South Toms River is a

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English language, English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History ...

Ocean County Ocean County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the southernmost county in the New York metropolitan area. The county borders the Atlantic Ocean on the east and in terms of total area is the state's largest county. Its co ...

, in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 3,643, a decrease of 41 (−1.1%) from the 2010 census count of 3,684, which in turn reflected an increase of 50 (+1.4%) from the 3,634 counted in the 2000 census. South Toms River was incorporated as a borough by an act of the

New Jersey Legislature The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and ...

on March 28, 1927, from portions of Berkeley Township, based on the results of a referendum held on May 3, 1927.Snyder, John P
''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968''
Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 205. Accessed May 30, 2024. The borough was named for the

Toms River The Toms River is a freshwater river and estuary in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. The river rises in the Pine Barrens of northern Ocean County, then flows southeast and east, where it is fed by several tributaries, and flows in a ...

and the neighboring community of Toms River, which were named for Capt. William Tom.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the borough had a total area of 1.21 square miles (3.13 km²), including 1.16 square miles (3.00 km²) of land and 0.05 square miles (0.13 km²) of water (4.21%). The borough borders the Ocean County municipalities of Beachwood, Berkeley Township and

. South Toms River sits on the south side of the

, across from Toms River Township. The borough is one of 11 municipalities in Ocean County that are part of the Toms River

watershed Watershed may refer to: Hydrology * Drainage divide, the line that separates neighbouring drainage basins * Drainage basin, an area of land where surface water converges (North American usage) Music * Watershed Music Festival, an annual country ...

Demographics

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 3,684 people, 1,098 households, and 907 families in the borough. The population density was . There were 1,160 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup was 67.59% (2,490)

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 19.33% (712) Black or African American, 0.57% (21) Native American, 0.62% (23) Asian, 0.00% (0)

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 7.14% (263) from other races, and 4.75% (175) from two or more races.

Hispanic or Latino ''Hispanic'' and '' Latino'' are ethnonyms used to refer collectively to the inhabitants of the United States who are of Spanish or Latin American ancestry (). While many use the terms interchangeably, for example, the United States Census Bureau ...

of any race were 19.49% (718) of the population. Of the 1,098 households, 36.7% had children under the age of 18; 52.3% were married couples living together; 21.9% had a female householder with no husband present and 17.4% were non-families. Of all households, 12.8% were made up of individuals and 5.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.36 and the average family size was 3.61. 28.1% of the population were under the age of 18, 10.6% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 25.8% from 45 to 64, and 8.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34.0 years. For every 100 females, the population had 95.0 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 90.8 males. The Census Bureau's 2006–2010

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...

showed that (in 2010

inflation-adjusted In economics, nominal value refers to value measured in terms of absolute money amounts, whereas real value is considered and measured against the actual goods or services for which it can be exchanged at a given time. Real value takes into acco ...

dollars)

median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of und ...

was $60,408 (with a margin of error of +/− $6,382) and the median family income was $62,750 (+/− $8,524). Males had a median income of $46,370 (+/− $4,313) versus $36,133 (+/− $2,994) for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the borough was $19,177 (+/− $2,685). About 17.2% of families and 22.4% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 33.6% of those under age 18 and 11.5% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census there were 3,634 people, 1,073 households, and 902 families residing in the borough. The population density was . There were 1,123 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the borough was 72.56%

, 21.16%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.14% Native American, 0.69% Asian, 2.50% from other races, and 2.94% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 9.27% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for South Toms River borough, New Jersey

. Accessed January 2, 2013.DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for South Toms River borough, Ocean County, New Jersey
,

. Accessed January 2, 2013. There were 1,073 households, out of which 43.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.2% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 22.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 15.9% were non-families. 12.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.39 and the average family size was 3.63. In the borough the population was spread out, with 32.1% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 9.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.5 males. The median income for a household in the borough was $43,468, and the median income for a family was $45,375. Males had a median income of $31,859 versus $24,837 for females. The

for the borough was $16,292. About 11.2% of families and 12.6% of the population were below the

, including 18.4% of those under age 18 and 18.3% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

South Toms River is governed under the

form of New Jersey municipal government, which is used in 218 municipalities (of the 564) statewide, making it the most common form of government in New Jersey. The governing body is comprised of the mayor and the borough council, with all positions elected

at-large At large (''before a noun'': at-large) is a description for members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent a whole membership or population (notably a city, county, state, province, nation, club or association), rather tha ...

on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. The mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The borough council includes six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle.''2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book'',

Rutgers University Rutgers University ( ), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of three campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's C ...

Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy The Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy of Rutgers University (The Bloustein School) serves as a center for the theory and practice of urban planning, public policy and public health/health administration scholarship. The sc ...

, March 2013, p. 53. The borough form of government used by South Toms River is a "

weak mayor Weak may refer to: Songs * "Weak" (AJR song), 2016 * "Weak" (Melanie C song), 2011 * "Weak" (SWV song), 1993 * "Weak" (Skunk Anansie song), 1995 * "Weak", a song by Seether from '' Seether: 2002-2013'' Television episodes * "Weak" (''Fe ...

/ strong council" government in which council members act as the legislative body with the mayor presiding at meetings and voting only in the event of a tie. The mayor can

veto A veto is a legal power to unilaterally stop an official action. In the most typical case, a president (government title), president or monarch vetoes a bill (law), bill to stop it from becoming statutory law, law. In many countries, veto powe ...

ordinances subject to an

override Override may refer to: Technology * Manual override, a function where an automated system is placed under manual control * Method overriding, a subclassing feature in object-oriented programming languages. Media * ''Override'' (film), a 1994 sci ...

by a two-thirds majority vote of the council. The mayor makes committee and liaison assignments for council members, and most appointments are made by the mayor with the advice and consent of the council. , the mayor of South Toms River Borough is Republican Oscar Cradle, whose term of office ends December 31, 2026.Office of the Mayor
Borough of South Toms River. Accessed May 9, 2023. Members of the Borough Council are Council President Sandford Ross Jr. (R, 2023), Samuel S. Fennell (R, 2024), Tanya M. Mosley (R, 2025), Edward F. Murray (R, 2023), Kayla Rolzhausen (R, 2024; appointed to serve an unexpired term) and Thomas Rolzhausen (R, 2025).Borough Council
Borough of South Toms River. Accessed May 9, 2023. As of date accessed, term-end dates were incorrect for Fennell, Mosley, Rolzhausen and Ross.Borough of South Toms River

Ocean County, New Jersey Ocean County is a List of counties in New Jersey, county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the southernmost county in the New York metropolitan area. The county borders the Atlantic Ocean on the east and in terms of total area is the ...

. Accessed May 9, 2023.''2023 Ocean County & Municipal Elected Officials''

Clerk, updated April 10, 2023. Accessed April 23, 2023.2022 General Election Official Results November 8, 2022

Clerk, updated November 21, 2022. Accessed January 1, 2023.2021 General Election Official Results

. Accessed January 1, 2022.2020 General Election November 3, 2020 Official results

, updated December 2, 2020. Accessed January 1, 2021. In January 2023, Kayla Rolzhausen was appointed to fill the borough council seat expiring in December 2024 that had been held by Oscar Cradle and became vacant when he took office as mayor. Rolzhausen will serve on an interim basis until the November 2023 general election, when voters will select a candidate to serve the balance of the term of office.

Federal, state, and county representation

South Toms River is located in the 4th Congressional District2022 Redistricting Plan
New Jersey Redistricting Commission, December 8, 2022. and is part of New Jersey's 10th state legislative district.Municipalities Sorted by 2023-2031 Legislative District
New Jersey Department of State. Accessed September 1, 2023.

Politics

South Toms River voted for Democrat Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election and was one of only two municipalities in Ocean County that incumbent Republican President Donald Trump didn’t win that year. As of March 2011, there were a total of 2,065 registered voters in South Toms River, of which 562 (27.2%) were registered as Democratic Party (United States), Democrats, 345 (16.7%) were registered as Republican Party (United States), Republicans and 1,157 (56.0%) were registered as Unaffiliated (New Jersey), Unaffiliated. There was one voter registered to another party.Voter Registration Summary - Ocean
New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed January 1, 2013. Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 56.1% (vs. 63.2% in Ocean County) were registered to vote, including 77.9% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 82.6% countywide). In the United States presidential election in New Jersey, 2012, 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 64.6% of the vote (802 cast), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 33.1% (411 votes), and other candidates with 2.3% (28 votes), among the 1,257 ballots cast by the borough's 2,149 registered voters (16 ballots were Spoilt vote, spoiled), for a turnout of 58.5%. In the United States presidential election in New Jersey, 2008, 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 60.9% of the vote (879 cast), ahead of Republican John McCain with 36.9% (533 votes) and other candidates with 1.4% (20 votes), among the 1,443 ballots cast by the borough's 2,233 registered voters, for a turnout of 64.6%. In the United States presidential election in New Jersey, 2004, 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 49.1% of the vote (627 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat John Kerry with 48.6% (621 votes) and other candidates with 1.1% (22 votes), among the 1,277 ballots cast by the borough's 2,073 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 61.6. In the New Jersey gubernatorial election, 2013, 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 66.3% of the vote (473 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 31.8% (227 votes), and other candidates with 1.8% (13 votes), among the 736 ballots cast by the borough's 2,072 registered voters (23 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 35.5%. In the New Jersey gubernatorial election, 2009, 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 52.8% of the vote (431 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 37.0% (302 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 6.1% (50 votes) and other candidates with 1.8% (15 votes), among the 816 ballots cast by the borough's 2,157 registered voters, yielding a 37.8% turnout.

Education

Public school students in kindergarten through twelfth grade attend the Toms River Regional Schools, a regional public school district based primarily in Toms River, New Jersey, Toms River Township that also serves students from Beachwood, Pine Beach, New Jersey, Pine Beach and South Toms River. The district's board of education has nine members; seats are allocated based on population, with one seat allocated to South Toms River. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of 18 schools, had an enrollment of 15,472 students and 1,171.6 classroom teachers (on an full-time equivalent, FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 13.2:1.District information for Toms River Regional School District
National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 1, 2020.

Transportation

Roads and highways

, the borough had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Ocean County and by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. The Garden State Parkway bisects the borough, connecting Beachwood to the south and Berkeley Township to the north, and includes Interchange 80. U.S. Route 9 in New Jersey, U.S. Route 9 heads from Beachwood to the east and begins a concurrency with the Garden State Parkway at exit 80. County Route 530 (New Jersey), County Route 530 (Dover Road / South Main Street) traverses the borough from Berkeley Township to the southwest to its eastern terminus just over the border with Toms River, New Jersey, Toms River Township. New Jersey Route 166, Route 166 (Main Street) clips the northeastern corner of the borough, running from Beachwood in the south to Toms River in the north.

Public transportation

NJ Transit provides bus service between the borough and Atlantic City, New Jersey, Atlantic City on the 559 (New Jersey bus), 559 bus route.Ocean County Bus / Rail Connections
NJ Transit, backed up by the Internet Archive as of July 26, 2010. Accessed January 2, 2013.

References

External links

Borough of South Toms River

Manitou Park Fire Company – Station 18

Toms River Regional Schools
*
School Data for the Toms River Regional Schools
National Center for Education Statistics {{Authority control South Toms River, New Jersey, 1927 establishments in New Jersey Borough form of New Jersey government Boroughs in New Jersey Boroughs in Ocean County, New Jersey Populated places established in 1927