08731 ZIP Code — Forked River, NJ

Ocean County, New Jersey

ZIP code 08731 is located in Forked River, New Jersey, within Ocean County. It covers approximately 78.12 square miles and serves a population of 21,164 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 609.

About ZIP code 08731

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $330,600. Owner-occupancy is high at 85%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($91,815) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. The poverty rate of 4% is below the national average. 42% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 33 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 30% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Overall, ZIP code 08731 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

21,164

population

78.12

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

08731 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 08731

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 08731. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Forked River	Acceptable
Forked River	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

08758 Waretown (3.9 mi) 08005 Barnegat (4.2 mi) 08721 Bayville (4.3 mi) 08734 Lanoka Harbor (5.1 mi) 08722 Beachwood (6 mi) 08741 Pine Beach (7.4 mi) 08757 Toms River (7.6 mi) 08759 Manchester Township (8.5 mi) 08752 Seaside Park (10.2 mi) 08755 Toms River (10.4 mi) 08753 Toms River (10.5 mi) 08050 Manahawkin (10.6 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	21,164
Population density	271 / sq mi
State FIPS	34
County FIPS	029

Geography
Land area	78.12 sq mi
Water area	2.23 sq mi
Latitude	39.8578
Longitude	-74.2665
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	609

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	28.1%	34.9%	30.2%
$50k – $100k	34.0%	29.9%	26.7%
$100k – $200k	28.2%	26.6%	28.3%
Over $200k	9.7%	8.6%	14.8%

Demographics & statistics

21,164

Population

271

People per sq mi

45.6

Median age

$91,815

Median household income

$47,670

Per capita income

$330,600

Median home value

$2,016

Median monthly rent

84.6%

Home ownership

4.4%

Poverty rate

5.2%

Unemployment

8,169

Housing units

29.5%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

602

Under 5

617

359

5–9

368

537

10–14

550

704

15–19

721

695

20–24

711

1,241

25–34

1,271

982

35–44

1,006

1,572

45–54

1,608

651

55–59

666

811

60–64

830

1,414

65–74

1,448

606

75–84

621

283

85+

290

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	3,890	18.4%
18 and over	17,274	81.6%
65 and over	4,662	22.0%
Median age	45.6 years

Race & ethnicity

White 85.7%

Hispanic or Latino 5.4%

Two or more races 4.7%

Other race 2%

Black or African American 1.3%

Asian 0.6%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%

Group	Count	%
White	19,170	85.7%
Hispanic or Latino	1,207	5.4%
Two or more races	1,054	4.7%
Other race	437	2%
Black or African American	284	1.3%
Asian	132	0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	87	0.4%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	28.1%	34.9%	30.2%
$50k – $100k	34.0%	29.9%	26.7%
$100k – $200k	28.2%	26.6%	28.3%
Over $200k	9.7%	8.6%	14.8%

Under $10k 2.7%

$10k–$15k 1.5%

$15k–$25k 4.5%

$25k–$35k 3.7%

$35k–$50k 6.9%

$50k–$75k 19.2%

$75k–$100k 15.6%

$100k–$150k 24.6%

$150k–$200k 10.6%

$200k+ 10.7%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	2.7%
$10k–$15k	1.5%
$15k–$25k	4.5%
$25k–$35k	3.7%
$35k–$50k	6.9%
$50k–$75k	19.2%
$75k–$100k	15.6%
$100k–$150k	24.6%
$150k–$200k	10.6%
$200k+	10.7%
Median income	$91,815

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 6.4%

$50k–$100k 1.1%

$100k–$150k 1.2%

$150k–$200k 4.9%

$200k–$300k 29.0%

$300k–$500k 38.5%

$500k–$1M 17.9%

$1M+ 1.1%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$330,600
Median rent / month	$2,016
Owner occupied	84.6%
Renter occupied	15.4%
Vacant	10.7%
Single-family detached	96.7%
Large apartment buildings	1.2%
Mobile homes	0.0%
Median rooms	6.1
Avg household size (owned)	2.47

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	6.0%
2000–2009	10.0%
1990–1999	9.8%
1980–1989	24.7%
1970–1979	31.0%
1960–1969	10.4%
1950–1959	5.8%
1940–1949	1.0%
1939 or earlier	1.4%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	3.3%
2 bedrooms	21.3%
3 bedrooms	50.8%
4 bedrooms	20.9%
5+ bedrooms	3.7%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	3.4%
1 vehicle	25.7%
2 vehicles	39.3%
3 or more	31.6%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	87.6%
Electricity	7.3%
Propane / LP gas	1.3%
Fuel oil	1.7%
Wood	0.7%
Solar	0.5%
No fuel used	0.8%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	4,514	53.4%
Cohabiting couple	425	5.0%
Male householder, no spouse	1,303	15.4%
Female householder, no spouse	2,212	26.2%
Households with children under 18	2,074	24.5%
Households with seniors (65+)	3,476	41.1%
Average household size	2.50

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	33.7%	25.2%
Married	52.6%	49.9%
Separated	1.2%	1.1%
Widowed	4.5%	10.2%
Divorced	8.0%	13.7%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.7%

Some HS, no diploma 4.5%

HS graduate 33.3%

Some college, no degree 18.8%

Associate's degree 11.1%

Bachelor's degree 21.8%

Graduate / professional 7.8%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	92.7%
Bachelor's or higher	29.5%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	143	3.1%
Kindergarten	80	1.7%
Elementary school	1,642	35.0%
High school	1,252	26.7%
College / grad school	1,571	33.5%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 29.0%

Professional & management 12.7%

Retail trade 11.8%

Construction 9.6%

Arts, food & hospitality 7.0%

Public administration 5.6%

Finance & real estate 5.3%

Other services 5.2%

Manufacturing 4.6%

Transportation & utilities 4.5%

Wholesale trade 2.5%

Information 1.7%

Agriculture & mining 0.5%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	38.1%
Service	16.6%
Sales & office	22.2%
Natural resources & construction	13.6%
Production & transportation	9.6%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	74.6%
Government	20.9%
Self-employed	4.4%
Unpaid family workers	0.1%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	77.6%
Carpool	7.3%
Public transit	1.0%
Walk	1.0%
Work from home	11.7%
Other means	1.3%
Avg commute (minutes)	32.6

Poverty

All people 4.4%

Under 18 years 1.5%

18 and over 5.0%

Married-couple families 0.5%

Female-led households 8.8%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	42.3%
Retirement income	33.0%
Supplemental Security	2.6%
Cash public assistance	1.1%
Food stamps / SNAP	0.9%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	30.8%
High blood pressure	0.0%
High cholesterol	0.0%
Diabetes	8.7%
Heart disease	6.3%
Stroke	2.8%
Asthma	10.3%
Arthritis	24.6%
Kidney disease	2.7%
Pulmonary disease	6.3%
Cancer	7.1%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	15.7%
Binge drinking	17.9%
No physical activity	19.7%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	35.1%
Depression	19.2%
Fair or poor health	11.5%
Poor mental health	14.4%
Poor physical health	9.2%
No health insurance	11.6%
Visited doctor (checkup)	76.8%
Visited dentist	67.0%
Cholesterol screening	0.0%
Teeth loss	11.4%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,126	6.5%

Disability	%
Any disability	13.1%
Under 18	2.7%
18–64 years	10.1%
65 and over	30.0%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	81.6%
Public insurance	32.3%
No insurance	4.3%
Uninsured under 19	2.4%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	19,945	94.2%
Spanish	339	1.7%
Other Indo-European	113	0.6%
Asian & Pacific Islander	133	0.7%
Other languages	75	0.4%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	19,803	93.6%
Born in same state	19,616	92.7%
Born in different state	16,179	76.4%
Foreign born	187	0.9%
Naturalized citizen	1,361	6.4%
Not a US citizen	958	70.4%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	5,041	23.8%
French	1,956	9.2%
Arab	843	4%
Irish	293	1.4%
Polish	269	1.3%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	165	0.8%
Norwegian	116	0.5%
Dutch	98	0.5%
German	53	0.3%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	39.9%
Internet access	95.8%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 08731

What city is ZIP code 08731 in?

ZIP code 08731 is primarily assigned to Forked River, New Jersey.

What county is ZIP code 08731 in?

ZIP code 08731 falls within Ocean County, New Jersey.

Is ZIP code 08731 mostly owner-occupied?

85% of occupied units in ZIP code 08731 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 08731 have a large retiree population?

42% of households in ZIP code 08731 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 08731?

The median home value in ZIP code 08731 is $330,600.

What is the population of ZIP code 08731?

ZIP code 08731 has an estimated population of 21,164 residents, with a density of 271 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 08731 in?

ZIP code 08731 observes the EST timezone.