ZIP code
08618
in Trenton, New JerseyPopulation 35,634
46.95/ 100
Ranked #20,220 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 37%)
Ranked #546 of 583 New Jersey ZIPs (bottom 6.4%)
Ranked #18 of 21 Trenton-Princeton, NJ ZIPs (bottom 14.3%)
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.
Nitrate in drinking water
16.6%
in the top 2.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The modeled share of this area’s domestic-well groundwater at or above the federal nitrate limit of 10 milligrams per liter.
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 ›Subsidized affordable housing
694 units
in the top 2.8% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST97thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The number of affordable rental units in this ZIP supported by the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program.
Full methodology ›Short sleep
44%
in the top 4.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST94thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who usually sleep less than seven hours in a 24-hour period.
Full methodology ›Households without a vehicle
21.9%
in the top 3.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST92ndUS96thDefinition & source ›
The share of households with no vehicle available.
Full methodology ›PFAS in drinking water
70.5%
in the top 4.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST65thUS96thDefinition & 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 ›Housing insecurity
24.4%
in the top 4.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST93rdUS96thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who experienced housing insecurity in the past 12 months.
Full methodology ›Utility shut-off threat
16.3%
in the top 5.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST95thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults whose household was threatened with a utility shut-off in the past 12 months.
Full methodology ›Transit access
4.6 per 1,000 residents
in the top 5.8% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST93rdUS94thDefinition & 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 ›Lack of transportation
15.2%
in the top 6.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST94thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who lacked reliable transportation in the past 12 months.
Full methodology ›Hearing disability
4.7%
in the bottom 4.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST14thUS4thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who are deaf or have serious difficulty hearing.
Full methodology ›The read
ZIP 08618, one of several in Trenton, New Jersey ranks in the bottom 37% nationally (20,220th) and the bottom 6.4% of New Jersey (546th).
Several readings make the pressure on this area plain: modeled nitrate lies in the top 2.5% nationally, and short sleep is in the top 4.5% nationally. Households without a vehicle registers in the top 3.9% nationally, and modeled pfas lies in the top 4.4% nationally. Modeled housing insecurity is in the top 4.5% nationally, utility shutoff registers in the top 5.3% nationally, and transportation lies in the top 6.1% nationally. On the encouraging side, subsidized affordable housing is in the top 2.8% nationally, transit registers in the top 5.8% nationally, and modeled hearing disability lies in the bottom 4.5% nationally.
Against its neighbors, park land runs far lower than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. For context, nitrate is a groundwater compound from fertilizer, manure, and sewage, here a modeled estimate of the chance private-well levels exceed a benchmark. 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. Subsidized affordable housing is the main federal tax-credit program (HUD) funding affordable rental housing, counted as local units it supports. The closest ZIP that ranks healthier overall is ZIP 08534, 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 Trenton-Princeton, 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 64%
21%
Mental Health
healthier than 72%
8%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 92%
5%
About typical
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 49%
5%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 10%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 5%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 23%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 24%
11%
Disability
healthier than 32%
7%
Lifting this score
Healthcare Access
healthier than 94%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 11%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 5%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 7%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 13%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 12%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 8%
8%
Disability
healthier than 7%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 38%
5%
Lifting this score
Healthcare Access
healthier than 90%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 10%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 5%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 5%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 25%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 20%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 5%
8%
Disability
healthier than 15%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 30%
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 its nearby ZIPs
The ZIP codes that outlive their neighbors
Estimated life expectancy is 76.3 ± 1.2 years. The 50 nearest ZIP codes with estimates average 80.0 years — 3.7 years below them.
Ranked #2,855 of the 3,687 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by years above the nearby-ZIP average, highest first.
Heavy environment, light chronic burden
Where the environment and chronic illness point in opposite directions
Environmental-hazard standing 2.0 (bottom 10%); chronic-disease standing 64.0 — 62 points apart, heavier on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #15,611 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
08534
New Jerseyshares a border
Score 73.15
Closest healthier
08628
New Jerseyshares a border
Score 64.96
Similar health profile
60153
Illinois96% similar profile
Score 42.68
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 | 21.2% | 19.0–23.5 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 36.2% | 33.2–39.2 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 4.9% | 4.5–5.4 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.3% | 10.0–12.6 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 6.0% | 5.4–6.6 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 6.7% | 6.0–7.5 |
| Depression among adults | 16.2% | 13.8–18.7 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 14.3% | 12.7–16.0 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 33.9% | 30.8–37.0 |
| Obesity among adults | 33.0% | 28.3–37.9 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.4% | 4.1–4.8 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 23.1% | 19.5–26.8 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 13.7% | 12.0–15.6 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 75.7% | 73.2–78.0 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 79.0% | 76.0–81.7 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 85.3% | 83.5–87.0 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 60.0% | 55.3–64.3 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 53.8% | 50.4–57.1 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 74.8% | 67.9–80.6 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 13.2% | 11.1–15.5 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 15.2% | 13.3–17.1 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 31.5% | 27.8–35.1 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 44.0% | 39.0–48.8 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 24.7% | 22.2–27.2 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 19.2% | 17.1–21.3 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 14.3% | 12.7–15.9 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 16.4% | 14.6–18.2 |
| Any disability among adults | 29.8% | 26.4–33.2 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 4.7% | 4.2–5.3 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 10.8% | 9.7–11.9 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 15.4% | 13.7–17.1 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 5.9% | 5.4–6.4 |
| Vision disability among adults | 8.0% | 7.4–8.7 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 30.9% | 27.3–34.5 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 29.6% | 26.5–32.7 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 23.5% | 20.9–26.1 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 24.4% | 21.7–27.0 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 15.2% | 13.5–16.8 |
| Loneliness among adults | 37.8% | 33.6–41.9 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 16.3% | 14.4–18.2 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | NJ median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 21.0% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 5.8% (1.8–16.1%) n=588 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 6.7% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 5.6% (1.2–16.1%) n=585 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 14.6% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 5.3% (1.4–15.4%) n=589 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 24.7% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 44.2% (20.0–72.5%) n=589 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 11.8% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 5.3% (2.5–9.7%) n=583 |
| Households without a vehicle | 21.9% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 4.8% (0.8–17.6%) n=585 |
| Broadband subscription | 85.2% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 94.4% (88.0–98.5%) n=585 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 41.6% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 31.7% (22.1–46.5%) n=585 |
| Homeownership rate | 45.8% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 77.5% (39.3–94.9%) n=585 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 5.3% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.4% (0.0–7.4%) n=585 |
| Foreign-born population | 15.1% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 13.7% (3.3–39.5%) n=590 |
| Single-parent households | 33.3% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 49.6% (35.2–64.9%) n=581 |
| Population 65+ | 16.3% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 17.8% (11.7–27.5%) n=590 |
| Median age | 35.0 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 42.0 yr (35.6–51.8) n=582 |
| Median household income | $50,390 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $111,711 ($68,311–$188,075) n=565 |
| Median home value | $227,000 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $449,450 ($250,890–$845,440) n=564 |
| Median gross rent | $1,102 | $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 | 76.3 yr ± 0.62 | 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 0.62 years of 76.3, 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