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* Status * Hospitals * Insurance/HMOs * Medical/Nursing schools * Consumer information * Economic impact * Health associations * Links * Health Images-Gallery - Overview In the United Health Foundation’s 2025 America’s Health Rankings, New Jersey placed 11th healthiest of all states.It ranked well in areas such as colorectal cancer screenings, low frequent mental distress, controlled obesity and smoking rates, and strong clinical care access. Its life expectancy (81.2 years in 2023) significantly exceeds the national average, infant mortality is among the lowest in the country, and cancer survival rates are strong despite higher incidence rates than in most other states. Over the past 25+ years, New Jersey has climbed from around 25th to consistently top-tier rankings through gains in smoking cessation, infant mortality reduction, and fewer cardiovascular deaths. Ongoing challenges include rising obesity and diabetes rates, lower physical activity levels, preventable hospitalizations, and disparities tied to race, education, and socioeconomic status. Wealth and socioeconomic status remain the strongest predictors of health outcomes within New Jersey. According to the annual County Health Rankings & Roadmaps produced by the University of Wisconsin and supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, affluent Hunterdon County—with one of the state’s highest median household incomes and lowest poverty rates—has ranked as New Jersey’s healthiest county for multiple consecutive years (including through the 2024 and 2025 editions). In contrast, Cumberland County, which has the state’s highest poverty rate (around 18% or more in recent years) and significant economic challenges, consistently ranks as the least healthy. In New Jersey, county-level life expectancy gaps (e.g., ~84.3 years in top counties like Hunterdon/Bergen vs. ~75.4 in Cumberland) reflect a roughly 9-year difference tied to wealth and related factors based on 2023 NJ Department of Health data. Nationally, the gap between the healthiest and least healthy counties (or income quartiles) is frequently larger--often 10–20+ years depending on the metric and study. These rankings evaluate a wide range of factors, including health behaviors, clinical care access, social and economic conditions, and physical environment. Key Vital Statistics (Latest Available)
* National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention * Life Expectancy at Birth by State, Kaiser Family Foundation * Cancer Facts & Figures 2024, American Cancer Society * New Jersey State Cancer Registry, New Jersey Department of Health * America's Health Rankings-New Jersey 2023, United Health Foundation * New Jersey State Health Assessment Data, New Jersey Department of Health - Hospitals New Jersey hospitals also rank highly in safety. In the Leapfrog Group’s Fall 2025 Hospital Safety Grades, New Jersey ranked 3rd in the nation for the percentage of hospitals earning an “A” grade, with 35 hospitals (52% of those graded) achieving the top mark. This performance matches or improves upon prior rounds and reflects the state’s 100% participation rate in the Leapfrog survey--—the highest in the country. The grades assess metrics such as infection rates, surgical errors, staff responsiveness, and patient experience. - "Cancer Alley" New Jersey’s health profile has long been shaped by its industrial legacy. In 1973, the National Cancer Institute’s cancer atlas highlighted exceptionally high cancer death rates in the state, with 19 of its 21 counties ranking in the top 10% nationally. Rates were especially elevated along the New Jersey Turnpike corridor, prompting media and researchers to label the area “Cancer Alley”. Initially, analysts attributed the causes to the relatively high number of petrochemical facilities located in the state, but the report’s methodology and conclusions later faced significant criticism over its accuracy. Nonetheless, the political and public response to the report resulted in actions by the state to enact pioneering legislation and regulations monitoring toxic chemical sites, requiring worker disclosures on chemical risks, tracking hazardous shipments, establishing cleanup funds for spills and landfills, and creating a statewide cancer registry which became models for other states. New Jersey's new law to enact a tax on petrochemical transfers to finance a compensation fund to clean up toxic sites also became the model for the federal Superfund program which has become the primary funding source for cleaning up toxic sites in New Jersey and other states. Recent reports show that New Jersey maintains relatively high cancer incidence rates but benefits from strong survival outcomes. New Jersey’s age-adjusted cancer mortality rate (approximately 124.3 per 100,000 in 2023) is notably lower than in many states with similar incidence, reflecting high-quality treatment at in-state facilities and nearby centers. Nationally, cancer remains the second-leading cause of death, but New Jersey continues to see steady declines in cancer mortality. Lung cancer remains prominent, followed by prostate and colorectal cancers; breast cancer leads among women and prostate among men. - Birth Trends Since the early 1990s, New Jersey’s birth rate has tracked the national decline while remaining below the U.S. average. Over half of births occur to mothers aged 25–34. Since 1987, births to women 35+ have outnumbered those to teens under 20. Median maternal age remains high, with notable differences by race/ethnicity: African American and Hispanic mothers tend to be younger than White and Asian/Pacific Islander mothers. - Deaths and Communicable Diseases In 2023, heart disease and cancer remained the top two causes of death in New Jersey (as in the U.S. and all 21 counties, except Hunterdon where cancer edged out heart disease). These two causes accounted for 44% of deaths statewide. Unintentional injury, stroke, chronic lower respiratory diseases, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and others followed, with COVID-19 falling to 10th place. Sexually transmitted diseases were the most reported communicable illnesses, followed by influenza and Hepatitis C. Childhood diseases like chickenpox, mumps, and measles occur at low rates, with virtually none of the historic epidemic diseases. Data sources (most recent as of 2025): New Jersey Department of Health (NJSHAD), United Health Foundation America’s Health Rankings 2025, CDC National Vital Statistics System, New Jersey State Cancer Registry, Leapfrog Group.Health IndicatorNJ (Latest)US (Latest)Notes/SourceAge-adjusted deaths per 100,000 population~709–750 (varies by year; lower than old data)722.1 (2024) / 750.5 (2023)NJ typically tracks or beats national trends; 2023 NJ data around state average. CDC/NJ DOH.% adults reporting fair or poor health~12–15%~17–18%NJ consistently lower. BRFSS 2023–2024.Average # physically unhealthy days (past 30 days)~3.1–3.5~3.6–3.8NJ slightly better. BRFSS/County Health Rankings.% adults current smokers8.6–10.4%~10.9–12%NJ among the lowest in the U.S. BRFSS/America’s Health Rankings.% adults obese (BMI ≥ 30)27.7–29.7%~33–35%+NJ significantly better than national average. BRFSS 2023–2024.% adults reporting binge or heavy drinking~14.6–16.9%~16–17% (binge)Similar or slightly lower in NJ. BRFSS.Teen births (ages 15–19) per 1,000 females7.5~11–13 (national declining)NJ among the lowest in the U.S. CDC 2023.Deaths due to injury per 100,000Lower than national~73+ (varies)NJ advantage in unintentional injury rates.Reported violent crime offenses per 100,000~218 (2024)Higher national average (~366+ in recent years)NJ has one of the lower violent crime rates. FBI UCR.Deaths by firearms per 100,000~4.0–4.6~10.4–13+NJ has one of the lowest firearm death rates in the country. CDC 2023–2024.% population without health insurance~6–8% (recent improvements)~8–13%NJ better due to strong coverage  New Jersey deaths in the 1918-1919 global Spanish flu pandemic were estimated to approach 5,000 of the 650,000 who died across the US. This article describes actions by the mayor of Hackensack to comply with order closing public gathering places of the State Board of Health. Image: Bergen Evening Record October 8, 1918 from www.hackensackschools.org
Whatever the scientific merits of the NCI report, it provoked a political response which sparked a series of legislative and regulatory measures. Among other actions, the state initiated a comprehensive program to monitor the sites of toxic chemical production and storage; disclose the nature and risks of chemicals to workers at each site; track shipping of such substances through the state; establish a fund for cleanup of toxic spills and existing landfills; and create a statewide registry of cancer cases. New Jersey's aggressive program became the model for similar actions in other states, as well as for the federal Superfund program to identify and clean up toxic sites around the country.
The United States has the world's fifth highest cancer rate.at around 352.2 cases per 100,000 people. The most common type of cancer in the US is lung cancer, followed by prostate cancer and colorectal cancer. New Jersey cancer rates, which are the fifth highest of the states, with breast cancer leading among women and prostate cancer among men. Although incidence rates were high compared to other states, data also showed that death rates from cancer in New Jersey are lower than in many other parts of the country--a fact which some analysts attributed to patients having access to high quality care in the state and at nearby out-of-state cancer treatment centers.  The Margaret Hague Maternity Hospital in Jersey City, named after the mother of Mayor Frank Hague, was the site for the birth of over 350,000 babies from its opening in 1931 to its closing in 1979, including the births of former Governor James McGreevey, Martha Stewart and two of Frank Sinatra's children. Image: City of Jersey City
Sources: CDC National Vital Statistics System (2023–2024), New Jersey Department of Health (NJSHAD/BRFSS), America’s Health Rankings, FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, County Health Rankings & Roadmaps. Data reflects the most recent available comparable figures. New Jersey outperforms the national average on most preventive and access-related metrics.
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-- Life expectancy Life expectancy for those born in New Jersey during 2022 was 80.2 years, above the national average of 77 years. In 2018, among the 50 states and D.C., Hawaii ranked first as having the highest life expectancy for the total population, with a life expectancy at birth of 81.0 years; New Jersey ranked ninth with 79.8 years. The ten states with the longest life expectancies as of 2023 are: Hawaii (81.5), California (80.8), Minnesota (80.8), New York (80.7), Connecticut (80.6), New Jersey (80.4), Colorado (80.0), Washington (80.0), Massachusetts (79.0), and Vermont (79.0). -- Births Since the early 1990s, the birth rate among New Jersey residents has followed the same trend as that of the nation as a whole while always remaining below the US birth rate. Over half the births among New Jersey mothers are to those aged 25 through 34 years old. Since 1987, there have been more births to women aged 35 and over than to those under age 20. The median age of all mothers peaked in 2003-2004 at 30.5 years but the median age among first time mothers reached a high point of 28 years in 2011. For all births, the median age among African American and Hispanic mothers is about four years younger than among white and Asian/Pacific Islander mothers. For first births, the median age among African American and Hispanic mothers is about seven years younger than among white and Asian/Pacific Islander mothers. |