Health · Bridgewater

Bridgewater, NJ health

Bridgewater differs from New Jersey on 18 of 40 measures. It has fewer adults facing housing insecurity (7.2% vs 12.3%) and fewer adults facing a utility shut-off (4.1% vs 7%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · ZIP codes 08807, 08836, 08805
TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Bridgewater’s Health Grade: A+

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Bridgewater is healthier than 97% of U.S. towns and 81% of New Jersey towns.

A+Self-rated healthA+Physical distressA+Mental distressA+ObesityADiabetesA+SmokingAExercise
All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 97%
Less healthyHealthier
New Jersey towns we grade (529)Healthier than 81%
Towns with similar incomes, $130K–$216K (1,523)Healthier than 77%

Wealth explains part of the grade. Bridgewater is healthier than 97% of U.S. towns overall, but against towns with similar incomes its edge is smaller.

These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Bridgewater could be anywhere from A to A+.
How the Health Grade works
  • Seven CDC estimates. Adults in fair or poor health, frequent physical distress, frequent mental distress, obesity, diabetes, smoking and no exercise (CDC PLACES, 2025 release). On each one a town earns the share of U.S. towns doing worse, and those shares are averaged. It’s the same score as our Healthiest towns in New Jersey ranking.
  • Graded on a national curve. Every U.S. town with 1,000+ residents and all seven estimates (19,420 places) is lined up by score: A+ top 5%A next 10%A- next 10%B B+ to B−, next 30%C C+ to C−, next 30%D D and D−, bottom 15%
  • Not adjusted for income. Wealthier towns are usually healthier, and the grade shows that as it is. The similar-incomes bar compares Bridgewater with U.S. towns whose median household income is within 25% of its own.
  • Modeled, not measured. CDC combines national survey answers with each area’s age, sex, race and income mix. Bridgewater’s figures come from the ZIP codes that cover it, weighted by land area. High blood pressure is left out because it tracks age more than anything else. The confidence line recomputes the grade with every estimate at the low, then the high, end of its range.
Report card

How Bridgewater compares with New Jersey

Each theme counts how many of its measures are better, worse or too close to call against the state. Tap one to jump to it.

Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Bridgewater adults…

29 of every 100 Bridgewater adults have high blood pressure
New Jersey: 33 in 100 · better · margin 26.3–32.6%

Bars show Bridgewater; the black tick is New Jersey. Tap a condition to see it as people.

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Bridgewater, betterBridgewater, worseToo close to callNew Jersey
Get no exerciseshare of adults 19.1% Bridgewater
NJ 24.8%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 35.5% Bridgewater
NJ 37.5%
Binge drinkshare of adults 13.5% Bridgewater
NJ 15.5%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 7.6% Bridgewater
NJ 10.9%
0%10%20%30%40%
Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Bridgewater adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks New Jersey.

79%
Yearly checkup
NJ 78%
73%
Dentist visit
NJ 66%
91%
Cholesterol check
NJ 89%
65%
Colon screening
NJ 63%
77%
Mammogram
NJ 76%
77%
Taking BP meds
NJ 77%
1 in 14
working-age adults has no health insurance
Bridgewater 7% · New Jersey 1 in 9 (11.3%)
Mind & connection

How Bridgewater adults are doing

1 in 3Bridgewater adults feel lonely
30.5% · New Jersey 32.4% · too close to call
1 in 7Bridgewater adults have been diagnosed with depression
14.1% · New Jersey 15.1% · too close to call
1 in 5Bridgewater adults lack social or emotional support
21.6% · New Jersey 24% · too close to call
1 in 8Bridgewater adults are in frequent mental distress
12.2% · New Jersey 14.7% · better
Everyday needs

Making ends meet

Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.

1 in 12
Bridgewater adults worry about having enough food
8.5% · NJ 14.3% · better
1 in 14
Bridgewater adults worry about keeping their housing
7.2% · NJ 12.3% · better
1 in 24
Bridgewater adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
4.1% · NJ 7% · better
1 in 22
Bridgewater adults lack reliable transportation
4.6% · NJ 7.4% · better

4% of Bridgewater adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 8.4% across New Jersey.

Disability

Living with a disability

19%

of Bridgewater adults live with a disability (New Jersey 24.8%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs8.5%
Thinking or memory8.5%
Hearing5.1%
Errands alone4.7%
Vision3.2%
Dressing or bathing2.2%

Black tick: New Jersey. Shown without a better/worse judgment.

Around Bridgewater

Bridgewater and the towns around it

Pick a measure to shade the map. Darker is worse for health. Pins are hospitals and community health centers in and near Bridgewater.

Bedminster: 26% Branchburg: 26.2% Bound Brook: 33.3% Somerville: 28.2% Manville: 32.2% Middlesex: 33.2% Warren: 23.9% Hillsborough: 25% Raritan: 27% Franklin: 26.2% Bernards: 23.6% Green Brook: 30.9% Tewksbury: 25.8% Readington: 26.1% Peapack and Gladstone: 25.9% Far Hills: 27.4% Chester: 22.4% South Bound Brook: 33.6% Piscataway: 26.3% Dunellen: 37.7% Long Hill: 22.5% Berkeley Heights: 21.8% Watchung: 24% Montgomery: 21.4% Millstone: 28% East Amwell: 25% Raritan: 26.1% New Brunswick: 36.6% South Brunswick: 24.8% Rocky Hill: 25.6% Princeton: 18.3% North Brunswick: 31.7% Harding: 23% Bernardsville: 25.9% Plainfield: 36.1% North Plainfield: 35.4% Bridgewater: 24.4% Bridgewater Bedminster Branchburg Bound Brook Somerville Manville Middlesex Warren Hillsborough Raritan Franklin Bernards Green Brook Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital - Somerset · Somerville · 1.7 mi · 3★ MedicareH Saint Peter's University Hospital · New Brunswick · 9.8 mi · 3★ MedicareH Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital · New Brunswick · 11.3 mi · 2★ MedicareH Children's Specialized Hospital · New Brunswick · 11.3 miH Zufall Health Center Bridgewater · Bridgewater · 0.3 mi+ Neighborhood Health Center Plainfield · Plainfield · 7.8 mi+
18.3%37.7%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#10 of 37towns on this map, healthiest first
Bernards23.6%
Warren23.9%
Bridgewater24.4%
Hillsborough25%
Bedminster26%
Branchburg26.2%
Franklin26.2%
Raritan27%
Somerville28.2%
Green Brook30.9%
Manville32.2%
Middlesex33.2%
Bound Brook33.3%
6 places to get careNearest ER 1.7 mi

Nearby towns are shaded from CDC's estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC's own figure for cities and villages.

Getting care

Care in and near Bridgewater

1 community health center in Bridgewater, plus the nearest just outside it.

HNearest ERRobert Wood Johnson University Hospital - SomersetSomerville · 1.7 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbySaint Peter's University Hospital★★★★★ · 9.8 miDirections →
+Low-cost careZufall Health CenterBridgewater · 0.3 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
0.3 mi
Zufall Health Center
4 sites · nearest in Bridgewater
Sliding-scale feesIn Bridgewater
Directions to nearest
1.7 mi
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital - Somerset
Somerville · ★★★★★
ER
7.8 mi
Neighborhood Health Center Plainfield
Plainfield · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
9.8 mi
Saint Peter's University Hospital
New Brunswick · ★★★★★
ER
11.3 mi
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
New Brunswick · ★★★★★
ER
11.3 mi
Children's Specialized Hospital
New Brunswick · not rated
Children's
✓ Primary careBridgewater is not a shortage area
✓ Dental careBridgewater is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthBridgewater is not a shortage area

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 Bridgewater. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.

All 40 measures for Bridgewater
MeasureBridgewaterMarginNew Jersey
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure29.4%26.3–32.6%32.8%better
High cholesterol39.6%36.2–43.4%39.3%about the same
Obesity24.4%20.4–29%28.9%about the same
Arthritis21.3%18.9–23.9%22.2%about the same
Depression14.1%12.1–16.5%15.1%about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)6%4.8–7.6%9.6%better
Asthma7.9%7–8.9%8.9%about the same
Cancer (not skin)8.2%7.5–9.1%7.5%about the same
Diabetes9.2%8–10.6%10.9%better
COPD3.9%3.4–4.4%5.1%better
Heart disease4.7%4.3–5.3%5.6%better
Stroke2.5%2.3–2.7%3.1%better
Habits
Smoke cigarettes7.6%6.4–9%10.9%better
Binge drink13.5%11.3–16%15.5%about the same
Get no exercise19.1%16.2–22.1%24.8%better
Sleep under 7 hours35.5%30.9–40.5%37.5%about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup79.3%76.3–82.1%78%about the same
Dentist visit73.2%70.4–76.1%65.9%better
Cholesterol check91.3%90–92.4%89.1%better
Colon screening65.3%61–69.7%63.4%about the same
Mammogram76.5%69.7–82.6%75.7%about the same
Taking BP meds77.4%74.2–80.3%77.2%about the same
No health insurance7%6–8.1%11.3%better
Mind & connection
Feel lonely30.5%26.9–34.4%32.4%about the same
Lack emotional support21.6%18.9–24.5%24%about the same
Frequent mental distress12.2%10.8–13.8%14.7%better
Fair or poor health11.7%10.1–13.3%17.1%better
Frequent physical distress9.9%8.7–11.3%12.2%better
Everyday needs
Food insecurity8.5%7.1–9.9%14.3%better
Housing insecurity7.2%6.1–8.3%12.3%better
Utility shut-off threat4.1%3.5–4.7%7%better
No reliable transportation4.6%4–5.3%7.4%better
Receive SNAP4%3.3–4.8%8.4%
Disability
Any disability19%16.5–21.7%24.8%
Walking or climbing stairs8.5%7.3–9.7%11.3%
Thinking or memory8.5%7.5–9.7%11.5%
Hearing5.1%4.5–5.7%5.7%
Vision3.2%2.9–3.5%4.7%
Dressing or bathing2.2%2–2.5%3.3%
Errands alone4.7%4.2–5.3%6.6%
About these numbers

How CDC estimates town health

They're modeled estimatesCDC combines a large national health survey with each area's age, sex, race and income mix to estimate local rates. Nobody surveyed Bridgewater door to door.
Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the New Jersey figure falls inside it, we don't call Bridgewater better or worse.
Why a ZIP codeCDC publishes towns like Bridgewater by ZIP code. We weight the ZIP codes that cover Bridgewater by how much of its land each one covers.

CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The New Jersey figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population.

Health estimates: CDC PLACES. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau.

The porch light’s on

Where to, neighbor?

You’re in Bridgewater, NJSomerset CountyView boundary

Nearby

All towns & citiesExplore the map
Loading boundary…

Bridgewater is your selected town. The feed includes posts assigned to this town, not a distance radius or ZIP code.

Neighborhoods narrow the feed further, while townwide announcements, events, and issues remain visible.

Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/15 · 2025-01-01