharmacy 429, cape may court house
  • cvs pharmacy 2014, cape may
  • cvs pharmacy 2354, wildwood
  • cvs pharmacy 4841, marmora
  • cvs pharmacy 752, ocean city
  • cvs pharmacy 961, ocean city
  • cvs pharmacy inc 5967, ocean view
  • cvs/pharmacy 2023, sea isle city
  • dollar general 13543, cape may court house
  • dollar general 14641, marmora
  • dollar general 17852, woodbine
  • dollar general 18175, wildwood
  • dollar general 13407, north swainton
  • dollar general 8769, n cape may
  • dollar general 9400, ocean view
  • dollar tree 1686, rio grande
  • dollar tree 4335, cape may
  • dollar tree 7398, wildwood
  • family dollar 11368, woodbine
  • family dollar 13479, wildwood
  • ocean state job lot 562, cape may
  • walgreens 12003, wildwood
  • walgreens 17934, ocean city
  • walgreens 19918, north cape may

Convenience Store · 23

  • aplus 40071h, ocean city
  • blitz's market hole in the wall, villas
  • commercial mexicana, wildwood
  • la unica esperanza grocery store, wildwood
  • pantry 1 food mart, cape may court house
  • villas grab & go, villas
  • wawa 300, sea isle city
  • wawa 342, stone harbor
  • wawa 432, avalon
  • wawa 452, cape may
  • wawa 465, ocean view
  • wawa 470, dennisville
  • wawa 492, cape may court house
  • wawa 728, ocean city
  • wawa 729, wildwood
  • wawa 758, marmora
  • wawa 771, ocean city
  • wawa 946, rio grande
  • wawa 954, wildwood
  • wawa 963, villas
  • wawa 980, n cape may
  • wawa 8322, north wildwood
  • wildwood deli & convenience, wildwood

Supermarket · 13

  • acme 2855, cape may
  • acme 3824, ocean city
  • acme 3835, seaville
  • acme 845, cape may
  • acme 859, cape may court house
  • acme 890, cape may court house
  • acme 996, sea isle city
  • aldi 60065, rio grande
  • acme 2649, ocean city
  • acme 2838, n wildwood
  • acme markets llc 821, wildwood
  • rio grande grocery outlet 747, rio grande
  • westside meats, rio grande

Small Grocery Store · 5

  • bautistas grocery, wildwood
  • la autentica deli llc, ocean city
  • la consentida, villas
  • mini market la guadalupana, ocean city
  • miscelanea montoya mexican grocery, wildwood

Super Store · 4

  • shop rite of rio grande 643, rio grande
  • shoprite of mamora 603, marmora
  • walmart 3337, rio grande
  • walmart 3337, rio grande

Large Grocery Store · 2

  • gaiss market, villas
  • the produce place, inc, cape may

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • woodbine meat market, woodbine

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in New Jersey

Atlantic County
30.1% low-access · 12.2% SNAP
Bergen County
10.3% low-access · 5.3% SNAP
Burlington County
36.3% low-access · 4.9% SNAP
Camden County
20.0% low-access · 13.3% SNAP
Cumberland County
35.2% low-access · 17.6% SNAP
Essex County
8.1% low-access · 14.8% SNAP

Compare Cape May County vs Atlantic County → · All New Jersey counties →

Food access nationally, New Jersey in context

Cape May County sits inside New Jersey (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.

AK 31 ME 13 VT 11 NH 28 WA 23 ID 26 MT 22 ND 29 MN 27 IL 20 WI 21 MI 23 NY 12 RI 24 MA 28 OR 17 NV 23 WY 30 SD 29 IA 20 IN 29 OH 25 PA 21 NJ 24 CT - CA 13 UT 24 CO 22 NE 22 MO 25 KY 20 WV 21 VA 20 MD 23 DE 27 AZ 27 NM 32 KS 26 AR 25 TN 27 NC 23 SC 29 DC 5 OK 25 LA 26 MS 26 AL 25 GA 31 HI 27 TX 25 FL 25

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context

Understand the Data

Frequently Asked Questions

What share of Cape May County has low food access? ▼
32.8% of residents in Cape May County, NJ live in low-access areas, more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket, per the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019).
What is the SNAP participation rate in Cape May County? ▼
7.5% of households in Cape May County receive SNAP, covering 3,380 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Cape May County? ▼
The poverty rate in Cape May County, NJ is 8.7%, with a median household income of $91,128 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Cape May County a food desert? ▼
6 of Cape May County's 32 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). Food deserts are designated at the tract level, so conditions can vary within the county.
What share of Cape May County households lack a vehicle? ▼
5.7% of households in Cape May County have no vehicle available (Census ACS 2024), which compounds any distance to a supermarket.
Data Sources & Methodology

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019): low-access and food-desert tract classifications, low-access population, and low-income low-access counts. ers.usda.gov/food-access-research-atlas

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates: population, median income, poverty, SNAP participation, vehicle access, and group quarters. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs

Low access is defined as living more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket; a food desert adds a low-income condition. Read the full methodology →

Data current as of (most recent source-data vintage; figures reflect the 2019 USDA Atlas and 2024 Census ACS).

Note: This page presents public USDA and Census data for informational purposes and is not professional advice. Figures reflect the cited dataset vintages and may differ from the most recent local conditions. How this data is sourced & verified.