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ZIP code

07731

in Howell, New JerseyPopulation 40,322

ZipVitals Score
How is the ZipVitals Score calculated? →

64.79/ 100

Ranked #2,085 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 6.6%)

Ranked #255 of 583 New Jersey ZIPs (top 44%)

Ranked #437 of 853 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ ZIPs (bottom 49%)

Ranks are modeled estimates — ZIPs a few hundred places apart are effectively tied.

Robust across all 9 health domains

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.

Natural-disaster risk

in the top 0.4% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST99th
US99th
Definition & source ›

This area’s national rank on its single highest non-flood natural hazard — such as wildfire, tornado, or earthquake — in FEMA’s modeled National Risk Index; flooding is shown separately.

Full methodology ›

PFAS in drinking water

82.2%

in the top 1.5% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST87th
US99th
Definition & source ›

The modeled probability that PFAS “forever chemicals” would be detected in untreated groundwater in this area, the source private wells draw on.

A modeled likelihood for untreated groundwater, the source drawn on by private wells, which are federally unregulated. It is not a measurement of treated water delivered by a public system, and it is not a test of any individual well.

Full methodology ›

Distance to a Superfund site

In this ZIP

at the national minimum

Higher is healthier

ST1st
US1st
Definition & source ›

The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Superfund site — an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has listed for cleanup.

Full methodology ›

Median household income

$134,056

in the top 6.2% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST69th
US94th
Definition & source ›

The middle household income in this ZIP — half of households earn more, half earn less — in dollars per year.

Full methodology ›

Lithium in drinking water

10 µg/L

in the bottom 8.4% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST20th
US8th
Definition & source ›

The average detected level of lithium — a natural trace metal with no federal drinking-water limit yet — across the public water systems serving this ZIP, in micrograms per liter.

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 ›

Mobility disability

9.3%

in the bottom 6.5% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST32nd
US6th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults with serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs.

Full methodology ›

Hearing disability

5.1%

in the bottom 7.2% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST27th
US7th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who are deaf or have serious difficulty hearing.

Full methodology ›

Coronary heart disease

5.0%

in the bottom 9.7% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST28th
US10th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have coronary heart disease or angina.

Full methodology ›

Stroke

2.6%

in the bottom 8.3% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST27th
US8th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have had a stroke.

Full methodology ›

Independent-living disability

6.0%

in the bottom 9.2% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST48th
US9th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who have difficulty doing errands alone, such as visiting a doctor’s office, because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition.

Full methodology ›

The read

On balance, and by the composite measure, Howell, New Jersey (ZIP 07731) ranks in the top 6.6% healthiest ZIPs nationally (2,085th) and the top 44% of New Jersey (255th).

continue reading

Neither strongly one way nor the other, the measures sit mixed: household income is in the top 6.2% nationally, and lithium in drinking water stands in the bottom 8.4% nationally. Modeled mobility disability settles in the bottom 6.5% nationally, and hearing disability lies in the bottom 7.2% nationally. Park land resides in the top 11.4% nationally, modeled coronary heart disease lands in the bottom 9.7% nationally, and modeled stroke registers in the bottom 8.3% nationally. Against that, modeled disaster risk sits in the top 0.4% nationally, modeled pfas rests in the top 1.5% nationally, and distance to a Superfund site is at the national minimum.

Compared with the ZIPs it borders, park land runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. In plainer terms, disaster risk is the area's national rank on its highest non-flood peril in FEMA's modeled Risk Index, like wildfire or quake. Pfas is the man-made "forever chemicals" that build up in the body and environment instead of breaking down; here a modeled estimate of the chance a private well contains them. Distance to a Superfund site is an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has identified for cleanup. For a healthier nearby ZIP overall, look to ZIP 07719, just across the boundary.

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.

Compare within

Lifting this score

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 89%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 90%

16%

Preventive Care

healthier than 65%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 75%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 94%

8%

Disability

healthier than 91%

7%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 61%

5%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 85%

5%

Holding it back

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 34%

14%

Lifting this score

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 62%

21%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 86%

5%

About typical

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 59%

16%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 50%

14%

Preventive Care

healthier than 44%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 50%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 47%

8%

Disability

healthier than 56%

7%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 54%

5%

Nothing measured is holding this score back.

Lifting this score

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 64%

16%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 75%

5%

About typical

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 58%

21%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 48%

14%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 49%

11%

Disability

healthier than 53%

7%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 41%

5%

Holding it back

Preventive Care

healthier than 33%

13%

Mental Health

healthier than 38%

8%

“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.

  • Below what income predicts

    The ZIP codes that outlive their incomes

    Estimated life expectancy is 78.7 ± 1.3 years. A median household income of $134,056 predicts 81.2 years — 2.5 years below.

    Ranked #3,502 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 34.6; chronic-disease standing 88.6 — 54 points apart, heavier on the environment than it is on chronic illness.

    Ranked #14,805 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.

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
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Arthritis among adults22.2%20.0–24.5
High blood pressure among adults30.6%27.8–33.4
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults7.5%6.8–8.2
Current asthma among adults9.2%8.2–10.3
Coronary heart disease among adults5.0%4.5–5.5
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults4.9%4.3–5.5
Depression among adults15.4%13.3–17.7
Diagnosed diabetes among adults9.2%8.0–10.4
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened37.7%34.7–40.8
Obesity among adults31.6%27.5–35.9
Stroke among adults2.6%2.4–2.9
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years7.5%6.0–9.2
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years8.2%7.0–9.4
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure75.8%72.8–78.5
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults77.4%74.4–80.1
Cholesterol screening among adults89.1%87.7–90.5
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years66.5%62.5–70.4
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults69.4%66.5–72.2
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years76.7%70.4–82.1
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults17.5%15.1–20.1
Current cigarette smoking among adults11.2%9.8–12.9
No leisure-time physical activity among adults19.9%17.2–22.7
Short sleep duration among adults34.5%30.4–38.8
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults14.5%12.8–16.2
Frequent mental distress among adults15.2%13.5–16.9
Frequent physical distress among adults11.2%10.0–12.5
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults11.3%10.0–12.7
Any disability among adults22.1%19.6–24.8
Hearing disability among adults5.1%4.5–5.7
Independent living disability among adults6.0%5.4–6.7
Mobility disability among adults9.3%8.1–10.5
Self-care disability among adults2.8%2.6–3.1
Vision disability among adults3.7%3.4–4.1
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Lack of social and emotional support among adults20.0%17.5–22.9
Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults10.5%9.0–12.2
Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults6.3%5.3–7.5
Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults9.5%8.1–10.9
Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults6.0%5.3–6.8
Loneliness among adults29.0%25.6–32.6
Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults5.9%5.1–6.8
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)NJ median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate8.1%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,3645.8% (1.8–16.1%) n=588
Uninsured 18–648.5%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,2865.6% (1.2–16.1%) n=585
No HS diploma (25+)5.9%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,5055.3% (1.4–15.4%) n=589
Bachelor's or higher (25+)44.0%23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,50544.2% (20.0–72.5%) n=589
Unemployment rate (16+)4.8%3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,2745.3% (2.5–9.7%) n=583
Households without a vehicle3.0%3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,3224.8% (0.8–17.6%) n=585
Broadband subscription93.6%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32294.4% (88.0–98.5%) n=585
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)29.5%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32231.7% (22.1–46.5%) n=585
Homeownership rate88.3%78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,32277.5% (39.3–94.9%) n=585
Crowded housing (>1 per room)1.0%1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,3221.4% (0.0–7.4%) n=585
Foreign-born population14.5%2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,55313.7% (3.3–39.5%) n=590
Single-parent households47.5%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08749.6% (35.2–64.9%) n=581
Population 65+14.4%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55317.8% (11.7–27.5%) n=590
Median age38.4 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29242.0 yr (35.6–51.8) n=582
Median household income$134,056$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$111,711 ($68,311–$188,075) n=565
Median home value$494,600$222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049$449,450 ($250,890–$845,440) n=564
Median gross rent$2,570$1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670$1,781 ($1,267–$2,530) n=516
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)NJ median (p10–p90)
Life expectancy at birth78.7 yr ± 0.6478.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,30880.4 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 0.64 years of 78.7, and it’s very unlikely to be off by more than twice that.

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