ZIP code
07208
in Elizabeth, New JerseyPopulation 31,937
51.02/ 100
Ranked #14,824 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 46%)
Ranked #516 of 583 New Jersey ZIPs (bottom 11.5%)
Ranked #779 of 853 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ ZIPs (bottom 8.7%)
Ranks are modeled estimates — ZIPs a few hundred places apart are effectively tied.
What defines this ZIP
Metrics where this ZIP sits in the tails of the national distribution — the ones that most set it apart. Select any tile for its definition and methodology.
Uninsured (under 65)
24%
in the top 2.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST95thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 18–64 with no current health-insurance coverage.
Full methodology ›PFOA in drinking water
100%
at the national maximum
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of residents served by public water systems where PFOA, one of the man-made “forever chemicals,” was detected in EPA testing.
Measured from EPA records for the public water systems that serve this ZIP. Households on private wells — roughly 30% of the US population — are not covered by this measure, and this figure says nothing about their water.
Full methodology ›Homeownership rate
28%
in the bottom 2.9% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST5thUS3rdDefinition & source ›
The share of occupied homes that are owned, rather than rented, by the people living in them.
Full methodology ›Housing-cost burden
50.4%
in the top 3.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST94thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The share of households spending 30% or more of their income on housing.
Full methodology ›Walkability
160 intersections/sq mi
in the top 4.5% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST90thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The number of street intersections per square mile — a standard street-connectivity measure; denser networks correlate with more walkable neighborhoods.
Full methodology ›Tree cover
0.00%
at the national minimum
Higher is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area covered by forest.
Full methodology ›Industrial-pollution burden
in the top 4.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The EPA’s modeled screening score for industrial chemical releases, weighting the amounts released by their toxicity and how many people live nearby — a relative comparison score, not a measured exposure.
Full methodology ›PFAS in drinking water
100%
at the national maximum
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of residents served by public water systems where PFAS — man-made “forever chemicals” that build up in the body and environment instead of breaking down — were detected in EPA testing.
Measured from EPA records for the public water systems that serve this ZIP. Households on private wells — roughly 30% of the US population — are not covered by this measure, and this figure says nothing about their water.
Full methodology ›Housing insecurity
23.6%
in the top 5.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST93rdUS95thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who experienced housing insecurity in the past 12 months.
Full methodology ›Transportation noise
13.3%
in the top 5.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST89thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The modeled share of residents exposed to average road, rail, and aviation noise at or above 55 decibels — a noticeable background presence.
Full methodology ›The read
By the composite health measure, ZIP 07208, one of several in Elizabeth, New Jersey ranks in the top 46% healthiest ZIPs nationally (14,824th) and the bottom 11.5% of New Jersey (516th).
The picture here is genuinely mixed, with readings on both sides: walkability stands in the top 4.5% nationally. On the other side, modeled uninsured lies in the top 2.6% nationally, and PFOA in drinking water lands at the national maximum. Homeownership sits in the bottom 2.9% nationally, housing-cost burden is in the top 3.0% nationally, and modeled tree cover settles at the national minimum. Modeled industrial-pollution burden resides in the top 4.9% nationally, PFAS in drinking water registers at the national maximum, and modeled housing insecurity rests in the top 5.1% nationally. Modeled transportation noise stands in the top 5.3% nationally.
Read against the ZIPs closest to it, industrial-pollution burden runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. To spell things out, PFOA in drinking water is one of the man-made "forever chemicals" that build up in the body and environment instead of breaking down. Industrial-pollution burden is the EPA's modeled screening score weighting industrial chemical releases by their toxicity and how many people live nearby. PFAS in drinking water is the family of man-made "forever chemicals" that build up in the body and environment instead of breaking down. Close by, ZIP 07083, just across the boundary, ranks healthier overall.
What’s driving this score
Nine domains make up the ZipVitals Score — here is how this ZIP does on each, and how much each one counts. Compare it against the US, this state and the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area.
Compared with the ZIP codes measured across all nine scoring domains — not with all US ZIP codes.
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 81%
21%
Mental Health
healthier than 90%
8%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 88%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 90%
5%
About typical
Disability
healthier than 41%
7%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 25%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 7%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 9%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 20%
11%
Lifting this score
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 94%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 92%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 35%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 11%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 11%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 7%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 10%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 33%
8%
Disability
healthier than 9%
7%
Lifting this score
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 84%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 86%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 29%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 17%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 7%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 4%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 10%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 21%
8%
Disability
healthier than 11%
7%
“Share” is how much of this ZIP’s score the domain accounts for. Percentages are rounded; higher is healthier in every domain. How the score works, and who it compares you with ›
Findings that name this ZIP
2 of our published findings list this ZIP code. Each finding compares one published measure against a stated benchmark, and names only the ZIP codes whose estimates are reliable enough to rank. See all surprising findings.
Above what income predicts
The ZIP codes that outlive their incomes
Estimated life expectancy is 80.6 ± 1.7 years. A median household income of $65,511 predicts 78.4 years — 2.2 years above.
Ranked #817 of the 5,842 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by years above what income predicts, highest first.
Heavy environment, light chronic burden
Where the environment and chronic illness point in opposite directions
Environmental-hazard standing 7.3 (bottom 10%); chronic-disease standing 81.1 — 74 points apart, heavier on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #16,713 of the 18,187 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by the gap from cleanest environment to heaviest chronic burden, highest first.
Nearby & similar ZIPs
Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.
Nearby
07083
New Jerseyshares a border
Score 62.50
Closest healthier
07203
New Jerseyshares a border
Score 55.78
Similar health profile
07513
New Jersey98% similar profile
Score 49.60
How these were chosen: only ZIPs with a published Score appear — a nearby ZIP with too little data to score won’t. Nearby means closest by distance between ZIP boundaries, which can cross state lines. A similar health profile is a close match across the nine Score domains, not similar demographics. Distances are measured between ZIP boundaries — ZIPs that touch share a border. How distance is measured
Evidence
Every measure this page draws on, by source. Collapsed by default — the full data stays in the page for search engines either way.
Health OutcomesCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Arthritis among adults | 18.6% | 16.5–20.8 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 34.0% | 30.9–37.3 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 5.0% | 4.5–5.5 |
| Current asthma among adults | 9.2% | 8.1–10.3 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 5.8% | 5.2–6.4 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 5.5% | 4.9–6.2 |
| Depression among adults | 14.6% | 12.5–17.0 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 13.7% | 12.1–15.4 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 37.1% | 33.9–40.6 |
| Obesity among adults | 34.0% | 29.2–39.2 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.5% | 3.2–3.7 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 13.6% | 11.1–16.3 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 24.0% | 21.2–26.6 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 74.8% | 71.8–77.6 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 74.6% | 71.4–77.8 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 86.1% | 84.4–87.8 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 57.9% | 53.3–62.4 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 56.1% | 52.8–59.3 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 72.7% | 65.7–79.1 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 14.7% | 12.5–17.3 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 14.3% | 12.4–16.3 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 32.9% | 29.1–36.8 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 42.7% | 38.1–47.4 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 25.0% | 22.5–27.7 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 17.0% | 15.2–18.9 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 15.2% | 13.6–16.9 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 15.3% | 13.7–17.0 |
| Any disability among adults | 30.2% | 27.0–33.7 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 5.7% | 5.1–6.4 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 9.0% | 8.1–9.9 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 14.1% | 12.6–15.9 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 5.1% | 4.7–5.6 |
| Vision disability among adults | 8.0% | 7.4–8.8 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 30.0% | 26.7–33.6 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 28.0% | 25.1–31.1 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 17.7% | 15.6–20.1 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 23.6% | 21.1–26.3 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 13.1% | 11.7–14.5 |
| Loneliness among adults | 35.8% | 32.1–39.9 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 13.0% | 11.5–14.7 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | NJ median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 14.4% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 5.8% (1.8–16.1%) n=588 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 33.3% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 5.6% (1.2–16.1%) n=585 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 19.1% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 5.3% (1.4–15.4%) n=589 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 22.5% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 44.2% (20.0–72.5%) n=589 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 9.4% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 5.3% (2.5–9.7%) n=583 |
| Households without a vehicle | 16.4% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 4.8% (0.8–17.6%) n=585 |
| Broadband subscription | 95.4% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 94.4% (88.0–98.5%) n=585 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 50.4% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 31.7% (22.1–46.5%) n=585 |
| Homeownership rate | 28.0% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 77.5% (39.3–94.9%) n=585 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 9.1% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.4% (0.0–7.4%) n=585 |
| Foreign-born population | 51.7% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 13.7% (3.3–39.5%) n=590 |
| Single-parent households | 33.0% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 49.6% (35.2–64.9%) n=581 |
| Population 65+ | 13.0% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 17.8% (11.7–27.5%) n=590 |
| Median age | 37.9 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 42.0 yr (35.6–51.8) n=582 |
| Median household income | $65,511 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $111,711 ($68,311–$188,075) n=565 |
| Median home value | $459,200 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $449,450 ($250,890–$845,440) n=564 |
| Median gross rent | $1,400 | $1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670 | $1,781 ($1,267–$2,530) n=516 |
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | NJ median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 80.6 yr ± 0.85 | 78.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,308 | 80.4 yr (76.6–83.7) n=571 |
About the ± — it’s this estimate’s give-or-take (statisticians call it the standard error). The true life expectancy for this ZIP most likely falls within 0.85 years of 80.6, and it’s very unlikely to be off by more than twice that.
More ZIPs to explore ▾More ZIPs to explore ▴
How these lists were built: they draw only from ZIPs that have a published Score, so ZIPs with too little data to score are not listed. Distance-based lists use distance between ZIP boundaries with no state filter, so an out-of-state ZIP can appear. Statistically similar means a close match across the nine Score domains, not a demographic match: the measure is the cosine similarity between two ZIPs’ domain scores, taken over the domains both ZIPs have data for and only where that overlap covers at least six of the nine — and where no ZIP clears that minimum-overlap floor, that list is left out rather than filled with a weak match. How distance is measured