Waterfront vs. Non-Waterfront in Stone Harbor: Ocean Side, Bay Side, and the Blocks Between
Stone Harbor is a borough in Cape May County, New Jersey, occupying the southern half of Seven Mile Island (also called Seven Mile Beach), which it shares with Avalon to the north. Per Wikipedia's own figures, the entire borough covers just 2.19 square miles -- 1.42 square miles of land and 0.78 square miles of water -- with a 2020 census population of 796, down 8.1 percent from 866 in 2010, and an elevation of only 7 feet above sea level. On a footprint that small, "waterfront vs. non-waterfront" really breaks down into three distinct positions: oceanfront property facing the open Atlantic on the borough's eastern side, property facing the back-bay and salt-marsh water near Nummy Island and the Stone Harbor Bird Sanctuary on the western side, and interior residential blocks in between. Each position carries a genuinely different relationship to the water, to sun and wind exposure, and to the borough's own protected natural areas. This page does not state a dollar or percentage price premium for any of the three positions -- no such figure was confirmed in the research behind this page, and none is invented here. Get that from a local Stone Harbor agent working current comparable sales.
A Small, Affluent Island With Two Very Different Shorelines
Stone Harbor sits on the southern half of Seven Mile Island, giving the borough a shoreline on two genuinely different bodies of water. The Atlantic Ocean runs along its eastern side, while the back-bay water, salt marsh, and channels near Nummy Island run along its western edge, closest to the Stone Harbor Bird Sanctuary. At only 2.19 square miles total, per Wikipedia, and with an elevation of just 7 feet above sea level, the distance between these two shorelines is measured in blocks, not miles -- but the character of the water, the views, and the daily experience of living near it are not the same on both sides.
That two-shoreline layout is also set against a real, independently confirmed economic backdrop: The New York Times has described Stone Harbor as a place of "gleaming McMansions and elegant shops," and in 2017 it ranked as the third-most-expensive ZIP code in New Jersey by median home sale price, with Forbes ranking it 191st nationally among America's most expensive ZIP codes in 2014. Those are dated rankings, not current figures, and this page does not update them or convert them into a current dollar estimate -- but they establish that Stone Harbor is, broadly, an upscale resort market, and that framing applies across all three of the positions discussed below, not just the water-facing ones.
Oceanfront: Open Atlantic Exposure
Property directly on Stone Harbor's Atlantic side faces the open ocean and sits closest to the borough's beaches. That position generally means the most direct sun and wind exposure, the most direct storm and wave exposure during coastal weather events, and typically the most demand from buyers specifically seeking ocean views or a short walk to the sand. It also means the most direct relationship to whatever beach conditions, dune structures, and shoreline maintenance exist at a given block and time -- conditions that change and that a buyer should confirm directly with the Borough of Stone Harbor rather than assume from any general description.
This page does not state a current erosion rate, a current beach-replenishment schedule, or a specific flood-zone designation for oceanfront property here. No dated 2025-2026 storm event, erosion dispute, or replenishment project specific to Stone Harbor was confirmed in the research behind this page, and none is invented. A local agent and the Borough of Stone Harbor's own offices are the right sources for current oceanfront conditions.
Back-Bay and Marsh-Adjacent: A Different Water, and a Real Conservation Story Next Door
On the opposite side of the island, property facing the back-bay water, tidal channels, and salt marsh near Nummy Island fronts a genuinely different body of water than the open Atlantic -- calmer, tidal rather than wave-driven, and closely tied to the marsh and channel system that also feeds the Stone Harbor Bird Sanctuary. That sanctuary is a real, historic 21.5-acre protected area established by local ordinance in 1947, designated New Jersey's first National Natural Landmark in October 1965, and home to a genuine conservation story: waterbird nesting peaked at more than 5,000 birds annually by 1964, nesting shorebirds then mysteriously disappeared beginning around 1995 and nearly vanished by 2000, and a 2005 rejuvenation project -- increasing tidal flow, removing invasive species, and removing feral cats -- has since worked to restore the habitat, per Wikipedia. Property near this side of the island sits closest to that ongoing conservation work and to the sanctuary's freshwater pond, meadow, and maritime forest.
Bay- and marsh-facing property is not automatically lower-exposure simply because it faces calmer water than the ocean side. Stone Harbor's total 2.19 square miles includes 0.78 square miles of water, per Wikipedia, and the bay side carries its own tidal, drainage, and storm-surge considerations that are distinct from, not automatically lesser than, oceanfront exposure. This page does not state a current flood-zone designation, base flood elevation, or valuation premium for bay- or marsh-facing property; that is determined address by address, and FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, not a general guide like this one, is the right source. Proximity to the bird sanctuary is also worth confirming directly with the borough for any specific restrictions or considerations tied to the protected area itself.
The Interior Blocks: Between the Ocean and the Bay
Between the oceanfront and the back-bay side sit Stone Harbor's interior residential blocks. Because the borough's land area is only 1.42 square miles, per Wikipedia, "interior" here means a short walk from one shoreline or the other, not a genuinely inland position in the way that term might apply in a larger mainland town. Interior property trades direct water frontage -- and the specific considerations that come with either oceanfront exposure or bay-side tidal and marsh proximity -- for what is generally a quieter, more purely residential setting within the same small, affluent borough.
That said, no blanket claim about lower flood or storm risk is made here for interior property. Elevation and drainage vary parcel by parcel on an island whose overall elevation is just 7 feet above sea level, and a few blocks of distance from either shoreline is a modest buffer on a barrier island this size, not a guarantee against storm surge or flooding. Confirm any specific parcel's flood-zone status directly with FEMA rather than assuming an interior location resolves the question.
A Founding Shared With Avalon, and a Genuinely Upscale Identity
Stone Harbor and neighboring Avalon share a single founding story: the Seven Mile Beach Company purchased Seven Mile Island in 1887 and founded Avalon on the island's northern half and Stone Harbor on its southern half from that same corporate entity, following earlier ownership by Aaron Leaming (who acquired the island in 1772) and later the Tatham family, who built the island's first beach houses in the 1800s, per visitnjshore.com. Stone Harbor's own development began in 1891 with an inn and seven cottages near 80th Street, followed by major infrastructure work from 1907 to 1909 and the borough's incorporation in 1914. The name Stone Harbor is itself credited to an English sea captain named Stone, who reportedly took refuge behind the island during a severe storm.
That shared founding sits alongside a genuinely distinct economic character today: a summer population exceeding 20,000 against a year-round population of just 796, a group Wikipedia describes as typically wealthier than the borough's own permanent residents, and the affluent identity described above. None of that history or economic framing, however, substitutes for a confirmed, address-specific comparable-sales figure -- which this page does not provide.
New Jersey Is Genuinely Different From Delaware Here
Stone Harbor is this site's fifth New Jersey market, following Cape May, Wildwood, Wildwood Crest, and North Wildwood. New Jersey's state sales tax and its municipal and county property tax structure are genuinely different from the no-state-sales-tax framing used across the Delaware markets this site also covers, and that difference applies regardless of whether a Stone Harbor property sits on the ocean side, the bay side, or an interior block. Do not assume any Delaware town's tax rules carry over here.
This page does not state a current New Jersey sales tax rate, a current Cape May County or Borough of Stone Harbor property tax rate, or any specific assessment figure. Cape May County government, the Borough of Stone Harbor's own finance office, and the State of New Jersey are the right sources for current rates.
What This Page Will Not Invent
We did not find, and will not invent, a confirmed price premium, in dollars or as a percentage, for oceanfront property, back-bay/marsh-facing property, or interior-block property in Stone Harbor. We also did not find a current median home value, a current active-listing count, or a current (2026) permanent population figure beyond the 2020 census count of 796, itself down 8.1 percent from 866 in 2010. The 2017 New Jersey ZIP-code ranking and the 2014 Forbes ranking cited above are dated figures, not current ones, and are not updated or converted into a current estimate here. We did not find, and do not state, a specific FEMA flood-zone designation, base flood elevation, or flood-insurance premium for any individual Stone Harbor parcel, oceanfront, bay-facing, or interior. We also did not find, and do not state, the exact cause of the bird sanctuary's 1995-2000 shorebird disappearance, current sanctuary visitor hours or admission details, or any 2025-2026 storm, erosion, or replenishment event specific to Stone Harbor. Those are real gaps, disclosed here rather than filled with a guessed number or outcome.
Before comparing a specific oceanfront, bay-facing, or interior-block listing, get current, address-specific comparable sales from a local Stone Harbor agent who knows all three parts of this small borough, and get a parcel-level flood-zone determination from FEMA's Flood Map Service Center directly. Confirm current New Jersey and Cape May County tax figures with the relevant government offices, and confirm current beach, bay, and sanctuary conditions with the Borough of Stone Harbor directly, rather than assuming any prior market's figures or this page's dated facts still apply.
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Get a Free Agent Referral →Independent research. No ads. No sponsored listings. Data sourced from Wikipedia's own Stone Harbor, New Jersey entry (2020 census population of 796, down 8.1 percent from 866 in 2010; total area 2.19 square miles, 1.42 land and 0.78 water; elevation 7 feet; The New York Times's description of "gleaming McMansions and elegant shops"; the 2017 ranking as New Jersey's third-most-expensive ZIP code by median home sale price; Forbes's 2014 ranking of 191st among America's most expensive ZIP codes nationally; a summer population exceeding 20,000 against the 796 year-round residents), Wikipedia's Stone Harbor Bird Sanctuary entry (a 21.5-acre protected area established by local ordinance in 1947; herons naturally nesting from around 1938; a 1961 fence; designation as New Jersey's first National Natural Landmark in October 1965; more than 5,000 birds arriving annually by 1964; nesting shorebirds mysteriously disappearing beginning around 1995 and nearly vanishing by 2000; a 2005 rejuvenation project restoring tidal flow and removing invasive species and feral cats), and visitnjshore.com's own Stone Harbor founding history (Aaron Leaming's 1772 purchase of Seven Mile Island; the Tatham family's later purchase and first beach houses; the Seven Mile Beach Company's 1887 purchase and founding of both Avalon and Stone Harbor; Stone Harbor's own 1891 founding near 80th Street; 1907-1909 infrastructure work; 1914 incorporation; and the borough's name credited to an English sea captain named Stone). Real gaps are disclosed rather than filled with an invented number or outcome, including any oceanfront, back-bay, or interior-block price premium, current median home values, current listing counts, current permanent population beyond the 2020 census, current New Jersey sales tax or Cape May County/Borough of Stone Harbor property tax rates, any parcel-specific FEMA flood-zone designation, the exact cause of the bird sanctuary's 1995-2000 shorebird disappearance, and any 2025-2026 storm, erosion, or replenishment event specific to Stone Harbor. Prices, flood-zone designations, zoning classifications, tax rates, insurance costs, and sanctuary or shoreline conditions all change; confirm current figures and status with a local Stone Harbor real estate agent, the Borough of Stone Harbor's finance office, Cape May County government, the State of New Jersey, and FEMA's Flood Map Service Center before making any purchase decision. Nothing on this page is legal, tax, insurance, or financial advice.