If you don’t have a home along the Jersey Shore (like most of us), chances are you’ve dreamed of owning one. A recent study shows that many people beyond New Jersey would love to own a home in a specific Garden State beach town. One beach area was named the best place in the U.S. for a second/vacation home while another NJ county ranked in the Top 15.
Pacaso, a second-home co-ownership marketplace, released its annual ranking of the best second-home destinations in 2024, and Cape May County ranked No. 1 in the entire country, even beating out five areas of Florida and one county in Hawaii.
Cape May County is a wildly popular vacay spot for New Jerseyans along with families from PA and NY. Its most popular towns of Cape May, Wildwood and Ocean City have beautiful beaches, fun boardwalks, lighthouses, sightseeing, great restaurants and lots of activities.
Cape May’s Victorian homes are a big reason why it’s often called the Jersey Shore’s most charming town. The Emlen Physick Estate, a Victorian house and museum dating back to 1879, offers lunch at The Carriage House Café & Tearoom. Time spent at Historic Cold Spring Village will take you back to life in the 1800s. Washington Street Mall has quaint cafes, gelato shops and boutiques. The Cape May County Park & Zoo (which is in nearby Cape May Courthouse) is free all year and includes a cute playground for kids. There are plenty of outdoor activities at the Cape May National Wildlife Refuge.
Wildwood has five areas, with Wildwood, Wildwood Crest and North Wildwood among the most visited. Spend the day at Morey’s Piers, either eating on the boardwalk, riding the rides or splashing in the water park. The Wildwoods Convention Center has concerts, shows and festivals on the calendar weekly. The Hereford Inlet Lighthouse was built in 1874, and you can tour the former residence of the guards, or head out back to the gardens or seawall. The country’s best pop culture museum, the Doo Wop Experience Museum, is filled with nostalgia.
Ocean City has lots of shopping and restaurants on and off the boardwalk, plus popular events like First Night, the Polar Plunge and the Doo Dah Parade. Plus, we’re totally obsessed with Johnson’s Popcorn and Shriver’s Salt Water Taffy, both Jersey Shore classics in their own right.
Sea Isle City (where Jason and Kylie Kelce own a vacay home), Avalon (one of the most expensive ZIP codes in the country) and Stone Harbor also have stunning beachfront areas that are quieter and less touristy.
Of course, the average vacation home price remains well above $1 million in the county, which means the majority of us will have to go the hotel or Airbnb route for that vacation week.
Ocean County came in at No. 12 on the list thanks to its 40 miles of barrier beaches. Among its most popular areas are Long Beach Island, Point Pleasant Beach and Seaside Heights.
LBI has six popular beach towns along its 18 miles of waterfront: Beach Haven, Harvey Cedars, Barnegat Light, Ship Bottom, Long Beach Twp. and Surf City. Lacey Twp., Tuckerton and Stafford Twp. (Manahawkin) also have waterside views. The area is popular with families who love its more relaxed vibe, with lots of fishing, boating and shopping. Annual events include the Hop Sauce Festival and Chowderfest.
More inland, Jackson Twp., which is the largest town in the county and the third largest in the state at 100 square miles, is home to Six Flags Great Adventure plus the Adventure Crossing complex. Toms River and Brick Twp. are also popular areas.
To identify the top U.S. markets for 2024, Pacaso analyzed second home mortgage rate lock data alongside growth trends in pricing and transaction volume. These 20 counties stand out for their significant increases in second-home activity, proportion of second homes to primary homes, and demand for properties priced above $700,000, according to the report.
2024’s Top 20 Vacation Home Markets, according to Pacaso
- Cape May County, NJ
- Gulf County, FL
- Walton County, FL
- Barnstable County, MA
- Collier County, FL
- Coconino County, AZ
- Maui County, HI
- Beaufort County, SC
- New York County, NY
- Newport County, RI
- Washington County, RI
- Ocean County, NJ
- Palm Beach County, FL
- Buncombe County, NC
- Gallatin County, MT
- Washington County, UT
- Nassau County, FL
- Deschutes County, Oregon
- Charleston County, SC
- Cumberland County, ME
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