PlainZIP

Forked River, NJ · standard

ZIP Code 08731

Ocean County, New Jersey - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

20,009
162/sq mi
$98,582
Median income
$404,200
Median home value
33.9%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Forked River pairs an upper-quartile household income with upper-quartile home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

Top 20%
household income, US ZIPs
Top 20%
home value, US ZIPs
162
people per sq mi
87%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 08731 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 08731 is a densely settled ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Forked River, Ocean County, New Jersey, with 20,009 residents across 123.8 square miles, a density of 162 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 08731 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $98,582 (19% below the New Jersey average), while per-capita income is $48,139. Local economic indicators show a 6.2% poverty rate alongside 6.2% unemployment. On housing, the median home value is $404,200 (22% below the state average) with median rent at $2,070 per month, and 86.6% of occupied units are owner-occupied.

A solid share of residents have a four-year degree: 33.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 47.2, and the average commute is 33 minutes. Beyond these figures, 10 nearby ZIP codes within about 10 miles are surfaced below, along with 6 more sharing Ocean County, letting you compare 08731 to its immediate surroundings rather than a national baseline alone.

Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →

Top industries in ZIP 08731

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Forked River, NJ

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 08731.

establishments

What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 08731, Forked River, NJ · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.

Quick Facts

20,009

Population

123.8

Area (sq mi)

162

People / sq mi

New York

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard
Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.
View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 08731?

47.2

Median Age

48.2%

Male

51.8%

Female

4.9%

Foreign-Born

White 88.7%
African American 0.8%
Asian 0.6%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 7.5%
Hispanic or Latino 15.2%

Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How much do residents earn?

$98,582

Median Household Income

-19% vs state

$48,139

Per Capita Income

6.2%

Poverty Rate

6.2%

Unemployment Rate

32.5 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 08731 ranks nationally

Forked River, NJ household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income, the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$98,582 Top 20% higher than 80% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). This entry sits in this band. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What is the education profile here?

High School Graduate or Higher 68.0%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 33.9%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

9,719

Total Housing Units

8,656

Occupied Units

1,063

Vacant Units

2.49

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 86.6%
Renter 13.4%

$404,200

Median Home Value

-22% vs state

$2,070

Median Rent

1981

Median Year Built

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How have home values changed over time?

FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals

+7.1%

YoY Change (2024)

310

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+210%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 08731 have increased 7.1% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +210% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 +7.0% 189
2021 +15.9% 219
2022 +17.7% 258
2023 +12.1% 289
2024 +7.1% 310

Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 463 business establishments in ZIP 08731, employing approximately 3,911 people with a combined annual payroll of $158,686,000.

463

Businesses

3,911

Employees

$158.7M

Annual Payroll

16

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Construction 78 16.9%
Health care and social assistance 69 14.9%
Other services (except public administration) 56 12.1%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 49 10.6%
Accommodation and food services 45 9.7%
Retail trade 43 9.3%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 28 6.0%
Finance and insurance 17 3.7%
Transportation and warehousing 16 3.5%
Wholesale trade 15 3.2%
Manufacturing 12 2.6%
Real estate and rental and leasing 12 2.6%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 6 1.3%
Utilities 5 1.1%
Educational services 4 0.9%
Information 3 0.7%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.

Nearby ZIP Codes

Want a side-by-side? Compare 08731 vs 08757 →

ZIP 08731 vs its nearest neighbors, by population

Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 08731 ranks #6 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 08731 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

median income

What this shows By household income, ZIP 08731 ranks #5 of 9 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
08757 Toms River, NJ 33,217 5.8 mi
08734 Lanoka Harbor, NJ 7,651 5.3 mi
08758 Waretown, NJ 7,043 5.5 mi
08722 Beachwood, NJ 11,045 5.8 mi
08005 Barnegat, NJ 22,448 7.2 mi
08721 Bayville, NJ 20,512 6.7 mi
08741 Pine Beach, NJ 2,488 7.5 mi
08755 Toms River, NJ 25,302 10.5 mi
08740 Ocean Gate, NJ 2,010 8.5 mi
08759 Manchester Township, NJ 33,263 9.2 mi

More ZIP Codes in Ocean County

08701 standard
Lakewood, NJ
Pop: 92,843
08753 standard
Toms River, NJ
Pop: 63,678
08527 standard
Jackson, NJ
Pop: 54,392
08724 standard
Brick, NJ
Pop: 42,352
08759 standard
Manchester Township, NJ
Pop: 33,263
08757 standard
Toms River, NJ
Pop: 33,217

Related Areas

Ocean County Forked River, NJ New Jersey

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 08731 in? ▼
ZIP code 08731 (Forked River) is located in Ocean County, New Jersey. Ocean County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/ocean-nj.
What is the population of ZIP code 08731? ▼
ZIP code 08731 in Forked River, NJ has a population of 20,009 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 08731? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 08731 is $98,582, which is 29% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 08731? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 08731 is $404,200, which is 45% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 08731? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 08731 is White at 88.7%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 15.2% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 08731? ▼
ZIP code 08731 has 463 business establishments employing approximately 3,911 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 08731? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 08731 are: Construction (78), Health care and social assistance (69), Other services (except public administration) (56). There are 16 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 08731? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 08731 increased by 7.1% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 210%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
What is the education level in ZIP code 08731? ▼
In ZIP code 08731, 68.0% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 33.9% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 08731? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 08731 is 32.5 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend more time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 08731? ▼
In ZIP code 08731, approximately 86.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 13.4% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 08731? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 08731 is 6.2% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.