Photo: Mr. Matté (if there is an issue with this image, contact me using this image's Commons talk page, my Commons user talk page, or my English Wikipedia user talk page; I'll know about it a lot faster) · CC BY-SA 4.0Within New Jersey, Ocean Township is healthier than 34% of graded towns
Ocean Township differs from New Jersey on 21 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 14 better, 7 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 08758, 08005, 08752. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Ocean Township
Cancer, arthritis and heart disease run high in Ocean Township
1 in 8 adults have had cancer (12.9%), vs 7.5% across New Jersey. 1 in 3 adults have arthritis (34.6%), vs 22.2% across New Jersey. Heart disease is also above the state: 8.2%, vs 5.6% across New Jersey. In all, Ocean Township runs above New Jersey on seven of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 33% of residents are 65 or older (New Jersey 17%), and cancer, arthritis and heart disease are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
New Jersey sets a high bar
Ocean Township is healthier than 76% of U.S. towns, but only 34% of the 468 New Jersey towns we grade. Health Grade ↓
More high blood pressure in Ocean Township, and more people treating it
38.7% of adults have high blood pressure (New Jersey 32.8%), but 84% of them take medicine for it, vs 77.2% statewide. Checkups ↓
Ocean Township keeps up with checkups
It beats New Jersey on four of five routine checkups and screenings, including yearly checkups (81.3% vs 78%) and dentist visits (70.2% 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 Ocean Township’s likely range; Ocean Township’s figures come from ZIP codes 08758, 08005, 08752, 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 Ocean Township’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Ocean Township is healthier than 76% of U.S. towns, #310 of 468 in New Jersey. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is mental distress (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 94% of towns); the weakest is diabetes, still better than 51%.
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). Ocean Township’s median household income is $100,524; among the 8,517 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($75K–$126K), it’s healthier than 67%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Ocean Township adults…
Ocean Township runs below NJ on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 7. Tap one to see it as people.
Ocean Township is an older town: 33% 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 Ocean Township as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Ocean Township adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks New Jersey.
Care in and near Ocean Township
No hospital or community health center in Ocean 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 Ocean 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.
30 miles of trails across 9 parks and preserves
How Ocean Township adults are doing
On 2 of 4 measures, Ocean Township does better than New Jersey.
1 in 4 Ocean 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.
4.9% of Ocean Township adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 8.4% across New Jersey.
Ocean Township and the towns around it
Ocean Township’s Health Grade ranks 3rd 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ocean Township | A− | 28% | 12% | 11.6% | ZIP codes |
| Lacey Township | A− | 28.9% | 9.9% | 13.3% | ZIP codes |
| Berkeley Township | B+ | 29.5% | 12.2% | 13.3% | ZIP codes |
| Barnegat Township | B+ | 29% | 11.5% | 12.6% | ZIP 08005 |
| Long Beach Township | A | 25.4% | 11.2% | 8% | ZIP 08008 |
| Barnegat Light | — | — | — | — | |
| Forked River | — | — | — | — |
Barnegat Light: fewer than 1,000 residents. 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 Ocean Township adults live with a disability (New Jersey 24.8%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Ocean Township
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Ocean Township is better than New Jersey on 14 and worse on 7; on the rest, the New Jersey figure falls inside Ocean Township’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Ocean Township | NJ | U.S. | vs NJ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 15.9%13.6–18.6 | 17.1% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.8%12.1–15.8 | 12.2% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.1%11.7–14.8 | 14.7% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 28%24.1–32.2 | 28.9% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 12%10.4–13.9 | 10.9% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 38.7%35.6–42.1 | 32.8% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 47.2%43.9–50.5 | 39.3% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 34.6%31.6–37.5 | 22.2% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 9%8.1–10.1 | 8.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 12.9%11.8–14.2 | 7.5% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 8.2%7.1–9.3 | 5.6% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 7.1%6–8.5 | 5.1% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4%3.5–4.5 | 3.1% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 7.3%5.9–8.9 | 9.6% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 11.6%9.8–13.8 | 10.9% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 24.1%20.6–28 | 24.8% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 12.8%11–14.8 | 15.5% | 15.4% | Better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 33.8%29.8–38.1 | 37.5% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 7.5%6.1–8.9 | 11.3% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 81.3%78.8–83.6 | 78% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 70.2%67.3–73.1 | 65.9% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 92.1%90.9–93.1 | 89.1% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 84%81.6–86.1 | 77.2% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 71.6%67.6–75.4 | 63.4% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 75.4%69.2–81.1 | 75.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 15.1%13.1–17.3 | 15.1% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 27.4%24.1–30.9 | 32.4% | 32.5% | Better |
| Lack social and emotional support | 19.9%17.2–23 | 24% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 8.5%6.9–10.2 | 14.3% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 7%5.9–8.3 | 12.3% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 4.3%3.6–5 | 7% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 5%4.3–5.7 | 7.4% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 4.9%3.9–6.1 | 8.4% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 27.2%23.9–31 | 24.8% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 13.4%11.4–15.7 | 11.3% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 10.2%8.9–11.6 | 11.5% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 8.4%7.3–9.6 | 5.7% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 4.1%3.5–4.7 | 4.7% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 6.6%5.7–7.6 | 6.6% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.3%2.8–3.8 | 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 Ocean Township
Is Ocean Township a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Ocean Township is healthier than 76% of U.S. towns: A− for health, #310 of 468 in New Jersey. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 67%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Ocean Township?
CDC estimates 28% of adults have obesity, likely between 24.1% and 32.2%, against 28.9% across New Jersey and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Ocean Township?
Southern Ocean Medical Center in Manahawkin, 6.1 miles in a straight line from Ocean Township’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Ocean Township have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 7.5% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.1–8.9%), 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 Ocean 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 Ocean 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.