Children born between 2016 and 2024 in some Cape May County ZIP codes qualify for a $250 deposit into their Trump Accounts from Michael and Susan Dell. The deposits were scheduled to finish Friday, Oct. 9, and families can check their child's account early next week.
The Dells committed $6.25 billion through their foundation in December 2025 to give $250 to 25 million children. Michael Dell is the founder and CEO of Dell Technologies.
How ZIP codes were chosen
The deposit is based on where a child lives, not on the family's own income. According to the program's FAQ, deposits started in the lowest-income ZIP codes and moved up until 25 million children were covered. The cutoff landed at a median family income of about $118,000, using U.S. Census Bureau figures from the 2020–2024 American Community Survey.
That is lower than the $150,000 limit the Dells announced in December. At the time, families had to sign up for Trump Accounts. After the Treasury Department automatically enrolled about 70 million children on Oct. 1, many more children were eligible, and the $6.25 billion stayed the same.
Children whose families claimed a Trump Account or filed Form 4547 before Oct. 1 remain eligible under the earlier rules and don't need to do anything.
Median family income is not the same as the median household income that shows up in most online searches. The program uses family income.
A child also needs a valid Social Security number. Children who live on military bases qualify in any ZIP code. Money has been set aside for children in foster care, with those deposits expected next year.
ZIP codes that qualify
Median family income, 2020–2024:
- 08251 Villas: $92,250
- 08242 Rio Grande: $94,167
- 08260 Wildwood: $105,182
- 08204 Cape May: $108,712
- 08210 Cape May Court House: $109,609
- 08270 Woodbine: $111,367
ZIP codes over the cutoff
- 08243 Sea Isle City: $124,896
- 08226 Ocean City: $130,556
- 08230 Ocean View: $134,464
- 08248 Strathmere: $135,179
- 08223 Marmora: $138,594
- 08202 Avalon: $167,303
- 08247 Stone Harbor: $232,500
ZIP codes with no Census figure
The Census Bureau publishes no median family income for Cape May Point (08212), South Dennis (08245) or South Seaville (08246). It has no ZIP area at all for Dennisville (08214), Tuckahoe (08250) or Whitesboro (08252). Families in those ZIP codes should check their child's account to see whether the $250 arrived.
A Trump Account is not the same as the $250
About 70 million children under 18 have Trump Accounts, including many in ZIP codes that didn't get the Dell deposit. An account can also hold the federal contribution for eligible newborns and money from family members and employers. Contributions are capped at $5,000 a year, and children take ownership of the money at 18.
At a White House event on Oct. 7, Michael Dell said 10 million accounts had been funded that morning. "If you have a child under 18 with a social security number you should claim your account," he said.
"Please claim your child's account," Susan Dell said. "These accounts are ready and they're waiting for you and they have money in them."
Parents and guardians can claim the account, check its balance and manage it on the official Trump Accounts website or app.
A Cape May Court House (08210) resident told Cape May Scanner that after signing up, their child's account showed a pending $250 "gift."