Cape May Court House Ranked No. 9 as Best Place to Retire in New Jersey

COURT HOUSE – Smart Assets, a New York financial technology company, released its second annual study on the Best Places to Retire in New Jersey.  Cape May Court House, a community within Middle Township, is the only South Jersey municipality on the list.  Cape May Court House came in as number nine out of the top ten towns in New Jersey.
Freeholder E. Marie Hayes, liaison to the Cape May County Tax Board reported the ranking, noting the county’s services and tax rate are a contributing factor for the favorable ranking of Cape May Court House.
“There are 565 municipalities within the 21 counties in the State, and Cape May County has one of the lowest, if not the lowest tax rate in New Jersey”, Hayes said. 
The County equalized tax rate for 2016 will be .218 cents per $100 of assessed value.  “Although the county rate can vary depending on the ratio of assessed value to true value in each of the County’s sixteen municipalities,  an average taxpayer will pay $218 for $100,000 of property assessment”, Freeholder Director Gerald M. Thornton reported in introducing the 2016 County Budget. 
According to the latest Census data, nearly 24% of the resident population of the county is over 65 years of age. Cape May Court House serves as the County Seat, centrally located and easily accessible for residents from Ocean City to Cape May.  Many County services used by the senior population are located in Cape May Court House, including the Crest Haven Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Health Department, County Clerk and Surrogate’ Office.  The main branch of the County Library, the Courts, Election Board and the Cape May County Park and Zoo are also located in Cape May Court House. Fare Free Transportation provides seniors with on-demand bus and van service to doctor appointments and hospitals within and outside of Cape May County.  Regularly scheduled trips are also available to shopping centers, senior centers and meet many other transportation needs of our senior citizens.
“Over the past three years that I have served as Freeholder, the elected officials in Middle Township have worked hard to keep its tax rate stable while still providing its residents affordable activities and services.  I speak for the entire Board of Chosen Freeholders in recognizing Cape May Court House for making the SmartAssets list as one of the top best places to retire.  Providing services for our Seniors is paramount in all sixteen municipalities in Cape May County, it is recognition such as this that bodes well for the work we all do to enhance the quality of life for our citizens.  This is another reason why Cape May County is a great place to live”, Hayes said.
The study rates cities by their tax friendliness, recreational and social opportunities for seniors, and availability of medical care. Cape May Court House ranked #9 in New Jersey this year, after being unranked in last year’s study.