Forked River 62 Average
Forked River Livability #458 ranked city in New Jersey#16,918 ranked city in the USARanks better than 42% of areas
Is This the Right Place for You? Local Insights Report
  • Uncover the key details before you move
  • Use local data to guide a smarter investment
  • Compare neighborhoods side by side
Local Insights Report

Pros and Cons of Living in Forked River

PROS
  • Crime Crime

    The crime rate is far lower than the national average per 100,000 residents. As such, it should be considered a very safe place to live when compared to other areas.

  • Employment Employment

    This area excels in the employment category with a score well above average, primarily due to the higher median home income, per capita income and low unemployment rates.

  • Housing Housing

    High scores in the housing category are attributed to this area, possibly pointing to a favorable home affordability ratio, robust appreciation rates or elevated home values.

  • Ratings Ratings

    Locals express favorable opinions about the proximity of everyday local amenities, parks, public transit, neighborly atmosphere, strong sense of community and the general safety of the area.

CONS
  • Amenities Amenities

    A large portion of amenities are not ideally situated within walking distance, potentially requiring residents to utilize a vehicle or public transportation.

  • Commute Commute

    Access to public transportation in this particular area may be limited, which can result in longer-than-average commute times to reach workplaces.

  • Cost Of Living Cost Of Living

    The cost of living in this area is notably high, making it a more expensive place to live. You'll find higher expenses for everyday goods and services, housing and groceries.

  • Health & Safety Health & Safety

    A low health and safety score may be attributed to factors such as subpar air quality and the unavailability of certain health-related facilities like hospitals, clinics, doctors and pharmacies.

What's it like Living in Forked River?

Forked River, New Jersey is a small-sized city with a population of 5,184 inhabitants. If we look at the most recent Census, Forked River is known to have a predominantly White population. The next two most common races are Asian and Black. When traveling to work, spending unnecessary time in your vehicle is not ideal and downright frustrating. Across all of America, the average one way commute time is 26 minutes, unfortunately, living in Forked River offers up a higher than average one way commute time of 35 minutes.

Whether you’re moving to a new area to be closer to family, friends or for a new job, living in Forked River could be a positive experience compared to other cities in New Jersey if you know where to look. Don't forget to determine what matters most to you in a neighborhood. Consider factors such as safety, proximity to work or school, access to amenities (like parks, fitness facilities, grocery stores, restaurants), public transportation options, community atmosphere and the overall vibe you're looking for. Using the livability score which includes data from categories like commute, health & safety, education, employment, housing, you can easily compare the best places to live in Forked River and also determine if there are any nearby cities that might be a better match for your lifestyle. You can also compare Forked River to New Jersey and the national average.

Forked River has a livability score of 63 out of 100 and is ranked #422 in New Jersey and #14,374 in the USA. If we dig down a little deeper into each category within the livability score, we see that Forked River has higher than average rankings for the following: crime (A+), employment (A-) and housing (A+). On a more negative note, Forked River does not have favorable ranks for the following: amenities (F) and cost of living (F). If we take a look at the data, we can find out why.

The Forked River unemployment rate of 2.6% has continued to decrease over the years and is now well below the national average. The result could lead to reduced poverty and inequality in the area, higher wages and increased economic growth. This is a positive sign in the overall health of the local economy.

A healthy real estate market serves as a key economic indicator. It could signify overall local economic strength, stability and reflects consumer confidence in the area. Based on multiple factors including: median home and rental prices, appreciation rates and home affordability, Forked River has received high marks in the housing category. Based on these calculations, the apartment rental and real estate market appears to be very healthy.

Certain items on your wish list like shopping, restaurants, nightlife, parks and proximity to public transportation are all important things to look for. Having said that, perhaps the most important metric to consider when contemplating a move to Forked River is real estate affordability. The median home price for Forked River homes is $558,079, which is 0.5% higher than the New Jersey average. If we take a closer look at the affordability of homes in Forked River, we’ll see that the home price to income ratio is 5.3, which is 3.9% higher than the New Jersey average.

Best Places to Live in and Around Forked River

See all the best places to live around Forked River

How Do You Rate The Livability In Forked River?

1. Select a livability score between 1-100
0
Awful
25
Poor
50
Average
75
Good
100
Great
2. Select any tags that apply to this area
View results

Compare Forked River, NJ Livability

City Image
    City Default Image
      vs
      Compare Neighborhoods & Addresses Local Insights Report

      Why stop at city-to-city? With Local Insights, you can compare neighborhoods, zip codes, or even exact addresses. Access 300+ hyperlocal data points—from schools and crime to housing and amenities—to see which area is the better fit.

      Local Insights Report

      Forked River transportation information

      Statistic Forked River New Jersey National
      Average one way commute35min31min26min
      Workers who drive to work83.8%71.7%76.4%
      Workers who carpool6.8%8.1%9.3%
      Workers who take public transit0.7%11.2%5.1%
      Workers who bicycle0.8%0.3%0.6%
      Workers who walk1.6%3.0%2.8%
      Working from home5.6%4.1%4.6%
      Source: The Forked River, NJ data and statistics displayed above are derived from the United States Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) and include 2026 modeled data developed using proprietary methodologies.