Toms River is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP)[10] located within and constituting the mainland portion of Toms River Township (formerly Dover Township), in Ocean County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.

[16] The area is named for Toms River, whose estuary flows through the community and empties into Barnegat Bay.

Toms River Township and its fully contained census-designated place are not co-extensive.

In addition to the census-designated place, which includes all of mainland Toms River Township and is home to the vast majority of the township's population, Toms River Township includes two small CDPs: Dover Beaches North (2020 Census population of 1,277) and Dover Beaches South (1,331), both of which are located on the Barnegat Peninsula.

[5][18] The 2010 United States census counted 88,791 people, 33,394 households, and 23,643 families in the CDP.

Of all households, 24.3% were made up of individuals and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

[15] As of the 2000 United States census[6] there were 86,327 people, 31,674 households, and 23,470 families living in the CDP.