Photo: Famartin · CC BY-SA 4.0On CDC estimates, Palisades Park is healthier than 89% of U.S. towns
Palisades Park differs from New Jersey on 17 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 16 better, 1 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Palisades Park. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Palisades Park
New Jersey sets a high bar
Palisades Park is healthier than 89% of U.S. towns, but only 55% of the 468 New Jersey towns we grade. Health Grade ↓
Cancer and COPD are less common in Palisades Park
Palisades Park runs below New Jersey on eight chronic conditions, most of all cancer (4.6% vs 7.5%), COPD (3.4% vs 5.1%) and depression (10.5% vs 15.1%). Conditions ↓
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 Palisades Park’s likely range.
What’s behind Palisades Park’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Palisades Park is healthier than 89% of U.S. towns, #209 of 468 in New Jersey. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is obesity (fewer adults with obesity than almost every town); the weakest is no exercise, still better than 54%.
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). Palisades Park’s median household income is $94,743; among the 9,338 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($71K–$118K), it’s healthier than 93%, about where its income would put it.
Most New Jersey towns score higher on these estimates than towns elsewhere, so within the state Palisades Park is healthier than 55% of graded towns, against 89% nationally.
Out of every 100 Palisades Park adults…
Palisades Park runs below NJ on 9 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Palisades Park
No hospital or community health center in Palisades Park 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 Palisades Park; ≈ 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.
1.8 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve
Keeping up with care
Share of Palisades Park adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks New Jersey.
How Palisades Park adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Palisades Park runs above New Jersey.
1 in 3 Palisades Park 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.
6.2% of Palisades Park adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 8.4% across New Jersey.
Palisades Park and the towns around it
Palisades Park’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palisades Park | A | 20.2% | 11% | 8% | CDC place |
| Leonia | A+ | 21.4% | 10% | 7.1% | CDC place |
| Fort Lee | A | 21.8% | 10.8% | 7.4% | CDC place |
| Ridgefield Park | B+ | 29.5% | 10.9% | 10.2% | CDC place |
| Ridgefield | A | 23.6% | 9.4% | 8% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Palisades Park adults live with a disability (New Jersey 24.8%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Palisades Park
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Palisades Park is better than New Jersey on 16 and worse on 1; on the rest, the New Jersey figure falls inside Palisades Park’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Palisades Park | NJ | U.S. | vs NJ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 15%13.2–17.1 | 17.1% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 9.4%8.3–10.7 | 12.2% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.1%10.8–13.6 | 14.7% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 20.2%17.4–23.4 | 28.9% | 32.9% | Better |
| Diabetes | 11%9.7–12.5 | 10.9% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 30%27.3–32.7 | 32.8% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 41.6%38.7–44.7 | 39.3% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 15.5%13.9–17.3 | 22.2% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 6.5%5.8–7.3 | 8.9% | 9.9% | Better |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 4.6%4.2–5.1 | 7.5% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 4.4%3.9–4.8 | 5.6% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 3.4%3–3.9 | 5.1% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 2.4%2.2–2.6 | 3.1% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 9.5%7.8–11.6 | 9.6% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 8%6.8–9.5 | 10.9% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 25.1%22.1–28.6 | 24.8% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 12.3%10.5–14.2 | 15.5% | 15.4% | Better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 40.5%36.3–44.7 | 37.5% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 10.6%9–12.3 | 11.3% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 77.8%75–80.4 | 78% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 65.9%62.8–68.7 | 65.9% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 89.3%87.8–90.7 | 89.1% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 76.3%73.6–78.8 | 77.2% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 61.3%56.9–65.3 | 63.4% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 75.8%69.6–81.4 | 75.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 10.5%9–12.1 | 15.1% | 20.6% | Better |
| Feel lonely | 35.6%32–39.3 | 32.4% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 29.7%26.5–33.1 | 24% | 23.6% | Worse |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 13.8%11.6–16.1 | 14.3% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 10.5%9–12.2 | 12.3% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 5.1%4.4–5.9 | 7% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 6.3%5.5–7.2 | 7.4% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 6.2%5.1–7.4 | 8.4% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 19.3%17–21.9 | 24.8% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 8.8%7.6–10.1 | 11.3% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 8.7%7.7–9.9 | 11.5% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 4.4%3.9–5 | 5.7% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 4.1%3.7–4.5 | 4.7% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 4.9%4.3–5.5 | 6.6% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.4%2.1–2.7 | 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 Palisades Park
Is Palisades Park a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Palisades Park is healthier than 89% of U.S. towns: A for health, #209 of 468 in New Jersey. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 93%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Palisades Park?
CDC estimates 20.2% of adults have obesity, likely between 17.4% and 23.4%, against 28.9% across New Jersey and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Palisades Park?
Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck, 2.5 miles in a straight line from Palisades Park’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 5 of 5 stars.
How many people in Palisades Park have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 10.6% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 9–12.3%), 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 Palisades Park more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from A− to A+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Palisades Park.
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.