These are the healthiest (and least healthy) counties in New Jersey in 2023

Hunterdon has regained its position as the healthiest county in New Jersey.

And Central Jersey, known as the wealth belt of the state, is also the health belt, with four counties ranked in the top eight of the Garden State’s 21.

In this year’s ranking released Wednesday, Hunterdon is followed, in order, by Morris, Somerset, Bergen, Sussex, Middlesex, Monmouth, Union, Ocean and Hudson, in the top 10.

Following are Burlington, Warren, Mercer, Passaic, Gloucester, Cape May, Atlantic, Camden, Essex, Cumberland and Salem.

Morris topped the list in the past three years.

The ranking is compiled by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute with support provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. It provides local communities with data on more than 90 health-influencing factors such as housing, education, jobs and access to quality health care.

“We are pleased for the nearly 130,000 residents that Hunterdon County has been named the healthiest county in New Jersey," said Patrick Gavin, president and CEO, Hunterdon Healthcare System. 'This is not merely a reflection of the economic status of the community, but of the abundance and accessibility of quality health care services in Hunterdon County."

One of the factors in Hunterdon's selection is that 80% of the county's residents have a primary care physician.

“Ultimate credit should go to the residents of Hunterdon County who are taking seriously the importance of good health in their lives," Gavin said. "Hunterdon Health is honored to support every level of health care need by each and every member of our community.”

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Hunterdon Health's “primary care practices focus on prevention, wellness and coordinated care, and demonstrate the strong partnership among our patients, physicians and the hospital,” Gavin said, adding that in its 60-year history, Hunterdon Medical Center has emphasized preventive medicine.

Hunterdon has the state's lowest ratio of residents to primary care physicians, 820 to 1. In contrast, Salem's ratio of residents to primary care physicians is 2,722 to 1.

Hunterdon ranked first in health outcomes, such as length of life, quality of life and social economic factors; and second in health factors, such as obesity, drinking, smoking and teenage birth rate.

Overall, New Jersey was ranked higher in health outcomes than the national average.

For example, New Jersey has an adult obesity average of 28% compared to the national average of 32%.

Salem, the least healthy county in New Jersey, had the state's highest adult obesity rate, 39%, followed by Cumberland at 36%, Gloucester and Atlantic at 32% and Ocean at 31%

In comparison, Hunterdon had an adult obesity rate of 25%, Somerset, 24%, Middlesex, 23% and Union, 30%.

The percentage of adults smoking ranged from 10% to 12% in Central Jersey, while the percentage in Cumberland was 19% and Salem, 18%. The national average is 16%.

One of the widest gaps in the statistics was the rate of teenage births per 1,000 females. In Somerset, the rate was 1, Hunterdon, 2, Union, 3 and Middlesex, 8. The highest was in Cumberland with a rate of 32, Passaic at 20 and Salem at 19.

The one area in which New Jersey was worse than the national average was the number of drug overdose deaths per 100,000 people. New Jersey had 32 while the national average was 23.

Hunterdon had 13 overdose deaths per 100,000 while Salem had 66, followed by Atlantic with 59 and Cumberland at 57. Somerset had 17, Middlesex at 17 and Union at 27.

Somerset ranked third in both health outcomes and health factors. Middlesex was sixth in both categories while Union was eighth in health outcomes and 12th in health factors.

Hunterdon was first in social and economic factors, second in quality of life and fourth in length of life

“New Jersey’s long-standing home rule, which allows local governments broad authority to enact policies that promote public welfare, can be helpful in deciding next steps to improve their own community’s needs. Policies that lead to normalizing healthy environments can be game changers. But public access to this process is key, so that community members can be part of the process for change, sharing first-hand what are their public health needs,” said Karen Blumenfeld, executive director of Global Advisors on Smokefree Policy, who is a member of the New Jersey County Health Rankings and Roadmap team.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: NJ health rankings by county in 2023