Stone Harbor is a borough in Cape May County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The borough, and all of Cape May County, is part of the South Jersey region of the state and of the Ocean City metropolitan statistical area, which is part of the Philadelphia-Wilmington-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD combined statistical area, also known as the Delaware Valley or Philadelphia metropolitan area. It occupies the southern portion of Seven Mile Island together with its northern neighbor Avalon. It is a resort community that attracts visitors looking to enjoy its beaches, sailing facilities and commercial center. The community attracts a large number of vacationers from the Mid-Atlantic region and Quebec.
As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 796, a decrease of 70 (−8.1%) from the 2010 census count of 866, which in turn had reflected a decline of 262 (−23.2%) from the 1,128 counted in the 2000 census. The borough has a summer population in excess of 20,000, who are generally wealthier than full-time residents.
The New York Times described Stone Harbor as a place of "gleaming McMansions and elegant shops", with an average single-family home selling for $2.5 million in 2008. In 2017, Stone Harbor was the third-most expensive ZIP Code in New Jersey based on median home sale price, and had the second-priciest residential real estate transaction in the state that year at $10 million. In 2014, Forbes magazine ranked Stone Harbor (ZIP Code 08247) at the 191st spot on its list of the most expensive ZIP Codes in the United States.
History
Development began in the late 19th century as a beach resort along the West Jersey and Seashore Railroad line. The community was marketed to wealthy residents of Philadelphia seeking a resort destination for a second home.
Stone Harbor was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 3, 1914, from portions of Middle Township, based on the results of a referendum held on April 28, 1914. The borough gained a portion of Avalon on December 27, 1941. The borough is said to be named for an English sea captain named Stone who sought shelter from a storm in the area.
In 2015, a contract was awarded to dredge adjacent bodies of water. In early 2016, during the dewatering stage of the operation, a total of three geotubes discharged a small quantity of sediment containing several contaminants. Dredging was halted pending development of a plan to prevent future such spills.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 2.19 square miles (5.68 km2), including 1.42 square miles (3.68 km2) of land and 0.77 square miles (2.01 km2) of water (35.34%).
Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the borough include Seven Mile Beach.
Stone Harbor borders Avalon Borough, Middle Township, North Wildwood City and the Atlantic Ocean.
Demographics
2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 866 people, 441 households, and 256 families in the borough. The population density was . There were 3,247 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup was 97.11% (841) White, 1.62% (14) Black or African American, 0.00% (0) Native American, 0.12% (1) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 0.69% (6) from other races, and 0.46% (4) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.35% (29) of the population.
Of the 441 households, 10.2% had children under the age of 18; 49.2% were married couples living together; 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present and 42.0% were non-families. Of all households, 37.4% were made up of individuals and 21.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.96 and the average family size was 2.54.
10.9% of the population were under the age of 18, 4.4% from 18 to 24, 11.8% from 25 to 44, 31.4% from 45 to 64, and 41.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 60.6 years. For every 100 females, the population had 89.9 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 84.2 males.
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $69,286 (with a margin of error of +/− $8,969) and the median family income was $92,083 (+/− $19,643). Males had a median income of $55,417 (+/− $23,166) versus $70,208 (+/− $15,479) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $60,057 (+/− $10,700). About 2.8% of families and 5.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.4% of those under age 18 and 2.8% of those age 65 or over.