Lower is a township in Cape May County, New Jersey, home to about 21,956 people across 27 square miles. Its ZIP codes are 08204, 08242 and 08251, and parts of 08260 are in Lower too.
Homes sold for a median of $410 per square foot across 3 ZIP codes in the three months ending August 2026, and 2 of 3 were seller’s markets.
Mostly Lower; also Cape May and West Cape May
Mostly Lower; also Middle
Mostly Lower; also Middle
Mostly Wildwood; part is in Lower
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Lower. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Lower’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)64 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Dover Civil Air Terminal/Dover Air Force Base (DOV)32 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Philadelphia, PA72 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Lower; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Lower had 22,057 residents in the 2020 census, down 4% since 2000.
It’s the 127th largest of 565 towns in New Jersey by population.
Cape May County grew from 13,201 residents in 1900 to 95,263 in 2020.
Cape May County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 86°F in summer, and winter lows average 29°F. About 43.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 15 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Cape May 2 Nw, NJ weather station (3 miles away).
28,065 jobs at 3,816 businesses in Cape May County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
185 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Lower’s ZIP codes.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 21 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 7 |
| Dentists | 18 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 42 |
| Mental health providers | 47 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 39 |
| Optometrists | 4 |
| Chiropractors | 7 |
| Pharmacies | 9 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (7 nearby)
Grocery stores (5 nearby)
Pharmacies (2 nearby)
Libraries (1 nearby)
Museums (3 nearby)
Theaters and performance venues (1 nearby)
Counts are within about 3.5 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Established in 1723.
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by Cape May City School District, Lower Township Elementary School District, West Cape May School District and others. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape May City Elementary SchoolCape May | Pre-K–6 | 155 | Public | 3.4 mi |
| David C. Douglass Memorial SchoolVillas | Pre-K–K | 275 | Public | 2.3 mi |
| West Cape May Elementary SchoolWest Cape May | Pre-K–6 | 76 | Public | 3.6 mi |
| Carl T. Mitnick SchoolCape May | 1–2 | 428 | Public | 1.7 mi |
| Maud Abrams SchoolCape May | 3–4 | 354 | Public | 1.5 mi |
| Sandman Consolidated SchoolCape May | 5–6 | 332 | Public | 1.5 mi |
| Richard M. Teitelman Middle SchoolCape May | 7–8 | 394 | Public | 0.6 mi |
| Lower Cape May Regional High SchoolCape May | 9–12 | 717 | Public | 0.6 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rio Grande Baptist AcademyRio Grande | 12 | 4 | Baptist | 2.3 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Wildwood, North Wildwood, Wildwood Crest, Cape May, Middle, West Cape May and West Wildwood.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.