Editing Wildwood Crest, New Jersey

{{short description|Borough in Cape May County, New Jersey, US}}
{{Use American English|date=March 2020}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2020}}
{{Infobox settlement
|name                     = Wildwood Crest, New Jersey
|official_name            = 
|settlement_type          = [[Borough (New Jersey)|Borough]]
|nickname                 = 
|motto                    =

<!-- Images -->
|image_skyline            = Wildwood Crest arch.JPG
|imagesize                = 250x200px
|image_caption            = Wildwood Crest arch
|image_flag               = 
|image_seal               = Wildwood Crest Logo.png
|seal_type                = logo

<!-- Maps -->
|image_map                = Cape_May_County_New_Jersey_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Wildwood_Crest_Highlighted.svg
|mapsize                  = 250x200px
|map_caption              = Location of Wildwood Crest in [[Cape May County, New Jersey|Cape May County]] highlighted in red (left). Inset map: Location of Cape May County in [[New Jersey]] highlighted in orange (right).
|image_map1               = Census_Bureau_map_of_Wildwood_Crest,_New_Jersey.png
|mapsize1                 = 250x200px
|map_caption1             = Census Bureau map of Wildwood Crest, New Jersey
|pushpin_map              = USA New Jersey Cape May County#USA New Jersey#USA
|pushpin_label            = Wildwood Crest
|pushpin_map_caption      = Location in [[Cape May County, New Jersey|Cape May County]]##Location in [[New Jersey]]##Location in the United States
|pushpin_relief           = yes

<!-- Location -->
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = {{nowrap|{{flag|United States}}}}
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = {{flag|New Jersey}}
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in New Jersey|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = {{flagicon image|}} [[Cape May County, New Jersey|Cape May]]
|government_footnotes     = <ref name=DataBook/>
|government_type          = [[Walsh Act]]
|governing_body           = Board of Commissioners
|leader_title             = [[Mayor]]
|leader_name              = Donald Cabrera (term ends December 31, 2025)<ref name=Commissioners/><ref>[https://www.state.nj.us/dca/home/2023mayors.pdf 2023 New Jersey Mayors Directory], [[New Jersey Department of Community Affairs]], updated February 8, 2023. Accessed February 10, 2023.</ref>
|leader_title2            = [[Municipal clerk]]
|leader_name2             = Patricia A. Feketics<ref>[https://wildwoodcrest.org/municipalclerk.php Municipal Clerk], Borough of Wildwood Crest. Accessed August 19, 2022.</ref>
|established_title        = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]]
|established_date         = April 6, 1910

<!-- Area -->
|unit_pref                = Imperial
|area_footnotes           = <ref name="TigerWebMapServer">{{cite web|title=ArcGIS REST Services Directory|url=https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/5/query?where=STATE='34'&outFields=NAME,STATE,PLACE,AREALAND,AREAWATER,LSADC,CENTLAT,CENTLON&orderByFields=PLACE&returnGeometry=false&returnTrueCurves=false&f=json|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=October 11, 2022}}</ref>
|area_magnitude           = 
|area_total_km2           =  3.84
|area_land_km2            =  3.36
|area_water_km2           =  0.48
|area_total_sq_mi         =  1.48
|area_land_sq_mi          =  1.30
|area_water_sq_mi         =  0.18
|area_water_percent       = 12.50
|area_rank                = 452nd of 565 in state<br>13th of 16 in county<ref name=CensusArea>[https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2019_Gazetteer/2019_gaz_cousubs_34.txt 2019 Census Gazetteer Files: New Jersey Places], [[United States Census Bureau]]. Accessed July 1, 2020.</ref>

<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = <ref name=LWD2020/>
|population_total         = 3101
|population_rank          = 445th of 565 in state<br>8th of 16 in county<ref name=LWD2020Density>[https://www.nj.gov/labor/labormarketinformation/assets/PDFs/dmograph/est/mcd/density.xlsx Population Density by County and Municipality: New Jersey, 2020 and 2021], [[New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development]]. Accessed March 1, 2023.</ref>
|population_density_km2   = auto
|population_density_sq_mi = 2388.6
|population_density_rank  = 260th of 565 in state<br>2nd of 16 in county<ref name=LWD2020Density/>
|population_est           = 3063
|pop_est_as_of            = 2023
|pop_est_footnotes        = <ref name=PopEst/>

<!-- General information -->
|timezone                 = [[Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
|utc_offset               = −05:00
|timezone_DST             = [[Eastern Daylight Time|Eastern (EDT)]]
|utc_offset_DST           = −04:00
|elevation_footnotes      = <ref>{{Gnis|885445|Borough of Wildwood Crest}}, [[Geographic Names Information System]]. Accessed March 14, 2013.</ref>
|elevation_m              = 
|elevation_ft             = 3
|coordinates_footnotes    = <ref name=CensusArea/><ref name="GR1">[https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990], [[United States Census Bureau]]. Accessed September 4, 2014.</ref>
|coordinates              = {{coord|38.97|-74.83|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP Code]]
|postal_code              = 08260<ref>[http://tools.usps.com/go/ZipLookupResultsAction!input.action?resultMode=0&city=wildwood%20crest&state=NJ Look Up a ZIP Code for Wildwood Crest, NJ], [[United States Postal Service]]. Accessed December 10, 2011.</ref><ref>[http://www.state.nj.us/infobank/njzips.htm Zip Codes], State of [[New Jersey]]. Accessed November 10, 2013.</ref>
|area_code                = [[Area code 609|609]]<ref>[http://www.area-codes.com/search.asp?frmNPA=&frmNXX=&frmState=NJ&frmCounty=Cape+May&frmCity=Wildwood+Crest Area Code Lookup - NPA NXX for Wildwood Crest, NJ], Area-Codes.com. Accessed November 11, 2013.</ref>
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standards|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 3400981200<ref name=CensusArea/><ref name="GR2">[https://www.census.gov U.S. Census website], [[United States Census Bureau]]. Accessed September 4, 2014.</ref><ref>[https://mcdc.missouri.edu/applications/geocodes/?state=34 Geographic Codes Lookup for New Jersey], Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed April 1, 2022.</ref>
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 0885445<ref name=CensusArea/><ref name="GR3">[http://geonames.usgs.gov US Board on Geographic Names], [[United States Geological Survey]]. Accessed September 4, 2014.</ref>
|website                  = {{URL|https://www.wildwoodcrest.org}}
|footnotes                = 
}}
'''Wildwood Crest''' is a [[Borough (New Jersey)|borough]] in [[Cape May County, New Jersey|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, New Jersey|Ocean City]] [[metropolitan statistical area]], and is part of the [[Philadelphia]]-[[Wilmington, Delaware|Wilmington]]-[[Camden, New Jersey|Camden]], [[Pennsylvania|PA]]-NJ-[[Delaware|DE]]-[[Maryland|MD]] [[combined statistical area]], also known as the [[Delaware Valley|Delaware Valley or Philadelphia metropolitan area]].<ref>[https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/metro-micro/reference-maps/2020/state-maps/34_NewJersey_2020.pdf New Jersey: 2020 Core Based Statistical Areas and Counties], [[United States Census Bureau]]. Accessed December 22, 2022.</ref> As of the [[2020 United States census]], the borough's population was 3,101,<ref name=LWD2020/> a decrease of 169 (−5.2%) from the [[2010 United States census|2010 census]] count of 3,270,<ref name=Census2010/><ref name=LWD2010/> which in turn reflected a decline of 710 (−17.8%) from the 3,980 counted in the [[2000 United States census|2000 census]].<ref>[https://www.nj.gov/labor/labormarketinformation/assets/PDFs/census/2010/2010data/table7cm.xls Table 7. Population for the Counties and Municipalities in New Jersey: 1990, 2000 and 2010], [[New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development]], February 2011. Accessed May 1, 2023.</ref>

Wildwood Crest was incorporated as a borough by an act of the [[New Jersey Legislature]] on April 6, 1910, from portions of [[Lower Township, New Jersey|Lower Township]].<ref name=Story>Snyder, John P. [https://nj.gov/dep/njgs/enviroed/oldpubs/bulletin67.pdf ''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968''], Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 116. Accessed May 30, 2024.</ref> The area of the borough was first developed by Philip Baker in the 1910s as a southern extension to the resort of [[Wildwood, New Jersey|Wildwood]].<ref>Strauss, Robert. [https://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/05/nyregion/real-estate-save-our-mansion.html "Real Estate; Save Our Mansion"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', December 5, 2004. Accessed August 7, 2018. "So far, Wildwood Crest, founded and developed by Philip Baker in the 1910s, at the same time the house was built, has eluded much of the tear-down syndrome."</ref> The borough's name comes from [[Wildwood, New Jersey|Wildwood]], which in turn was named for the area's wild flowers.<ref>Hutchinson, Viola L. [http://mapmaker.rutgers.edu/356/nj_place_names_origin.pdf#page=33 ''The Origin of New Jersey Place Names''], New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed October 29, 2015.</ref>

It is a [[dry town]], where alcohol cannot be sold, affirmed by the results of a referendum held in 1940.<ref>New Jersey Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control. New Jersey ABC list of dry towns (May 1, 2013)</ref><ref>Giordano, Rita. [https://archive.today/20140216163749/http://articles.philly.com/2007-06-24/news/25234867_1_liquor-licenses-quota-licenses-liquor-stores "More towns catching liquor-license buzz; Moorestown considers ending its dry spell"], ''[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]'', June 24, 2007. Accessed February 16, 2014.</ref> Wildwood Crest joins  [[Cape May Point, New Jersey|Cape May Point]] and [[Ocean City, New Jersey|Ocean City]] among municipalities in Cape May restricting the sale of alcohol.<ref>Schaad Jr., Jacob. [http://www.shorenewstoday.com/snt/news/index.php/cape-may/history/45882-bizarre-history-of-cape-may-g-wet-or-dry.html "Bizarre History of Cape May - Wet or dry?"], ''The Cape May Gazette'', October 30, 2013. Accessed November 11, 2013. "Wildwood Crest, Ocean City, West Cape May and Cape May Point have opted to stay dry while the 12 other communities in the county still permit their people to lift a few."</ref> Adjoining [[Wildwood, New Jersey|Wildwood]] allows the sale of alcohol, including at bars on its boardwalk.<ref>Hart, Joe. [http://www.capemaycountyherald.com/community/business/article_7ec1c203-7da6-5c7a-b1db-11c07a250621.html "Boardwalk Alcohol Gets First Nod in Wildwood"], ''[[Cape May County Herald]]'', March 23, 2010. Accessed October 16, 2017. "Wildwood Crest is a dry town, thus no alcoholic beverages can be sold."</ref>

The borough was ranked the second-best beach in New Jersey in the 2008 "Top 10 Beaches Contest" sponsored by the New Jersey Marine Sciences Consortium.<ref>Urgo, Jacqueline L. [https://web.archive.org/web/20121012192118/http://articles.philly.com/2008-05-23/news/24990245_1_beach-erosion-safest-beach-towns "Triumph for South Jersey"], ''[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]'', May 23, 2008. Accessed October 29, 2015. "Neighboring Wildwood Crest came in second, followed by Ocean City, North Wildwood, Cape May, Asbury Park in Monmouth County, Avalon, Point Pleasant Beach in northern Ocean County, Beach Haven in southern Ocean County and Stone Harbor."</ref> Wildwood Crest is one of five municipalities in the state that offer free public access to oceanfront beaches monitored by lifeguards, joining [[Atlantic City, New Jersey|Atlantic City]], [[North Wildwood, New Jersey|North Wildwood]], [[Wildwood, New Jersey|Wildwood]] and [[Upper Township, New Jersey|Upper Township]]'s [[Strathmere, New Jersey|Strathmere]] section.<ref>Spoto, MaryAnn. [http://www.nj.com/monmouth/index.ssf/2015/05/surfers_fighting_to_save_dwindling_free_beaches.html "Surfers fighting to save dwindling free beaches"], NJ Advance Media for [[NJ.com]], May 20, 2015. Accessed October 30, 2015. "New Jersey has five free guarded ocean beaches – Atlantic City, Wildwood, North Wildwood, Wildwood Crest and the Strathmere section of Upper Township."</ref>

== History==
[[File:Caribbean Motel.jpeg|alt=|thumb|upright=1.1|The [[Caribbean Motel]], an architectural landmark of the "Doo Wop" era]]
The [[motel]]s of Wildwood Crest are characterized by a distinctive "Doo Wop" or [[Googie architecture|Googie]] style of [[architecture]]. Collectively, [[Wildwood, New Jersey|Wildwood]] and Wildwood Crest contain the nation's largest collection of mid-century "Doo Wop" resort architecture.<ref name=DooWop>[http://www.cresthistory.org/doowop.php The "Doo Wop" Architecture of Wildwood Crest], Wildwood Crest Historical Society. Accessed December 7, 2015. "The first motel to reflect this style in Wildwood Crest was the Ebb Tide Motel at 5711 Atlantic Avenue, built in 1957."</ref>

The term "Doo Wop" was coined by the Mid-Atlantic Center For The Arts in the early 1990s to describe the unique, space-age architectural style that was common in the 1950s and 1960s.<ref name=DooWop/> Post [[World War II]] America was an optimistic, confident, and enthusiastic society. The new age style of architecture evolved into a showcase of colorful, flashy, modernistic architecture that captured the spirit of the times; it incorporated modern, sweeping angles, bright colors, starbursts, boomerang shapes, plastic palm trees, and angular wall and roof styles. "Doo Wop" was a celebration of the architecture, design, music, and pop culture of the 1950s and 1960s. During the 1950s, the economy had grown to unprecedented levels. Americans achieved a level of prosperity they had never known before. In response to this unprecedented growth, hundreds of motels were constructed in Wildwood and Wildwood Crest with the distinct "Doo Wop" style of architecture.<ref>[http://www.doowopusa.org/pop-originsofdoowop.html "The Origins of Wildwood's Fabulous Doo Wop"], Doo Wop Preservation League. Accessed December 7, 2015.</ref> The first motel to reflect this style was the Ebb Tide Motel, constructed in 1957, which was designed and built by Will and Lou Morey, who specialized in such designs.<ref name=DooWop/>

Several "Doo Wop" motels, such as the [[Caribbean Motel]], are registered on the [[National Register of Historic Places]]. In recent years, historic "Doo Wop" motels have been demolished to make way for the construction of [[condominium]]s, leading to organized efforts to preserve the remaining examples.<ref>Gilfillian, Trudi. [http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/breaking/once-in-jeopardy-wildwood-s-s-doo-wop-buildings-now/article_b1a58936-12a0-11e4-b80a-0019bb2963f4.html "Once in jeopardy, Wildwood's 1950s doo-wop buildings now imitated"], ''[[The Press of Atlantic City]]'', July 24, 2014. Accessed December 7, 2015. "Tim Maher knew the doo-wop motels of the Wildwoods were in trouble. A booming real estate market meant the island's 1950s and 1960s-era properties were being torn down and replaced with rows of very un-doo-wop, very profitable condominiums."</ref>

Wildwood Crest and its neighboring towns of [[Wildwood, New Jersey|Wildwood]], [[North Wildwood, New Jersey|North Wildwood]], and [[West Wildwood, New Jersey|West Wildwood]] make up "[[The Wildwoods]]" resort, a popular vacation destination for those living in all parts of [[New Jersey]] as well as the [[Philadelphia]] and [[New York City]] metropolitan areas. Many vacationers and tourists have come from as far away as, [[New England]] and [[Canada]] and have made [[The Wildwoods]] a vacation hotspot, due to the area's mild summer climate. Unlike its sister communities of [[Wildwood, New Jersey|Wildwood]] and [[North Wildwood, New Jersey|North Wildwood]], Wildwood Crest is generally set apart from the all-hours excitement that the resort area is known for. Many vacationers will find some of the quietest and most undisturbed beach space.

In recent years, condominiums have replaced many of the motels the area was known for, such as The Grand, The Ocean Breeze, El Coronado, and The Arcadia. Some restaurants have been torn down and replaced with condominiums, including The Captain's Table, The Surfside, and Duffenetti's. These changes in housing have significantly changed the demographics of this area, from being a more family oriented one-vacation-per-summer place (for the middle class) to being a weekend retreat for wealthier families.

==Geography==
[[File:Sunset, Wildwood Crest, New Jersey.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|The back bay of Wildwood Crest at sunset]]
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the borough had a total area of 1.48 square miles (3.84&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>), including 1.30 square miles (3.36&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) of land and 0.19 square miles (0.48&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) of water (12.50%).<ref name=CensusArea/><ref name=GR1 />

Part of the borough's beachfront has been closed off for the protection of native birds such as the [[piping plover]]. These small birds have this area all to themselves so that their eggs may be protected from beachgoers.<ref>[[Andrew Jacobs (journalist)|Jacobs, Andrew]]. [https://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/02/nyregion/metro-briefing-new-jersey-wildwood-crest-beach-off-limits-to-humans.html "Metro Briefing New Jersey: Wildwood Crest: Beach Off Limits To Humans"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', May 2, 2001. Accessed September 4, 2011.</ref> There is a nature trail one may take through the dunes to explore this sheltered area of the beach.

Wildwood Crest borders the [[Diamond Beach, New Jersey|Diamond Beach]] section of [[Lower Township, New Jersey|Lower Township]] to the south, the [[Wildwood, New Jersey|City of Wildwood]] to the north, and the [[Atlantic Ocean]].<ref>[https://global.mapit.mysociety.org/area/670841/touches.html Areas touching Wildwood Crest], MapIt. Accessed March 13, 2020.</ref><ref>[http://chnj.njpn.org/cape-may/ Cape May County], Coalition for a Healthy NJ. Accessed March 13, 2020.</ref><ref>[https://www.state.nj.us/transportation/gis/maps/polnoroads.pdf New Jersey Municipal Boundaries], [[New Jersey Department of Transportation]]. Accessed November 15, 2019.</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1910=  103
|1920=  161
|1930=  738
|1940=  661
|1950= 1772
|1960= 3011
|1970= 3483
|1980= 4149
|1990= 3631
|2000= 3980
|2010= 3270
|2020= 3101
| estimate=3063
| estyear=2023
| estref=<ref name=PopEst>[https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/tables/2020-2023/mcds/totals/SUB-MCD-EST2023-POP-34.xlsx Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Minor Civil Divisions in New Jersey: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023], [[United States Census Bureau]], released May 2024. Accessed May 16, 2024.</ref>
|footnote=Population sources:<small><br>1900–2000<ref>Barnett, Bob. [http://westjersey.org/popcap_04.htm Population Data for Cape May County Municipalities, 1810 - 2000], WestJersey.org, January 6, 2011. Accessed October 18, 2012.</ref> 1900–1920<ref>[https://dspace.njstatelib.org/xmlui/handle/10929/25218?show=full ''Compendium of censuses 1726-1905: together with the tabulated returns of 1905''], [[New Jersey Department of State]], 1906. Accessed November 11, 2013.</ref><br>1900–1910<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=T9HrAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA336 ''Thirteenth Census of the United States, 1910: Population by Counties and Minor Civil Divisions, 1910, 1900, 1890''], [[United States Census Bureau]], p. 336. Accessed October 18, 2012.</ref> 1910–1930<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=kifRAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA715 ''Fifteenth Census of the United States: 1930 - Population Volume I''], [[United States Census Bureau]], p. 715. Accessed October 18, 2012.</ref><br>1940–2000<ref>[https://www.nj.gov/labor/labormarketinformation/assets/PDFs/census/2kpub/njsdcp3.pdf#page=27 Table 6: New Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1940 - 2000], Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network, August 2001. Accessed May 1, 2023.</ref> 2000<ref name=Census2000/><ref name=Census2000SF1/><br>2010<ref name=Census2010>[http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0600000US3400981200 DP-1 - Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 for Wildwood Crest borough, Cape May County, New Jersey] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20200212133656/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0600000US3400981200 |date=February 12, 2020 }}, [[United States Census Bureau]]. Accessed July 24, 2012.</ref><ref name=LWD2010>[http://lwd.dol.state.nj.us/labor/lpa/census/2010/dp/dp1_cap/wildwoodcrest1.pdf Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2010 for Wildwood Crest borough] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120506173039/http://lwd.dol.state.nj.us/labor/lpa/census/2010/dp/dp1_cap/wildwoodcrest1.pdf |date=May 6, 2012 }}, [[New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development]]. Accessed July 24, 2012.</ref> 2020<ref name=LWD2020>[https://www.nj.gov/labor/labormarketinformation/assets/PDFs/census/2020/2020%20pl94%20Tables/2020_Mun/MCD%200_All.pdf Total Population: Census 2010 - Census 2020 New Jersey Municipalities], [[New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development]]. Accessed December 1, 2022.</ref></small>
}}

===2010 census===

The [[2010 United States census]] counted 3,270 people, 1,532 households, and 918 families in the borough. The [[population density]] was {{convert|2884.0|/sqmi}}. There were 5,569 housing units at an average density of {{convert|4911.6|/sqmi}}. The racial makeup was 93.18% (3,047) [[White (U.S. census)|White]], 1.68% (55) [[Black (U.S. census)|Black or African American]], 0.15% (5) [[Native American (U.S. census)|Native American]], 1.01% (33) [[Asian (U.S. census)|Asian]], 0.00% (0) [[Pacific Islander (U.S. census)|Pacific Islander]], 1.80% (59) from [[Race and ethnicity in the United States census#Race|other races]], and 2.17% (71) from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. census)|Hispanic or Latino]] of any race were 5.63% (184) of the population.<ref name=Census2010/>

Of the 1,532 households, 18.7% had children under the age of 18; 44.6% were married couples living together; 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present and 40.1% were non-families. Of all households, 35.4% were made up of individuals and 18.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.73.<ref name=Census2010/>

16.6% of the population were under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 19.6% from 25 to 44, 30.7% from 45 to 64, and 26.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 49.8 years. For every 100 females, the population had 96.2 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 92.9 males.<ref name=Census2010/>

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 [[American Community Survey]] showed that (in 2010 [[inflation adjustment|inflation-adjusted]] dollars) [[median household income]] was $46,111 (with a margin of error of +/− $13,652) and the median family income was $67,917 (+/− $15,113). Males had a median income of $49,567 (+/− $20,496) versus $54,250 (+/− $12,982) for females. The [[per capita income]] for the borough was $40,032 (+/− $8,687). About 8.1% of families and 11.6% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 13.2% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.<ref>[http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0600000US3400981200 DP03: Selected Economic Characteristics from the 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates for Wildwood Crest borough, Cape May County, New Jersey] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20200212082528/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0600000US3400981200 |date=February 12, 2020 }}, [[United States Census Bureau]]. Accessed July 24, 2012.</ref>

===2000 census===
As of the [[2000 United States census|2000 U.S. census]],<ref name="GR2" /> there were 3,980 people, 1,833 households, and 1,114 families residing in the borough. The population density was {{convert|3,453.9|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 4,862 housing units at an average density of {{convert|4,219.3|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the borough was 94.87% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 1.23% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.10% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.48% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 2.21% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.11% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 4.22% of the population.<ref name=Census2000>[http://censtats.census.gov/data/NJ/1603481200.pdf Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Wildwood Crest borough, New Jersey]{{Dead link|date=March 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, [[United States Census Bureau]]. Accessed July 24, 2012.</ref><ref name=Census2000SF1>[http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/00_SF1/DP1/0600000US3400981200 DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Wildwood Crest borough, Cape May County, New Jersey] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20200212091943/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/00_SF1/DP1/0600000US3400981200 |date=February 12, 2020 }}, [[United States Census Bureau]]. Accessed July 24, 2012.</ref>

There were 1,833 households, out of which 20.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.7% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.2% were non-families. 34.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.76.<ref name=Census2000/><ref name=Census2000SF1/>

In the borough, the population was spread out, with 18.2% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 26.6% from 45 to 64, and 25.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.4 males.<ref name=Census2000/><ref name=Census2000SF1/>

The median income for a household in the borough was $36,579, and the median income for a family was $47,462. Males had a median income of $42,727 versus $27,500 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the borough was $23,741. About 4.4% of families and 6.0% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 1.1% of those under age 18 and 6.9% of those age 65 or over.<ref name=Census2000/><ref name=Census2000SF1/>

==Economy==
Portions of the borough—together with areas in [[North Wildwood, New Jersey|North Wildwood]], [[West Wildwood, New Jersey|West Wildwood]] and [[Wildwood, New Jersey|Wildwood]]—are part of a joint [[Urban Enterprise Zone]] (UEZ), one of 32 zones covering 37 municipalities statewide. The four municipalities in [[The Wildwoods]] were selected in 2002 as one of a group of three zones added to participate in the program as part of a joint zone with.<ref>[https://www.state.nj.us/dca/affiliates/uez/publications/pdf/tax_q&a_052709.pdf ''Urban Enterprise Zone Tax Questions and Answers''], [[New Jersey Department of Community Affairs]], May 2009. Accessed October 28, 2019. "The legislation was amended again in 2002 to include 3 more zones. They include Bayonne City, Roselle Borough, and a joint zone consisting of North Wildwood City, Wildwood City, Wildwood Crest Borough, and West Wildwood Borough."</ref> 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 {{frac|6|5|8}}% rate charged statewide) at eligible merchants.<ref>[https://www.nj.gov/dca/affiliates/uez/about/ Urban Enterprise Zone Program], [[New Jersey Department of Community Affairs]]. Accessed October 27, 2019. "Businesses participating in the UEZ Program can charge half the standard sales tax rate on certain purchases, currently 3.3125% effective 1/1/2018"</ref> Established in September 2002, the borough's Urban Enterprise Zone status expires in December 2023.<ref>[https://www.nj.gov/dca/affiliates/uez/publications/pdf/ZONE%20EXPIRATION%20DATES%20-%202018.pdf Urban Enterprise Zone Effective and Expiration Dates], [[New Jersey Department of Community Affairs]]. Accessed January 8, 2018.</ref> The joint UEZ is overseen by the Enterprise Zone Development Corporation of the Wildwoods Board, which includes representatives from all four municipalities.<ref>[https://www.wildwoodnj.org/urbanentzone Urban Enterprise Zone Program], City of Wildwood. Accessed March 13, 2020. "The Enterprise Zone Development Corporation of the Wildwoods Board is comprised of business owners, elected officials and employees representing the City of Wildwood, City of North Wildwood, the Borough of West Wildwood, and the Borough of Wildwood Crest."</ref>

Notable motels in Wildwood Crest include the [[Caribbean Motel]], built in 1957 in the [[Googie architecture|Doo-Wop style]] and added to the [[National Register of Historic Places]] on August 24, 2005.<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|2009a}}</ref><ref>Staff. [http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/travel/story.html?id=1e5311ae-e554-444f-a78b-21690a58d55a "Doo Wop sings the blues; They twisted and shouted, and rocked around the clock in the southern tip of New Jersey before they did it anywhere else. And, once the sun slips below the horizon, there's enough neon to set your eyes ablaze if you stare at it too long."], ''[[Montreal Gazette]]'', October 21, 2006. Accessed November 11, 2013. "But Miller and Caroline Emigh have gone the opposite way. Two years ago the Washington, D.C., natives bought the 30-room Caribbean, built in 1956 and one of the finest examples of Doo Wop architecture remaining in the Wildwoods area. They have succeeded in getting the property placed on the national historic registry."</ref>

==Parks and recreation==
[[File:Battle of Turtle Gut Inlet Memorial Park.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|The Battle of Turtle Gut Inlet memorial in Wildwood Crest to the seamen and officers of the Brigantine [[Nancy (1775)|''Nancy'']]]]
The borough is bordered on the bay side by Sunset Lake. This was once connected to the Atlantic Ocean by [[Turtle Gut Inlet]], which was closed in 1922. The Sunset Lake and Turtle Gut Park is located at New Jersey and Miami Avenues. A nearby memorial commemorates the [[Battle of Turtle Gut Inlet]] fought on June 29, 1776. This was the only [[American Revolutionary War]] battle fought in [[Cape May County, New Jersey|Cape May County]].<ref>[http://www.cresthistory.org/turtlegut.php The Battle of Turtle Gut Inlet], Wildwood Crest Historical Society. Accessed November 11, 2013.</ref>

==Government==
===Local government===
[[File:Wildwood Crest Borough Hall 0.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Wildwood Crest Borough Hall]]
Wildwood Crest has been governed under the [[Walsh Act]], by a three-member commission, since 1937. The borough is one of 30 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use the [[City commission government|commission form of government]].<ref>[https://njdatabook.rutgers.edu/sites/njdatabook.rutgers.edu/files/documents/inventory_of_municipal_forms_of_government_in_new_jersey.pdf ''Inventory of Municipal Forms of Government in New Jersey''], [[Rutgers University]] Center for Government Studies, July 1, 2011. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref> The governing body is comprised of three commissioners, who are elected [[at-large]] on a [[Non-partisan democracy|non-partisan]] basis to serve concurrent four-year terms of office, with the vote taking place as part of the November general election. At a reorganization conducted after each election, the commission selects one of its members to serve as mayor and gives each commissioner an assigned department to oversee and operate.<ref name=DataBook>''2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book'', [[Rutgers University]] [[Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy]], March 2013, p. 8.</ref><ref>[http://www.njstatelib.org/slic_files/imported/NJ_Information/Digital_Collections/MFMG/MFMGCH4.PDF "The Commission Form of Municipal Government"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150605155532/http://www.njstatelib.org/slic_files/imported/NJ_Information/Digital_Collections/MFMG/MFMGCH4.PDF |date=June 5, 2015 }}, p. 53. Accessed June 3, 2015.</ref><ref>[https://njdatabook.rutgers.edu/sites/njdatabook.rutgers.edu/files/documents/forms_of_municipal_government_in_new_jersey_9220.pdf#page=8 "Forms of Municipal Government in New Jersey"], p. 8. [[Rutgers University]] Center for Government Studies. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref> As part of an effort to reduce the costs of conducting a standalone election for commissioners and to generate greater participation from voters, the election for borough commissioners was shifted from May to November by an ordinance passed in 2012, with the first November election held in 2013.<ref>Gilfillian, Trudi. [http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/press/cape_may/three-incumbents-seek-re-election-in-wildwood-crest/article_82bb7185-2555-58c0-acf7-ef4b04b77325.html "Three incumbents seek re-election in Wildwood Crest"], ''[[The Press of Atlantic City]]'', October 15, 2013. Accessed November 11, 2013. "Borough voters will choose their next commissioners in just three weeks, a switch from the May elections that had been in place for decades. Like many New Jersey towns, the borough opted to switch the quadrennial elections, passing an ordinance in 2012. The move was designed to save money - the last May election in 2009 cost $20,000 - and increase voter turnout."</ref>

{{As of|2023}}, the Board of Commissioners consists of [[Mayor]] Don Cabrera (Commissioner of Public Works, Parks and Public Property),
Deputy Mayor Joseph Franco Jr. (Commissioner of Revenue and Finance) and Joseph Schiff (Commissioner of Public Safety), all serving concurrent terms of office ending December 31, 2025.<ref name=Commissioners>[https://wildwoodcrest.org/mayorcommissioners.php Borough Commissioners], Borough of Wildwood Crest. Accessed August 27, 2023. "Wildwood Crest Commissioners Joseph Franco Jr., Joseph M. Schiff and Don Cabrera were sworn into office on Jan. 4, 2022, and will serve as borough commissioners through Dec. 31, 2025."</ref><ref>[https://wildwoodcrest.org/uploadfiles/Adopted%20Budget%202023.pdf 2023 Municipal Data Sheet], Borough of Wildwood Crest. Accessed August 27, 2023.</ref><ref name=CapeMayOfficials>[https://www.capemaycountyvotes.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/2023-All-Elected-Officials-INTERNET-July.pdf 2023 County & Municipal Elected Officials Cape May County, NJ -- July 2023], [[Cape May County, New Jersey]], August 3, 2023. Accessed August 23, 2023.</ref><ref name=CapeMay2021>[https://www.capemaycountyvotes.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/2021-General-Successful-Candidates.pdf 2021 General Election Successful Candidates], [[Cape May County, New Jersey]], updated November 16, 2021. Accessed January 1, 2022.</ref>

===Federal, state, and county representation===
Wildwood Crest is located in the 2nd Congressional District<ref name=PCR2012>[https://www.nj.gov/state/elections/assets/pdf/2012-congressional-districts/njcd-2011-plan-components-county-mcd.pdf Plan Components Report], [[New Jersey Redistricting Commission]], December 23, 2011. Accessed February 1, 2020.</ref> and is part of New Jersey's 1st state legislative district.<ref name=Districts2011>[https://www.nj.gov/state/elections/assets/pdf/2011-legislative-districts/towns-districts.pdf Municipalities Sorted by 2011-2020 Legislative District], [[New Jersey Department of State]]. Accessed February 1, 2020.</ref><ref name=LWV2019>[https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/5bae63366fd2b2e5b9f87e5e/5d30f0a94a82c66427e564d2_2019_CitizensGuide.pdf ''2019 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government''], New Jersey [[League of Women Voters]]. Accessed October 30, 2019.</ref><ref>[https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/districts/districtnumbers.asp#1 Districts by Number for 2011-2020], [[New Jersey Legislature]]. Accessed January 6, 2013.</ref>

{{NJ Congress 02}} {{NJ Senate}}

{{NJ Legislative 01}}

{{NJ Cape May County Freeholders}}

===Politics===
As of March 2011, there were a total of 2,341 registered voters in Wildwood Crest, of which 436 (18.6%) were registered as [[Democratic Party (New Jersey)|Democrats]], 1,052 (44.9%) were registered as [[Republican Party (New Jersey)|Republicans]] and 850 (36.3%) were registered as [[Unaffiliated (New Jersey)|Unaffiliated]]. There were 3 voters registered as [[Libertarian Party (New Jersey)|Libertarians]] or [[Green Party (New Jersey)|Greens]].<ref>[http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/election-results/2011-capemay-co-summary-report.pdf Voter Registration Summary - Cape May], [[New Jersey Department of State]] Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed October 18, 2012.</ref>

In the [[United States presidential election in New Jersey, 2012|2012 presidential election]], Republican [[Mitt Romney]] received 61.1% of the vote (1,046 cast), ahead of Democrat [[Barack Obama]] with 38.5% (659 votes), and other candidates with 0.4% (6 votes), among the 1,724 ballots cast by the borough's 2,419 registered voters (13 ballots were [[Spoilt vote|spoiled]]), for a turnout of 71.3%.<ref name=2012Elections>{{cite web |url=http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/2012-results/2012-presidential-cape-may.pdf |title=Presidential General Election Results - November 6, 2012 - Cape May County |date=March 15, 2013 |publisher=New Jersey Department of Elections |access-date=December 24, 2014}}</ref><ref name=2012VoterReg>{{cite web |url=http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/2012-results/2012-ballotscast-capemay.pdf |title=Number of Registered Voters and Ballots Cast - November 6, 2012 - General Election Results - Cape May County|date=March 15, 2013 |publisher=New Jersey Department of Elections |access-date=December 24, 2014}}</ref> In the [[United States presidential election in New Jersey, 2008|2008 presidential election]], Republican [[John McCain]] received 59.2% of the vote (1,090 cast), ahead of Democrat [[Barack Obama]], who received 39.6% (729 votes), with 1,842 ballots cast among the borough's 2,319 registered voters, for a turnout of 79.4%.<ref>[http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/election-results/2008-gen-elect-presidential-results-cape-may.pdf 2008 Presidential General Election Results: Cape May County], [[New Jersey Department of State]] Division of Elections, December 23, 2008. Accessed October 18, 2012.</ref> In the [[United States presidential election in New Jersey, 2004|2004 presidential election]], Republican [[George W. Bush]] received 60.4% of the vote (1,203 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat [[John Kerry]], who received around 38.4% (766 votes), with 1,993 ballots cast among the borough's 2,644 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 75.4.<ref>[http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/election-results/2004-presidential_capemay_co_2004.pdf 2004 Presidential Election: Cape May County], [[New Jersey Department of State]] Division of Elections, December 13, 2004. Accessed October 18, 2012.</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; font-size:95%;"
|+ Presidential elections results
|- bgcolor=lightgrey
! Year
![[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
![[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[2024 United States presidential election in New Jersey|2024]]<ref name="2024Elections">{{cite web |url=https://www.nj.gov/state/elections/assets/pdf/election-results/2024/2024-official-general-results-president-capemay.pdf|title=Presidential November 5, 2024 General Election Results Cape May County|access-date=January 13, 2025}}</ref>'''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''63.0%''' ''1,160''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|35.1% ''647''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[United States presidential election in New Jersey, 2020|2020]]<ref name="2020Elections">{{cite web |url=https://www.nj.gov/state/elections/assets/pdf/election-results/2020/2020-official-general-results-president-capemay.pdf|title=Presidential November 3, 2020 General Election Results Cape May County|access-date=January 13, 2025}}</ref>'''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''61.9%''' ''1,237''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|36.5% ''729''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[United States presidential election in New Jersey, 2016|2016]]<ref name="2016Elections">{{cite web |url=https://www.nj.gov/state/elections/assets/pdf/election-results/2016/2016-gen-elect-presidential-results-cape-may.pdf|title=Presidential General Election Results – November 8, 2016 – Cape May County|publisher=New Jersey Department of Elections|access-date=December 31, 2017}}</ref>'''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''65.5%''' ''1,137''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|31.5% ''546''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[United States presidential election in New Jersey, 2012|2012]]<ref name="2012Election">{{cite web |url=http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/2012-results/2012-presidential-cape-may.pdf |title=Presidential General Election Results - November 6, 2012 - Cape May County|publisher=New Jersey Department of Elections |access-date=January 13, 2025}}</ref>'''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''61.1%''' ''1,046''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|38.5% ''659''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[United States presidential election in New Jersey, 2008|2008]]<ref name="state.nj.us">[http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/election-results/2008-gen-elect-presidential-results-cape-may.pdf 2008 Presidential General Election Results: Cape May County], [[New Jersey Department of State]] Division of Elections, December 23, 2008. Accessed January 13, 2025.</ref>'''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''59.2%''' ''1,090''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|39.6% ''729''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[United States presidential election in New Jersey, 2004|2004]]'''<ref name="Presidential Election 2004">[http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/election-results/2004-presidential_capemay_co_2004.pdf 2004 Presidential Election: Cape May County], [[New Jersey Department of State]] Division of Elections, December 13, 2004. Accessed January 13, 2025.</ref>
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''60.4%''' ''1,203''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|38.4% ''766''
|}

In the [[New Jersey gubernatorial election, 2013|2013 gubernatorial election]], Republican [[Chris Christie]] received 77.4% of the vote (920 cast), ahead of Democrat [[Barbara Buono]] with 20.9% (249 votes), and other candidates with 1.7% (20 votes), among the 1,233 ballots cast by the borough's 2,410 registered voters (44 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 51.2%.<ref name=2013Elections>{{cite web |url=http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/2013-results/2013-general-election-results-governor-cape-may.pdf |title=Governor - Cape May County |date=January 29, 2014 |publisher=New Jersey Department of Elections |access-date=December 24, 2014}}</ref><ref name=2013VoterReg>{{cite web |url=http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/2013-results/2013-general-election-ballotscast-capemay.pdf |title=Number of Registered Voters and Ballots Cast - November 5, 2013 - General Election Results - Cape May County|date=January 29, 2014 |publisher=New Jersey Department of Elections |access-date=December 24, 2014}}</ref> In the [[New Jersey gubernatorial election, 2009|2009 gubernatorial election]], Republican Chris Christie received 60.8% of the vote (806 ballots cast), ahead of both Democrat [[Jon Corzine]] with 32.9% (436 votes) and Independent [[Chris Daggett]] with 4.5% (59 votes), with 1,325 ballots cast among the borough's 2,448 registered voters, yielding a 54.1% turnout.<ref>[http://www.njelections.org/election-results/2009-governor_results-cape-may.pdf 2009 Governor: Cape May County] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017225450/http://www.njelections.org/election-results/2009-governor_results-cape-may.pdf |date=October 17, 2012 }}, [[New Jersey Department of State]] Division of Elections, December 31, 2009. Accessed October 18, 2012.</ref>

== Education ==
[[File:WildwoodCrestMemorialESNJ.JPG|thumb|upright=1.1|[[Wildwood Crest Memorial School]]]]
[[File:Wildwood Crest Library.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Wildwood Crest Library]]
The [[Wildwood Crest School District]] serves public school students in [[pre-kindergarten]] through [[eighth grade]] at Crest Memorial School.<ref>[https://homeroom6.doe.state.nj.us/directory/school/districtid/5800&source=01 New Jersey County School Directory for the Wildwood Crest School District], [[New Jersey Department of Education]]. Accessed February 1, 2024.</ref><ref>[https://www.straussesmay.com/seportal/Public/DistrictPolicy.aspx?policyid=0110&id=eef4c81e7aab4c729ea0f05e9004c6c2 Wildwood Crest Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification], Wildwood Crest School District. Accessed September 6, 2021. "Purpose: The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades Pre-Kindergarten through eight in the Wildwood Crest School District. Composition: The Wildwood Crest School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Wildwood Crest."</ref> As of the 2019–20 school year, the district, comprised of one school, had an enrollment of 275 students and 34.4 classroom teachers (on an [[full-time equivalent|FTE]] basis), for a [[student–teacher ratio]] of 8.0:1.<ref name=NCES>[https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/districtsearch/district_detail.asp?Search=2&details=1&ID2=3417970&DistrictID=3417970 District information for Wildwood Crest Borough School District], [[National Center for Education Statistics]]. Accessed April 1, 2021.</ref>

For [[ninth grade|ninth]] through [[twelfth grade]]s, public school students from Wildwood Crest attend [[Wildwood High School]] in [[Wildwood, New Jersey|Wildwood]] as part of a [[sending/receiving relationship]] with the [[Wildwood Public School District]], together with students from [[North Wildwood, New Jersey|North Wildwood]] and Wildwood Crest.<ref>[https://rc.doe.state.nj.us/1516/09/5790/050.html Wildwood High School 2015 Report Card Narrative], [[New Jersey Department of Education]]. Accessed August 7, 2017. "Wildwood High School services all of the districts on the island (Wildwood, Wildwood Crest, North Wildwood and West Wildwood.)"</ref> As of the 2019–20 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 245 students and 29.9 classroom teachers (on an [[full-time equivalent|FTE]] basis), for a [[student–teacher ratio]] of 8.2:1.<ref>[https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_detail.asp?Search=1&DistrictID=3417940&ID=341794001768 School data for Wildwood High School], [[National Center for Education Statistics]]. Accessed April 1, 2021.</ref>

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.<ref>[https://www.capemaytech.com/faq.html Frequently Asked Questions], [[Cape May County Technical High School]]. Accessed October 27, 2019. "All residents of Cape May County are eligible to attend Cape May County Technical High School.... The Cape May County Technical High School is a public school so there is no cost to residents of Cape May County."</ref><ref>[https://www.capemaytech.com/hs-admissions.html Technical High School Admissions], [[Cape May County Technical High School]]. Accessed October 27, 2019. "All students who are residents of Cape May County may apply to the Technical High School."</ref> Special needs students may be referred to [[Cape May County Special Services School District]] in the Cape May Court House area.

[[Wildwood Catholic Academy]] in [[North Wildwood, New Jersey|North Wildwood]] (prior to 2020 it was two separate schools: Cape Trinity Catholic elementary school and Wildwood Catholic High School) operates under the auspices of the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden]].<ref>[http://www.camdendiocese.org/index.php?option=com_sobi2&catid=43&Itemid=705 Cape May County School Directory], [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden]]. Accessed September 4, 2011.</ref>

Cape May County Library operates the Wildwood Crest Library.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cmclibrary.org/about-the-library/locations/wildwoodcrest|title=Wildwood Crest|publisher=Cape May County Library|access-date=2020-09-18}}</ref>

== Transportation ==
[[File:2018-10-09 09 40 13 View south along Cape May County Route 621 (Pacific Avenue) at Rambler Road in Wildwood Crest, Cape May County, New Jersey.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|[[County Road 621 (Cape May County, New Jersey)|CR 621]] in Wildwood Crest]]

===Roads and highways===
The borough has a total of {{convert|31.88|mi}} of roadways, of which {{convert|29.83|mi}} were maintained by the municipality and {{convert|2.05|mi}} by Cape May County.<ref>[http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/refdata/sldiag/mileage_CapeMay.pdf Cape May County Mileage by Municipality and Jurisdiction], [[New Jersey Department of Transportation]], May 2010. Accessed November 11, 2013.</ref>

[[County Route 621 (Cape May County, New Jersey)|County Route 621]] (Pacific Avenue/New Jersey Avenue) runs for {{convert|2.0|mi}} through the borough, from [[Lower Township, New Jersey|Lower Township]] to the south to [[Wildwood, New Jersey|Wildwood]] in the north.<ref>[http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/refdata/sldiag/05000621__-.pdf Cape May County Route 621 Straight Line Diagram], [[New Jersey Department of Transportation]], August 1999. Accessed November 11, 2013.</ref>

Parking in the beach area of Wildwood Crest is regulated by [[parking meter]]s between mid-May and mid-September.<ref>[https://wildwoodcrest.org/parkingmeters.pdf Parking Meter Information], Borough of Wildwood Crest. Accessed October 28, 2019.</ref>

===Public transportation===
[[NJ Transit]] provides bus service to [[Philadelphia]] on the [[313 (New Jersey bus)|313]] and [[315 (New Jersey bus)|315]] routes, with seasonal service to Philadelphia on the [[316 (New Jersey bus)|316]] route and to the [[Port Authority Bus Terminal]] in [[Midtown Manhattan]] on the [[319 (New Jersey bus)|319]] route.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090522212315/http://www.njtransit.com/sf/sf_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=BusRoutesCapemayCountyTo Cape May County Bus / Rail Connections], [[NJ Transit]], backed up by the [[Internet Archive]] as of May 22, 2009. Accessed November 11, 2013.</ref><ref>[http://www.driveless.com/pdfs/SJTG_PDF.pdf#page=3 South Jersey Transit Guide] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180929093448/http://www2.driveless.com/pdfs/SJTG_PDF.pdf#page=3 |date=September 29, 2018 }}, Cross County Connection, as of April 1, 2010. Accessed September 2, 2014.</ref>

The Great American Trolley Company operates trolley service in Wildwood Crest during the summer months. The company runs a trolley route that provides service from Wildwood Crest to the boardwalk at Schellenger Avenue in Wildwood daily during the evening hours.<ref>[http://www.gatrolley.com/h_fm1-wildwood-boardwalk.html Wildwood Boardwalk Trolleys], Great American Trolley Company. Accessed October 28, 2019.</ref> The Great American Trolley Company also runs trolley service to the Irish Fall Festival in North Wildwood, with a route connecting Wildwood Crest to the festival site during the weekend of the festival.<ref>[http://www.gatrolley.com/h_fm1-irish-festival.html Irish Fall Festival], Great American Trolley. Accessed October 28, 2019.</ref>

== Landmarks ==
* [[Crest Fishing Pier]]
*  Sunset Lake

== Religion ==
{{expand section|date=June 2024}}
Notre Dame de la Mer Catholic Parish, of the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden]] has a worship site in Wildwood Crest active in the summer. Previously it was a standalone church, Assumption Church. In 2008 the diocese announced that it would merge into St. Ann's Church of [[Wildwood, New Jersey|Wildwood]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://capemaycountyherald.com/article/community-religion-cape-may-loses-six-parishes-in-diocese-merger-article_32e7bba3-5a7c-5be1-ace9-f72b418857e4-html/|title=Cape May Loses Six Parishes in Diocese Merger|newspaper=[[Cape May County Herald]]|place=[[Rio Grande, New Jersey]]|date=2008-04-03|access-date=2024-06-22}}</ref> and the merger occurred in 2010.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/camden-bishop-issues-formal-decree-merging-churches-in-wildwood-and-wildwood-crest/article_f4a95afd-fac8-5748-b1f8-90f18d6d8d9d.html|title=Camden bishop issues formal decree merging churches in Wildwood and Wildwood Crest|newspaper=[[Press of Atlantic City]]|place=[[Atlantic City, New Jersey]]|date=2010-01-16|access-date=2024-06-22}}</ref>

==Climate==
According to the [[Köppen climate classification]] system, Wildwood Crest has a [[humid subtropical climate]] (''Cfa'') with hot, moderately humid summers, cool winters and year-around precipitation. Cfa climates are characterized by all months having an average mean temperature above {{Convert|32.0|F|C}}, at least four months with an average mean temperature at or above {{Convert|50.0|F|C}}, at least one month with an average mean temperature at or above {{Convert|71.6|F|C}} and no significant precipitation difference between seasons. During the summer months in Wildwood Crest, a cooling afternoon [[sea breeze]] is present on most days, but episodes of extreme heat and humidity can occur with [[heat index]] values at or above {{Convert|95.0|F|C}}. During the winter months, episodes of extreme cold and wind can occur with [[wind chill]] values below {{Convert|0.0|F|C}}. The [[plant hardiness zone]] at Wildwood Crest Beach is 7b with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of {{Convert|6.8|F}}.<ref name="USDA">{{cite web|url=https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/InteractiveMap.aspx|publisher=[[United States Department of Agriculture]]|access-date=August 5, 2019|title=USDA Interactive Plant Hardiness Map|archive-date=July 4, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190704214427/https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/phzmweb/interactivemap.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref> The average seasonal (November–April) snowfall total is {{convert|12|to|18|in|cm}}, and the average snowiest month is February which corresponds with the annual peak in [[nor'easter]] activity.

{{Weather box
| width = auto
| single line = Y
| location = Wildwood Crest Beach, NJ (1981–2010 Averages)
| Jan high F  = 	41.9
| Feb high F  = 	43.7
| Mar high F  = 	50.4
| Apr high F  = 	59.4
| May high F  = 	68.7
| Jun high F  = 	77.9
| Jul high F  = 	82.9
| Aug high F  = 	81.7
| Sep high F  = 	76.2
| Oct high F  = 	66.2
| Nov high F  = 	56.2
| Dec high F  = 	46.6
| year high F = 	62.7
| Jan mean F  = 	34.9
| Feb mean F  = 	36.7
| Mar mean F  = 	43.1
| Apr mean F  = 	52.2
| May mean F  = 	61.3
| Jun mean F  = 	70.7
| Jul mean F  = 	75.9
| Aug mean F  = 	74.9
| Sep mean F  = 	68.9
| Oct mean F  = 	58.3
| Nov mean F  = 	48.8
| Dec mean F  = 	39.5
| year mean F = 	55.5
| Jan low F  = 	27.9
| Feb low F  = 	29.7
| Mar low F  = 	35.8
| Apr low F  = 	44.9
| May low F  = 	53.8
| Jun low F  = 	63.6
| Jul low F  = 	68.9
| Aug low F  = 	68.1
| Sep low F  = 	61.6
| Oct low F  = 	50.4
| Nov low F  = 	41.3
| Dec low F  = 	32.4
| year low F = 	48.3
| precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation inch  = 	3.36
| Feb precipitation inch  = 	2.82
| Mar precipitation inch  = 	4.16
| Apr precipitation inch  = 	3.63
| May precipitation inch  = 	3.60
| Jun precipitation inch  = 	3.19
| Jul precipitation inch  = 	3.79
| Aug precipitation inch  = 	4.10
| Sep precipitation inch  = 	3.29
| Oct precipitation inch  = 	3.61
| Nov precipitation inch  = 	3.25
| Dec precipitation inch  = 	3.62
| year precipitation inch = 	42.42
| humidity colour = green
| Jan humidity    =	66.9
| Feb humidity    =	66.2
| Mar humidity    =	64.4
| Apr humidity    =	63.0
| May humidity    =	67.1
| Jun humidity    =	71.7
| Jul humidity    =	70.7
| Aug humidity    =	73.3
| Sep humidity    =	70.2
| Oct humidity    =	68.8
| Nov humidity    =	68.0
| Dec humidity    =	67.4
| year humidity   =	68.2
| Jan dew point F =	25.0
| Feb dew point F =	26.5
| Mar dew point F =	31.9
| Apr dew point F =	40.0
| May dew point F =	50.3
| Jun dew point F =	61.1
| Jul dew point F =	65.7
| Aug dew point F =	65.8
| Sep dew point F =	58.8
| Oct dew point F =	48.1
| Nov dew point F =	38.7
| Dec dew point F =	29.6
| year dew point F =	45.2
|source 1 = PRISM<ref name=prism>[http://prism.oregonstate.edu/explorer/ Time Series Values for Individual Locations], PRISM Climate Group [[Oregon State University]]. Accessed March 18, 2020.</ref>}}

{{Weather box
| width = auto
| single line = Y
| location = North Cape May, NJ Ocean Water Temperature (7 W Wildwood Crest)
| Jan mean F  = 	37
| Feb mean F  = 	37
| Mar mean F  = 	42
| Apr mean F  = 	50
| May mean F  = 	59
| Jun mean F  = 	68
| Jul mean F  = 	73
| Aug mean F  = 	74
| Sep mean F  = 	72
| Oct mean F  = 	61
| Nov mean F  = 	52
| Dec mean F  = 	42
| year mean F = 	56
|source 1 = NOAA<ref name=NOAA>[https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/dsdt/cwtg/all_meanT.html Water Temperature Table of All Coastal Regions], [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]. Accessed March 18, 2020.</ref>}}

==Ecology==
According to the [[A. W. Kuchler]] U.S. [[potential natural vegetation]] types, Wildwood Crest would have a dominant vegetation type of Northern [[Cordgrass]] (''73'') with a dominant vegetation form of [[Coastal]] [[Prairie]] (''20'').<ref name="Conservation Biology Institute">[https://databasin.org/datasets/1c7a301c8e6843f2b4fe63fdb3a9fe39 U.S. Potential Natural Vegetation, Original Kuchler Types, v2.0 (Spatially Adjusted to Correct Geometric Distortions)], Data Basin. Accessed March 18, 2020.</ref>

==Notable people==
{{Category see also|People from Wildwood Crest, New Jersey}}
People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Wildwood Crest include:
* [[J. Thompson Baker]] (1847–1919), one of the original developers of Wildwood and Wildwood Crest, who was also a politician who represented [[New Jersey's 2nd congressional district]] from 1913 to 1915<ref>[http://www.visitnjshore.com/wildwood-crest/history/ History of Wildwood Crest, NJ], VisitNJShore.com. Accessed October 29, 2015. "They were both taken with the large beaches and beautiful wilderness, and, in 1895, they joined with their brother J Thompson Baker to form the Wildwood Beach Improvement Company.... The Wildwood borough expanded quickly and was very successful, so the Baker brothers decided to expand their development to the land south of the borough. This land would later become Wildwood Crest, and was an unspoiled wilderness of dense thickets and sand dunes."</ref>
* [[Kenneth A. Black Jr.]] (1932–2019), politician who served in the [[New Jersey General Assembly]] from [[New Jersey's 3rd legislative district|District 3A]] from 1968 to 1974<ref>[https://www.capemaycountyherald.com/community/obituaries/article_e16b1e7f-f025-5be3-91f9-4188f626a06d.html "Black, Kenneth Algernon"], ''[[Cape May County Herald]]'', January 31, 2019, updated February 11, 2019. Accessed December 6, 2022. "Ken and his wife moved to Wildwood Crest in 1984."</ref>
* [[Aliki Brandenberg]] (born 1929), [[children's literature]] author, was born in Wildwood Crest<ref>[http://www.yourlibrary.ws/childrens_webpage/e-author92000.htm Picture Books Author of the Month: Aliki], Greenville Public Library. Accessed May 1, 2008.</ref>
* [[Joe Maloy]] (born 1985), professional triathlete<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20170608175120/https://www.teamusa.org/usa-triathlon/athletes/Joe-Maloy Joe Maloy], [[USA Triathlon]]. Accessed June 27, 2017.</ref>
* [[Bill Osborn]] (born {{circa|1966}}), football [[Scout (sport)|scout]] and [[color analyst]] who played in the [[National Football League]], [[NFL Europe|World League]] and the [[Arena Football League]]<ref>via [[Associated Press]]. [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-05-31-sp-9463-story.html "Pittsburgh's Osborn Plays Three Sports"], ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', May 31, 1987. Accessed August 10, 2016. "His friends call the Wildwood Crest, N.J., native 'The Wizard of Oz.'... Osborn won 11 varsity letters at Wildwood High before being recruited by former Pitt football coach Foge Fazio."</ref>
* [[Bernie Parent]] (born 1945), goalie for the [[Boston Bruins]], [[Toronto Maple Leafs]] and most notably [[Philadelphia Flyers]] where he back-stopped the team to two consecutive Stanley Cups<ref>Brooks, Melissa. [http://www.timesherald.com/article/JR/20100905/NEWS01/309059989 "Hall of Famer Bernie Parent's locker a GNPAL raffle prize"], ''The Times Herald'', September 5, 2010. Accessed October 31, 2015. "When retrieving his locker from the Spectrum with business manager and friend Dean Smith, Parent, who lives in Wildwood Crest most of the year, was hit with emotions."</ref>
* [[Frank Vogel]] (born 1973), head coach of the [[Phoenix Suns]]<ref>Staff. [http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/sports/article_50307234-2cd9-11e0-976b-001cc4c002e0.html "Wildwood High School graduate Frank Vogel promoted to interim head coach of Indiana Pacers"], ''[[The Press of Atlantic City]]'', January 30, 2011. Accessed January 30, 2011. "Wildwood Crest native Frank Vogel took over as interim head coach of the Indiana Pacers on Sunday, after the team fired Jim O'Brien. Vogel, a 1991 Wildwood High School graduate who was promoted from assistant coach, will take over for the rest of the season."</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Wildwood Crest Fire Station 2.jpg|Fire Station
File:Wildwood Crest “Shore is Beautiful” Sign.jpg|"Shore is Beautiful"
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [http://www.wildwoodcrest.org/ Wildwood Crest official website]
* [http://www.cresthistory.org/history.htm Wildwood Crest history]

{{S-start}}
{{Succession box
 | title  = Beaches of New Jersey
 | years  = 
 | with   =
 | before = [[Wildwood, New Jersey|Wildwood]]
 | after  = [[Diamond Beach, New Jersey|Diamond Beach]]
}}
{{S-end}}
{{The Wildwoods}}
{{Cape May County, New Jersey}}
{{Jersey Shore region}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Wildwood Crest, New Jersey| ]]
[[Category:1910 establishments in New Jersey]]
[[Category:Boroughs in Cape May County, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Boroughs in New Jersey]]
[[Category:Jersey Shore communities in Cape May County]]
[[Category:New Jersey Urban Enterprise Zones]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1910]]
[[Category:The Wildwoods, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Walsh Act]]