Photo: Famartin · CC BY-SA 4.0On CDC estimates, Paramus is healthier than 93% of U.S. towns
Paramus differs from New Jersey on 20 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 18 better, 2 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Paramus. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Paramus
New Jersey sets a high bar
Paramus is healthier than 93% of U.S. towns, but only 66% of the 468 New Jersey towns we grade. Health Grade ↓
Paramus keeps up with checkups
It beats New Jersey on four of five routine checkups and screenings, including yearly checkups (80.7% vs 78%) and dentist visits (71.1% vs 65.9%). Checkups ↓
Against towns with similar incomes, Paramus’ lead shrinks
Paramus is healthier than 93% of U.S. towns, but 72% of the 3,188 towns with similar household incomes ($108K–$180K). Part of its edge is what towns with its incomes tend to have. Health Grade ↓
Cancer runs high in Paramus
1 in 11 adults have had cancer (9.2%), vs 7.5% across New Jersey. Age is part of it: 26% of residents are 65 or older (New Jersey 17%), and cancer is more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Paramus has a top-rated hospital
Valley Hospital is rated 4 of 5 stars by Medicare and has an emergency room. Getting care ↓
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 Paramus’ likely range.
What’s behind Paramus’ grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Paramus is healthier than 93% of U.S. towns, #161 of 468 in New Jersey. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is obesity (fewer adults with obesity than 98% of towns); the weakest is no exercise, still better than 75%.
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). Paramus’ median household income is $144,349; among the 3,188 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($108K–$180K), it’s healthier than 72%, about where its income would put it.
Most New Jersey towns score higher on these estimates than towns elsewhere, so within the state Paramus is healthier than 66% of graded towns, against 93% nationally.
Keeping up with care
Share of Paramus adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks New Jersey.
Care in and near Paramus
2 hospitals in Paramus, plus the nearest just outside it.
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 Paramus; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Out of every 100 Paramus adults…
Paramus runs below NJ on 3 of 12 conditions and above it on 2. Tap one to see it as people.
Paramus is an older town: 26% of residents are 65 or older, vs 17% across New Jersey. Cancer rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Paramus as about how healthy they are.
Everyday habits, side by side with New Jersey
Share of adults, with the New Jersey figure marked.
18 miles of trails across 20 parks and preserves
How Paramus adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Paramus does better than New Jersey.
1 in 3 Paramus 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.
4.4% of Paramus adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 8.4% across New Jersey.
Paramus and the towns around it
Paramus’s Health Grade ranks 7th of 10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paramus | A | 22.9% | 10.2% | 8% | CDC place |
| Fair Lawn | A+ | 24.9% | 8.4% | 7.7% | CDC place |
| River Edge | A+ | 22.2% | 8% | 6.6% | CDC place |
| Ridgewood | A+ | 22.7% | 7.4% | 6.2% | CDC place |
| Hackensack | B+ | 30.4% | 11.1% | 10% | CDC place |
| Washington Township | A+ | 24.4% | 8.3% | 7.3% | ZIP 07676 |
| Oradell | A+ | 22.9% | 7.9% | 6.3% | CDC place |
| Maywood | A | 26.1% | 9.6% | 8.8% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Paramus adults live with a disability (New Jersey 24.8%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Paramus
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Paramus is better than New Jersey on 18 and worse on 2; on the rest, the New Jersey figure falls inside Paramus’ likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Paramus | NJ | U.S. | vs NJ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 14.1%12.4–15.8 | 17.1% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 10.6%9.4–11.8 | 12.2% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.8%11.3–14.2 | 14.7% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 22.9%19.6–26.3 | 28.9% | 32.9% | Better |
| Diabetes | 10.2%8.9–11.4 | 10.9% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 34.8%32–37.6 | 32.8% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 43.9%40.8–47 | 39.3% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 22.8%20.6–25 | 22.2% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 7.8%7–8.8 | 8.9% | 9.9% | Better |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 9.2%8.3–10 | 7.5% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 6%5.4–6.7 | 5.6% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 4.8%4.3–5.4 | 5.1% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.1%2.9–3.4 | 3.1% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 7.3%5.9–9 | 9.6% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 8%6.8–9.1 | 10.9% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 21.7%19–24.4 | 24.8% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 14%12–16.1 | 15.5% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 36.9%32.9–40.9 | 37.5% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 7.3%6.3–8.4 | 11.3% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 80.7%78.2–83.1 | 78% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 71.1%68.3–73.7 | 65.9% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 91.6%90.5–92.7 | 89.1% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 80.2%77.7–82.6 | 77.2% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 67.9%64–71.6 | 63.4% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 77.1%71.1–82.4 | 75.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 13.5%11.6–15.4 | 15.1% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 32.9%29.5–36.5 | 32.4% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 24.2%21.4–27.1 | 24% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 8.9%7.6–10.3 | 14.3% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 7.6%6.5–8.7 | 12.3% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 4.1%3.5–4.7 | 7% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 4.9%4.3–5.5 | 7.4% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 4.4%3.6–5.2 | 8.4% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 22.4%19.8–24.8 | 24.8% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 10.7%9.4–12 | 11.3% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 9%7.9–10 | 11.5% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 6.4%5.7–7.1 | 5.7% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 3.8%3.4–4.1 | 4.7% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 5.6%5–6.2 | 6.6% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.6%2.4–2.9 | 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 Paramus
Is Paramus a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Paramus is healthier than 93% of U.S. towns: A for health, #161 of 468 in New Jersey. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 72%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Paramus?
CDC estimates 22.9% of adults have obesity, likely between 19.6% and 26.3%, against 28.9% across New Jersey and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Paramus?
Valley Hospital in Paramus, 0.0 miles in a straight line from Paramus’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Paramus have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 7.3% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.3–8.4%), 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 Paramus 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 Paramus.
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.