Cape May County, New Jersey
flood insurance data
- Residential NFIP policies counted by FEMA fell 44.2% between 2019 (31,071) and 2025 (17,346); the first year, 2019, has the highest count of the 7.
- The median paid claim, $8,046, is 50.9% below the New Jersey median ($16,375) and 78.4% below the national median of the same years ($37,248), the 26th lowest of 339 counties with all four FEMA sources.
- One event weighs on these figures: Winter Storm Jonas accounts for 87.3% of the paid claims in Cape May County, the next event (December Nor'easter) for 0.4%. These figures largely reflect that one disaster.
- 2016 alone holds 88.7% of the paid claims (year of loss 2015-2024).
Source: FEMA, OpenFEMA NfipPolicies (v3, data as of 2026-09-09, retrieved 2026-10-11 and 2026-10-12), NfipClaims (v3, data as of 2026-09-09, retrieved 2026-10-12), DisasterDeclarationsSummaries (v2, data as of 2026-10-11, retrieved 2026-10-12), HousingAssistanceOwners (v2, data as of 2026-10-11, retrieved 2026-10-12), NfipCommunityStatusBook (v1, data as of 2026-10-11, retrieved 2026-10-12); CPI-U, U.S. city average, all items (CUUR0000SA0), annual average (BLS Public Data API v1, annual averages 2005-2025, retrieved 2026-10-12). Not an official federal report.
NFIP premiums in Cape May County
NFIP premiums: what NFIP policyholders paid, not a quote. Across 17,346 policies (policies effective 2025; occupancy: residential (occupancyType 1,2,3,11,12,13,14); amount: FEMA field policyCost), the median is $1,311, and half of them fall between $1,036 (Q1) and $1,803 (Q3).
With 17,346 residential NFIP policies effective 2025, Cape May County has the 37th most of 339 counties with all four FEMA sources, and the 2nd most of 15 New Jersey counties of that list. Of the 3 zones listed (AE, X, VE), zone VE has the highest median premium ($1,458) and zone X the lowest ($1,214). Coastal high-hazard zone VE is listed, with 140 policies. The median NFIP premium in Cape May County, $1,311, is 4.0% above the New Jersey median ($1,260) and 24.3% above the national median ($1,055); it is the 43rd highest of 339 counties with all four FEMA sources. Inside the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA), the median premium in Cape May County is $1,351, 11.3% higher than outside it ($1,214); most of its zoned policies sit inside the SFHA (91.0%).
| Flood zone group | Policies | Q1 | Median | Q3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFHA (A, AE, AH, AO, AR, A99, V, VE) | 15,782 | $1,035 | $1,351 | $1,869 |
| Outside SFHA (X, B, C) | 1,564 | $1,056 | $1,214 | $1,311 |
By flood zone
| Flood zone | Policies | Q1 | Median | Q3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AE | 15,607 | $1,035 | $1,350 | $1,869 |
| X | 1,564 | $1,056 | $1,214 | $1,311 |
| VE | 140 | $1,154 | $1,458 | $1,945 |
Policies in force by year
| Year | Policies |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 31,071 |
| 2020 | 30,401 |
| 2021 | 29,703 |
| 2022 | 20,801 |
| 2023 | 18,241 |
| 2024 | 17,860 |
| 2025 | 17,346 |
Base of each count: the yearly figures are FEMA API counts of residential policy terms, every premium included; the median and quartiles rest on the policies effective 2025 with a positive policyCost. For 2025 both bases count 17,346 policies.
NFIP paid building claims in Cape May County
NFIP claims: amounts paid, not repair cost. Window: year of loss 2015-2024; 1,147 paid claims; median $8,046, half of them between $2,813 (Q1) and $23,314 (Q3), in nominal dollars. Median in 2024 dollars (CPI-U): $10,403, a monetary adjustment, not today’s cost of repair.
With 1,147 paid claims (year of loss 2015-2024), Cape May County has the 62nd most of 339 counties with all four FEMA sources, and the 3rd most of 15 New Jersey counties of that list.
| Event | Paid claims | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Winter Storm Jonas | 1,001 | 87.3% |
| December Nor'easter | 5 | 0.4% |
| Hurricane Ida | 3 | 0.3% |
| Hurricane Isaias | 3 | 0.3% |
Paid claims by year of loss
| Year of loss | Paid claims |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 15 |
| 2016 | 1,017 |
| 2017 | 18 |
| 2018 | 46 |
| 2019 | 4 |
| 2020 | 13 |
| 2021 | 13 |
| 2022 | 8 |
| 2023 | 6 |
| 2024 | 7 |
FEMA disaster declarations
Since 2000: 12 flood, hurricane and severe-storm declarations (DR and EM) covering Cape May County, 8 of them major disaster declarations.
| Incident type | Declarations |
|---|---|
| Flood | 0 |
| Hurricane | 8 |
| Severe Storm | 4 |
Latest declarations
- DR-4614: REMNANTS OF HURRICANE IDA (Hurricane, 2021-09-05)
- EM-3573: REMNANTS OF HURRICANE IDA (Hurricane, 2021-09-02)
- DR-4574: TROPICAL STORM ISAIAS (Hurricane, 2020-12-11)
- DR-4264: SEVERE WINTER STORM AND SNOWSTORM (Severe Storm, 2016-03-14)
- DR-4086: HURRICANE SANDY (Hurricane, 2012-10-30)
FEMA assistance to homeowners
Since 2002: 3,872 owner registrations inspected by FEMA in Cape May County after disasters of every declared type; inspected damage is FEMA’s assessment for its assistance program, not repair cost.
Of the 3,872 owner registrations FEMA inspected in Cape May County after disasters of every declared type, 1.2% show more than $30,000 of FEMA-inspected damage, against 4.3% across New Jersey and 2.6% nationally. The disaster with the most inspections is DR-4086, HURRICANE SANDY (declared 2012-10-30), with 2,636.
| Damage band | Registrations |
|---|---|
| No FEMA-inspected damage | 499 |
| $1-$10,000 | 2,795 |
| $10,001-$20,000 | 371 |
| $20,001-$30,000 | 162 |
| More than $30,000 | 45 |
Disasters with the most inspections
- DR-4086, HURRICANE SANDY (declared 2012-10-30): 2,636 inspections
- DR-1897, SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING (declared 2010-04-02): 1,089 inspections
- DR-4021, HURRICANE IRENE (declared 2011-08-31): 147 inspections
NFIP communities and flood maps
FEMA’s Community Status Book places 16 NFIP communities in Cape May County alone; 12 of them (75.0%) are classed in the Community Rating System (CRS). The best class among the communities counted here is 3 (Avalon, Borough of and Sea Isle City, City of): FEMA applies that 35% discount to the full-risk premium of Regular Program NFIP policies in those communities, inside or outside the SFHA, not to the whole county; a policy can be excluded if its building does not comply with local floodplain rules. The oldest flood map still in effect in Cape May County dates from 1992-07-15 (Lower, Township of).
| Community | In the NFIP | CRS class | CRS discount (all policies) | Map in effect | First FIRM | Sanction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avalon, Borough of | yes | 3 | 35% | 2017-10-05 | 1970-12-31 | — |
| Sea Isle City, City of | yes | 3 | 35% | 2017-10-05 | 1970-12-31 | — |
| Ocean City, City of | yes | 4 | 30% | 2017-10-05 | 1970-04-17 | — |
| Cape May, City of | yes | 5 | 25% | 2017-10-05 | 1971-02-26 | — |
| Stone Harbor, Borough of | yes | 5 | 25% | 2017-10-05 | 1971-01-08 | — |
| Upper, Township of | yes | 5 | 25% | 2017-10-05 | 1976-12-10 | — |
| Wildwood, City of | yes | 5 | 25% | 2017-10-05 | 1970-12-31 | — |
| Cape May Point, Borough of | yes | 6 | 20% | 2017-10-05 | 1970-12-31 | — |
| North Wildwood, City of | yes | 6 | 20% | 2017-10-05 | 1971-03-06 | — |
| Wildwood Crest, Borough of | yes | 6 | 20% | 2017-10-05 | 1971-02-26 | — |
| Lower, Township of | yes | 7 | 15% | 1992-07-15 | 1983-02-02 | — |
| West Wildwood, Borough of | yes | 10 | — | 2017-10-05 | 1971-01-08 | — |
| Dennis, Township of | yes | — | — | 2017-10-05 | 1982-09-17 | — |
| Middle, Township of | yes | — | — | 2017-10-05 | 1977-05-16 | — |
| West Cape May, Borough of | yes | — | — | 2017-10-05 | 1983-02-16 | — |
| Woodbine, Borough of | yes | — | — | 2017-10-05 | 1979-05-18 | — |
Questions about flood insurance in Cape May County
How much is flood insurance in Cape May County?
NFIP policyholders in Cape May County paid a median of $1,311 for residential policies effective 2025 (17,346 policies; FEMA field policyCost: premium, reserve fund assessment, federal policy fee and HFIAA surcharge); half paid between $1,036 and $1,803; $1,351 inside the Special Flood Hazard Area against $1,214 outside it: what NFIP policyholders paid, not a quote.
How many flood insurance claims has Cape May County had?
1,147 NFIP building claims were paid (year of loss 2015-2024), with a median of $8,046; the year with the most was 2016 (1,017), and the named event with the most was Winter Storm Jonas (1,001). These are amounts paid, not repair cost.
Is Cape May County in a flood zone?
Of the residential NFIP policies of Cape May County (policies effective 2025), 15,782 are rated inside the Special Flood Hazard Area and 1,564 outside it (zones listed: AE, X, VE), but these aggregates cannot tell the flood zone of an address: FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center shows it for a given property.
Statewide figures: New Jersey flood insurance data.
Named storms with paid claims in Cape May County
Related tools
NFIP paid claims and premiums are not repair estimates: to estimate the cleanup of a flooded basement from published cost-guide rates, use the basement water damage repair cost calculator; for water removal and drying after any water loss, the water damage and mitigation calculator.
To set these figures against every State on one claims window, amounts paid, not repair cost: NFIP paid building claims by state.
Before using these figures
A county figure can rest on one disaster, and FEMA’s county code may not be the county where every property stands. Method and limits.
Source and notice
- Dominant event: Winter Storm Jonas = 0.873 of paid claims 2015-2024.
This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).