Census-designated place · New Jersey
Rio Grande, New Jersey
Rio Grande, census-designated place, in Cape May County, New Jersey. Rio Grande had 3,610 residents in the 2020 Census, a full count; the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 3,485 (±652). GEOID 3463180.
Residents, 2020 Census
3,610
Census count or controlled total
ACS 2020-2024 estimate: 3,485 ±652
Median household income
$76,250
±$25,543 (90% margin)
New Jersey: $103,556
Median home value
$317,400
±$55,061 (90% margin)
New Jersey: $454,400
Median gross rent
$1,305
±$565 (90% margin)
New Jersey: $1,720
Where is Rio Grande and what county is it in?
Rio Grande is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for counting, with no city government of its own, in Cape May County, New Jersey. It covers 2.7 square miles of land, 1,337 residents per square mile in 2020.
Rio Grande is in the Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 2 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Rio Grande lies mostly within Middle Township and reaches into Lower Township, towns or townships with their own local government (2020 census blocks).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Rio Grande, and is it growing?
The 2020 Census counted 3,610 residents in Rio Grande, a full count rather than a sample. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a sample, estimates 3,485 (±652).
The Census Bureau publishes yearly population estimates for incorporated places only; Rio Grande is a census-designated place, so its figures come from the ACS and the 2020 Census.
| Measure | Rio Grande | Cape May County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 3,485 ±652 | 94,941 | no clear change |
| Households | 1,662 ±316 | 44,884 | +494 |
| Average household size | 2.06 ±0.25 | 2.08 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 1,813 ±358 | 99,599 | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Rio Grande?
The median resident of Rio Grande is 51.2 years old; 20.1% are under 18 and 24.4% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 59.7%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 22.1%.
| Measure | Rio Grande | Cape May County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 51.2 ±4.5 | 51.8 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 20.1% ±4.6 pts | 17.1% | – |
| 65 years and over | 24.4% ±7.9 pts | 29.5% | – |
| Male | 47.5% ±5.8 pts | 48.4% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 22.1% ±8.8 pts | 8.3% | no clear change |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 59.7% ±9.6 pts | 83.9% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 8.7% ±5.8 pts | 3.4% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.9% ±1.2 pts | 0.7% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.3 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.3 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 8.6% ±5.2 pts | 3.3% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.3 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 5.6% ±3.9 pts | 4.6% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 18.1% ±7.1 pts | 8.9% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 10.5% ±5.2 pts | 6.9% | – |
| With a disability | 32.3% ±8.4 pts | 15.0% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 8.8% ±6.0 pts | 5.0% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 87.1% ±6.5 pts | 94.7% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 29.2% ±8.2 pts | 39.0% | +16.0 pts |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 13.4% ±7.2 pts | 14.8% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 89.0% ±7.1 pts | 89.1% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 6.4% ±6.4 pts | 3.3% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Rio Grande earn?
Half of Rio Grande's 1,662 households earn less than $76,250 a year (±$25,543), against $91,128 in Cape May County and $103,556 in New Jersey. In 2015-2019 it was $81,895 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 10.1% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Rio Grande | Cape May County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $76,250 ±$25,543 | $91,128 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $93,385 ±$24,871 | $122,129 | – |
| Per capita income | $43,600 ±$11,083 | $55,694 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 10.1% ±6.3 pts | 8.7% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 7.3% ±11.6 pts | 10.9% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 16.8% ±9.2 pts | 7.5% | – |
| Households with a computer | 97.7% ±3.8 pts | 96.7% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 95.2% ±5.1 pts | 93.1% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Rio Grande?
Owners occupy 74.3% of Rio Grande's occupied homes and renters 25.7%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $317,400 by its owner (±$55,061). The median renter pays $1,305 a month including utilities, and 45.4% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Rio Grande | Cape May County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $317,400 ±$55,061 | $434,600 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $1,305 ±$565 | $1,360 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 45.4% ±22.8 pts | 46.4% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $2,405 ±$270 | $2,232 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 74.3% ±10.4 pts | 80.3% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 25.7% ±10.4 pts | 19.7% | – |
| Housing units | 1,813 ±358 | 99,599 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±3.6 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±10.0 pts | 26.1% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 53.9% ±9.3 pts | 51.7% | – |
| Mobile homes | 18.5% ±9.5 pts | 3.3% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 3.8% ±4.0 pts | 1.8% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 19.0% ±7.8 pts | 7.0% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 0.0% ±2.4 pts | 12.6% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 7.6% ±6.2 pts | 5.7% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Rio Grande work and get to work?
69.5% of Rio Grande's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 15.0 minutes.
| Measure | Rio Grande | Cape May County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 50.8% ±10.3 pts | 57.5% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% ±4.4 pts | 5.3% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 69.5% ±11.6 pts | 72.8% | – |
| Carpooled | 8.5% ±6.6 pts | 8.2% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.6% ±1.0 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Walked | 6.7% ±6.7 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Worked from home | 8.2% ±7.7 pts | 12.1% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 15.0 min ±2.1 | 22.0 min | −6.7 min |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Rio Grande?
No census tract lies mostly in Rio Grande; 2 tracts reach into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 221.02Cape May County | 6,748 | $76,667 |
| Tract 217.01Cape May County | 2,681 | $77,115 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Rio Grande) · Census block assignment files
How does Rio Grande compare with other places in New Jersey?
Rio Grande ranks 672nd of 771 places in New Jersey with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population (ACS 2020-2024) | 565th | 787 |
| Residents per square mile | 513th | 787 |
| Median household income | 672nd | 771 |
| Per capita income | 608th | 785 |
| Median home value | 602nd | 777 |
| Median gross rent | 627th | 701 |
| Poverty rate | 132nd | 539 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 604th | 780 |
| Median age | 95th | 786 |
| Owner-occupied share | 473rd | 777 |
| Travel time to work | 784th | 787 |
Rio Grande's figures with every place in New Jersey (CSV)
Every place in New Jersey, sortable · Compare Rio Grande with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Rio Grande?
19 of the 57 figures for Rio Grande on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Rio Grande are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' school search.