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Cape May County, New Jersey

A shallow water table limits basements on 67% of Cape May County's mapped land, a higher share than 79% of US counties and the highest of 21 New Jersey counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.

None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 1,557 flood losses here since 2016, 5% of them in buildings with basements. 49% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1981.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

0%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

67%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

49%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Cape May County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.0%
High water table (limits basements)66.5%
Septic fields very limited82.5%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.4%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.0%
Urban land, not rated3.8%
Mapped soil183,000 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Hammonton13%n/a
Transquaking8%n/a
Berryland8%n/a
Mullica7%n/a
Downer6%n/a
Appoquinimink6%n/a
Cumberland County: 50%Atlantic County: 60%Kent County: 77%Sussex County: 61%Salem County: 54%Gloucester County: 34%Camden County: 44%New Castle County: 34%Cape May County CumberlandAtlanticKentSussexSalemGloucesterCamdenNew CastleCape May
Cape May County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by high water table share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas NJ009 (2025-08-28)

What the numbers mean here

On 67% of Cape May County's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 38.31 in, 7.80 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 46.11 in.

USDA rates 82% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

0% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 44 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 27 weeks, most recently on the August 25, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse88%
D1 moderate drought or worse0%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

1,557 flood losses since 2016, $25.2 million paid. The worst year was 2016, with 1,326. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 5% basements, 19% slabs, 27% crawl spaces, 49% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 11 in.

YearFlood losses
20161,326
201732
201866
201917
202024
202126
202214
20239
202415
202525
2026 to date3

Rain

Average year, 1991-202046.11 in
12 months to August 202638.31 in (-7.80)
202539.24 in (-6.87)
Wettest year since 18951948: 62.02 in
Driest year since 18951965: 29.22 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CAPE MAY 2 NW (10 mi away)11

Homes

Housing units99,599
Median year built1981
Built before 198049%
Built 2000 or later25%
Owner-occupied80%
Median value, owner-occupied$434,600
Single-family detached52%

What repairs cost

Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.

WorkRangeSource
Basement waterproofing, US $3,000 to $10,000 Fixr, February 6, 2026
Sump pump installation, US $800 to $2,000 Fixr, January 31, 2025
Crawl space encapsulation, US $2,000 to $8,000 Fixr, August 29, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Cumberland County, NJ 22 mi 0% 50%
Atlantic County, NJ 29 mi 0% 60%
Kent County, DE 35 mi 0% 77%
Sussex County, DE 39 mi 0% 61%
Salem County, NJ 43 mi 2% 54%
Gloucester County, NJ 47 mi 2% 34%
Camden County, NJ 50 mi under 1% 44%
New Castle County, DE 54 mi 2% 34%

Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 28, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status