08242 ZIP Code, Rio Grande, NJ
08242 is a ZIP code in Rio Grande, New Jersey in Cape May County. It covers 4.8 square miles of land. The closest ZIP codes are 08251, 08260 and 08204. 4,141 people live here in 1,904 households. With about 870 people per square mile it is lightly settled, and most homes are owner-occupied (78%). Median household income is $93,250, close to the New Jersey median of $103,556; the median age is 51.4, older than most ZIP codes.
Quick facts
- Mailing city: Rio Grande, NJ
- County: Cape May County
- Land area: 4.8 sq mi
- Population: 4,141
- Median household income: $93,250
- Carrier routes: 3 (1,826 homes)
Key figures
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Residents | 4,141 |
| Households | 1,904 |
| Median household income | $93,250 |
| Income per person | $45,552 |
| Median age | 51.4 |
| Homeowners | 77.6% |
| Median home value | $318,300 |
| Median rent | $1,305 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 33.6% |
| Average commute (minutes) | 15 |
| Households with kids under 18 | 22.7% |
| Moved in the past year | 9.3% |
| Below the poverty line | 9.5% |
| Broadband internet | 95.8% |
| Speak a non-English language at home | 17.6% |
Household income
| % of households | Value |
|---|---|
| <$10K | 6.5% |
| $10–15K | 5.1% |
| $15–25K | 7.0% |
| $25–35K | 6.1% |
| $35–50K | 10.5% |
| $50–75K | 8.2% |
| $75–100K | 12.7% |
| $100–150K | 22.7% |
| $150–200K | 8.9% |
| $200K+ | 12.2% |
Age
| % of all residents | Value |
|---|---|
| <10 | 10.2% |
| 10–19 | 9.2% |
| 20–24 | 4.0% |
| 25–34 | 10.2% |
| 35–44 | 9.5% |
| 45–54 | 14.4% |
| 55–64 | 20.5% |
| 65–74 | 14.8% |
| 75+ | 7.2% |
Tenure
| % of housing units | Value |
|---|---|
| Owned, with mortgage | 37.5% |
| Owned outright | 34.7% |
| Rented | 20.6% |
| Vacant | 7.3% |
Type of building
| % of housing units | Value |
|---|---|
| Detached house | 57.3% |
| Townhome | 19.3% |
| 2–4 units | 0.0% |
| 5–19 units | 3.9% |
| 20+ units | 1.1% |
| Mobile / other | 18.4% |
Businesses in 08242
201 business establishments with 2,615 employees (ZIP Codes Business Patterns 2023).
- Retail Trade: 51
- Accommodation and Food Services: 29
- Other Services (except Public Administration): 26
- Health Care and Social Assistance: 20
- Construction: 13
- Real Estate and Rental and Leasing: 10
- Information: 9
- Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services: 9
EDDM carrier routes
08242 has 3 USPS carrier routes with 1,826 residential and 265 business mailboxes. Open the EDDM route map.
Carrier routes in 08242
08242 has 3 USPS carrier routes (3 city (C)) with 1,826 residential and 265 business mailboxes. Routes range from 504 homes (C002) to 702 homes (C003); the median route has 620 homes. The Census counted 1,904 households in 08242 (2020–2024 average); USPS counts current mailboxes, including new and vacant homes.
| Homes per route | Routes |
|---|---|
| 1–249 | 0 |
| 250–499 | 0 |
| 500–749 | 3 |
| 750–999 | 0 |
| 1,000–1,499 | 0 |
| 1,500+ | 0 |
Best routes in 08242 for…
Most businesses
For B2B offers: office supplies, cleaning, IT, catering and commercial services.
- Route C002 — USPS business mailboxes 200, 504 homes
- Route C001 — USPS business mailboxes 41, 620 homes
- Route C003 — USPS business mailboxes 24, 702 homes
Select these 3 routes on the route map
Every carrier route in 08242
| Route | Type | Homes | Businesses | Est. median income | Est. owners | Est. families with kids | Est. moved in past year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C001 | City | 620 | 41 | $48,938 | — | — | — |
| C002 | City | 504 | 200 | $82,650 | — | — | — |
| C003 | City | 702 | 24 | $50,289 | — | — | — |
Income, owners, families and movers are estimates for each route (how we estimate them); mailbox counts are current USPS figures. Open 08242 on the EDDM route map.
How route demographics are estimated
Mailbox counts come from USPS; demographics are estimates
The number of homes and businesses on each carrier route is the current USPS EDDM count. The Census Bureau does not publish figures for carrier routes, so income, homeownership, ages, families, movers and housing age on a route are EDDM2GO estimates built from Census block groups (neighborhood areas of roughly 600 to 3,000 people).
How a route gets its figures: the block-group length-share method
We trace each route's streets every 25 meters and record which block group each stretch falls in. The route's homes are spread along its streets in proportion to length, so a route with 60% of its street length in one block group is assumed to have 60% of its homes there. Each block group then contributes its Census counts in proportion to the share of its housing units that sit on the route (capped at the whole block group). Medians are recalculated from the combined income, home-value and age brackets, the way the Census Bureau computes them, not averaged.
Margins of error
Census survey figures carry a margin of error at 90% confidence; we carry it through the calculation and show it as ±. Our margins treat the route-to-block-group split as exact, so the real uncertainty is larger. Routes with fewer than 100 estimated households, large margins, or streets we could not place are flagged.
Different years
USPS mailbox counts are current. Census figures are 5-year averages for 2020–2024, so a new subdivision may have more homes on the route today than the Census counted. Use the route figures to compare routes with each other, not as an exact head count.
Why some routes show identical figures
Two routes that run through the same block group get the same percentages and medians, because the Census publishes one set of figures for the whole block group. Their mailbox counts still differ, and those are exact.
Route and mailbox counts: USPS EDDM route data. Route demographics: EDDM2GO estimates from U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year block-group data (2020–2024) and 2024 cartographic block-group boundaries. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Nearby ZIP codes
- 08251 — Villas CDP, NJ (2.4 mi)
- 08260 — North Wildwood city, NJ (2.7 mi)
- 08204 — Erma CDP, NJ (3.5 mi)
- 08247 — Stone Harbor borough, NJ (5.8 mi)
- 08212 — Cape May Point borough, NJ (6.7 mi)
- 08210 — Cape May Court House CDP, NJ (7.8 mi)
- 08202 — Avalon borough, NJ (9.6 mi)
- 08245 — South Dennis CDP, NJ (11.6 mi)
Areas that include 08242
- Rio Grande, NJ ZIP codes — 1 ZIP code
- Whitesboro, NJ ZIP codes — 2 ZIP codes
- Cape May County ZIP codes — 16 ZIP codes
- New Jersey ZIP code data
Where it ranks
Mail every home in 08242
Route counts on this page price as Full Service 6.5 × 9 postcards: we print, bundle by carrier route and hand the mailing to USPS. Prefer to take it to the Post Office yourself? Print only costs less and you pay postage at drop-off.
EDDM guides
ZIP code statistics describe the Census ZIP Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA) 08242, which approximates the USPS ZIP code area. Census figures: American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024.
Frequently asked questions
- What city is 08242 in?
- 08242 is a Rio Grande, NJ mailing address. By land area, 57% lies inside Rio Grande and 14% lies inside Whitesboro; the rest is outside any Census-defined city or community.
- What county is 08242 in?
- 08242 is in Cape May County.
- What is the population of 08242?
- About 4,141 people (±716), according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year estimates for 2020–2024. The 2020 Census counted 4,067.
- What is the median household income in 08242?
- $93,250 (±$35,005), compared with $103,556 for New Jersey as a whole. Half the households in the ZIP code earn more and half earn less.
- How many carrier routes and mailboxes are in 08242?
- 3 USPS carrier routes with 1,826 residential and 265 business mailboxes (2,097 in all), from the route data stored by EDDM2GO. An EDDM mailing can target any combination of these routes.
- What ZIP codes are near 08242?
- The closest, measured center to center: 08251 (2.4 mi, Villas), 08260 (2.7 mi, North Wildwood), 08204 (3.5 mi, Erma), 08247 (5.8 mi, Stone Harbor borough, NJ), 08212 (6.7 mi, Cape May Point borough, NJ) and 08210 (7.8 mi, Cape May Court House).
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.