Updated Rankings: The Healthiest and Unhealthiest Counties in NJ
From county to county in New Jersey, your shot at a healthy life, and a longer life overall, varies greatly.
More than 30 health-influencing factors in every county have been examined by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute in order to produce rankings showing the healthiest and least healthy counties in the Garden State.
As they did in the 2018 report, Morris County came in this year as the healthiest New Jersey county and Cumberland County ranked as the unhealthiest.
Among its poor findings, Cumberland County recorded a rate of sexually transmitted infections almost double the statewide rate, and a teen birth rate nearly three times greater than the state's. Compared to the state as a whole, Cumberland also recorded a higher unemployment rate, lower rates of high school graduation and college attendance, and higher rates of adult smoking and obesity.
Per 100,000 people in Cumberland County, it was found that 9,400 years of potential life were lost before age 75. Statewide, the average is 5,700.
In Morris County, just 5 percent of children live in poverty, compared to 14 percent statewide. In terms of premature death, 4,000 years were lost before age 75 per 100,00 population.
Click on a county below to see its individual scorecard.
Warren County was the only county to move more than two spots (11th to 14th) from the 2018 rankings.
Across the state, the report finds, nearly 20 percent of residents spend more than half of their income on housing. The "severe housing cost burden" ranges from 13 percent to 26 percent between counties.
"What people don't often think is that housing makes a big difference in how healthy we are and how healthy a life we live," said Don Schwarz, senior vice president of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. "If they're spending more than half of their income on housing, they don't have the money to spend on food, they may not have money to spend on needed transportation or medicines."
Contact reporter Dino Flammia at dino.flammia@townsquaremedia.com.