Photo: Dough4872 · Public domainWithin New Jersey, Wildwood Crest is healthier than 43% of graded towns
Wildwood Crest differs from New Jersey on 20 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 13 better, 7 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Wildwood Crest. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Wildwood Crest
Cancer, arthritis and heart disease run high in Wildwood Crest
1 in 8 adults have had cancer (12.4%), vs 7.5% across New Jersey. 3 in 10 adults have arthritis (30.4%), vs 22.2% across New Jersey. Heart disease is also above the state: 7.6%, vs 5.6% across New Jersey. In all, Wildwood Crest runs above New Jersey on seven of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 44% of residents are 65 or older (New Jersey 17%), and cancer, arthritis and heart disease are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
New Jersey sets a high bar
Wildwood Crest is healthier than 82% of U.S. towns, but only 43% of the 468 New Jersey towns we grade. Health Grade ↓
More high blood pressure in Wildwood Crest, and more people treating it
38.8% of adults have high blood pressure (New Jersey 32.8%), but 83.1% of them take medicine for it, vs 77.2% statewide. Checkups ↓
Wildwood Crest keeps up with checkups
It beats New Jersey on three of five routine checkups and screenings, including yearly checkups (81.9% vs 78%) and cholesterol checks (92.1% vs 89.1%). Checkups ↓
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 Wildwood Crest’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B− to A+.
What’s behind Wildwood Crest’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Wildwood Crest is healthier than 82% of U.S. towns, #269 of 468 in New Jersey. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is mental distress (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 93% of towns); the weakest is diabetes, still better than 63%.
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). Wildwood Crest’s median household income is $69,089; among the 10,461 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($52K–$86K), it’s healthier than 96%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Wildwood Crest adults…
Wildwood Crest runs below NJ on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 7. Tap one to see it as people.
Wildwood Crest is an older town: 44% of residents are 65 or older, vs 17% across New Jersey. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Wildwood Crest as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Wildwood Crest adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks New Jersey.
Care in and near Wildwood Crest
No hospital or community health center in Wildwood Crest 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 Wildwood Crest; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).
Everyday habits, side by side with New Jersey
Share of adults, with the New Jersey figure marked.
1.5 miles of trails across 5 parks and preserves
How Wildwood Crest adults are doing
On 2 of 4 measures, Wildwood Crest does better than New Jersey.
1 in 4 Wildwood Crest 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.
4.9% of Wildwood Crest adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 8.4% across New Jersey.
Wildwood Crest and the towns around it
Wildwood Crest has the best Health Grade of the 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildwood Crest | A− | 32.2% | 11.2% | 10.4% | CDC place |
| Lower Township | B | 34.5% | 12% | 12.9% | ZIP codes |
| Wildwood | C− | 40% | 13.7% | 17.3% | CDC place |
| Diamond Beach | — | — | — | — |
Diamond Beach: fewer than 1,000 residents. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Wildwood Crest adults live with a disability (New Jersey 24.8%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Wildwood Crest
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Wildwood Crest is better than New Jersey on 13 and worse on 7; on the rest, the New Jersey figure falls inside Wildwood Crest’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Wildwood Crest | NJ | U.S. | vs NJ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 15.5%12.8–18.8 | 17.1% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 13%11.1–15.4 | 12.2% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.3%11.5–15.3 | 14.7% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 32.2%26–38.9 | 28.9% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 11.2%9.4–13.2 | 10.9% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 38.8%34.6–43.1 | 32.8% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 46.8%42.3–51.1 | 39.3% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 30.4%26.8–34.1 | 22.2% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 9.3%8.2–10.5 | 8.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 12.4%11.1–13.8 | 7.5% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.6%6.5–8.7 | 5.6% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 6.6%5.3–8.2 | 5.1% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 3.7%3.2–4.3 | 3.1% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 5.4%4.2–6.8 | 9.6% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 10.4%8–13.2 | 10.9% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 21.2%17–26.1 | 24.8% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 15%12.3–17.9 | 15.5% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 30.5%24.9–36.5 | 37.5% | 36% | Better |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 6.8%5.4–8.5 | 11.3% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 81.9%78.7–84.8 | 78% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 68.2%64.8–71.7 | 65.9% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 92.1%90.7–93.4 | 89.1% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 83.1%80–85.5 | 77.2% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 73.1%68.7–77.4 | 63.4% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 72.8%64.7–79.7 | 75.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 17.1%14.4–20.1 | 15.1% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 26.4%22–31.4 | 32.4% | 32.5% | Better |
| Lack social and emotional support | 19.3%16–23.2 | 24% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 8.3%6.3–10.8 | 14.3% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 7%5.5–8.8 | 12.3% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 4.3%3.4–5.3 | 7% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 4.8%3.9–5.9 | 7.4% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 4.9%3.6–6.6 | 8.4% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 26.1%22–30.8 | 24.8% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 13%10.7–15.8 | 11.3% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 10.1%8.4–12 | 11.5% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 7.7%6.6–8.8 | 5.7% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 4%3.3–4.7 | 4.7% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 6.4%5.3–7.7 | 6.6% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.1%2.6–3.8 | 3.3% | 3.8% | About the same |
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 Wildwood Crest
Is Wildwood Crest a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Wildwood Crest is healthier than 82% of U.S. towns: A− for health, #269 of 468 in New Jersey. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 96%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Wildwood Crest?
CDC estimates 32.2% of adults have obesity, likely between 26% and 38.9%, against 28.9% across New Jersey and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Wildwood Crest?
Cape Regional Medical Center in Cape May Court House, 8.4 miles in a straight line from Wildwood Crest’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Wildwood Crest have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 6.8% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5.4–8.5%), 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 Wildwood Crest more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B− to A+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Wildwood Crest.
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.