Country United States County Ocean Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) Elevation 0 cm Zip code 08731 Area code Area code 609 | State New Jersey Township Lacey FIPS code 3476107 Area 26.77 km² Population 4,914 (2000) | |
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Restaurants Forked River Diner, Captain's Inn, Il Giardino Sul Mare Restaurant, Latitudes On The River, Kate and Ally's Bistro and Cater | ||
Forked River (pronounced fork'id ri'ver) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within Lacey Township, in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the CDP's population was 5,244.
Contents
- Map of Forked River Lacey Township NJ USA
- Geography
- Census 2010
- Census 2000
- In the news
- Transportation
- Notable people
- References
Map of Forked River, Lacey Township, NJ, USA
Many Ocean County residents commonly refer to all of Lacey Township as Forked River with the first word pronounced with two syllables (FOR-ked or FORK-ed). Pronouncing the first word with one syllable (forkt, which is the standard American pronunciation) is a sign of a new resident or outsider.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP had a total area of 10.336 square miles (26.768 km2), including 2.723 square miles (7.052 km2) of land and 7.613 square miles (19.717 km2) of water (73.66%).
Forked River is located on US Route 9 south of Toms River. The communities of Lanoka Harbor is directly north of Forked River, Bamber Lake is to the west, Barnegat is to the southwest, and Waretown is to the south.
Nearby Forked River is a river that empties into Barnegat Bay.
Census 2010
The 2010 United States Census counted 5,244 people, 2,077 households, and 1,429 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 1,926.1 per square mile (743.7/km2). The CDP contained 2,610 housing units at an average density of 958.6 per square mile (370.1/km2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 95.58% (5,012) White, 0.74% (39) Black or African American, 0.23% (12) Native American, 0.61% (32) Asian, 0.10% (5) Pacific Islander, 1.66% (87) from other races, and 1.09% (57) from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 6.64% (348) of the population.
Out of a total of 2,077 households, 25.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.7% were married couples living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.2% were non-families. 24.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the CDP, 20.6% of the population were under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 24.7% from 25 to 44, 31.0% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.8 years. For every 100 females the census counted 102.2 males, but for 100 females at least 18 years old, it was 100.0 males.
Census 2000
As of the 2000 United States Census there were 4,914 people, 1,927 households, and 1,383 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 656.5/km2 (1,700.3/mi2). There were 2,468 housing units at an average density of 329.7/km2 (853.9/mi2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 97.37% White, 0.73% African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.33% Asian, 0.83% from other races, and 0.51% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.38% of the population.
There were 1,927 households out of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.8% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.2% were non-families. 22.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 24.0% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 97.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.2 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $55,433, and the median income for a family was $59,830. Males had a median income of $46,179 versus $30,987 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $25,696. About 6.3% of families and 7.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.9% of those under age 18 and 6.1% of those age 65 or over.
In the news
On October 11, 1989, three aides of New York business mogul Donald Trump were killed in a helicopter crash near the Garden State Parkway in Forked River. Five people, including three high-level executives of Trump's three casinos in Atlantic City, were killed when their helicopter crashed in pine woodlands.
On June 6, 1997, Melissa Drexler, known as "The Prom Mom", delivered a baby in a restroom stall at her Lacey Township High School prom, and threw the body in the trash before returning to the dance. She pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter, and was sentenced to fifteen years' imprisonment. After serving nearly 37 months, she was released on parole.
Transportation
NJ Transit provides bus service to Atlantic City on the 559 bus route. Academy Bus provided bus service to Jersey City and New York City on the Parkway Express. Local bus service is provided by Ocean Ride.
Notable people
People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Forked River include: