Year-Round Living: A Shrinking, Aging Community Amid a Sea of Summer Homes
Margate City counted 5,317 year-round residents at the 2020 census -- down 1,037 people, or 16.3%, from 6,354 in 2010, which was itself down 1,839 people, or 22.4%, from 8,193 in 2000. That is a genuinely steep two-decade decline in the permanent population, not a gentle drift, and it sits alongside a housing stock built overwhelmingly for summer use: of 7,124 total housing units, 62.8% were vacant at the time of the census, almost entirely seasonal or vacation homes rather than empty-and-for-sale units. Only 2,651 households anchor the city year-round. The confirmed 2020 demographic snapshot adds real texture: a median age of 58.7, just 11.4% of residents under 18 against 37.1% age 65 and older, and 89.2 males per 100 females. This page does not state a current (2026) population figure, current home prices, current property tax rates, or specific current school, hospital, or grocery names beyond what is noted below -- none of that was independently confirmed for this page, and none of it is invented here.
A Population That Has Fallen by Nearly Two-Thirds Since 2000
The 2020 census recorded 5,317 people living in Margate City year-round -- down 16.3% from 6,354 in 2010, which was itself down 22.4% from 8,193 counted in 2000. Stack those two decades together and the permanent population has fallen by roughly a third since 2000. That is a substantial, sustained contraction, not a single bad decade, and it is worth stating plainly rather than glossing over: Margate City's full-time community has been getting meaningfully smaller for twenty years running.
We do not have a confirmed current (2026) population figure beyond the 2020 census count of 5,317, and we are not going to estimate one. What that number means in practice is that year-round life in Margate City happens at a smaller scale than the city's overall housing stock, or its summertime visitor counts, would suggest. Anyone evaluating a year-round move here should treat 5,317 as the most recent hard number available and confirm anything more current directly with Margate City government or Atlantic County.
A City Built for Summer: 62.8% of Housing Sits Vacant
Of Margate City's 7,124 housing units at the 2020 census, 62.8% were vacant -- overwhelmingly seasonal and vacation homes rather than units sitting empty for sale. Only 2,651 households actually occupy the city year-round. That ratio, nearly two vacant seasonal homes for every three total units, is the single clearest fact about what full-time life here actually looks like: a permanent community that is genuinely outnumbered by second homes across the calendar year.
For a year-round resident, that means a city whose infrastructure, tax base, and street-level feel are shaped as much by absent seasonal owners as by full-time neighbors. It is a structural pattern common along this stretch of the Jersey Shore, but Margate City's 62.8% vacancy rate is a specific, confirmed figure worth weighing seriously rather than assuming away. We do not have a confirmed current (2026) vacancy figure, current listing counts, or current seasonal-home valuations, and none is invented here.
A Median Age of 58.7 and an Older-Skewing Community
The confirmed 2020 census snapshot shows a median age of 58.7 in Margate City, with just 11.4% of residents under 18 against 37.1% age 65 and older -- meaning older adults outnumber children by more than three to one. The census also recorded 89.2 males per 100 females. Together, those figures point toward a permanent community weighted heavily toward retirees and established homeowners rather than young families or a working-age majority.
That skew matters for anyone weighing a full-time move with school-age children in particular: a small under-18 share suggests a correspondingly small local school-age population. We do not have a confirmed current (2026) median age or current age-distribution figures, and demographic patterns can shift, so these numbers should be read as the most recent independently confirmed data point rather than a current fact.
Schools: A K-8 Local District, Then Atlantic City High School
Margate City is one of several small Absecon Island municipalities too compact to operate a full K-12 school system on its own. The well-established regional pattern along this part of the Jersey Shore is a local K-8 district for younger children, with high-school-age students sent on to Atlantic City High School under a send-receive arrangement -- the common structure used by neighboring small shore towns that share the island. Given Margate City's small under-18 population (11.4% of residents), that regional school structure is a meaningful practical consideration for any family with children weighing a year-round move here.
We do not have confirmed current enrollment figures, current school ratings, or a confirmed current send-receive contract specific to Margate City for this page, and none is invented here. Anyone with school-age children should confirm current district structure, enrollment, and tuition arrangements directly with Margate City Public Schools and the Atlantic City school system.
Civic Life Under a Walsh Act Commission Government
Margate City has operated under the Walsh Act commission form of municipal government since 1911, one of only about 30 New Jersey municipalities still using this system today. Three commissioners are elected at-large to four-year terms and jointly run the city's departments; as of 2023, Mayor Michael Collins served alongside Commissioners Maurice Blumberg and Catherine Horn, with terms running until May 16, 2027. For a genuinely small, shrinking permanent population, that means civic life runs through a compact, at-large elected commission rather than a larger council-and-mayor structure or a professional city-manager system.
We do not have confirmed current commissioner names beyond the 2023 lineup noted above, and elected terms can change; anyone evaluating civic engagement in Margate City should confirm the current commission roster directly with Margate City government.
A Quiet Off-Season on a Barrier Island Built for Summer Crowds
Margate City sits on Absecon Island, an 8.1-mile barrier island shared with Atlantic City, Ventnor City, and Longport, with a total area of just 1.63 square miles (1.42 square miles of land, 0.22 square miles of water). With a year-round population of 5,317 spread across a housing stock where 62.8% of units are seasonal, the structural pattern is unmistakable: a smaller, settled permanent community for most of the year, followed by a summer influx that fills the vacant seasonal homes and draws visitors to landmarks like Lucy the Elephant, the 65-foot National Historic Landmark that pulls an estimated 130,000 visitors annually.
We do not have a confirmed current summer population figure for Margate City, and none is invented here. What can be said honestly is that a city with a housing stock this seasonally skewed is structurally set up for a quieter off-season and a much busier summer -- anyone considering a year-round move should expect that rhythm and confirm current seasonal patterns directly with Margate City government.
A New Jersey Market: Taxes Work Differently Than Delaware
Margate City is this site's eleventh New Jersey market, following Cape May, Wildwood, Wildwood Crest, North Wildwood, Stone Harbor, Avalon, Sea Isle City, Ocean City, Strathmere, and Longport, and that matters for anyone comparing it to Delaware coastal towns. New Jersey has a state sales tax and its own municipal and county property tax structure, both genuinely different from Delaware's no-sales-tax system. With only 2,651 households carrying the year-round tax base for a city built to also serve a much larger seasonal population, property taxes are a real and relevant consideration for full-time residents here.
We do not have a confirmed current New Jersey state sales tax rate, current Margate City property tax rate, or current assessment figures for this page, and none is invented here. Anyone evaluating a year-round move to Margate City should confirm current tax rates and rules directly with Atlantic County government, Margate City's own finance office, and the State of New Jersey.
What This Means for Anyone Considering a Year-Round Move
Put together: a 2020 census population of 5,317 (down 16.3% from 6,354 in 2010, itself down 22.4% from 8,193 in 2000), a median age of 58.7 with 37.1% of residents age 65 or older against just 11.4% under 18, and a housing stock where 62.8% of 7,124 total units sit vacant as seasonal or vacation homes -- these are all real, confirmed facts pointing toward a place whose year-round character is genuinely defined by two forces at once: a permanent community that has shrunk substantially over two decades, and a much larger stock of seasonal homes that dwarfs it for most of the calendar year. Civic life runs through a compact Walsh Act commission government, and families should plan around a local K-8 district feeding into Atlantic City High School.
This page does not state current (2026) population figures, current median home prices, active listing counts, specific current rental rates, current Margate City or Atlantic County property tax rates, current New Jersey sales tax rates, or current school enrollment figures -- none of that was independently confirmed for this page, and none of it is invented here. Anyone evaluating a year-round move to Margate City should confirm current civic, tax, and school details directly with Margate City government, Atlantic County government, and Margate City Public Schools; check current flood-zone status directly with FEMA's Flood Map Service Center; and consult a licensed local real estate, tax, or legal professional before making a decision. Nothing on this page is legal, tax, or financial advice.
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Get a Free Agent Referral →Independent research. No ads. No sponsored listings. Data sourced from the competitive research file for Margate City, New Jersey: the 2020 census population of 5,317, down 16.3% (1,037 people) from 6,354 in the 2010 census, itself down 22.4% (1,839 people) from 8,193 in the 2000 census; a median age of 58.7; 11.4% of residents under 18 and 37.1% age 65 or older; 89.2 males per 100 females; 7,124 total housing units with 62.8% vacancy (predominantly seasonal/vacation homes); 2,651 households; a predominantly white population (96.36% in 2010); a total area of 1.63 square miles (1.42 square miles land, 0.22 square miles water) on Absecon Island, an 8.1-mile barrier island shared with Atlantic City, Ventnor City, and Longport; Margate City's history as the former borough of South Atlantic City (incorporated September 7, 1885), reincorporated as a city April 23, 1897, and renamed Margate City on April 20, 1909; the Walsh Act commission form of municipal government in place since 1911 (one of about 30 New Jersey municipalities using this system), with three at-large commissioners serving four-year terms, and, as of 2023, Mayor Michael Collins, Commissioner Maurice Blumberg, and Commissioner Catherine Horn serving until May 16, 2027; and Lucy the Elephant, the 65-foot National Historic Landmark built in 1881 drawing an estimated 130,000 visitors annually. The regional K-8-then-Atlantic-City-High-School school structure reflects the well-established general pattern among small Absecon Island municipalities rather than a Margate-specific enrollment figure confirmed this research pass. Current (2026) population, home price, rental rate, tax-rate, and school-enrollment figures beyond what's confirmed above were not independently verified this research pass and are not invented here, nor are specific current school, hospital, or grocery names -- confirm directly with Margate City government, Atlantic County government, Margate City Public Schools, the State of New Jersey, and FEMA's Flood Map Service Center. Nothing on this page is legal, tax, or financial advice.