Photo: Dough4872 · CC BY-SA 4.0On CDC estimates, Wildwood is healthier than 18% of U.S. towns
Wildwood trails New Jersey on 21 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Wildwood. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Wildwood
Every town around Wildwood scores healthier
All four graded neighbors are ahead of Wildwood’s C−, from Lower Township (B) to Wildwood Crest (A−). Around town ↓
COPD, obesity and heart disease run high in Wildwood
1 in 12 adults have COPD (8.5%), vs 5.1% across New Jersey. 2 in 5 adults have obesity (40%), vs 28.9% across New Jersey. Heart disease is also above the state: 7.6%, vs 5.6% across New Jersey. In all, Wildwood runs above New Jersey on eight of 11 chronic conditions. Conditions ↓
Making ends meet is harder in Wildwood
1 in 5 adults worry about having enough food (21.8%), vs 14.3% across New Jersey. Utility shut-off threats (10.4% vs 7%) and no reliable transportation (10.6% vs 7.4%) are higher too. 15% of adults receive SNAP, vs 8.4% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
More Wildwood adults live with a disability
1 in 3 adults live with a disability (32.6%, vs 24.8% across New Jersey). The biggest difference is trouble walking: 16.6% vs 11.3%. Disability ↓
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’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to B−.
What’s behind Wildwood’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Wildwood is healthier than 18% of U.S. towns, #449 of 468 in New Jersey. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 35% of U.S. towns); physical distress pulls it down (better than 16%).
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’s median household income is $75,222; among the 10,846 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($56K–$94K), it’s healthier than 11%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Wildwood and the towns around it
Wildwood’s Health Grade ranks 5th 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildwood | C− | 40% | 13.7% | 17.3% | CDC place |
| West Wildwood | — | — | — | — | |
| Middle Township | B+ | 34% | 11.3% | 12.4% | ZIP codes |
| Lower Township | B | 34.5% | 12% | 12.9% | ZIP codes |
| Wildwood Crest | A− | 32.2% | 11.2% | 10.4% | CDC place |
| North Wildwood | B | 33.5% | 12.9% | 12.4% | CDC place |
West Wildwood: fewer than 1,000 residents. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Out of every 100 Wildwood adults…
Wildwood runs above NJ on 9 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.
15% of Wildwood adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 8.4% across New Jersey.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Wildwood adults live with a disability (New Jersey 24.8%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Care in and near Wildwood
1 community health center in Wildwood, 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 Wildwood; ≈ 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.
0.5 miles of trails across 4 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Wildwood adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks New Jersey.
How Wildwood adults are doing
On 2 of 4 measures, Wildwood runs above New Jersey.
1 in 3 Wildwood 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.
Every CDC estimate for Wildwood
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Wildwood is better than New Jersey on 0 and worse on 21; on the rest, the New Jersey figure falls inside Wildwood’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Wildwood | NJ | U.S. | vs NJ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 24.3%21.4–27.4 | 17.1% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.6%14.7–18.7 | 12.2% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 17.9%15.8–20 | 14.7% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 40%33–47 | 28.9% | 32.9% | Worse |
| Diabetes | 13.7%11.9–15.6 | 10.9% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 38.2%34.1–42.1 | 32.8% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 43.1%38.8–47.3 | 39.3% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 27.1%24–30.2 | 22.2% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 10.1%8.9–11.5 | 8.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 8%7.2–8.9 | 7.5% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.6%6.8–8.5 | 5.6% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 8.5%7.4–9.7 | 5.1% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.2%3.8–4.6 | 3.1% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 14.9%12–18 | 9.6% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 17.3%14.9–20 | 10.9% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 31%26.5–35.7 | 24.8% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 15.9%13–18.9 | 15.5% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 35.8%29.8–42.1 | 37.5% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 16.6%14.2–19.1 | 11.3% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 77.1%73.2–80.4 | 78% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 58.5%54.8–62.4 | 65.9% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 86.6%84.7–88.4 | 89.1% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 78.4%75.5–81 | 77.2% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 63.9%58.9–68.7 | 63.4% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 69.9%61.8–77.3 | 75.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 18.8%15.8–21.9 | 15.1% | 20.6% | Worse |
| Feel lonely | 31.1%26.6–35.9 | 32.4% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 25.5%22–29.3 | 24% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 21.8%18.8–25.1 | 14.3% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 17.3%15.1–19.8 | 12.3% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 10.4%9.1–11.8 | 7% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 10.6%9.4–12.1 | 7.4% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 15%12.8–17.5 | 8.4% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 32.6%28.5–37 | 24.8% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 16.6%14.5–18.8 | 11.3% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 15.8%13.9–17.8 | 11.5% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 7.4%6.6–8.4 | 5.7% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 6.9%6.3–7.7 | 4.7% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 9.7%8.6–10.9 | 6.6% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 5.1%4.6–5.7 | 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 Wildwood
Is Wildwood a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Wildwood is healthier than 18% of U.S. towns: ≈ C− for health, #449 of 468 in New Jersey. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 11%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Wildwood?
CDC estimates 40% of adults have obesity, likely between 33% and 47%, against 28.9% across New Jersey and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Wildwood?
Cape Regional Medical Center in Cape May Court House, 7.2 miles in a straight line from Wildwood’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Wildwood have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 16.6% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 14.2–19.1%), 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 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 Wildwood.
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.