Toms River

Toms River is a township in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. Its mainland portion is also a census-designated place of the same name, which serves as the county seat of Ocean County. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the township had a total population of 95,438, with the township ranking as the eighth-most-populous municipality in the state in 2020. In 2006 voters approved a change of the official name to the Township of Toms River, adopting the name of the largest unincorporated community within the township. The township is featured in various TV and news media, including MTV's Made and Jersey Shore (seasons 1, 3, and 5), HBO's Boardwalk Empire and the original The Amityville Horror movie. In 1998, Toms river East Little League won the Little League World Series. In 2007, Tons River was again ranked as the 14th-safest city in the United States of 371 cities nationwide. During the American Revolutionary War, Tom's River was home to a strategically important salt works that supplied colonial militias, as well as a base for privateer vessels that plundered British and Tory ships off the coast. In March 1782, a group of British and loyalist soldiers attacked a blockhouse along the river that housed the colonial militia and captured Captain Joshua Huddy, who was later hanged at Sandy Hook. The settlement and the river were usually spelled "Tom's River" in its early days, though its current spelling has been standard since the middle of the 19th century. In 1992, as part of celebrations commemorating the township's 225th anniversary, official recognition was granted to the tradition that the "Tom" was for Thomas Luker.

History

Toms River is the primary city name, but also Berkeley, Manchester are acceptable city names or spellings, Berkeley Township, Berkeley Twp, S Toms River, South Toms River on the other hand no longer accepted or obsolete and are no longer used as a designation. The official name is Township of Toms River. Dover Township was incorporated as one of New Jersey's first 104 townships by the Township Act of 1798 of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798. The original name was for Dover, England, and was changed to Toms River Township based on a referendum passed in 2006. During the American Revolutionary War, Toms river was home to a strategically important salt works that supplied colonial militias. In the last two decades of the twentieth century, the demographics of the township changed substantially, adding over 20,000 residents just in the 1990s alone. The village of TomsRiver attempted twicein 1914 and 1926to secede from Dover Township, but residents were unsuccessful. The part of Tom's River on the south side of the river stretching down to Berkeley Township incorporated as South Toms Rivers in 1927. The core of the original village on the north side remains part of the wider township to this day. The town's Little League baseball team, nicknamed "Beast from the East", competed in the Little League World Series three times in five years, winning in 1998 when they defeated Japan by a score of 129. The first National Championship was won in 1993 by the Saint Joe's Angels (formerly the Saint. Joe's Angles) Tomsriver is home to many National Champion Poperleading Football and Pee Wee Football teams, including the Cheerleaders, the Chee Cheer Raiders, and the Toms Valley Indians. The team won three national titles in 2001, 2002, and 2003.

Geography

Dover Beaches North (2010 Census population of 1,239), Dover Beaches South (1,209) and Toms River CDP (88,791) are census-designated places. Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Andrew Point, Andrews, Bay Shore, Cattus Island, Cedar Grove, Chadwick, Coates Point, East Dover, Gilford Park, Gilmores Island, Green Island, Long Point, Normandy Beach, Ocean Beach, Ortley Beach, Pelican Island, Pine View, Pleasant Plains, Shelter Cove, Silverton, Tilton Point, West Dover and White Oak Bottom. The township was severely affected by Superstorm Sandy in October 2012. Many low-lying areas of the township, including Silverton and the downtown area, saw their worst flooding ever when the storm surge overwhelmed the Barnegat Bay up and down the Jersey Shore. It is one of 11 municipalities in Ocean County that are part of the Toms river watershed. The Köppen climate classification of the area is Cfa. The humid subtropical climate has significant rainfall throughout the year. The temperature ranges from a record high of 105 °F on both July 19, 1999, and August 9, 1896, to a low of 24°F on January 16, 1988. The area is 70 miles (110 km) south of Manhattan and 55 miles (89 km) east of Philadelphia. It borders the Ocean County municipalities of Berkeley Township, Brick Township, Island Heights, Jackson Township, Lakewood Township, Lavallette, Manchester Township, Seaside Heights and South TomsRiver.

Demographics

The 2010 U.S. census counted 91,239 people, 34,760 households, and 24,367 families in the township. The racial makeup of the township was 93.57% White, 1.75% African American, 2.46% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, and 1.12% from two or more races. The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $71,934 (with a margin of error of +/ $2,094) and the median family income was $83,924 (+/$2,842) In the township the median age was 43.0 years. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 89.6 males. About 4.5% of families and 5.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.4% of those under age 18 and 4.6% ofThose age 65 or over. The per capita income for the Township was $33,423 (+/ $926) in the 2000 United States census. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.10. In the Township the population was spread out, with 23.3% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 27.2. from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.2%.

Economy

Toms River has many shopping malls including Ocean County Mall and Seacourt Pavilion. It is home to the corporate headquarters of EGM Green, as well as the headquarters for OceanFirst Bank. Toms River is located on the New Jersey Turnpike, which connects to New Jersey Bay and the New York City subway system. The town has a population of about 6,000 people, according to the 2011 Census. The city's economy is based on the shipping industry, which is based in the port city of Tom's River. It also has a number of other industries, such as construction, manufacturing, and finance, which are located in the town's central business district. It has a high percentage of residents with a bachelor's degree or higher. The average age of the city's residents is 44 years old, and the average height is 6 feet, 2 inches (183 millimeters). The city has a low unemployment rate of 3.7 percent, and a high rate of unemployment of 2.7 per cent (as of July 2013). It is the only town in Ocean County to have an enclosed mall (Ocean County Mall), the only enclosed mall in the county, and one of the few in the state to have a large number of strip malls (Seacourt Pavilions). The town also has many restaurants, many of which are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The population of the town is about 5,000. It was the site of the World War II Battle of the Bulge, which took place in 1942.

Arts and culture

Toms River Fest has been held during the summer in Toms River, with 25,000 attendees at the 2008 event. The town played host to a short skirmish during the Revolution in which Captain Joshua Huddy was captured by a group of Loyalists and hanged without trial. The trail of Captain Huddy can be followed throughout the town.Joshua Huddy Park is located in Downtown Toms river and is host to an replica constructed in 1931 of the Revolutionary War fort that was once standing near the site. Starting in January 2018, the name was officially changed to the "RWJBarnabas Health Arena" under which the district will be paid a total of $637,500 for the naming rights. The 3,500-seat public arena is used for concerts, sporting events, and some small local events throughout the year to raise money for the school district. The name of the arena was changed after the district signed a five-year deal with RWJ barnabas health. The arena was formerly known as the Pine Belt Arena and is connected to TomsRiver High School North. It was built in the 1970s and is located on the site of the former Pine Belt High School. It has a capacity of 2,500 people, with 1,500 of which are student-athletes and 1,000 of them are from local high schools. The school district has a total budget of $1.2 million. The district has an annual budget of about $2 million, with most of the money coming from donations.

Sports

The John Bennett Indoor Athletic Complex is one out of three indoor athletic complex's in Ocean County and one of the largest in New Jersey. It was severely damaged as a result of Hurricane Sandy, reopening in January 2013 after repairs were completed. The complex is home to the New Jersey Nets, New Jersey Devils, and New Jersey State Devils football teams. It is also the home of the Ocean County Men's and Women's swimming and diving teams, as well as the Jersey Shore Women's Swimming and Diving Team. It has been home to a number of New Jersey high school football teams, including the N.J. State Men's Swim and Dive Team and the Jersey State Women's Swim & Diving team. It also has a men's and women's lacrosse team, which has been in operation since the 1970s. The facility was built in the 1960s and 1970s by John Bennett and his father, John Bennett, Sr. The current complex is named after Bennett, who was a member of the first New Jersey state football team in 1876. The team won the state championship in the men's singles division in the late 1970s and early 1980s. In the women's division, the team won two state titles in the 1980s and one in the 1990s, the first of which was in the girls division. The men's team also won a state title in the 1994-95 season. The women's team won three state titles, the second in the 1999-2000 season.

Government

As of 2022, the Mayor of Toms River is Republican Maurice "Mo" B. Hill Jr., whose term of office expires December 31, 2023. The seven-member Township Council includes four members who each represent one of four wards of the township and three who are chosen at-large. Ocean County is governed by a Board of County Commissioners comprised of five members who are elected on a partisan basis and serve staggered three-year terms of office. In the 2016 presidential election, Republican Donald Trump received 64.7% of the vote (28,545 cast), ahead of Democrat Hillary Clinton with 32.4% (4,287 cast), among the other candidates with 3.0% (1,315 cast) New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Democrats Cory Booker (Newark, term ends 2027) and Bob Menendez (Harrison, term end 2025). For the 2022-2023 session, the 10th Legislative District of the New Jersey Legislature isrepresented in the State Senate by James W. Holzapfel (R) and in the General Assembly by John Catalano (R, Brick Township) and Gregory P. McGuckin (R), all of whom are from Toms river. As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 11,987 registered voters in TomsRiver Township, of which 11,617 (19.4%) were registered as Democrats. There were 29,592 (54.3%) registered as Unaffiliated with the 2010 Census.

Education

Toms River Regional Schools is the largest suburban school district in New Jersey. As of the 201819 school year, the district, comprised of 18 schools, had an enrollment of 15,472 students and 1,171.6 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a studentteacher ratio of 13.2:1. The district also serves the adjoining boroughs of Beachwood, Pine Beach and South Toms River. Donovan Catholic High School, Ocean County's only Catholic high school, operates under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Trenton. Ocean County College, a two-year college that offers four-year options in cooperation with other New Jersey colleges and universities, is located on Hooper Avenue in Toms river. The Jay and Linda Grunin Foundation announced a $5.7 million donation to establish the Jay andinda Grunin Center for the Arts in May 2014, the largest single donation received in OCC's 50-year history. The diocese also operates St. Joseph's Grade School for students in Kindergarten through 8th grade. It is also the largest school system in the state that is not an Abbott District. The school district's nine-member board of education is allocated based on the population of the constituent municipalities, with six seats assigned to Tom's River. It has 18 schools: Beachwood Elementary, Cedar Grove Elementary, West Dover Elementary, Silver Bay Elementary, North Dover Elementary and South River Elementary, and West Dover High School.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Toms River, Ocean County, New Jersey = 24.5. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 1. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 10. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Toms River = 4 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 95,438 individuals with a median age of 39.6 age the population grows by 6.90% in Toms River, Ocean County, New Jersey population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 2,354.1 residents per square mile of area (908.9/km²). There are average 2.62 people per household in the 34,425 households with an average household income of $65,613 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 9.50% of the available work force and has dropped -3.55% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 23.40%. The number of physicians in Toms River per 100,000 population = 149.7.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Toms River = 47.3 inches and the annual snowfall = 10 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 105. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 206. 86 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 21.1 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 45, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Toms River, Ocean County, New Jersey which are owned by the occupant = 77.73%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 31 years with median home cost = $255,420 and home appreciation of -7.48%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $21.20 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $6,515 per student. There are 13.4 students for each teacher in the school, 1978 students for each Librarian and 1044 students for each Counselor. 5.93% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 15.66% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 8.07% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).