08242 ZIP Code — Rio Grande, NJ

Cape May County, New Jersey

ZIP code 08242 is located in Rio Grande, New Jersey, within Cape May County. It covers approximately 4.76 square miles and serves a population of 3,726 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 609.

About ZIP code 08242

The housing stock consists of a higher-than-average concentration of mobile homes. Most homes were built in the 2000s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $314,700. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 74%.

Median household income is $88,853. The poverty rate of 5% is below the national average. 54% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with public administration as the leading industry. The average commute of 18 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 26% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 13% of civilians, above the national average of 7%; and disability rates above the national average at 25%.

Overall, ZIP code 08242 reflects a community defined by a strong veteran community and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

3,726

population

4.76

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

08242 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 08242

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 08242. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Rio Grande	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

08204 Cape May (2.9 mi) 08260 Wildwood (3.1 mi) 08251 Villas (3.2 mi) 08247 Stone Harbor (5.9 mi) 08210 Cape May Court House (7.1 mi) 08202 Avalon (9 mi) 08243 Sea Isle City (13.3 mi) 08314 Delmont (14.4 mi) 08230 Ocean View (15.6 mi) 08324 Heislerville (16.8 mi) 08327 Leesburg (17 mi) 08270 Woodbine (18.9 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	3,726
Population density	783 / sq mi
State FIPS	34
County FIPS	009

Geography
Land area	4.76 sq mi
Water area	0.05 sq mi
Latitude	39.0172
Longitude	-74.8706
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	31.7%	34.9%	30.2%
$50k – $100k	47.0%	31.1%	26.7%
$100k – $200k	14.3%	25.0%	28.3%
Over $200k	6.9%	9.0%	14.8%

Demographics & statistics

3,726

Population

783

People per sq mi

51.8

Median age

$88,853

Median household income

$45,439

Per capita income

$314,700

Median home value

$1,704

Median monthly rent

73.9%

Home ownership

4.7%

Poverty rate

18.0%

Unemployment

1,665

Housing units

26.1%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

126

10–14

134

15–19

20–24

119

25–34

128

241

35–44

257

271

45–54

290

55–59

155

60–64

166

389

65–74

416

127

75–84

136

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	676	18.1%
18 and over	3,050	81.9%
65 and over	1,112	29.8%
Median age	51.8 years

Race & ethnicity

White 58.4%

Hispanic or Latino 14.8%

Other race 10.5%

Two or more races 8.5%

Black or African American 7.3%

Asian 0.5%

Group	Count	%
White	2,554	58.4%
Hispanic or Latino	646	14.8%
Other race	457	10.5%
Two or more races	371	8.5%
Black or African American	320	7.3%
Asian	24	0.5%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	31.7%	34.9%	30.2%
$50k – $100k	47.0%	31.1%	26.7%
$100k – $200k	14.3%	25.0%	28.3%
Over $200k	6.9%	9.0%	14.8%

Under $10k 1.9%

$10k–$15k 2.2%

$15k–$25k 7.1%

$25k–$35k 9.8%

$35k–$50k 12.4%

$50k–$75k 11.9%

$75k–$100k 26.1%

$100k–$150k 17.2%

$150k–$200k 4.0%

$200k+ 7.4%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	1.9%
$10k–$15k	2.2%
$15k–$25k	7.1%
$25k–$35k	9.8%
$35k–$50k	12.4%
$50k–$75k	11.9%
$75k–$100k	26.1%
$100k–$150k	17.2%
$150k–$200k	4.0%
$200k+	7.4%
Median income	$88,853

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 4.2%

$50k–$100k 1.5%

$100k–$150k 4.0%

$150k–$200k 5.7%

$200k–$300k 29.0%

$300k–$500k 51.2%

$500k–$1M 3.2%

$1M+ 1.2%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$314,700
Median rent / month	$1,704
Owner occupied	73.9%
Renter occupied	26.1%
Vacant	17.4%
Single-family detached	50.6%
Large apartment buildings	1.0%
Mobile homes	22.1%
Median rooms	5.9
Avg household size (owned)	2.23

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	2.4%
2010–2019	20.4%
2000–2009	24.5%
1990–1999	2.4%
1980–1989	9.9%
1970–1979	22.6%
1960–1969	9.6%
1950–1959	4.9%
1940–1949	2.6%
1939 or earlier	0.6%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	2.6%
2 bedrooms	28.7%
3 bedrooms	55.9%
4 bedrooms	9.4%
5+ bedrooms	3.3%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	6.6%
1 vehicle	39.5%
2 vehicles	39.2%
3 or more	14.8%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	78.0%
Electricity	8.5%
Propane / LP gas	12.5%
Solar	1.0%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	742	42.3%
Cohabiting couple	119	6.8%
Male householder, no spouse	254	14.5%
Female householder, no spouse	639	36.4%
Households with children under 18	299	17.0%
Households with seniors (65+)	787	44.9%
Average household size	2.10

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	33.3%	17.7%
Married	54.6%	49.6%
Separated	3.4%	0.0%
Widowed	4.6%	11.9%
Divorced	4.1%	20.8%

Education

Less than 9th grade 3.2%

Some HS, no diploma 9.1%

HS graduate 34.2%

Some college, no degree 22.9%

Associate's degree 4.5%

Bachelor's degree 10.6%

Graduate / professional 15.5%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	87.7%
Bachelor's or higher	26.1%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	0	0.0%
Kindergarten	80	13.2%
Elementary school	332	54.6%
High school	148	24.3%
College / grad school	48	7.9%

Employment

Industry of employment

Public administration 20.6%

Construction 20.1%

Arts, food & hospitality 16.0%

Professional & management 12.7%

Education & healthcare 10.3%

Retail trade 8.8%

Other services 4.3%

Transportation & utilities 2.6%

Finance & real estate 2.5%

Information 1.5%

Manufacturing 0.8%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	39.8%
Service	25.0%
Sales & office	12.2%
Natural resources & construction	19.6%
Production & transportation	3.5%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	57.5%
Government	35.9%
Self-employed	6.5%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	79.6%
Carpool	3.9%
Public transit	0.6%
Walk	7.1%
Work from home	3.9%
Other means	5.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	17.8

Poverty

All people 4.7%

Under 18 years 0.0%

18 and over 5.7%

Married-couple families 2.3%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	53.5%
Retirement income	42.9%
Supplemental Security	14.8%
Cash public assistance	3.2%
Food stamps / SNAP	10.6%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	32.9%
High blood pressure	0.0%
High cholesterol	0.0%
Diabetes	12.3%
Heart disease	8.8%
Stroke	4.1%
Asthma	10.7%
Arthritis	28.2%
Kidney disease	3.6%
Pulmonary disease	9.5%
Cancer	7.6%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	19.4%
Binge drinking	16.9%
No physical activity	26.1%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	33.7%
Depression	19.7%
Fair or poor health	17.5%
Poor mental health	15.6%
Poor physical health	12.3%
No health insurance	15.5%
Visited doctor (checkup)	77.9%
Visited dentist	59.1%
Cholesterol screening	0.0%
Teeth loss	16.2%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	403	13.2%

Disability	%
Any disability	25.3%
Under 18	16.4%
18–64 years	27.0%
65 and over	27.8%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	56.7%
Public insurance	66.1%
No insurance	12.2%
Uninsured under 19	3.8%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	3,610	96.9%
Spanish	249	6.9%
Other Indo-European	249	6.9%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	3,538	95.0%
Born in same state	3,197	85.8%
Born in different state	1,749	46.9%
Foreign born	341	9.2%
Naturalized citizen	188	5.0%
Not a US citizen	65	34.6%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	905	24.3%
French	474	12.7%
Arab	145	3.9%

Ancestry	Count	%
Irish	48	1.3%
English	16	0.4%
Norwegian	7	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	47.1%
Internet access	93.8%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 08242

What city is ZIP code 08242 in?

ZIP code 08242 is primarily assigned to Rio Grande, New Jersey.

What county is ZIP code 08242 in?

ZIP code 08242 falls within Cape May County, New Jersey.

Does ZIP code 08242 have an older population?

30% of residents in ZIP code 08242 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 08242 have a large retiree population?

54% of households in ZIP code 08242 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Does ZIP code 08242 have a large veteran population?

13% of civilians in ZIP code 08242 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 08242?

The median home value in ZIP code 08242 is $314,700.

What timezone is ZIP code 08242 in?

ZIP code 08242 observes the EST timezone.