Photo: Zeete · CC BY-SA 4.0On CDC estimates, Bernards Township is among the healthiest U.S. towns
Bernards Township differs from New Jersey on 20 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 19 better, 1 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 07920, 07931. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Bernards Township
Bernards Township is an active town
Only 17.3% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 24.8% across New Jersey. The town has 25 miles of trails across 13 parks and preserves. Habits ↓
Against towns with similar incomes, Bernards Township’s lead shrinks
Bernards Township is healthier than 99% of U.S. towns, but 83% of the 1,049 towns with similar household incomes ($146K–$243K). Part of its edge is what towns with its incomes tend to have. Health Grade ↓
Few Bernards Township adults smoke
6.9% of adults smoke cigarettes, vs 10.9% across New Jersey. Habits ↓
Nearly everyone in Bernards Township is insured
Only 5.4% of adults 18–64 have no health insurance, vs 11.3% across New Jersey. Checkups ↓
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 Bernards Township’s likely range; Bernards Township’s figures come from ZIP codes 07920, 07931, which may reach past town lines.
What’s behind Bernards Township’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Bernards Township is among the healthiest U.S. towns, #48 of 468 in New Jersey. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is fair or poor health (fewer adults who rate their health fair or poor than almost every town); the weakest is diabetes, still better than 92%.
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). Bernards Township’s median household income is $194,107; among the 1,049 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($146K–$243K), it’s healthier than 83%, about where its income would put it.
Everyday habits, side by side with New Jersey
Share of adults, with the New Jersey figure marked.
25 miles of trails across 13 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Bernards Township adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks New Jersey.
Out of every 100 Bernards Township adults…
Bernards Township runs below NJ on 6 of 12 conditions and above it on 1. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Bernards Township
No hospital or community health center in Bernards Township itself. These are the nearest.
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 Bernards Township; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
How Bernards Township adults are doing
On 2 of 4 measures, Bernards Township does better than New Jersey.
3 in 10 Bernards Township adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.
Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.
If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
3.1% of Bernards Township adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 8.4% across New Jersey.
Bernards Township and the towns around it
Bernards Township has the best Health Grade of the 5 graded towns around it.
Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bernards Township | A+ | 23.6% | 8.9% | 6.9% | ZIP codes |
| Basking Ridge | — | — | — | — | |
| Harding Township | A+ | 23% | 8.7% | 7.6% | ZIP codes |
| Warren Township | A+ | 23.9% | 9.5% | 7.1% | ZIP 07059 |
| Long Hill Township | A+ | 22.5% | 8.6% | 8.2% | ZIP codes |
| Millington | — | — | — | — | |
| Bernardsville | A+ | 25.9% | 8% | 7.2% | CDC place |
| Lyons | — | — | — | — |
Basking Ridge, Millington and Lyons: Census-designated places inside larger towns, graded as part of them. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Bernards Township adults live with a disability (New Jersey 24.8%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Bernards Township
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Bernards Township is better than New Jersey on 19 and worse on 1; on the rest, the New Jersey figure falls inside Bernards Township’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Bernards Township | NJ | U.S. | vs NJ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 10.7%9.3–12.3 | 17.1% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 9.6%8.5–10.9 | 12.2% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 11.6%10.3–13 | 14.7% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 23.6%19.7–27.8 | 28.9% | 32.9% | Better |
| Diabetes | 8.9%7.8–10.2 | 10.9% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 29.7%26.7–32.8 | 32.8% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 40.6%37–44.2 | 39.3% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 22.2%19.9–24.7 | 22.2% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 7.9%7.1–8.9 | 8.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 9.1%8.3–9.9 | 7.5% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 4.8%4.3–5.3 | 5.6% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 3.9%3.3–4.4 | 5.1% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 2.4%2.2–2.6 | 3.1% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 5.5%4.5–6.9 | 9.6% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 6.9%5.8–8.1 | 10.9% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 17.3%14.7–20.1 | 24.8% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 13.5%11.4–15.9 | 15.5% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 33.9%29.5–38.6 | 37.5% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 5.4%4.6–6.3 | 11.3% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 80.3%77.5–83.1 | 78% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 75.9%73.4–78.5 | 65.9% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 92.2%91–93.1 | 89.1% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 78.4%75.3–81.3 | 77.2% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 65.5%61.3–69.6 | 63.4% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 77.3%70.9–83.1 | 75.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 14.3%12.3–16.4 | 15.1% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 29.4%25.9–33.1 | 32.4% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 19.9%17.4–22.6 | 24% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 6.6%5.6–7.8 | 14.3% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 5.7%4.9–6.7 | 12.3% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 3.4%2.9–3.9 | 7% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 3.9%3.4–4.5 | 7.4% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 3.1%2.5–3.8 | 8.4% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 18.2%15.8–20.7 | 24.8% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 8.2%7.1–9.4 | 11.3% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 7.9%7–9 | 11.5% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 5.1%4.5–5.7 | 5.7% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 2.8%2.6–3.1 | 4.7% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 4.5%3.9–5.1 | 6.6% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.1%1.9–2.3 | 3.3% | 3.8% | Lower |
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 Bernards Township
Is Bernards Township a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Bernards Township is among the healthiest U.S. towns: A+ for health, #48 of 468 in New Jersey. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 83%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Bernards Township?
CDC estimates 23.6% of adults have obesity, likely between 19.7% and 27.8%, against 28.9% across New Jersey and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Bernards Township?
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital - Somerset in Somerville, 7.7 miles in a straight line from Bernards Township’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Bernards Township have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 5.4% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 4.6–6.3%), 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 Bernards Township more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from A to A+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Bernards Township.
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.