City government · Cape May County, NJ

Cape May's money: where it comes from and where it goes

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended December 31, 2023), Cape May took in $35.6 million and spent $25.2 million.

Latest recorded year: ended December 31, 2023Estimated by the U.S. Census BureauComes fromGoes to

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Where it comes from

Fees for services (parks and recreation, sewer)48%City taxes45%Federal tax money3.3%County and local tax money2.5%Fines and other1.4%State tax money0.2%

What stands out

35%

of Cape May's money comes from property tax.A typical U.S. city, town or village of under 10,000 people gets 15%.

City taxes45%

Property tax
35%$12.4 million
Other taxes
9.6%$3.4 million
What's in other taxesOther selective sales taxes; other licenses and 2 more
  • Other selective sales taxes$1.7 million
  • Other licenses$1.2 million
  • Public utility taxes$390 thousand
  • Alcoholic beverage licenses$59 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services48%

Fees for services
48%$17.1 million
What's in fees for servicesParks and recreation; sewer and 4 more
  • Parks and recreation$4.7 million
  • Sewer$4.4 million
  • Water$4.4 million
  • Parking$2.4 million
  • Other service charges$798 thousand
  • Housing$421 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money3.3%

Grants from Washington, paid for by the federal taxes residents also pay.

From the federal government
3.3%$1.2 million

State tax money0.2%

Money the state passes on, paid for by the state taxes residents also pay.

From the state
0.2%$55 thousand

County and local tax money2.5%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From the county and other local governments
2.5%$888 thousand

Fines and other1.4%

Fines
1.2%$413 thousand
Interest, rents and other
0.3%$101 thousand

Where it goes

Water, sewer, trash and utilities30%Parks, recreation and libraries18%Police, fire, courts and jails16%Running the government and other costs15%Roads, transit and parking13%All other spending7.6%

What stands out

18%

of Cape May's spending goes to parks, recreation and libraries.A typical U.S. city, town or village of under 10,000 people spends 2.2%.

Spending by category100%

Water, sewer, trash and utilities
30%$7.6 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesSewer systems; water supply and 1 more
  • Sewer systems$3.8 million
  • Water supply$3.7 million
  • Garbage and solid waste$142 thousand
Parks, recreation and libraries
18%$4.5 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation
  • Parks and recreation$4.5 million
Police, fire, courts and jails
16%$4.1 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPolice; fire protection and 2 more
  • Police$1.9 million
  • Fire protection$1.6 million
  • Courts and legal services$428 thousand
  • Inspections and regulation$106 thousand
Running the government and other costs
15%$3.9 million
What's in running the government and other costsOther and not broken out and government buildings
  • Other and not broken out$3.0 million
  • Government buildings$916 thousand
Roads, transit and parking
13%$3.2 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways
  • Roads and highways$3.2 million
Interest on debt
5.1%$1.3 million
Housing and community development
1.8%$449 thousand
Health and hospitals
0.7%$167 thousand
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$167 thousand
Sent to other local governments
<0.1%$16 thousand
What's in sent to other local governmentsSent to local governments: other and not broken out
  • Sent to local governments: other and not broken out$16 thousand
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

City of Cape May. U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, individual unit file, fiscal year ended December 31, 2023. Most of this government's figures were estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau from a sample; the government did not report them itself.

What this covers. The money of City of Cape May itself. Other governments that serve the same area (the city, county, school district and state) are separate and not included. Borrowing, transfers between a government's own funds, and pension trust funds are not counted as revenue.