Summit Playhouse · Photo: Jim.henderson · Public domainOn CDC estimates, Summit is healthier than 98% of U.S. towns
Summit beats New Jersey on 21 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and trails on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Summit. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Summit
Summit is an active town
Only 16.8% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 24.8% across New Jersey. Habits ↓
Summit has a five-star hospital
Overlook Medical Center is rated 5 of 5 stars by Medicare and has an emergency room. Getting care ↓
Against towns with similar incomes, Summit’s lead shrinks
Summit is healthier than 99% of U.S. towns, but 83% of the 1,119 towns with similar household incomes ($143K–$238K). Part of its edge is what towns with its incomes tend to have. Health Grade ↓
COPD and stroke are less common in Summit
Summit runs below New Jersey on six chronic conditions, most of all COPD (3.7% vs 5.1%), stroke (2.3% vs 3.1%) and diabetes (8.1% vs 10.9%). Conditions ↓
Fewer Summit adults struggle to make ends meet
Worries about food, housing, utility bills and getting around all run below New Jersey. 1 in 12 adults worry about having enough food, vs 1 in 7 adults statewide. Everyday needs ↓
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 Summit’s likely range.
What’s behind Summit’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Summit is healthier than 98% of U.S. towns, #53 of 468 in New Jersey. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is fair or poor health (fewer adults who rate their health fair or poor than 97% of towns); the weakest is no exercise, still better than 94%.
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). Summit’s median household income is $190,304; among the 1,119 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($143K–$238K), it’s healthier than 83%, about where its income would put it.
Everyday habits, side by side with New Jersey
Share of adults, with the New Jersey figure marked.
7.3 miles of trails across 7 parks and preserves
Care in and near Summit
1 hospital in Summit, 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 Summit; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Out of every 100 Summit adults…
Summit runs below NJ on 8 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
4.2% of Summit adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 8.4% across New Jersey.
Keeping up with care
Share of Summit adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks New Jersey.
How Summit adults are doing
On 2 of 4 measures, Summit does better than New Jersey.
3 in 10 Summit 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.
Summit and the towns around it
Summit’s Health Grade ranks 6th of 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summit | A+ | 24.1% | 8.1% | 7.7% | CDC place |
| Chatham | A+ | 20.8% | 6.7% | 6% | CDC place |
| Millburn Township | A+ | 17.9% | 7.3% | 5.6% | ZIP codes |
| Mountainside | A+ | 22.8% | 8.6% | 7.2% | CDC place |
| Short Hills | — | — | — | — | |
| New Providence | A+ | 21.9% | 8.1% | 7.3% | CDC place |
| Chatham Township | — | — | — | — | |
| Springfield Township | A+ | 24.7% | 8.9% | 8.3% | ZIP 07081 |
Short Hills: a Census-designated place inside a larger town, graded as part of it. Chatham Township: the same community as Chatham, graded once. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Summit adults live with a disability (New Jersey 24.8%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Summit
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Summit is better than New Jersey on 21 and worse on 0; on the rest, the New Jersey figure falls inside Summit’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Summit | NJ | U.S. | vs NJ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 11.7%10.1–13.4 | 17.1% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 9.7%8.5–11 | 12.2% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.8%11.4–14.5 | 14.7% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 24.1%20.3–28.4 | 28.9% | 32.9% | Better |
| Diabetes | 8.1%7–9.2 | 10.9% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 28.7%25.7–31.8 | 32.8% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 37.2%33.9–40.8 | 39.3% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 18.1%16–20.3 | 22.2% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 8.4%7.4–9.5 | 8.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 7.8%7.1–8.6 | 7.5% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 4.4%3.9–4.9 | 5.6% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 3.7%3.1–4.2 | 5.1% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 2.3%2.1–2.5 | 3.1% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 6.2%5–7.7 | 9.6% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 7.7%6.4–9.2 | 10.9% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 16.8%14.4–19.5 | 24.8% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 17%14.4–19.8 | 15.5% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 34.4%30.2–38.8 | 37.5% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 7.6%6.4–8.9 | 11.3% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 77.5%74.4–80.3 | 78% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 75.4%72.8–77.9 | 65.9% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 91.1%89.8–92.2 | 89.1% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 76%72.9–79 | 77.2% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 65.1%60.9–69.3 | 63.4% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 76.7%70.3–82.4 | 75.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 14.9%12.7–17.4 | 15.1% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 29.5%26–33.2 | 32.4% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 21%18.4–23.8 | 24% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 8.2%7–9.8 | 14.3% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 8%6.8–9.3 | 12.3% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 4.5%3.8–5.2 | 7% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 4.8%4.2–5.5 | 7.4% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 4.2%3.4–5.1 | 8.4% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 18.6%16.2–21.2 | 24.8% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 7.6%6.5–8.8 | 11.3% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 8.7%7.6–9.9 | 11.5% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 4.6%4.1–5.2 | 5.7% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 3.1%2.8–3.5 | 4.7% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 4.7%4.1–5.4 | 6.6% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.3%2–2.5 | 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 Summit
Is Summit a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Summit is healthier than 98% of U.S. towns: A+ for health, #53 of 468 in New Jersey. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 83%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Summit?
CDC estimates 24.1% of adults have obesity, likely between 20.3% and 28.4%, against 28.9% across New Jersey and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Summit?
Overlook Medical Center in Summit, 0.6 miles in a straight line from Summit’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 5 of 5 stars.
How many people in Summit have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 7.6% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.4–8.9%), 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 Summit 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 Summit.
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.