Practical Living: A Tiny, Affluent Borough That Swells Every Summer
Stone Harbor is a borough in Cape May County, New Jersey, on Seven Mile Island -- a barrier island it shares with Avalon to the north. The 2020 census counted just 796 year-round residents, down 8.1% from 866 in 2010, across a total area of only 2.19 square miles (1.42 square miles of land, 0.78 square miles of water). That small year-round base sits alongside a summer population that exceeds 20,000, and a national reputation for wealth -- The New York Times has described the borough as a place of gleaming McMansions and elegant shops, and it ranked as New Jersey's third-most-expensive ZIP code by median home sale price in 2017. This is this site's fifth New Jersey market, following Cape May, Wildwood, Wildwood Crest, and North Wildwood, so several of New Jersey's tax and regulatory customs genuinely differ from what Delaware buyers may be used to. Here is what this research pass could confirm about year-round life here, and where the real gaps are.
A Very Small Year-Round Population
Stone Harbor's 2020 census population of 796 was down 70 residents, or 8.1%, from 866 in 2010 -- a meaningful decline for a borough this small to begin with. That population lives across just 2.19 total square miles, with 1.42 square miles of land and 0.78 square miles of water, making Stone Harbor one of the smallest year-round communities anywhere along this stretch of the Jersey Shore.
This research pass did not confirm a current (2026) permanent population figure beyond that 2020 census count, nor current median home prices, active listing counts, or specific current rental rates for Stone Harbor. None of those figures are invented here -- treat the 2020 census numbers as the most recent independently confirmed baseline, and confirm anything more current directly with the Borough of Stone Harbor and Cape May County.
A Summer Population More Than 25 Times the Year-Round Count
Stone Harbor's summer population exceeds 20,000 -- more than twenty-five times its 796 year-round residents. That seasonal swell is not incidental to daily life here; it shapes traffic, parking, staffing at whatever services do operate, and the rhythm of the entire year, with a quiet off-season giving way to a dramatically busier late spring through early fall.
Wikipedia describes that summer population as typically wealthier than the borough's own year-round residents, which lends Stone Harbor its exclusive character even outside the peak season. Anyone weighing year-round life here should think through both halves of that split: a small, quiet off-season community, and a large, affluent seasonal one that reshapes the town for several months each year.
A Genuinely Affluent Housing Market
Stone Harbor's affluent identity is independently documented rather than just a marketing claim. The New York Times has described the borough as a place of gleaming McMansions and elegant shops; in 2017 it ranked as the third-most-expensive ZIP code in New Jersey by median home sale price; and in 2014, Forbes ranked it 191st among America's most expensive ZIP codes nationally. That combination makes Stone Harbor this site's most upscale New Jersey market by a wide margin so far.
Those rankings are dated, not current, and this research pass did not confirm today's median home price, current listing inventory, or current rental rates. Do not treat the 2017 and 2014 figures as reflecting today's market -- confirm current pricing directly with a licensed real estate professional working in Stone Harbor and Cape May County.
Everyday Services in a Tiny Borough
A borough of 796 year-round residents cannot support the same density of everyday services as a larger town, even one with Stone Harbor's affluence. Grocery shopping, pharmacy needs, schooling, and medical care for year-round residents typically mean looking beyond the borough's own 2.19 square miles to the wider Cape May County mainland, much as neighboring small barrier-island communities do.
This research pass did not confirm specific current grocery store, pharmacy, or school names serving Stone Harbor, current school district attendance-zone assignments, or the name of any hospital serving borough residents. None of that is invented here. Confirm current schools, medical facilities, and everyday services directly with the Borough of Stone Harbor and Cape May County.
A Small Footprint on a Shared Barrier Island
At 2.19 total square miles -- 1.42 square miles of land and 0.78 square miles of water -- Stone Harbor is a compact borough on Seven Mile Island, which it shares with Avalon to the north. That physical compactness, combined with a barrier-island setting, shapes parking, proximity between neighboring properties, and how far routine errands actually run, in ways worth weighing directly against a buyer's own expectations of year-round life.
This research pass did not confirm current property tax rates, current New Jersey state sales tax rates, or specific current assessment figures for Stone Harbor or Cape May County. Direct any current-rate questions to Cape May County government, the Borough of Stone Harbor's own finance office, and the State of New Jersey.
This Site's Fifth New Jersey Market: Different Tax and Regulatory Customs
Stone Harbor is this site's fifth New Jersey market, following Cape May, Wildwood, Wildwood Crest, and North Wildwood. That matters practically: New Jersey's state sales tax and its municipal and county property tax structure are genuinely different from Delaware's no-sales-tax system used across this site's earlier Delaware markets. Buyers coming from a Delaware frame of reference should not assume Delaware's tax framing carries over here, and the same caution applies to anyone comparing Stone Harbor against Cape May, Wildwood, Wildwood Crest, or North Wildwood, since local rates and procedures can differ between New Jersey municipalities as well.
This research pass did not confirm current Cape May County or Borough of Stone Harbor property tax rates, New Jersey's current state sales tax rate, or specific assessment figures. Confirm all of it directly with the relevant borough, county, and state offices before treating any of it as settled.
What This Research Pass Did Not Confirm
Current (2026) permanent population beyond the 2020 census figure of 796, current median home price, active listing counts, and specific current rental rates were not confirmed this research pass, and none of those figures are invented here. Current Cape May County and Borough of Stone Harbor property tax rates, New Jersey's current state sales tax rate, and specific assessment figures were likewise not confirmed -- direct those questions to Cape May County government, the Borough of Stone Harbor's own finance office, and the State of New Jersey.
Specific current flood zone designations for individual Stone Harbor parcels were not confirmed -- check FEMA's Flood Map Service Center directly for any specific address. This research pass also did not confirm specific grocery store, pharmacy, school, or hospital names serving Stone Harbor, current school district attendance-zone assignments, or current municipal staffing and service levels. None of that is invented here -- confirm all of it directly with the Borough of Stone Harbor, Cape May County, and the State of New Jersey before treating any of it as settled.
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Get a Free Agent Referral →Independent research. No ads. No sponsored listings. Stone Harbor's Cape May County, New Jersey location on Seven Mile Island, shared with Avalon; its 2020 census population of 796 (down 8.1% from 866 in the 2010 census) across 2.19 square miles (1.42 square miles land, 0.78 square miles water); its summer population exceeding 20,000; and its independently documented affluent identity -- including The New York Times's description of gleaming McMansions and elegant shops, its 2017 ranking as New Jersey's third-most-expensive ZIP code by median home sale price, and Forbes's 2014 ranking of 191st among America's most expensive ZIP codes -- are confirmed facts, cross-checked against this site's own research notes for Stone Harbor. New Jersey's sales-tax and property-tax structure differing from Delaware's no-sales-tax system is likewise confirmed. Current population beyond the 2020 census, current home prices and rental rates, current property tax and sales tax rates, current flood zone designations, specific grocery/pharmacy/school/hospital names, current school district assignments, and current municipal staffing or service levels were not confirmed this research pass and are not invented here. Confirm current details directly with the Borough of Stone Harbor, Cape May County government, the State of New Jersey, and FEMA's Flood Map Service Center. Nothing on this page is legal, tax, or financial advice.