Photo: Jared Kofsky/Placenj.com · CC BY-SA 4.0Within New Jersey, Carteret is healthier than 16% of graded towns
Carteret differs from New Jersey on 19 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 4 better, 15 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Carteret. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Carteret
New Jersey sets a high bar
Carteret is healthier than 57% of U.S. towns, but only 16% of the 468 New Jersey towns we grade. Health Grade ↓
Making ends meet is harder in Carteret
1 in 5 adults worry about having enough food (20.4%), vs 14.3% across New Jersey. Housing insecurity (16.9% vs 12.3%) and no reliable transportation (9.8% vs 7.4%) are higher too. 11.5% of adults receive SNAP, vs 8.4% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
More Carteret adults lack emotional support
3 in 10 adults lack social or emotional support (28.2%), vs 24% across New Jersey. Loneliness is above the state too: 36.7%, vs 32.4% across New Jersey. Mind & connection ↓
Dental care lags in Carteret
58.3% of adults saw a dentist this year, vs 65.9% across New Jersey. Among those 65 and older, 13.2% have lost all their teeth (New Jersey 9.6%). Checkups ↓
Against towns with similar incomes, Carteret’s lead shrinks
Carteret is healthier than 57% of U.S. towns, but 39% of the 9,045 towns with similar household incomes ($73K–$121K). Part of its edge is what towns with its incomes tend to have. Health Grade ↓
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 Carteret’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C to A−.
What’s behind Carteret’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Carteret is healthier than 57% of U.S. towns, #393 of 468 in New Jersey. Physical distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent physical distress than 74% of U.S. towns); no exercise pulls it down (better than 21%).
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). Carteret’s median household income is $96,862; among the 9,045 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($73K–$121K), it’s healthier than 39%, less than its income alone would suggest.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
11.5% of Carteret adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 8.4% across New Jersey.
How Carteret adults are doing
On 2 of 4 measures, Carteret runs above New Jersey.
4 in 10 Carteret 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.
Keeping up with care
Share of Carteret adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks New Jersey.
Out of every 100 Carteret adults…
Carteret runs below NJ on 4 of 12 conditions and above it on 3. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Carteret
1 community health center in Carteret, plus the nearest just outside it.
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 Carteret; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Everyday habits, side by side with New Jersey
Share of adults, with the New Jersey figure marked.
1.1 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves
Carteret and the towns around it
Carteret’s Health Grade ranks 4th of 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carteret | B | 33.5% | 12.6% | 12.2% | CDC place |
| Woodbridge Township | A− | 31.1% | 11% | 10.7% | ZIP codes |
| Avenel | — | — | — | — | |
| Linden | B | 31.5% | 11.8% | 12.8% | CDC place |
| Port Reading | — | — | — | — |
Avenel and Port Reading: 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 Carteret adults live with a disability (New Jersey 24.8%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Carteret
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Carteret is better than New Jersey on 4 and worse on 15; on the rest, the New Jersey figure falls inside Carteret’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Carteret | NJ | U.S. | vs NJ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 21.1%19–23.3 | 17.1% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.6%11.3–14 | 12.2% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.7%14.1–17.4 | 14.7% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 33.5%29.4–37.7 | 28.9% | 32.9% | Worse |
| Diabetes | 12.6%11.2–14.1 | 10.9% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 33.3%30.5–36.2 | 32.8% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 37.6%34.7–40.6 | 39.3% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 19.8%17.9–21.9 | 22.2% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 8.8%7.8–9.9 | 8.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 5.2%4.7–5.7 | 7.5% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 5%4.5–5.5 | 5.6% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 4.8%4.2–5.3 | 5.1% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 2.9%2.7–3.2 | 3.1% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 13.2%10.8–15.9 | 9.6% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 12.2%10.7–13.8 | 10.9% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 30.4%27.1–33.9 | 24.8% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 14.4%12.3–16.6 | 15.5% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 42.1%38–46.3 | 37.5% | 36% | Worse |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 15.5%13.5–17.6 | 11.3% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 77.5%74.5–80.2 | 78% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 58.3%55.1–61.3 | 65.9% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 87.1%85.4–88.7 | 89.1% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 74.6%71.7–77.3 | 77.2% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 59.5%55.3–63.5 | 63.4% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 72%65.3–77.9 | 75.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 13%11.2–14.9 | 15.1% | 20.6% | Better |
| Feel lonely | 36.7%33.2–40.3 | 32.4% | 32.5% | Worse |
| Lack social and emotional support | 28.2%25.3–31.4 | 24% | 23.6% | Worse |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 20.4%18–22.8 | 14.3% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 16.9%15–18.9 | 12.3% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 9%7.9–10.2 | 7% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 9.8%8.7–10.9 | 7.4% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 11.5%9.9–13.1 | 8.4% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 27.4%24.6–30.3 | 24.8% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 12.3%10.9–13.7 | 11.3% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 13.2%11.8–14.7 | 11.5% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 5.1%4.5–5.7 | 5.7% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 5.7%5.3–6.3 | 4.7% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7.3%6.5–8.1 | 6.6% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.8%3.4–4.1 | 3.3% | 3.8% | Higher |
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 Carteret
Is Carteret a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Carteret is healthier than 57% of U.S. towns: ≈ B for health, #393 of 468 in New Jersey. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 39%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Carteret?
CDC estimates 33.5% of adults have obesity, likely between 29.4% and 37.7%, against 28.9% across New Jersey and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Carteret?
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital at Rahway in Rahway, 3.9 miles in a straight line from Carteret’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Carteret have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 15.5% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 13.5–17.6%), 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 Carteret 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 Carteret.
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.