Cape May Historic District (Additional Documentation) · Photo: Smallbones · CC0Within New Jersey, Cape May is healthier than 23% of graded towns
Cape May differs from New Jersey on 19 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 12 better, 7 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Cape May. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Cape May
Cancer, heart disease and COPD run high in Cape May
1 in 8 adults have had cancer (13.1%), vs 7.5% across New Jersey. 1 in 11 adults have heart disease (9.3%), vs 5.6% across New Jersey. COPD is also above the state: 8.3%, vs 5.1% across New Jersey. In all, Cape May runs above New Jersey on seven of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 33% of residents are 65 or older (New Jersey 17%), and cancer, heart disease and COPD are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
New Jersey sets a high bar
Cape May is healthier than 66% of U.S. towns, but only 23% of the 468 New Jersey towns we grade. Health Grade ↓
Cape May is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Cape May is healthier than 66%. Against the 9,534 towns with similar household incomes ($47K–$78K), it’s healthier than 89%. Health Grade ↓
More high blood pressure in Cape May, and more people treating it
41.7% of adults have high blood pressure (New Jersey 32.8%), but 84.3% of them take medicine for it, vs 77.2% statewide. Checkups ↓
Cape May keeps up with checkups
It beats New Jersey on three of five routine checkups and screenings, including yearly checkups (82.2% vs 78%) and dentist visits (69.9% vs 65.9%). 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 Cape May’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C to A.
What’s behind Cape May’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Cape May is healthier than 66% of U.S. towns, #361 of 468 in New Jersey. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 89% of U.S. towns); diabetes pulls it down (better than 36%).
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). Cape May’s median household income is $62,576; among the 9,534 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($47K–$78K), it’s healthier than 89%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Out of every 100 Cape May adults…
Cape May runs above NJ on 7 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Cape May is an older town: 33% of residents are 65 or older, vs 17% across New Jersey. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Cape May as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Cape May adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks New Jersey.
Care in and near Cape May
No hospital or community health center in Cape May 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 Cape May; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).
Everyday habits, side by side with New Jersey
Share of adults, with the New Jersey figure marked.
1.7 miles of trails across 5 parks and preserves
How Cape May adults are doing
On 2 of 4 measures, Cape May does better than New Jersey.
1 in 4 Cape May 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.
7.1% of Cape May adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 8.4% across New Jersey.
Cape May and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape May | B+ | 33.4% | 13% | 11% | CDC place |
| Lower Township | B | 34.5% | 12% | 12.9% | ZIP codes |
| West Cape May | — | — | — | — |
West Cape May: not graded. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Cape May adults live with a disability (New Jersey 24.8%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Cape May
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Cape May is better than New Jersey on 12 and worse on 7; on the rest, the New Jersey figure falls inside Cape May’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Cape May | NJ | U.S. | vs NJ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 18.3%15–21.8 | 17.1% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.4%12.1–16.7 | 12.2% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 14%11.9–16.1 | 14.7% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 33.4%26.7–40.4 | 28.9% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 13%10.9–15.2 | 10.9% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 41.7%37.3–46 | 32.8% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 47.4%43–51.7 | 39.3% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 33%29.2–36.7 | 22.2% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 9.5%8.4–10.8 | 8.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 13.1%11.8–14.5 | 7.5% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 9.3%7.9–10.8 | 5.6% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 8.3%6.4–10.2 | 5.1% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.5%3.8–5.3 | 3.1% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 9%7.1–11.2 | 9.6% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 11%8.3–13.7 | 10.9% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 24.2%19.2–29.4 | 24.8% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 13.7%11.3–16.3 | 15.5% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 29.3%24–35 | 37.5% | 36% | Better |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 8.6%6.8–10.8 | 11.3% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 82.2%79.1–84.9 | 78% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 69.9%66.6–73.2 | 65.9% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 90.6%89.1–92 | 89.1% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 84.3%81.9–86.4 | 77.2% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 76.6%72.3–80.6 | 63.4% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 71.7%63.5–79.1 | 75.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 17.6%14.7–20.8 | 15.1% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 27%22.8–31.5 | 32.4% | 32.5% | Better |
| Lack social and emotional support | 19.3%16.1–22.7 | 24% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 10.6%8.2–13.2 | 14.3% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 8.1%6.6–9.8 | 12.3% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 5.2%4.3–6.2 | 7% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 6.1%5–7.1 | 7.4% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 7.1%5.3–9.2 | 8.4% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 30.4%25.5–35.2 | 24.8% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 15.9%12.8–19 | 11.3% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 11.4%9.5–13.3 | 11.5% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 9.3%8–10.7 | 5.7% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 5.1%4.2–6 | 4.7% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7.8%6.4–9.3 | 6.6% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.9%3.1–4.6 | 3.3% | 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 Cape May
Is Cape May a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Cape May is healthier than 66% of U.S. towns: ≈ B+ for health, #361 of 468 in New Jersey. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 89%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Cape May?
CDC estimates 33.4% of adults have obesity, likely between 26.7% and 40.4%, against 28.9% across New Jersey and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Cape May?
Cape Regional Medical Center in Cape May Court House, 11.4 miles in a straight line from Cape May’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Cape May have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 8.6% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.8–10.8%), 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 Cape May 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 Cape May.
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.