Photo: Mlaurenti at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0Within New Jersey, Monroe Township is healthier than 46% of graded towns
Monroe Township differs from New Jersey on 23 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 16 better, 7 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP code 08831. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Monroe Township
New Jersey sets a high bar
Monroe Township is healthier than 85% of U.S. towns, but only 46% of the 468 New Jersey towns we grade. Health Grade ↓
Cancer, heart disease and arthritis run high in Monroe Township
1 in 9 adults have had cancer (11.5%), vs 7.5% across New Jersey. 1 in 14 adults have heart disease (7.4%), vs 5.6% across New Jersey. Arthritis is also above the state: 28.9%, vs 22.2% across New Jersey. In all, Monroe Township runs above New Jersey on five of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 40% of residents are 65 or older (New Jersey 17%), and cancer, heart disease and arthritis are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
More high blood pressure in Monroe Township, and more people treating it
39.9% of adults have high blood pressure (New Jersey 32.8%), but 83.7% of them take medicine for it, vs 77.2% statewide. Checkups ↓
Monroe Township keeps up with checkups
It beats New Jersey on four of five routine checkups and screenings, including yearly checkups (83.8% vs 78%) and dentist visits (72.7% vs 65.9%). Checkups ↓
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 Monroe Township’s likely range; Monroe Township’s figures come from ZIP code 08831, which may reach past town lines.
What’s behind Monroe Township’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Monroe Township is healthier than 85% of U.S. towns, #252 of 468 in New Jersey. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than almost every U.S. town); diabetes pulls it down (better than 44%).
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). Monroe Township’s median household income is $107,892; among the 7,476 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($81K–$135K), it’s healthier than 77%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Monroe Township adults…
Monroe Township runs below NJ on 2 of 12 conditions and above it on 7. Tap one to see it as people.
Monroe Township is an older town: 40% of residents are 65 or older, vs 17% across New Jersey. Heart disease, arthritis and stroke rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Monroe Township as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Monroe Township adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks New Jersey.
Care in and near Monroe Township
No hospital or community health center in Monroe 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 Monroe Township; ≈ 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.
25 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves
How Monroe Township adults are doing
On 3 of 4 measures, Monroe Township does better than New Jersey.
3 in 10 Monroe 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.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
4% of Monroe Township adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 8.4% across New Jersey.
Monroe Township and the towns around it
Monroe Township’s Health Grade ranks 7th of 9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monroe Township | A− | 27.1% | 12.5% | 8% | ZIP 08831 |
| Old Bridge Township | A− | 31.2% | 10.8% | 11% | ZIP codes |
| Helmetta | A | 31.2% | 8.3% | 10.4% | CDC place |
| Spotswood | A− | 31.7% | 10.7% | 11.7% | CDC place |
| Manalapan Township | A | 28.9% | 9.4% | 8.9% | ZIP 07726 |
| East Windsor Township | A | 23% | 10% | 9.3% | ZIP codes |
| Twin Rivers | — | — | — | — | |
| Cranbury Township | A | 23.5% | 10.4% | 7.9% | ZIP 08512 |
Twin Rivers: 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 Monroe Township adults live with a disability (New Jersey 24.8%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Monroe Township
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Monroe Township is better than New Jersey on 16 and worse on 7; on the rest, the New Jersey figure falls inside Monroe Township’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Monroe Township | NJ | U.S. | vs NJ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 15.5%13.8–17.4 | 17.1% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 11.4%10.2–12.8 | 12.2% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 11.2%10–12.5 | 14.7% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 27.1%23.5–31 | 28.9% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 12.5%11–14.1 | 10.9% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 39.9%36.9–43 | 32.8% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 45.1%41.8–48.5 | 39.3% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 28.9%26.4–31.5 | 22.2% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 8.2%7.3–9.2 | 8.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 11.5%10.6–12.5 | 7.5% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.4%6.6–8.1 | 5.6% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 5.6%5–6.3 | 5.1% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.7%3.4–4 | 3.1% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 7.4%6–9.1 | 9.6% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 8%6.9–9.2 | 10.9% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 23.5%20.7–26.4 | 24.8% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 12%10.3–13.9 | 15.5% | 15.4% | Better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 33.8%30–37.7 | 37.5% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 6.7%5.8–7.7 | 11.3% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 83.8%81.5–85.8 | 78% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 72.7%70–75.2 | 65.9% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 93.1%92.2–94 | 89.1% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 83.7%81.3–85.8 | 77.2% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 70.6%66.9–74.1 | 63.4% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 77.4%71.5–82.7 | 75.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 12.1%10.5–14 | 15.1% | 20.6% | Better |
| Feel lonely | 30.1%26.9–33.5 | 32.4% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 20.6%18.3–23.3 | 24% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 8%7–9.3 | 14.3% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 6.4%5.6–7.4 | 12.3% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 3.6%3.1–4.1 | 7% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 4.4%3.9–5 | 7.4% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 4%3.4–4.8 | 8.4% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 25.7%23.1–28.5 | 24.8% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 12.9%11.4–14.6 | 11.3% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 8.6%7.7–9.6 | 11.5% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 7.7%6.8–8.5 | 5.7% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 4%3.6–4.4 | 4.7% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 5.7%5.1–6.4 | 6.6% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.9%2.7–3.2 | 3.3% | 3.8% | Lower |
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 Monroe Township
Is Monroe Township a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Monroe Township is healthier than 85% of U.S. towns: A− for health, #252 of 468 in New Jersey. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 77%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Monroe Township?
CDC estimates 27.1% of adults have obesity, likely between 23.5% and 31%, against 28.9% across New Jersey and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Monroe Township?
Centrastate Medical Center in Freehold, 8.5 miles in a straight line from Monroe Township’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Monroe Township have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 6.7% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5.8–7.7%), 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 Monroe 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 Monroe 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.