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Alpha, NJ Volunteer Fire Company, Nov. 2024Photo: Mr. Matté (if there is an issue with this image, contact me using this image's Commons talk page, my Commons user talk page, or my English Wikipedia user talk page; I'll know about it a lot faster) · CC BY-SA 4.0
≈ BHealth Grade
Health in Alpha · CDC PLACES 2025

On CDC estimates, Alpha is healthier than 64% of U.S. towns

Alpha trails New Jersey on 5 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Alpha. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Alpha

COPD, depression and cancer run high in Alpha

1 in 15 adults have COPD (6.6%), vs 5.1% across New Jersey. 1 in 5 adults have been diagnosed with depression (19.3%), vs 15.1% across New Jersey. Cancer is also above the state: 9.3%, vs 7.5% across New Jersey. In all, Alpha runs above New Jersey on four of 11 chronic conditions. Conditions ↓

Smoking is more common in Alpha

1 in 7 adults smoke cigarettes (13.8%), vs 10.9% across New Jersey. Habits ↓

Written from the CDC, Medicare and HRSA data on this page. CDC PLACES 2025 release: modeled estimates for adults, not counts; “higher” and “lower” mean the New Jersey figure falls outside Alpha’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to A.

Health Grade

What’s behind Alpha’s grade

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Alpha is healthier than 64% of U.S. towns. Diabetes holds the grade up (fewer adults with diabetes than 81% of U.S. towns); no exercise pulls it down (better than 45%).

BSelf-rated health17.9% · NJ 17.1% · U.S. 19.4%
BPhysical distress13.8% · NJ 12.2% · U.S. 13%
B−Mental distress16.9% · NJ 14.7% · U.S. 15.9%
B+Obesity33.1% · NJ 28.9% · U.S. 32.9%
A−Diabetes10% · NJ 10.9% · U.S. 12%
BSmoking13.8% smoke · NJ 10.9% · U.S. 11.8%
C+Exercise26.4% · NJ 24.8% · U.S. 24.7%
All U.S. towns we grade (21,250)Healthier than 64%
Less healthyHealthier
U.S. towns with similar incomes, $68K–$113K (9,904)Healthier than 58%

Health estimates follow income closely across the country: towns with higher household incomes usually score higher (a correlation of 0.77 across 21,157 graded towns). Alpha’s median household income is $90,333; among the 9,904 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($68K–$113K), it’s healthier than 58%, about where its income would put it.

A rough placement. CDC’s likely ranges are wide here: with every estimate at one end or the other, Alpha could be anywhere from C− to A. The letter shows with “≈”.

How TownRatings grades health →

★ What stands out · Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Alpha adults…

Alpha runs above NJ on 4 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

7 of every 100 Alpha adults have COPD
New Jersey: 5 in 100 · worse · likely 5.4–8%
Better than NJWorseAbout the sameNew Jersey
Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with New Jersey

Share of adults, with the New Jersey figure marked.

Get no exercise 26.4%NJ 24.8%
Sleep under 7 hours 36.8%NJ 37.5%
Binge drink 16.7%NJ 15.5%
Smoke cigarettes 13.8%NJ 10.9%
0%10%20%30%40%
Alpha, betterAlpha, worseAbout the sameNew Jersey
Where Alpha gets moving

0.9 miles of trails across 4 parks and preserves

Parks & trails →
Getting care

Care in and near Alpha

No hospital or community health center in Alpha itself. These are the nearest.

HNearest ERSt. Luke's Warren HospitalPhillipsburg · 3.1 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbySt. Luke's Warren Hospital★★★★★ · 3.1 miDirections →
+Low-cost careStar Community HealthPhillipsburg · 2.9 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
2.9 mi
Star Community Health
4 sites · nearest in Phillipsburg
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
3.1 mi
St. Luke's Warren Hospital
Phillipsburg · ★★★★★
ER
3.3 mi
VHP Community Health Center at South Side
Easton · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
4.8 mi
St. Luke's Hospital - Easton Campus
Easton · ★★★★★
ER
12.8 mi
St. Lukes Hospital
Bethlehem · ★★★★★
ER
17.5 mi
St. Luke's Hospital - Upper Bucks Campus
Quakertown · ★★★★★
ER
✓ Primary careAlpha is not a shortage area
✓ Dental careAlpha is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthAlpha is not a shortage area

Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Community health centers charge on a sliding scale by income. Distances are straight-line from the center of Alpha; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.

Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Alpha adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks New Jersey.

77%Yearly checkupNJ 78%
69%Dentist visitNJ 66%
89%Cholesterol checkNJ 89%
67%Colon screeningNJ 63%
74%MammogramNJ 76%
79%Taking BP medsNJ 77%
1 in 11
working-age adults has no health insurance
Alpha 9.1% · New Jersey 1 in 9 (11.3%)
Mind & connection

How Alpha adults are doing

On 1 of 4 measures, Alpha runs above New Jersey.

1 in 3Alpha adults feel lonely
33.9% · NJ 32.4% · About the same as NJ
1 in 4Alpha adults lack social or emotional support
23.6% · NJ 24% · About the same as NJ
1 in 5Alpha adults have been diagnosed with depression
19.3% · NJ 15.1% · Worse than NJ
1 in 6Alpha adults are in frequent mental distress
16.9% · NJ 14.7% · About the same as NJ
The one neighbors can help with

1 in 3 Alpha adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.

Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.

Find a group →

If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.

Everyday needs

Making ends meet

Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.

1 in 8
Alpha adults worry about having enough food
12.2% · NJ 14.3%
About the same as NJ
1 in 9
Alpha adults worry about keeping their housing
10.6% · NJ 12.3%
About the same as NJ
1 in 16
Alpha adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
6.2% · NJ 7%
About the same as NJ
1 in 15
Alpha adults lack reliable transportation
6.7% · NJ 7.4%
About the same as NJ

7.4% of Alpha adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 8.4% across New Jersey.

Around town

Alpha and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Upper Pohatcong: 32.3%Pohatcong Township: 33.2%Phillipsburg: 37.1%Alpha: 33.1%AlphaUpper PohatcongSt. Luke's Warren Hospital · Phillipsburg · 3.1 mi · 5★ MedicareHStar Community Health-Coventry · Phillipsburg · 2.9 mi+
Healthier than NJNear NJLess healthyHHospital+Health center
Obesity
#2 of 4 towns on this map, healthiest first
Upper Pohatcong32.3%
Alpha33.1%
NJ28.9%

Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.

Health next door

TownHealthObesityDiabetesSmokingFigures from
AlphaB33.1%10%13.8%CDC place
Upper Pohatcong————

Upper Pohatcong: a Census-designated place inside a larger town, graded as part of it. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

27%

of Alpha adults live with a disability (New Jersey 24.8%). Thinking or memory is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs12.4%
Thinking or memory13.1%
Hearing6.6%
Errands alone7.5%
Vision4.4%
Dressing or bathing3.5%
New Jersey

Every CDC estimate for Alpha

Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.

On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Alpha is better than New Jersey on 0 and worse on 5; on the rest, the New Jersey figure falls inside Alpha’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.

Adults who…AlphaNJU.S.vs NJ
Overall health
Fair or poor health17.9%14.7–21.317.1%19.4%About the same
Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month)13.8%11.7–1612.2%13%About the same
Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month)16.9%14.7–19.314.7%15.9%About the same
Conditions
Obesity33.1%27.2–39.728.9%32.9%About the same
Diabetes10%8.5–11.710.9%12%About the same
High blood pressure34.5%30.7–38.432.8%34.4%About the same
High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years)39.6%35.4–43.839.3%37.1%About the same
Arthritis27.2%24.2–30.422.2%25.3%Worse
Asthma9.8%8.6–11.18.9%9.9%About the same
Cancer, other than skin cancer9.3%8.3–10.47.5%7.9%Worse
Coronary heart disease6.4%5.5–7.45.6%6.4%About the same
COPD6.6%5.4–85.1%6.3%Worse
Stroke3.3%2.9–3.83.1%3.4%About the same
Lost all teeth (ages 65+)9.7%7.7–11.99.6%12.3%About the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes13.8%11–16.710.9%11.8%Worse
No exercise outside work26.4%21.6–31.624.8%24.7%About the same
Binge drinking16.7%13.7–19.915.5%15.4%About the same
Sleep under 7 hours36.8%30.9–42.937.5%36%About the same
Checkups and coverage
No health insurance (ages 18–64)9.1%7.1–11.411.3%11%About the same
Checkup in the past year76.7%73–80.178%77.4%About the same
Dentist visit in the past year68.6%65.2–71.765.9%63.2%About the same
Cholesterol check in 5 years88.6%86.6–90.389.1%87.1%About the same
Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure)78.8%75.7–81.477.2%76.5%About the same
Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75)66.9%62.2–71.463.4%65.5%About the same
Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74)74.2%65.9–81.375.7%76.4%About the same
Mind and connection
Ever told they have depression19.3%16.3–22.715.1%20.6%Worse
Feel lonely33.9%28.8–39.232.4%32.5%About the same
Lack social and emotional support23.6%19.9–27.524%23.6%About the same
Everyday needs
Worried about having enough food12.2%9.7–14.914.3%15%About the same
Worried about keeping housing10.6%8.7–12.712.3%12%About the same
Threatened with a utility shut-off6.2%5.2–7.37%7.6%About the same
Lack reliable transportation6.7%5.6–7.97.4%7.9%About the same
Received SNAP (food stamps)7.4%5.7–9.38.4%11.6%About the same
Disability
Any disability27%22.5–31.624.8%30.1%About the same
Difficulty walking or climbing stairs12.4%10–14.911.3%13.6%About the same
Difficulty concentrating or remembering13.1%11.1–15.411.5%13.9%About the same
Hearing difficulty6.6%5.7–7.65.7%6.7%About the same
Vision difficulty4.4%3.7–5.14.7%5.4%About the same
Difficulty doing errands alone7.5%6.3–8.86.6%7.9%About the same
Difficulty dressing or bathing3.5%2.9–4.13.3%3.8%About the same

Each figure is the share of adults 18+ unless the label says otherwise; small numbers after it are CDC’s likely range (95% interval). “About the same” means the New Jersey figure falls inside that range.

Questions about health in Alpha

Is Alpha a healthy place to live?

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Alpha is healthier than 64% of U.S. towns: ≈ B for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 58%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.

What is the obesity rate in Alpha?

CDC estimates 33.1% of adults have obesity, likely between 27.2% and 39.7%, against 28.9% across New Jersey and 32.9% nationally.

What hospital is closest to Alpha?

St. Luke's Warren Hospital in Phillipsburg, 3.1 miles in a straight line from Alpha’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 5 of 5 stars.

How many people in Alpha have no health insurance?

CDC estimates 9.1% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 7.1–11.4%), against 11.3% across New Jersey.

How accurate are these numbers?

They’re modeled estimates: CDC applies national survey answers to each area’s age, sex, race and education mix, so they describe who lives in Alpha more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to A.

Neighbors talk health

Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Alpha.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The New Jersey figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. The Health Grade is our own summary of CDC’s estimates, not an official rating. Ages: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau. This page isn’t medical advice. In an emergency, call 911.