Photo: Jerrye & Roy Klotz, MD · CC BY-SA 3.0Within New Jersey, Lacey Township is healthier than 37% of graded towns
Lacey Township differs from New Jersey on 10 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 6 better, 4 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 08731, 08734. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Lacey Township
New Jersey sets a high bar
Lacey Township is healthier than 79% of U.S. towns, but only 37% of the 468 New Jersey towns we grade. Health Grade ↓
Cancer and arthritis run high in Lacey Township
1 in 11 adults have had cancer (9.5%), vs 7.5% across New Jersey. 3 in 10 adults have arthritis (28.1%), vs 22.2% across New Jersey. In all, Lacey Township runs above New Jersey on three of 11 chronic conditions. Conditions ↓
Smoking is more common in Lacey Township
1 in 8 adults smoke cigarettes (13.3%), vs 10.9% across New Jersey. COPD, which smoking drives, is high too: 6.1%, vs 5.1% across New Jersey. Habits ↓
Fewer Lacey Township adults struggle to make ends meet
Worries about food, housing, utility bills and getting around all run below New Jersey. 1 in 10 adults worry about having enough food, vs 1 in 7 adults statewide. Everyday needs ↓
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 Lacey Township’s likely range; Lacey Township’s figures come from ZIP codes 08731, 08734, which may reach past town lines; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B to A.
What’s behind Lacey Township’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Lacey Township is healthier than 79% of U.S. towns, #295 of 468 in New Jersey. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is obesity (fewer adults with obesity than 87% of towns); the weakest is smoking, still better than 64%.
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). Lacey Township’s median household income is $102,624; among the 8,201 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($77K–$128K), it’s healthier than 69%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Lacey Township adults…
Lacey Township runs above NJ on 3 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Everyday habits, side by side with New Jersey
Share of adults, with the New Jersey figure marked.
192 miles of trails across 10 parks and preserves
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
6% of Lacey Township adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 8.4% across New Jersey.
Care in and near Lacey Township
No hospital or community health center in Lacey 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 Lacey Township; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Keeping up with care
Share of Lacey Township adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks New Jersey.
How Lacey Township adults are doing
About the same as New Jersey on each measure.
3 in 10 Lacey 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.
Lacey Township and the towns around it
Lacey Township has the best Health Grade of the 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lacey Township | A− | 28.9% | 9.9% | 13.3% | ZIP codes |
| Berkeley Township | B+ | 29.5% | 12.2% | 13.3% | ZIP codes |
| Ocean Township | A− | 28% | 12% | 11.6% | ZIP codes |
| Manchester Township | B− | 28.9% | 14.9% | 12.6% | ZIP codes |
| Forked River | — | — | — | — | |
| Barnegat Township | B+ | 29% | 11.5% | 12.6% | ZIP 08005 |
| Woodland Township | B− | 32.2% | 11.3% | 15.6% | ZIP codes |
Forked River: a Census-designated place inside a larger town, graded as part of it. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Lacey Township adults live with a disability (New Jersey 24.8%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Lacey Township
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Lacey Township is better than New Jersey on 6 and worse on 4; on the rest, the New Jersey figure falls inside Lacey Township’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Lacey Township | NJ | U.S. | vs NJ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 15.5%13.6–17.4 | 17.1% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.2%11.8–14.6 | 12.2% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.3%13.7–17 | 14.7% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 28.9%25–33 | 28.9% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 9.9%8.7–11.1 | 10.9% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 32.2%29.5–35.1 | 32.8% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 41.7%38.6–44.8 | 39.3% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 28.1%25.6–30.5 | 22.2% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 9.4%8.4–10.5 | 8.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 9.5%8.7–10.3 | 7.5% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 6.1%5.5–6.7 | 5.6% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 6.1%5.3–6.9 | 5.1% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 3.2%2.9–3.4 | 3.1% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 9.5%7.7–11.5 | 9.6% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 13.3%11.5–15.2 | 10.9% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 23.3%20.4–26.3 | 24.8% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 15.9%13.6–18.3 | 15.5% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 35.7%31.5–40 | 37.5% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 8.4%7.2–9.8 | 11.3% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 76.9%74.1–79.5 | 78% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 69%66–71.9 | 65.9% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 89.2%87.7–90.4 | 89.1% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 78.7%76.1–81.2 | 77.2% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 66.7%62.6–70.8 | 63.4% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 76.4%70.2–81.7 | 75.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 16.7%14.5–19 | 15.1% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 29.7%26.3–33.2 | 32.4% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 21.9%19.1–24.7 | 24% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 10.3%8.8–12 | 14.3% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 8.9%7.6–10.4 | 12.3% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 5.4%4.7–6.2 | 7% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 6%5.3–6.8 | 7.4% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 6%5–7.1 | 8.4% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 25.1%22.3–27.8 | 24.8% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 11.2%9.9–12.6 | 11.3% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 11.6%10.3–13.1 | 11.5% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 6.4%5.7–7.1 | 5.7% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 3.9%3.6–4.3 | 4.7% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 6.7%5.9–7.5 | 6.6% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.1%2.8–3.4 | 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 Lacey Township
Is Lacey Township a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Lacey Township is healthier than 79% of U.S. towns: A− for health, #295 of 468 in New Jersey. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 69%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Lacey Township?
CDC estimates 28.9% of adults have obesity, likely between 25% and 33%, against 28.9% across New Jersey and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Lacey Township?
Community Medical Center in Toms River, 7.4 miles in a straight line from Lacey Township’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 1 of 5 stars.
How many people in Lacey Township have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 8.4% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 7.2–9.8%), 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 Lacey Township more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B to A.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Lacey 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.