Health · Monroe

Monroe, NJ health

Monroe differs from New Jersey on 23 of 40 measures. It has fewer adults facing a utility shut-off (3.6% vs 7%) and fewer adults facing housing insecurity (6.4% vs 12.3%). Where it trails the state: more adults who have had cancer (11.5% vs 7.5%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · ZIP code 08831 (all of Monroe)
TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Monroe’s Health Grade: A−

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Monroe is healthier than 85% of U.S. towns.

A-Self-rated healthAPhysical distressA+Mental distressAObesityB-DiabetesA+SmokingBExercise
All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 85%
Less healthyHealthier
New Jersey towns we grade (529)Healthier than 48%
Towns with similar incomes, $81K–$135K (7,035)Healthier than 77%

About what its income would suggest. Monroe does about as well against towns with similar incomes as against all towns.

These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Monroe could be anywhere from B+ 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 Monroe 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. Monroe’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 Monroe 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 Monroe adults…

40 of every 100 Monroe adults have high blood pressure
New Jersey: 33 in 100 · worse · margin 36.9–43%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Monroe, betterMonroe, worseToo close to callNew Jersey
Get no exerciseshare of adults 23.5% Monroe
NJ 24.8%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 33.8% Monroe
NJ 37.5%
Binge drinkshare of adults 12% Monroe
NJ 15.5%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 8% Monroe
NJ 10.9%
0%10%20%30%40%
Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

84%
Yearly checkup
NJ 78%
73%
Dentist visit
NJ 66%
93%
Cholesterol check
NJ 89%
71%
Colon screening
NJ 63%
77%
Mammogram
NJ 76%
84%
Taking BP meds
NJ 77%
1 in 15
working-age adults has no health insurance
Monroe 6.7% · New Jersey 1 in 9 (11.3%)
Mind & connection

How Monroe adults are doing

1 in 3Monroe adults feel lonely
30.1% · New Jersey 32.4% · too close to call
1 in 8Monroe adults have been diagnosed with depression
12.1% · New Jersey 15.1% · better
1 in 5Monroe adults lack social or emotional support
20.6% · New Jersey 24% · better
1 in 9Monroe adults are in frequent mental distress
11.2% · 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 13
Monroe adults worry about having enough food
8% · NJ 14.3% · better
1 in 16
Monroe adults worry about keeping their housing
6.4% · NJ 12.3% · better
1 in 28
Monroe adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
3.6% · NJ 7% · better
1 in 23
Monroe adults lack reliable transportation
4.4% · NJ 7.4% · better

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

Disability

Living with a disability

25.7%

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

Walking or climbing stairs12.9%
Thinking or memory8.6%
Hearing7.7%
Errands alone5.7%
Vision4%
Dressing or bathing2.9%

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

Around Monroe

Monroe 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 Monroe.

Old Bridge: 31.2% Helmetta: 31.2% Spotswood: 31.7% Manalapan: 28.9% East Windsor: 23% Cranbury: 23.5% Millstone: 29% South Brunswick: 24.8% East Brunswick: 27.2% Aberdeen: 31.5% Sayreville: 32% Matawan: 32.1% Marlboro: 26.2% Freehold: 30.7% Plainsboro: 21.7% West Windsor: 17% Robbinsville: 21% Upper Freehold: 27.9% Roosevelt: 29.2% North Brunswick: 31.7% Franklin: 26.2% Princeton: 18.3% Milltown: 32.2% South River: 34.6% New Brunswick: 36.6% Edison: 24.6% Monroe: 27.1% Monroe Old Bridge Helmetta Spotswood Manalapan East Windsor Cranbury Millstone South Brunswick East Brunswick Centrastate Medical Center · Freehold · 8.5 mi · 4★ MedicareH University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro · Plainsboro · 10.5 mi · 4★ MedicareH Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital · New Brunswick · 11.4 mi · 2★ MedicareH Children's Specialized Hospital · New Brunswick · 11.4 miH Ohi - Freehold · Freehold · 9.4 mi+ Freehold Family Health Center · Freehold · 9.6 mi+
17%36.6%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#11 of 27towns on this map, healthiest first
East Windsor23%
Cranbury23.5%
South Brunswick24.8%
Monroe27.1%
East Brunswick27.2%
Manalapan28.9%
Millstone29%
Old Bridge31.2%
Helmetta31.2%
Spotswood31.7%

Care nearby

Centrastate Medical CenterFreehold · 8.5 mi · ★★★★★ · ER DirectionsMedicare profile
University Medical Center of Princeton at PlainsboroPlainsboro · 10.5 mi · ★★★★★ · ER DirectionsMedicare profile
Robert Wood Johnson University HospitalNew Brunswick · 11.4 mi · ★★★★★ · ER DirectionsMedicare profile
Children's Specialized HospitalNew Brunswick · 11.4 mi · children's DirectionsMedicare profile
Ohi - FreeholdFreehold · 9.4 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions
Freehold Family Health CenterFreehold · 9.6 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions
✓ Primary careMonroe is not a shortage area
✓ Dental careMonroe is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthMonroe 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 Monroe. 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 Monroe
MeasureMonroeMarginNew Jersey
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure39.9%36.9–43%32.8%worse
High cholesterol45.1%41.8–48.5%39.3%worse
Obesity27.1%23.5–31%28.9%about the same
Arthritis28.9%26.4–31.5%22.2%worse
Depression12.1%10.5–14%15.1%better
Lost all teeth (65+)7.4%6–9.1%9.6%better
Asthma8.2%7.3–9.2%8.9%about the same
Cancer (not skin)11.5%10.6–12.5%7.5%worse
Diabetes12.5%11–14.1%10.9%worse
COPD5.6%5–6.3%5.1%about the same
Heart disease7.4%6.6–8.1%5.6%worse
Stroke3.7%3.4–4%3.1%worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes8%6.9–9.2%10.9%better
Binge drink12%10.3–13.9%15.5%better
Get no exercise23.5%20.7–26.4%24.8%about the same
Sleep under 7 hours33.8%30–37.7%37.5%about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup83.8%81.5–85.8%78%better
Dentist visit72.7%70–75.2%65.9%better
Cholesterol check93.1%92.2–94%89.1%better
Colon screening70.6%66.9–74.1%63.4%better
Mammogram77.4%71.5–82.7%75.7%about the same
Taking BP meds83.7%81.3–85.8%77.2%better
No health insurance6.7%5.8–7.7%11.3%better
Mind & connection
Feel lonely30.1%26.9–33.5%32.4%about the same
Lack emotional support20.6%18.3–23.3%24%better
Frequent mental distress11.2%10–12.5%14.7%better
Fair or poor health15.5%13.8–17.4%17.1%about the same
Frequent physical distress11.4%10.2–12.8%12.2%about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity8%7–9.3%14.3%better
Housing insecurity6.4%5.6–7.4%12.3%better
Utility shut-off threat3.6%3.1–4.1%7%better
No reliable transportation4.4%3.9–5%7.4%better
Receive SNAP4%3.4–4.8%8.4%
Disability
Any disability25.7%23.1–28.5%24.8%
Walking or climbing stairs12.9%11.4–14.6%11.3%
Thinking or memory8.6%7.7–9.6%11.5%
Hearing7.7%6.8–8.5%5.7%
Vision4%3.6–4.4%4.7%
Dressing or bathing2.9%2.7–3.2%3.3%
Errands alone5.7%5.1–6.4%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 Monroe 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 Monroe better or worse.
Why a ZIP codeCDC publishes towns like Monroe by ZIP code. We weight the ZIP codes that cover Monroe 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.

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Monroe

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