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–Not graded
Health in Fords · CDC PLACES 2025

Where Fords residents get care

CDC publishes only some of its health estimates for Fords, not the seven a Health Grade needs; here is what we do have.

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

Fair or poor health
17%
About the same as NJ (17.1%)
Obesity
31.7%
About the same as NJ (28.9%)
No exercise
24.7%
About the same as NJ (24.8%)
Uninsured
11.2%
About the same as NJ (11.3%)
Feel lonely
34%
About the same as NJ (32.4%)
Nearest ER
2.1 mi
Raritan Bay Medical Center
Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Fords adults…

Fords runs below NJ on 4 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

3 of every 100 Fords adults have had a stroke
New Jersey: 3 in 100 · better · likely 2.5–3%
Better than NJWorseAbout the sameNew Jersey
Getting care

Care in and near Fords

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

HNearest ERRaritan Bay Medical CenterPerth Amboy · 2.1 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyOverlook Medical Center★★★★★ · 12.4 miDirections →
+Low-cost careCentral Jersey Medical CenterPerth Amboy · 3 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
2.1 mi
Raritan Bay Medical Center
Perth Amboy · ★★★★★
ER
DirectionsMedicare profile
≈2.9 mi
JFK University Medical Center
Edison · ★★★★★
ER
DirectionsMedicare profile
3 mi
Central Jersey Medical Center
2 sites · nearest in Perth Amboy
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
3.7 mi
Jewish Renaissance Foundation Community Health Center
Edison · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
Directions
5.4 mi
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital at Rahway
Rahway · ★★★★★
ER
DirectionsMedicare profile
7.7 mi
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
New Brunswick · ★★★★★
ER
DirectionsMedicare profile
✓ Primary careFords is not a shortage area
✓ Dental careFords is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthFords 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 Fords; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with New Jersey

Share of adults, with the New Jersey figure marked.

Get no exercise 24.7%NJ 24.8%
Sleep under 7 hours 38.6%NJ 37.5%
Binge drink 15.7%NJ 15.5%
Smoke cigarettes 10.3%NJ 10.9%
0%10%20%30%40%
Fords, betterFords, worseAbout the sameNew Jersey
Where Fords gets moving

0.1 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve

1Howell Ave Park1 acres
Parks & trails →
Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

78%Yearly checkupNJ 78%
67%Dentist visitNJ 66%
89%Cholesterol checkNJ 89%
65%Colon screeningNJ 63%
75%MammogramNJ 76%
76%Taking BP medsNJ 77%
1 in 9
working-age adults has no health insurance
Fords 11.2% · New Jersey 1 in 9 (11.3%)
Mind & connection

How Fords adults are doing

About the same as New Jersey on each measure.

1 in 3Fords adults feel lonely
34% · NJ 32.4% · About the same as NJ
1 in 4Fords adults lack social or emotional support
24.4% · NJ 24% · About the same as NJ
1 in 7Fords adults have been diagnosed with depression
13.7% · NJ 15.1% · About the same as NJ
1 in 7Fords adults are in frequent mental distress
14.6% · NJ 14.7% · About the same as NJ
The one neighbors can help with

1 in 3 Fords 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 7
Fords adults worry about having enough food
13.6% · NJ 14.3%
About the same as NJ
1 in 8
Fords adults worry about keeping their housing
12.1% · NJ 12.3%
About the same as NJ
1 in 15
Fords adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
6.5% · NJ 7%
About the same as NJ
1 in 14
Fords adults lack reliable transportation
7.1% · NJ 7.4%
About the same as NJ

7.1% of Fords adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 8.4% across New Jersey.

Around town

Fords and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Keasbey: 37.6%Woodbridge Township: 31.1%Edison Township: 24.6%Hopelawn: 36.8%Menlo Park Terrace: 27.8%Sayreville: 32%Perth Amboy: 40.9%Carteret: 33.5%Avenel: 32.1%Port Reading: 31.4%Sewaren: 33.3%Colonia: 30%Rahway: 30.3%Linden: 31.5%New Brunswick: 36.6%Highland Park: 28.5%Piscataway Township: 26.3%South Plainfield: 30%East Brunswick Township: 27.2%Iselin: 24%Rutgers University-Livingston Campus: 15.1%Fords: 31.7%FordsKeasbeyWoodbridge TownshipEdison TownshipHopelawnMenlo Park TerraceRaritan Bay Medical Center · Perth Amboy · 2.1 mi · 4★ MedicareHJFK University Medical Center · Edison · 2.9 mi · 3★ MedicareHRobert Wood Johnson University Hospital at Rahway · Rahway · 5.4 mi · 4★ MedicareHRobert Wood Johnson University Hospital · New Brunswick · 7.7 mi · 2★ MedicareHCentral Jersey Medical Center · Perth Amboy · 3 mi+Jewish Renaissance Foundation Community Health Center · Edison · 3.7 mi+
Healthier than NJNear NJLess healthyHHospital+Health center
Obesity
#14 of 22 towns on this map, healthiest first
Edison Township24.6%
Menlo Park Terrace27.8%
Woodbridge Township31.1%
Fords31.7%
Hopelawn36.8%
Keasbey37.6%
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
Woodbridge————
Keasbey————
Edison TownshipA24.6%10.7%8.4%ZIP codes
Woodbridge TownshipA−31.1%11%10.7%ZIP codes
Hopelawn————
Menlo Park Terrace————

Woodbridge, Keasbey, Hopelawn and Menlo Park Terrace: Census-designated places inside larger towns, graded as part of them. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

24.4%

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

Walking or climbing stairs10.7%
Thinking or memory11.3%
Hearing5.1%
Errands alone6.1%
Vision4.3%
Dressing or bathing3%
New Jersey

Questions about health in Fords

Why doesn’t Fords have a Health Grade?

Every Health Grade is built from seven of CDC’s PLACES estimates, and CDC doesn’t publish all seven for Fords.

What hospital is closest to Fords?

Raritan Bay Medical Center in Perth Amboy, 2.1 miles in a straight line from Fords’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room. Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.

Where can I get low-cost care near Fords?

10 community health center sites are within 10 miles; the nearest is Central Jersey Medical Center in Perth Amboy, 3.0 miles away. They charge on a sliding scale by income.

Neighbors talk health

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

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. 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.