Erma is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

and

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...

(CDP) located within Lower Township in

Cape May County Cape May County is the southernmost county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Much of the county is located on Cape May bound by Delaware Bay to its west and the Atlantic Ocean to its south and east. Adjacent to the Atlantic coastline are fiv ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

, United States. As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

, the CDP's population was 2,031, a decline of 103 from the 2010 census count of 2,134.DP-1 - Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data for Erma CDP, New Jersey
,

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

. Accessed October 18, 2012.

Geography

According to the

, the CDP had a total area of 3.360 square miles (8.702 km²), including 3.260 square miles (8.443 km²) of land and 0.100 square miles (0.258 km²) of water (2.97%).US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990

. Accessed September 4, 2014.

Demographics

Census 2010

Census 2000

As of the

2000 United States census The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 ce ...

of 2000, there were 2,088 people, 751 households, and 561 families living in the CDP. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was 240.7/km² (623.3/mi²). There were 846 housing units at an average density of 97.5/km² (252.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 97.22%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 0.48%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.05% Native American, 1.05%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.48% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 0.72% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 1.68% of the population.DP-1 - Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 from the Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Erma CDP, New Jersey
,

. Accessed October 18, 2012. There were 751 households, out of which 38.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.7% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.2% were non-families. 20.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.24. In the CDP the population was spread out, with 28.4% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.6 males. The median income for a household in the CDP was $64,261, and the median income for a family was $69,063. Males had a median income of $45,694 versus $21,923 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the CDP was $20,765. About 1.8% of families and 3.9% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 4.9% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

The main transportation route for Erma is

U.S. Route 9 U.S. Route 9 (US 9) is a north–south United States highway in the states of Delaware, New Jersey, and New York in the Northeastern United States. It is one of only two U.S. Highways with a ferry connection (the Cape May–Lewes Ferry, between ...

. The

Cape May Airport Cape May Airport or Cape May County Airport is a public use airport in Lower Township, Cape May County, New Jersey, United States. Owned by the Delaware River and Bay Authority, the airport is four nautical miles (7 km) northwest o ...

is located in Lower Township, and has an Erma postal address though it is not in the CDP. - The airport is not in the CDP as per the physical location.

Government and infrastructure

The Lower Township Police Department station has an Erma address but is outside of the CDP.

Education

As with other parts of Lower Township, it is served by

Lower Township School District The Lower Township School District is a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade from Lower Township, in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020–21 school ...

for primary grades and

Lower Cape May Regional School District The Lower Cape May Regional School District (LCMR School District) is regional public school district headquartered in Lower Township, New Jersey, United States, that serves students in seventh through twelfth grades through from four communiti ...

(LCMR) for secondary grades; the latter operates Teitelman Middle School and

Lower Cape May Regional High School The Lower Cape May Regional High School (LCMRHS) is a four-year comprehensive public high school located in Lower Township, in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Lower Cape May Regional School District. LCMRHS ...

. The LCMR district describes its facilities as being in Erma; the schools and district headquarters are not in the census-designated place. The ''

Cape May County Herald The ''Cape May County Herald'' is the flagship of the Herald family of community weekly newspapers and publications. Its offices are in Rio Grande census-designated place in Middle Township, New Jersey. - See also: Also identical in the 1990 U. ...

'', and the ''

Press of Atlantic City ''The Press of Atlantic City'' is the fourth-largest daily newspaper in New Jersey. Originally based in Pleasantville, it is the primary newspaper for southeastern New Jersey and the Jersey Shore. The newspaper designated market runs from Ware ...

'' describe the school complex as being in Erma. The elementary schools are in as follows: David C. Douglass Memorial Elementary School (pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten) is in Villas CDP. The other three elementary schools are in Cold Spring: Carl T. Mitnick (grades 1-2), Maud Abrams (grades 3-4), and Sandman Consolidated (grades 5-6). Students are also eligible to attend

Cape May County Technical High School Cape May County Technical High School, located in Middle Township, which provides vocational and technical education to students in ninth through twelfth grades from Cape May County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Cape May ...

in the Cape May Court House area, which serves students from the entire county in its comprehensive and vocational programs, which are offered without charge to students who are county residents. Special needs students may be referred to

Cape May County Special Services School District The Cape May County Special Services School District (CMCSSSD) is a special education public school district headquartered in Middle Township, in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States, whose schools offer educational and therapeutic services ...

in the Cape May Court House area.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Erma include: *

Charles W. Sandman Jr. Charles William Sandman Jr. (October 23, 1921 – August 26, 1985) was an American Republican Party politician who represented Cape May County in the New Jersey Senate from 1954 to 1966 and represented southern New Jersey in the United States H ...

(1921-1985), represented from 1967 to 1975. *

Matt Szczur Matthew Francis Szczur (; born July 20, 1989) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut with the Chicago Cubs in 2014 and also played for the San Diego Padres. Prior to his pro baseball ...

(born 1989), professional baseball player.Caldwell, Dave
"Two Sports, One Big Choice"
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', December 16, 2010. Accessed October 20, 2016. "Szczur, a senior from Erma, N.J., gained attention late in the 2009 season after the National Marrow Donor Program determined that his bone marrow was a match for a 13-month-old girl with juvenile leukemia."

References

External links

The Cape May Gazette Newspaper serving Erma

Erma Tabernacle: A United Methodist Church serving Lower Township NJ
{{Cape May County, New Jersey Census-designated places in Cape May County, New Jersey Lower Township, New Jersey