[19] Upper Township is home to the only yellow fire trucks in Cape May County, a tradition started in 1985 when the Seaville Fire Rescue Company was purchasing a new vehicle and thought that federal regulations would require the color.

[20] Since being formed in 1964 and purchasing its first fire truck a year later, the Seaville company has served the area, responding to over 200 calls a year from its fire station is located on Route 50 across from Dino's Seaville Diner.

[1][2] Strathmere (2010 population of 158) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within Upper Township.

[26][27] Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Beesley's Point, Blackmans Island, Cedar Springs, Corsons Inlet, Formosa, Greenfield, Marmora, Marshallville, Middletown, Miramar, Palermo, Petersburg, Seaville, Steelmantown, Tuckahoe, West Ocean City and Whale Beach.

[28] The township contains many different communities and enclaves that create a diverse area reaching from Great Egg Harbor to the Atlantic Ocean.

[44] As of the 2000 United States census[12] there were 12,115 people, 4,266 households, and 3,365 families residing in the township.

[4][47] At an annual reorganization meeting, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor.

[48][49][50][51][52][53] After Hobie Young resigned from office from a seat expiring in December 2022, Kim Hayes was appointed to fill the vacancy.

[56][57][58] For the 119th United States Congress, New Jersey's 2nd congressional district is represented by Jeff Van Drew (R, Dennis Township).

[60] For the 2024-2025 session, the 1st legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Mike Testa (R, Vineland) and in the General Assembly by Antwan McClellan (R, Ocean City) and Erik K. Simonsen (R, Lower Township).

[61] Cape May County is governed by a five-person Board of County Commissioners whose members are elected at-large on a partisan basis to three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats coming up for election each year; At an annual reorganization held each January, the commissioners select one member to serve as director and another to serve as vice-director.

[62] As of 2025[update], Cape May County's Commissioners are Director Leonard C. Desiderio (R, Sea Isle City, 2027),[63] Robert Barr (R, Ocean City; 2025),[64] Will Morey (R, Wildwood Crest; 2026),[65] Melanie Collette (R. Middle Township; 2026),[66] and Vice-Director Andrew Bulakowski (R, Lower Township; 2025).

[67][62][68] The county's constitutional officers are Clerk Rita Marie Rothberg (R, 2025, Ocean City),[69][70] Sheriff Robert Nolan (R, 2026, Lower Township)[71][72] and Surrogate E. Marie Hayes (R, 2028, Ocean City).

[77][78] In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 57.2% of the vote (4,165 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama, who received 40.9% (2,980 votes), with 7,286 ballots cast among the township's 9,053 registered voters, for a turnout of 80.5%.

[79] In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 61.1% of the vote (4,391 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat John Kerry, who received around 37.6% (2,701 votes), with 7,192 ballots cast among the township's 8,988 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 80.0.

[89] The Upper Township School District serves students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade.

[101] As of 2015[update] about 60% of students in Ocean City High School were from Upper Township.

The township is served by the New Jersey State Police who respond from their barracks in neighboring Woodbine.