Health · Independence

Independence, NJ health

Independence differs from New Jersey on 12 of 40 measures. It has fewer adults facing food insecurity (9.6% vs 14.3%) and fewer uninsured adults (7.8% vs 11.3%). Where it trails the state: more adults who have had cancer (9.1% vs 7.5%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · ZIP codes 07838, 07840, 07880

Report card

How Independence 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 Independence adults…

32 of every 100 Independence adults have high blood pressure

New Jersey: 33 in 100 · too close to call · margin 28.3–35.6%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Independence, betterIndependence, worseToo close to callNew Jersey

Get no exerciseshare of adults 22.1% Independence
NJ 24.8%

Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 35.6% Independence
NJ 37.5%

Binge drinkshare of adults 17.2% Independence
NJ 15.5%

Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 10.6% Independence
NJ 10.9%

0%10%20%30%40%

Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

Yearly checkup

NJ 78%

Dentist visit

NJ 66%

Cholesterol check

NJ 89%

Colon screening

NJ 63%

Mammogram

NJ 76%

Taking BP meds

NJ 77%

1 in 13

working-age adults has no health insurance

Independence 7.8% · New Jersey 1 in 9 (11.3%)

Mind & connection

How Independence adults are doing

1 in 3Independence adults feel lonely

32.5% · New Jersey 32.4% · too close to call

1 in 6Independence adults have been diagnosed with depression

18.1% · New Jersey 15.1% · worse

1 in 5Independence adults lack social or emotional support

21.9% · New Jersey 24% · too close to call

1 in 7Independence adults are in frequent mental distress

15.1% · New Jersey 14.7% · too close to call

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 10

Independence adults worry about having enough food

9.6% · NJ 14.3% · better

1 in 11

Independence adults worry about keeping their housing

8.9% · NJ 12.3% · better

1 in 19

Independence adults were threatened with a utility shut-off

5.2% · NJ 7% · better

1 in 18

Independence adults lack reliable transportation

5.7% · NJ 7.4% · better

5.3% of Independence adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 8.4% across New Jersey.

Disability

Living with a disability

23.1%

of Independence adults live with a disability (New Jersey 24.8%). Thinking or memory is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs10.1%

Thinking or memory11.1%

Hearing5.6%

Errands alone6.1%

Vision3.6%

Dressing or bathing2.7%

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

Around Independence

Independence and the towns around it

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

24.2%32.4%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#8 of 17towns on this map, healthiest first

Allamuchy28.8%

Frelinghuysen29.4%

Independence30.3%

Mansfield30.3%

Liberty31.5%

Hackettstown31.9%

Care nearby

Ahs HospitalHackettstown · 3.6 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Newton Medical CenterNewton · 13.7 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Lehigh Valley Hospital - PoconoEast Stroudsburg · 17.3 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

St. Luke's Warren HospitalPhillipsburg · 20 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Zufall Health Center HackettstownHackettstown · 3.6 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

Zufall Health Center - SussexNewton · 13.9 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

✓ Primary careIndependence is not a shortage area

✓ Dental careIndependence is not a shortage area

✓ Mental healthIndependence is not a shortage area

Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas. Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Distances are straight-line from the center of Independence. Nearby towns are shaded from CDC's estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC's own figure for cities and villages.

All 40 measures for Independence

Measure	Independence	Margin	New Jersey
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure	31.9%	28.3–35.6%	32.8%	about the same
High cholesterol	38.7%	34.9–42.6%	39.3%	about the same
Obesity	30.3%	24.8–36.3%	28.9%	about the same
Arthritis	24.8%	22–27.8%	22.2%	about the same
Depression	18.1%	15.4–21%	15.1%	worse
Lost all teeth (65+)	6.7%	5.4–8.3%	9.6%	better
Asthma	9.3%	8.2–10.5%	8.9%	about the same
Cancer (not skin)	9.1%	8.3–10%	7.5%	worse
Diabetes	8.8%	7.6–10.3%	10.9%	better
COPD	5.2%	4.4–5.9%	5.1%	about the same
Heart disease	5.4%	4.8–6.1%	5.6%	about the same
Stroke	2.8%	2.5–3.1%	3.1%	about the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes	10.6%	8.8–12.6%	10.9%	about the same
Binge drink	17.2%	14.4–20.1%	15.5%	about the same
Get no exercise	22.1%	18.5–26.2%	24.8%	about the same
Sleep under 7 hours	35.6%	30.1–41.3%	37.5%	about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup	77.3%	74.1–80.5%	78%	about the same
Dentist visit	71.5%	68.4–74.4%	65.9%	better
Cholesterol check	89.7%	88.2–91%	89.1%	about the same
Colon screening	69%	64.4–73.2%	63.4%	better
Mammogram	77.6%	70.9–83.5%	75.7%	about the same
Taking BP meds	78.3%	75.4–80.9%	77.2%	about the same
No health insurance	7.8%	6.5–9.2%	11.3%	better
Mind & connection
Feel lonely	32.5%	28.2–37%	32.4%	about the same
Lack emotional support	21.9%	18.8–25.2%	24%	about the same
Frequent mental distress	15.1%	13.3–17.1%	14.7%	about the same
Fair or poor health	14.6%	12.5–16.9%	17.1%	better
Frequent physical distress	11.8%	10.3–13.4%	12.2%	about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity	9.6%	8–11.5%	14.3%	better
Housing insecurity	8.9%	7.5–10.4%	12.3%	better
Utility shut-off threat	5.2%	4.3–5.9%	7%	better
No reliable transportation	5.7%	4.9–6.5%	7.4%	better
Receive SNAP	5.3%	4.4–6.5%	8.4%
Disability
Any disability	23.1%	19.7–26.7%	24.8%
Walking or climbing stairs	10.1%	8.5–11.6%	11.3%
Thinking or memory	11.1%	9.6–12.7%	11.5%
Hearing	5.6%	5–6.3%	5.7%
Vision	3.6%	3.2–4%	4.7%
Dressing or bathing	2.7%	2.5–3.1%	3.3%
Errands alone	6.1%	5.3–6.9%	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 Independence 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 Independence better or worse.

Why a ZIP codeCDC publishes towns like Independence by ZIP code. We weight the ZIP codes that cover Independence 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.