Photo: Smallbones · Public domainWithin New Jersey, Lower Township is healthier than 21% of graded towns
Lower Township differs from New Jersey on 17 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 7 better, 10 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 08204, 08260, 08251, 08242. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Lower Township
New Jersey sets a high bar
Lower Township is healthier than 64% of U.S. towns, but only 21% of the 468 New Jersey towns we grade. Health Grade ↓
Cancer, COPD and heart disease run high in Lower Township
1 in 9 adults have had cancer (11.3%), vs 7.5% across New Jersey. 1 in 13 adults have COPD (7.6%), vs 5.1% across New Jersey. Heart disease is also above the state: 7.9%, vs 5.6% across New Jersey. In all, Lower Township runs above New Jersey on eight of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 29% of residents are 65 or older (New Jersey 17%), and cancer, COPD and heart disease are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
More high blood pressure in Lower Township, and more people treating it
39% of adults have high blood pressure (New Jersey 32.8%), but 81.9% of them take medicine for it, vs 77.2% statewide. Checkups ↓
Fewer Lower Township adults struggle to make ends meet
Worries about food, housing and utility bills all run below New Jersey. 1 in 9 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 Lower Township’s likely range; Lower Township’s figures come from ZIP codes 08204, 08260, 08251, 08242, which may reach past town lines; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C to A.
What’s behind Lower Township’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Lower Township is healthier than 64% of U.S. towns, #370 of 468 in New Jersey. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 80% of U.S. towns); physical distress pulls it down (better than 46%).
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). Lower Township’s median household income is $84,962; among the 10,396 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($64K–$106K), it’s healthier than 64%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Lower Township adults…
Lower Township runs above NJ on 8 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Lower Township is an older town: 29% 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 Lower Township as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Lower Township adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks New Jersey.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
7.6% of Lower Township adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 8.4% across New Jersey.
Care in and near Lower Township
No hospital or community health center in Lower 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 Lower Township; ≈ 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.
20 miles of trails across 10 parks and preserves
How Lower Township adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Lower Township runs above New Jersey.
3 in 10 Lower 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.
Lower Township and the towns around it
Lower Township’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lower Township | B | 34.5% | 12% | 12.9% | ZIP codes |
| Cape May | B+ | 33.4% | 13% | 11% | CDC place |
| Villas | — | — | — | — | |
| Middle Township | B+ | 34% | 11.3% | 12.4% | ZIP codes |
| North Cape May | — | — | — | — | |
| Wildwood Crest | A− | 32.2% | 11.2% | 10.4% | CDC place |
| West Cape May | — | — | — | — | |
| Cape May Point | — | — | — | — |
Villas and North Cape May: Census-designated places inside larger towns, graded as part of them. West Cape May: not graded. Cape May Point: fewer than 1,000 residents. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Lower Township adults live with a disability (New Jersey 24.8%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Lower Township
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Lower Township is better than New Jersey on 7 and worse on 10; on the rest, the New Jersey figure falls inside Lower Township’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Lower Township | NJ | U.S. | vs NJ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 18.2%15.8–20.8 | 17.1% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.4%12.7–16.2 | 12.2% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.1%13.3–16.9 | 14.7% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 34.5%28.1–41.3 | 28.9% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 12%10.4–13.8 | 10.9% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 39%35–43.1 | 32.8% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 45.9%41.5–50.2 | 39.3% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 30.2%26.8–33.6 | 22.2% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 9.7%8.6–11 | 8.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 11.3%10.2–12.4 | 7.5% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.9%7–8.8 | 5.6% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 7.6%6.7–8.7 | 5.1% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4%3.7–4.4 | 3.1% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 10.7%8.6–13.2 | 9.6% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 12.9%11.1–15 | 10.9% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 24.1%20.3–28.3 | 24.8% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 15.3%12.6–18.2 | 15.5% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 31.8%26.3–37.9 | 37.5% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 9.1%7.7–10.6 | 11.3% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 80.5%77.3–83.4 | 78% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 65.8%62.3–69.3 | 65.9% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 90.4%89–91.6 | 89.1% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 81.9%79.2–84.3 | 77.2% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 70.5%65.8–74.9 | 63.4% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 73.3%65.5–80.2 | 75.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 18.2%15.3–21.3 | 15.1% | 20.6% | Worse |
| Feel lonely | 28%23.8–32.6 | 32.4% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 21.2%18.1–24.6 | 24% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 11.6%9.9–13.6 | 14.3% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 9.4%8.1–10.9 | 12.3% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 5.8%5–6.7 | 7% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 6.4%5.6–7.2 | 7.4% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 7.6%6.3–9 | 8.4% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 28.6%24.9–32.6 | 24.8% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 14.5%12.5–16.6 | 11.3% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 12%10.6–13.5 | 11.5% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 7.9%7–8.8 | 5.7% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 4.7%4.3–5.3 | 4.7% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7.6%6.7–8.5 | 6.6% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.7%3.4–4.2 | 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 Lower Township
Is Lower Township a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Lower Township is healthier than 64% of U.S. towns: ≈ B for health, #370 of 468 in New Jersey. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 64%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Lower Township?
CDC estimates 34.5% of adults have obesity, likely between 28.1% and 41.3%, against 28.9% across New Jersey and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Lower Township?
Cape Regional Medical Center in Cape May Court House, 9.2 miles in a straight line from Lower Township’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Lower Township have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 9.1% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 7.7–10.6%), 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 Lower Township 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 Lower 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.