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 4.0Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Prospect Park is healthier than 51%
Prospect Park differs from New Jersey on 23 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 3 better, 20 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Prospect Park. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Prospect Park
Making ends meet is harder in Prospect Park
1 in 3 adults worry about having enough food (33.6%), more than twice the New Jersey rate. Utility shut-off threats (14.9% vs 7%) and housing insecurity (26.1% vs 12.3%) are higher too. 21.4% of adults receive SNAP, vs 8.4% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
More Prospect Park adults get no exercise
37.2% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 24.8% across New Jersey. Habits ↓
1 in 4 working-age adults in Prospect Park has no health insurance
24% of adults 18–64 have no health insurance, vs 11.3% across New Jersey. Checkups ↓
Health varies a lot right around Prospect Park
Grades next door run from Hawthorne (A) to Paterson (D). Prospect Park is a C−. Around town ↓
Prospect Park is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Prospect Park is healthier than 25%. Against the 6,819 towns with similar household incomes ($40K–$66K), it’s healthier than 51%. Health Grade ↓
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 Prospect Park’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B−.
What’s behind Prospect Park’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Prospect Park is healthier than 25% of U.S. towns, #443 of 468 in New Jersey. Smoking holds the grade up (fewer adults who smoke than 54% of U.S. towns); no exercise pulls it down (better than 5%).
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). Prospect Park’s median household income is $53,125; among the 6,819 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($40K–$66K), it’s healthier than 51%, about where its income would put it.
Most New Jersey towns score higher on these estimates than towns elsewhere, so within the state Prospect Park is healthier than 5% of graded towns, against 25% nationally.
Where Prospect Park compares well: arthritis, 19.3% (U.S. 25.3%); cancer, other than skin cancer, 4.7% (U.S. 7.9%).
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
21.4% of Prospect Park adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 8.4% across New Jersey.
Everyday habits, side by side with New Jersey
Share of adults, with the New Jersey figure marked.
Walk with neighbors
The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.
Keeping up with care
Share of Prospect Park adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks New Jersey.
Prospect Park and the towns around it
Prospect 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prospect Park | C− | 35.7% | 14.1% | 14.4% | CDC place |
| Paterson | D | 37.5% | 16.1% | 16.4% | CDC place |
| Haledon | B | 31.1% | 11.8% | 11.8% | CDC place |
| North Haledon | A | 25.1% | 9.2% | 9.4% | CDC place |
| Hawthorne | A | 26.8% | 9% | 9.3% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Out of every 100 Prospect Park adults…
Prospect Park runs below NJ on 3 of 12 conditions and above it on 3. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 12% of Prospect Park residents are 65 or older, vs 17% across New Jersey. Arthritis and cancer run low partly because the town is young.
Care in and near Prospect Park
No hospital or community health center in Prospect 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 Prospect Park; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
How Prospect Park adults are doing
On 3 of 4 measures, Prospect Park runs above New Jersey.
2 in 5 Prospect 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.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Prospect Park adults live with a disability (New Jersey 24.8%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Prospect Park
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Prospect Park is better than New Jersey on 3 and worse on 20; on the rest, the New Jersey figure falls inside Prospect Park’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Prospect Park | NJ | U.S. | vs NJ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 27.6%24.3–31.4 | 17.1% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.9%14.1–18.1 | 12.2% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 17.8%15.9–20.1 | 14.7% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 35.7%30.8–41.2 | 28.9% | 32.9% | Worse |
| Diabetes | 14.1%12.5–16.1 | 10.9% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 32.2%29.2–35.6 | 32.8% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 35.2%31.9–38.5 | 39.3% | 37.1% | Better |
| Arthritis | 19.3%17.2–21.7 | 22.2% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 9.2%8.2–10.5 | 8.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 4.7%4.2–5.2 | 7.5% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 5.7%5.1–6.4 | 5.6% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 5.8%5.1–6.7 | 5.1% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.4%3.1–3.8 | 3.1% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 16.5%13.6–19.6 | 9.6% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 14.4%12.2–17 | 10.9% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 37.2%32.8–42.2 | 24.8% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 15.2%12.9–18 | 15.5% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 40.2%35.7–44.7 | 37.5% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 24%20–28.7 | 11.3% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 73.3%70–76.8 | 78% | 77.4% | Worse |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 53.7%50.2–56.9 | 65.9% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 84.4%82–86.7 | 89.1% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 73.8%70.9–76.7 | 77.2% | 76.5% | Worse |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 52.6%48.1–56.9 | 63.4% | 65.5% | Worse |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 74.8%68.1–80.8 | 75.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 15.6%13.4–18.2 | 15.1% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 38.9%34.4–43.2 | 32.4% | 32.5% | Worse |
| Lack social and emotional support | 28.3%24.7–32 | 24% | 23.6% | Worse |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 33.6%28.8–38.3 | 14.3% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 26.1%22.6–29.6 | 12.3% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 14.9%12.8–17.1 | 7% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 14.6%12.5–16.7 | 7.4% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 21.4%17.8–25.1 | 8.4% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 33.2%29.5–37.7 | 24.8% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 15.7%13.8–18.1 | 11.3% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 17.2%15–19.6 | 11.5% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 5.7%5–6.5 | 5.7% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 8.7%7.7–9.9 | 4.7% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 9.7%8.5–11.1 | 6.6% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 5.4%4.8–6.2 | 3.3% | 3.8% | Higher |
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 Prospect Park
Is Prospect Park a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Prospect Park is healthier than 25% of U.S. towns: ≈ C− for health, #443 of 468 in New Jersey. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Prospect Park?
CDC estimates 35.7% of adults have obesity, likely between 30.8% and 41.2%, against 28.9% across New Jersey and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Prospect Park?
Valley Hospital in Paramus, 5.4 miles in a straight line from Prospect Park’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Prospect Park have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 24% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 20–28.7%), 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 Prospect Park more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B−.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Prospect 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.