Photo: Zeete · CC BY-SA 4.0On CDC estimates, Piscataway Township is healthier than 92% of U.S. towns
Piscataway Township differs from New Jersey on 18 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 14 better, 4 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP code 08854. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Piscataway Township
New Jersey sets a high bar
Piscataway Township is healthier than 92% of U.S. towns, but only 62% of the 468 New Jersey towns we grade. Health Grade ↓
Loneliness runs high in Piscataway Township
37.3% of adults feel lonely, vs 32.4% across New Jersey. Lack of emotional support is above the state too: 27.5%, vs 24% across New Jersey. Mind & connection ↓
Cancer and COPD are less common in Piscataway Township
Piscataway Township runs below New Jersey on six chronic conditions, most of all cancer (4.7% vs 7.5%), COPD (3.2% vs 5.1%) and heart disease (3.7% vs 5.6%). 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 Piscataway Township’s likely range; Piscataway Township’s figures come from ZIP code 08854, which may reach past town lines.
What’s behind Piscataway Township’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Piscataway Township is healthier than 92% of U.S. towns, #176 of 468 in New Jersey. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is physical distress (fewer adults with frequent physical distress than 98% of towns); the weakest is no exercise, still better than 69%.
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). Piscataway Township’s median household income is $127,832; among the 4,761 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($96K–$160K), it’s healthier than 80%, about where its income would put it.
Most New Jersey towns score higher on these estimates than towns elsewhere, so within the state Piscataway Township is healthier than 62% of graded towns, against 92% nationally.
How Piscataway Township adults are doing
On 2 of 4 measures, Piscataway Township runs above New Jersey.
4 in 10 Piscataway 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.
Out of every 100 Piscataway Township adults…
Piscataway Township runs below NJ on 9 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Piscataway Township
No hospital or community health center in Piscataway 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 Piscataway 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.
13 miles of trails across 15 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Piscataway 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.
6.2% of Piscataway Township adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 8.4% across New Jersey.
Piscataway Township and the towns around it
Piscataway Township’s Health Grade ranks 2nd of 8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Piscataway Township | A | 26.3% | 9.5% | 8.2% | ZIP 08854 |
| New Brunswick | C | 36.6% | 11.1% | 14.4% | CDC place |
| Franklin Township | A | 26.2% | 10.5% | 7.9% | ZIP codes |
| Edison Township | A | 24.6% | 10.7% | 8.4% | ZIP codes |
| South Plainfield | A | 30% | 10.5% | 9.8% | CDC place |
| Middlesex | B+ | 33.2% | 11% | 11.7% | CDC place |
| Somerset | — | — | — | — | |
| Dunellen | C | 37.7% | 12.8% | 15% | CDC place |
Somerset: 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 Piscataway Township adults live with a disability (New Jersey 24.8%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Piscataway Township
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Piscataway Township is better than New Jersey on 14 and worse on 4; on the rest, the New Jersey figure falls inside Piscataway Township’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Piscataway Township | NJ | U.S. | vs NJ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 14.4%12.8–16 | 17.1% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 9.2%8.2–10.3 | 12.2% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.4%12.9–16 | 14.7% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 26.3%22.7–30 | 28.9% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 9.5%8.4–10.7 | 10.9% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 28.4%25.8–30.9 | 32.8% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 34.5%31.7–37.4 | 39.3% | 37.1% | Better |
| Arthritis | 16.2%14.5–17.9 | 22.2% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 8.3%7.3–9.3 | 8.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 4.7%4.3–5.1 | 7.5% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 3.7%3.4–4.1 | 5.6% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 3.2%2.9–3.6 | 5.1% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 2.2%2.1–2.4 | 3.1% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 8.2%6.6–10 | 9.6% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 8.2%7.1–9.4 | 10.9% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 22.7%19.9–25.5 | 24.8% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 14.5%12.4–16.8 | 15.5% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 39.4%35.3–43.5 | 37.5% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 8.6%7.5–9.8 | 11.3% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 77.7%74.8–80.3 | 78% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 67.9%64.9–70.6 | 65.9% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 86.8%85.2–88.2 | 89.1% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 73.4%70.9–75.8 | 77.2% | 76.5% | Worse |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 64.5%60.5–68.4 | 63.4% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 76.4%70.4–81.7 | 75.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 12.1%10.3–13.9 | 15.1% | 20.6% | Better |
| Feel lonely | 37.3%33.7–40.9 | 32.4% | 32.5% | Worse |
| Lack social and emotional support | 27.5%24.6–30.7 | 24% | 23.6% | Worse |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 13.2%11.5–15 | 14.3% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 11%9.6–12.5 | 12.3% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 5.7%5–6.5 | 7% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 7.2%6.4–8.1 | 7.4% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 6.2%5.3–7.2 | 8.4% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 21.5%19–23.9 | 24.8% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 8.3%7.3–9.3 | 11.3% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 10.7%9.5–11.9 | 11.5% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 3.8%3.4–4.3 | 5.7% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 3.7%3.4–4 | 4.7% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 5.4%4.8–6 | 6.6% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.3%2.1–2.5 | 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 Piscataway Township
Is Piscataway Township a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Piscataway Township is healthier than 92% of U.S. towns: A for health, #176 of 468 in New Jersey. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 80%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Piscataway Township?
CDC estimates 26.3% of adults have obesity, likely between 22.7% and 30%, against 28.9% across New Jersey and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Piscataway Township?
Saint Peter's University Hospital in New Brunswick, 3.0 miles in a straight line from Piscataway Township’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Piscataway Township have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 8.6% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 7.5–9.8%), 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 Piscataway Township 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 Piscataway 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.