Wildwood Crest to Double Metered Parking Rates to $3 per Hour in 2027

Starting next summer, visitors heading to Wildwood Crest, New Jersey, will pay more to park their cars near the sand.

Borough commissioners recently finalized a decision to double hourly parking rates, moving the cost from $1.50 to $3 per hour beginning in the 2027 season.

The change, enacted through the adoption of Ordinance No. 1500 on November 3, marks the first time the borough has adjusted its meter fees since 2009. The town has long provided free beach access, but the move changes how the municipality funds its peak tourism season, which runs annually from May 15 through September 30.

Mayor Don Cabrera explained that the hike is intended to generate necessary revenue for the borough while bringing Wildwood Crest into alignment with neighboring Shore communities that have already adjusted their own pricing structures, as he detailed in an email to CBS News Philadelphia.

While the $3-an-hour rate may seem like a sharp jump, it actually places the Crest at the lower end of the pricing spectrum for the Wildwoods; North Wildwood charges $3 to $5 an hour depending on the block.

The economic reality of the increase is more nuanced than a simple doubling of the price. While the nominal fee is rising by 100%, federal data provides a different lens on the change. According to Bureau of Labor Statistics figures for September 2026, the cost of goods and services has risen by approximately 57% since 2009.

This means the original $1.50 rate would be worth roughly $2.36 in today’s purchasing power. The new $3 rate, therefore, sits about 27% higher than what would be required to keep pace with standard inflation alone.

The Financial Stakes for Beachgoers

For the average family planning a day trip, the parking meter is often the only direct cost of their visit, given that the beaches in the Crest remain free of access tags.

Because the borough’s parking code limits any single stay to a maximum of eight hours, the daily cost for a vehicle will climb from a $12 maximum to $24 next summer. Over the course of a full week, that shift turns an $84 expense into a $168 one for those who choose to park at a meter.

The borough expects the change to increase revenue, though the exact impact depends on driver behavior. In 2025, metered parking generated $472,772.89 in revenue, slightly exceeding the $450,000 the borough had anticipated, according to data from the 2026 adopted budget. The Borough of Wildwood Crest Finance Department, which manages these collections, had set its 2026 expectations at $468,000 before the rate hike was approved.

Jersey Shore Towns Face Backlash over Parking Monetization

Wildwood Crest is not an outlier in its desire to tap into parking as a revenue stream. The broader Jersey Shore region has seen a series of similar, sometimes contentious, efforts to monetize public space.

Lower Township, for instance, attempted to implement a paid parking program for the Diamond Beach area in March 2026, only to scrap the plan entirely following vocal backlash from local residents. The township council formally repealed the initiative in May 2026.

The decision in Wildwood Crest also creates a potential side effect for residential streets. As drivers look to avoid the new $3-an-hour fees, there is a distinct possibility that more traffic will spill over into unmetered areas, a phenomenon observed in other Shore towns like North Wildwood.

For now, the borough has opted to maintain its existing footprint of meters rather than expanding into new zones, and streets that are currently free will remain that way.

The Wildwoods sign and giant beach balls on the beach in Wildwood — Photo: snjtoday.com

The new ordinance does, however, simplify the digital experience for drivers by consolidating the borough’s various paid parking zones into one. This ensures that the ParkMobile app will function uniformly across all metered spots in town, allowing visitors to manage their time remotely while on the beach.

While the borough has not yet issued updated guidance on season parking permits—which were priced at $250 or $100 depending on the time of purchase in the 2026 season—officials advise those interested to check with Borough Hall before the 2027 season begins.