Forked River is a somewhat small coastal town (i.e. on the ocean, a bay, or inlet) located in the state of New Jersey. With a population of 5,274 people and five associated neighborhoods, Forked River is the 306th largest community in New Jersey. Housing costs in Forked River are among some of the highest in the nation, although real estate prices here don't compare to real estate prices in the most expensive communities in New Jersey.Unlike some towns where white-collar or blue-collar occupations dominate the local economy, Forked River is neither predominantly one nor the other. Instead, it has a mixed workforce of both white- and blue-collar jobs. Overall, Forked River is a town of sales and office workers, professionals, and managers. There are especially a lot of people living in Forked River who work in office and administrative support (14.87%), management occupations (12.79%), and sales jobs (8.60%). Also of interest is that Forked River has more people living here who work in computers and math than 95% of the places in the US. A relatively large number of people in Forked River telecommute to their jobs. Overall, about 11.28% of the workforce works from home. While this may seem like a small number, as a fraction of the total workforce it ranks among the highest in the country. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes. Forked River is a good choice for families with children because of several factors. Many other families with children live here, making it a place where both parents and children are more likely to develop social ties with other families. The town’s good public school district and large population of college-educated adults provide an environment conducive to academic success. Many people own their own single-family homes, providing areas for children to play and stability in the community. Finally, Forked River’s overall crime rate is lower than average for the country. One of the nice things about Forked River is that it is nautical, which means that parts of it are somewhat historic and touch the ocean or tidal bodies of water, such as inlets and bays. Because of this, visitors and locals will often go to these areas to take in the scenery or to enjoy waterfront activities. The population of Forked River overall has a level of education that is slightly above the US average for all US cities and towns of 21.84%. Of adults 25 and older in Forked River, 24.43% have at least a bachelor's degree. The per capita income in Forked River in 2022 was $48,101, which is lower middle income relative to New Jersey, and wealthy relative to the rest of the US. This equates to an annual income of $192,404 for a family of four. However, Forked River contains both very wealthy and poor people as well. Forked River is a somewhat ethnically-diverse town. The people who call Forked River home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Forked River residents report their race to be White, followed by Asian. Forked River also has a sizeable Hispanic population (people of Hispanic origin can be of any race). People of Hispanic or Latino origin account for 13.79% of the town’s residents. Important ancestries of people in Forked River include Italian, Irish, German, Polish, and Brazilian. The most common language spoken in Forked River is English. Other important languages spoken here include Polish and Spanish.
