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ZIP code

08109

in Merchantville, New JerseyPopulation 24,022

ZipVitals Score
How is the ZipVitals Score calculated? →

52.20/ 100

Ranked #13,184 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 41%)

Ranked #508 of 583 New Jersey ZIPs (bottom 12.9%)

Ranked #271 of 361 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD ZIPs (bottom 25%)

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.

Walkability

160 intersections/sq mi

in the top 4.6% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST89th
US95th
Definition & source ›

The number of street intersections per square mile — a standard street-connectivity measure; denser networks correlate with more walkable neighborhoods.

Full methodology ›

Transit access

4.6 per 1,000 residents

in the top 5.9% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST93rd
US94th
Definition & source ›

The number of public-transit stops inside this ZIP’s boundary, per 1,000 residents.

Counted from establishments located inside this ZIP’s boundary, so one just across the line is not counted. Where a ZIP has too few residents for the density to be reliable, no value is published rather than an unreliable one.

Full methodology ›

Distance to a Superfund site

0.6 mi

in the bottom 6.0% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST28th
US6th
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 ›

Loud transportation noise

2.0%

in the top 7.4% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST88th
US93rd
Definition & source ›

The modeled share of residents exposed to average road, rail, and aviation noise at or above 65 decibels — around the volume of normal conversation.

Full methodology ›

PFOA in drinking water

93.2%

in the top 7.4% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST48th
US93rd
Definition & 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 ›

PFOS in drinking water

93.2%

in the top 7.5% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST65th
US93rd
Definition & source ›

The share of residents served by public water systems where PFOS, one of the most common “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 ›

Outer-floodplain exposure

4.3%

in the top 8.4% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST82nd
US92nd
Definition & source ›

The share of this ZIP’s land area inside FEMA’s 0.2%-annual-chance flood band — the “500-year” zone, a lower but real 1-in-500 yearly chance.

Measured from FEMA’s mapped flood panels. Where a panel has not been mapped, no value is published for that ZIP — those ZIPs are absent from this comparison rather than counted as unexposed.

Full methodology ›

Fine-particle (PM2.5) exceedance

0.55%

in the top 17% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST99th
US83rd
Definition & source ›

The share of days in the year when modeled fine-particle (PM2.5) pollution was above the EPA’s daily limit of 35 micrograms per cubic meter.

Full methodology ›

The read

Overall, Merchantville, New Jersey (ZIP 08109) lands in the top 41% healthiest ZIPs nationally (13,184th) and the bottom 12.9% of New Jersey (508th).

continue reading

The measures that set this area apart are worth putting up front: walkability is in the top 4.6% nationally, and transit settles in the top 5.9% nationally. Fiber broadband resides in the top 11.6% nationally, and subsidized affordable housing registers in the top 12.5% nationally. Set against that, distance to a Superfund site rests in the bottom 6.0% nationally, modeled loud transportation noise stands in the top 7.4% nationally, and PFOA in drinking water lies in the top 7.4% nationally. PFOS in drinking water lands in the top 7.5% nationally, outer-floodplain exposure sits in the top 8.4% nationally, and unemployment is in the top 12.7% nationally.

Set beside the nearby areas, park land runs far lower than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. A note on the terms: distance to a Superfund site is an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has identified for cleanup. PFOA in drinking water is one of the man-made "forever chemicals" that build up in the body and environment instead of breaking down. PFOS in drinking water is a common one of the man-made "forever chemicals" that build up in the body and environment instead of breaking down. For a healthier nearby comparison, ZIP 08002, just across the boundary, ranks better 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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 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 70%

21%

Mental Health

healthier than 83%

8%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 91%

5%

About typical

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 57%

16%

Disability

healthier than 51%

7%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 47%

5%

Holding it back

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 8%

14%

Preventive Care

healthier than 32%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 27%

11%

Lifting this score

Healthcare Access

healthier than 93%

5%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 16%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 21%

16%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 12%

14%

Preventive Care

healthier than 17%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 13%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 20%

8%

Disability

healthier than 11%

7%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 35%

5%

Lifting this score

Mental Health

healthier than 65%

8%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 96%

5%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 38%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 24%

16%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 7%

14%

Preventive Care

healthier than 13%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 15%

11%

Disability

healthier than 10%

7%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 40%

5%

“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 78.0 ± 1.3 years. A median household income of $90,242 predicts 79.7 years — 1.7 years below.

    Ranked #2,064 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 8.2 (bottom 10%); chronic-disease standing 69.7 — 62 points apart, heavier on the environment than it is on chronic illness.

    Ranked #15,563 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 adults24.9%22.5–27.4
High blood pressure among adults35.2%32.1–38.3
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults7.1%6.5–7.8
Current asthma among adults9.8%8.7–11.0
Coronary heart disease among adults6.4%5.7–7.0
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults6.5%5.8–7.3
Depression among adults17.3%15.0–19.9
Diagnosed diabetes among adults13.0%11.5–14.6
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened39.2%35.9–42.5
Obesity among adults30.9%26.6–35.5
Stroke among adults3.8%3.5–4.1
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years13.5%11.2–16.2
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years14.8%13.0–16.7
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure77.3%74.6–79.9
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults77.5%74.5–80.4
Cholesterol screening among adults87.7%86.2–89.2
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years62.9%58.8–67.1
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults57.9%54.8–61.1
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years75.5%69.3–81.2
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults15.4%13.1–17.9
Current cigarette smoking among adults14.6%12.8–16.7
No leisure-time physical activity among adults30.3%26.9–34.0
Short sleep duration among adults40.9%36.6–45.7
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults21.5%19.3–24.0
Frequent mental distress among adults16.7%15.0–18.5
Frequent physical distress among adults14.7%13.2–16.4
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults14.5%13.0–16.1
Any disability among adults30.9%27.8–34.3
Hearing disability among adults6.3%5.6–7.0
Independent living disability among adults8.6%7.8–9.6
Mobility disability among adults14.5%12.9–16.3
Self-care disability among adults4.5%4.1–4.9
Vision disability among adults6.2%5.7–6.8
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Lack of social and emotional support among adults25.9%22.9–29.2
Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults20.6%18.2–23.1
Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults13.6%11.8–15.5
Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults16.7%14.7–18.8
Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults9.9%8.8–11.1
Loneliness among adults34.6%30.8–38.6
Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults9.6%8.4–10.9
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)NJ median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate15.2%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,3645.8% (1.8–16.1%) n=588
Uninsured 18–646.8%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,2865.6% (1.2–16.1%) n=585
No HS diploma (25+)12.9%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,5055.3% (1.4–15.4%) n=589
Bachelor's or higher (25+)28.8%23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,50544.2% (20.0–72.5%) n=589
Unemployment rate (16+)8.8%3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,2745.3% (2.5–9.7%) n=583
Households without a vehicle6.9%3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,3224.8% (0.8–17.6%) n=585
Broadband subscription92.8%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32294.4% (88.0–98.5%) n=585
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)36.5%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32231.7% (22.1–46.5%) n=585
Homeownership rate71.3%78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,32277.5% (39.3–94.9%) n=585
Crowded housing (>1 per room)3.5%1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,3221.4% (0.0–7.4%) n=585
Foreign-born population13.2%2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,55313.7% (3.3–39.5%) n=590
Single-parent households43.1%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08749.6% (35.2–64.9%) n=581
Population 65+15.0%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55317.8% (11.7–27.5%) n=590
Median age38.8 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29242.0 yr (35.6–51.8) n=582
Median household income$90,242$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$111,711 ($68,311–$188,075) n=565
Median home value$252,000$222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049$449,450 ($250,890–$845,440) n=564
Median gross rent$1,167$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 birth78.0 yr ± 0.6578.9 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 0.65 years of 78.0, 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