Here are the healthiest (and least healthy) counties in New Jersey
The healthiest counties in New Jersey in 2022 are also the wealthiest and, by chance, located in the state's pharmaceutical belt across Central Jersey.
Morris County again tops this year’s list of the healthiest of the Garden State’s 21 counties, followed by Hunterdon and Somerset, the same rankings as in 2020 and 2021.
Middlesex moved down one place to sixth — the same spot it held in 2020 — while Union stayed steady in eighth. Bergen came in fourth place and Sussex made an appearance into the top 5.
The annual rankings are compiled by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute with support provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Somerset has the highest median family income in the state, followed by Hunterdon and Morris. Middlesex ranks sixth while Union is 11th.
Five of the seven least healthy counties are in the southern part of the state, with Salem and Cumberland at the bottom of the rankings. Passaic and Essex, at 16th and 17th places, respectively, are the two North Jersey counties in the bottom third.
The rankings are:
1. Morris
2. Hunterdon
3. Somerset
4. Bergen
5. Sussex
6. Middlesex
7. Monmouth
8. Union
9. Ocean
10. Hudson
11. Warren
12. Burlington
13. Mercer
14. Gloucester
15. Cape May
16. Passaic
17. Essex
18. Atlantic
19. Camden
20. Salem
21. Cumberland
Unlike 2021, this year's study includes the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the study, the pandemic both revealed and worsened the burdens and barriers that women, people of color and low-income people face.
In addition to the toll the pandemic took on physical and mental health, COVID-19 occurred at the intersection of multiple national crises — from racism to climate change — and continues to have wide-ranging negative impacts on the social and economic health of the nation, the study concludes. COVID-19 was the third leading cause of death in 2020 and 2021.
Here are some key facts from the county rankings:
Bergen: Life expectancy in Bergen is 82.1 years, almost three years more than the state's overall number of 79.5. Adult obesity is at 22%, below the state average of 26% and 13% of residents are smokers, same as the state. Bergen has the lowest ratio of residents per dentists, 750 to 1, and one of the lowest ratios of residents to primary care physicians, 840 to 1. The county also has less than the state average of 380 to 1 of residents to mental health providers with 360 to 1. But Bergen residents matched the state average of residents with frequent mental distress, 11%.
Camden: The county’s life expectancy is 76.7 years, less than the overall state average of 79.5. 29% of residents are considered obese, 18% are smokers, 17% are excessive drinkers and 11% are diabetics. The rate of sexually transmitted disease is 693.4 per 100,000 population while the state average is 423.2.
Cumberland: In the state's least healthy county, the life expectancy is 76.7 years, three years below the overall state number. A major factor could be the number of residents who are considered obese, 40%, compared with the state number of 26%. Almost a quarter of the county residents are smokers, 18% are excessive drinkers and 12% are diabetics. The rate of sexually transmitted disease is 694.2 cases per 100,000 people. A quarter of county's residents are in poor or fair health.
Hunterdon: Life expectancy in Hunterdon is 83.2 years, the highest in the state, though it is less than last year's 83.5 years. Adult obesity is 28% and smoking is at the state average of 13%. The number of sexually transmitted diseases is 176.1 per 100,000 residents, compared to 256 in Somerset, 340.1 in Middlesex, 493.4 in Union, 199.2 in Morris, 249.5 in Bergen and well below the state's overall number of 423.2. Hunterdon's ratio of residents to primary care physicians is 810 to 1 and dentists come in at 1,130 to 1. The only category in which Hunterdon is significantly different than the state is the number of excessive drinkers. Hunterdon is at 21%, while the state number is 16%
Middlesex: Bumped from fifth place in the overall rankings in 2021, life expectancy in Middlesex is 80.6 years, and like most counties, lower than last year. Of the six healthiest counties, Middlesex had the highest diabetes prevalence of 10% which matched the state average. The county also matched the state's average of adult smokers, 13%, and adult obesity rate of 26%. The county had the highest number of teen births at 8 among the top six counties — the state average is 11. The county lags behind the other top counties in the ratio of residents to primary care physicians, 1,040 to 1, and the ratio of residents to dentists, 1,100 to 1.
Morris: Life expectancy in Morris is 81.8 years. Morris residents are 1% thinner than the state average, with a reported 25% rate of adult obesity compared to the state average of 26%. The county also has one of the lowest ratios of residents to the number of primary care physicians, 760 to 1, and dentists, 860 to 1; the state average is 1,170 to 1, and 1,140 to 1, respectively. Morris is near the state averages for adult smoking, 12%, and excessive drinking, 20%.
Monmouth: The county is near the overall state numbers in most categories. Life expectancy is 79.8 years, 28% of residents are considered obese, 15% are smokers, 17% are diabetics and 11% are diabetics. However, nearly 40% do not get sufficient sleep. County residents have better than average access to health care. The county's ratio of primary care physicians to residents is 840 to 1, the ratio of dentists to residents is 940 to 1 and the ratio of mental health providers to residents is 330 to 1. In all the categories, Monmouth is higher than the overall state norm.
Ocean: Like Monmouth, its neighbor to the north, Ocean is near the overall state numbers. Life expectancy is 78.5 years, 28% of residents are considered obese, 18% are smokers, 19% are excessive drinkers and 9% are diabetics. The rate of sexually transmitted disease is 208.3 cases per 100,000 people, more than half below the state number.
Somerset: Life expectancy in Somerset is 81.9 years. Adult obesity is 26%, same as the state average. Somerset also ranks high in the ratio of residents per primary care physicians to residents, 850 to 1, and residents per dentists, 1,010 to 1. County residents also sleep better than the average state resident, with 36% reporting insufficient sleep with the state average at 38%.
Sussex: Sussex is new to top five this year, up two spots from 7 in 2021. The life expectancy is 78.8 years. Of the top six, Sussex had the least reported sexually transmitted infections at 141.6 cases per 100,000 population. Like Hunterdon, Sussex came in at 21% for excessive drinking, well above the state average of 16%. Obesity for the county it at 26%, which is the state average, and 15% of residents are smokers.
Union: Life expectancy is near the state overall number, 79.8 years, and the county is near the state in the other categories. 28% are considered obese, 15% are smokers, 17% are excessive drinkers and 11.6% are diabetics. The number of sexually transmitted diseases is above the state number with 493.4 cases per 100,000 people. 19% of residents are in fair or poor health, 3 percentage points above the state number.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: New Jersey counties: Healthiest and most unhealthy in poll
