Photo: AEMoreira042281 · CC BY-SA 3.0Within New Jersey, Dunellen is healthier than 8% of graded towns
Dunellen differs from New Jersey on 17 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 1 better, 16 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Dunellen. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Dunellen
Making ends meet is harder in Dunellen
1 in 5 adults worry about having enough food (21.5%), vs 14.3% across New Jersey. Utility shut-off threats (10.4% vs 7%) and housing insecurity (17.9% vs 12.3%) are higher too. 13.8% of adults receive SNAP, vs 8.4% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
Smoking is more common in Dunellen
1 in 7 adults smoke cigarettes (15%), vs 10.9% across New Jersey. Habits ↓
More Dunellen adults get no exercise
3 in 10 adults get no exercise outside work (30.8%), vs 24.8% across New Jersey. Habits ↓
Health varies a lot right around Dunellen
Grades next door run from Piscataway Township (A) to Plainfield (C−). Dunellen is a C. Around town ↓
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 Dunellen’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B+.
What’s behind Dunellen’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Dunellen is healthier than 34% of U.S. towns, #432 of 468 in New Jersey. Physical distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent physical distress than 48% of U.S. towns); no exercise pulls it down (better than 19%).
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). Dunellen’s median household income is $86,967; among the 10,243 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($65K–$109K), it’s healthier than 20%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Where Dunellen compares well: cancer, other than skin cancer, 6.1% (U.S. 7.9%).
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
13.8% of Dunellen adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 8.4% across New Jersey.
Everyday habits, side by side with New Jersey
Share of adults, with the New Jersey figure marked.
0.9 miles of trails across 5 parks and preserves
Dunellen and the towns around it
Dunellen’s Health Grade ranks 4th of 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dunellen | C | 37.7% | 12.8% | 15% | CDC place |
| Green Brook Township | B+ | 30.9% | 11.3% | 11.6% | ZIP codes |
| Middlesex | B+ | 33.2% | 11% | 11.7% | CDC place |
| Piscataway Township | A | 26.3% | 9.5% | 8.2% | ZIP 08854 |
| Plainfield | C− | 36.1% | 14.4% | 15.5% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Out of every 100 Dunellen adults…
Dunellen runs below NJ on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 3. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Dunellen
No hospital or community health center in Dunellen 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 Dunellen; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Keeping up with care
Share of Dunellen adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks New Jersey.
How Dunellen adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Dunellen runs above New Jersey.
1 in 3 Dunellen 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.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Dunellen adults live with a disability (New Jersey 24.8%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Dunellen
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Dunellen is better than New Jersey on 1 and worse on 16; on the rest, the New Jersey figure falls inside Dunellen’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Dunellen | NJ | U.S. | vs NJ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 23.3%20.3–26.7 | 17.1% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.3%12.5–16.2 | 12.2% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 17.4%15.4–19.6 | 14.7% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 37.7%33.1–42.2 | 28.9% | 32.9% | Worse |
| Diabetes | 12.8%11.2–14.5 | 10.9% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 35%32.1–38 | 32.8% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 37.9%34.8–40.9 | 39.3% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 22.4%20.1–24.7 | 22.2% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 9.6%8.5–10.8 | 8.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 6.1%5.5–6.7 | 7.5% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 5.8%5.1–6.6 | 5.6% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 6.3%5.3–7.4 | 5.1% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 3.3%2.9–3.6 | 3.1% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 11.4%9.3–13.9 | 9.6% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 15%12.5–17.7 | 10.9% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 30.8%26.7–35.1 | 24.8% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 16.1%13.9–18.6 | 15.5% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 40.3%36.3–44.5 | 37.5% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 16.6%13.6–19.9 | 11.3% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 76.7%73.8–79.5 | 78% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 62%58.9–64.9 | 65.9% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 86.2%84.3–88.1 | 89.1% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 74.1%71.1–76.9 | 77.2% | 76.5% | Worse |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 61.3%57.4–65.2 | 63.4% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 71.5%64.5–77.6 | 75.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 15.6%13.4–17.9 | 15.1% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 35%31.3–39 | 32.4% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 25.3%22.1–28.8 | 24% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 21.5%18.2–25.1 | 14.3% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 17.9%15.3–20.8 | 12.3% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 10.4%8.9–12 | 7% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 10.7%9.2–12.3 | 7.4% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 13.8%11.3–16.5 | 8.4% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 30.1%26.5–34.3 | 24.8% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 13.8%11.8–16 | 11.3% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 15.1%13.1–17.4 | 11.5% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 5.9%5.2–6.7 | 5.7% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 6.4%5.6–7.3 | 4.7% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8.6%7.4–9.9 | 6.6% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.5%3.9–5.2 | 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 Dunellen
Is Dunellen a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Dunellen is healthier than 34% of U.S. towns: ≈ C for health, #432 of 468 in New Jersey. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 20%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Dunellen?
CDC estimates 37.7% of adults have obesity, likely between 33.1% and 42.2%, against 28.9% across New Jersey and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Dunellen?
Saint Peter's University Hospital in New Brunswick, 6.1 miles in a straight line from Dunellen’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Dunellen have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 16.6% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 13.6–19.9%), 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 Dunellen more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Dunellen.
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.