ZIP code
08884
in Spotswood, New JerseyPopulation 8,187
59.99/ 100
Ranked #4,877 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 15%)
Ranked #382 of 583 New Jersey ZIPs (bottom 34%)
Ranked #627 of 853 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ ZIPs (bottom 26%)
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.
PFOA in drinking water
99.4%
in the top 3.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST77thUS96thDefinition & 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
99.4%
in the top 4.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST87thUS96thDefinition & 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 ›Fatal road crashes
1.2 per 100,000 residents per year
in the bottom 4.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST12thUS5thDefinition & source ›
The annual rate of fatal road crashes per 100,000 residents, pooled over a ten-year window.
A rate per resident population. Where a ZIP has too few residents for the rate to be reliable — about 30% of US ZIPs — no value is published rather than an unstable one; those ZIPs are absent from this comparison, not counted as crash-free.
Full methodology ›Child-care access
0.61 per 1,000 residents
in the top 6.9% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST93rdUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The number of child day-care services 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 ›Energy-cost burden
1.7%
in the bottom 7.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST35thUS7thDefinition & source ›
The modeled share of household income spent on home energy bills — electricity, gas, and heating fuels.
A modeled share of household income spent on home energy. Estimates that hit the model’s 100% ceiling are suppressed rather than published, because at that point the figure reflects the model’s limit rather than a measured burden.
Full methodology ›Mammography
72.3%
in the bottom 27% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST8thUS27thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of women aged 50–74 who had a mammogram within the past two years.
Full methodology ›Distance to a community health center
6.5 mi
in the top 32% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST91stUS68thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest federally funded community health center, which serves patients regardless of ability to pay.
Full methodology ›The read
By the composite health measure, Spotswood, New Jersey (ZIP 08884) ranks in the top 15% healthiest ZIPs nationally (4,877th) and the bottom 34% of New Jersey (382nd).
A handful of measures stand out most sharply across the profile here: fatal road crashes settles in the bottom 4.9% nationally, and childcare resides in the top 6.9% nationally. Modeled energy burden registers in the bottom 7.2% nationally, and walkability rests in the top 11.0% nationally. Elder services stands in the top 12.6% nationally, and outpatient lies in the top 13.5% nationally. On the other side, PFOA in drinking water lands in the top 3.9% nationally, PFOS in drinking water sits in the top 4.2% nationally, and PFAS in drinking water is in the top 10.5% nationally. Unemployment settles in the top 12.5% nationally.
Read against the ZIPs closest to it, park land runs far lower 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. 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. 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 08816, 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 75%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 87%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 62%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 62%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 93%
8%
Disability
healthier than 83%
7%
About typical
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 40%
14%
Holding it back
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 31%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 38%
5%
Nothing measured is lifting this score.
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 52%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 59%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 41%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 45%
8%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 24%
21%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 37%
11%
Disability
healthier than 35%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 20%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 11%
5%
Nothing measured is lifting this score.
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 57%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 57%
14%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 18%
21%
Preventive Care
healthier than 31%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 33%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 34%
8%
Disability
healthier than 32%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 15%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 5%
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 ›
Nearby & similar ZIPs
Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.
Nearby
08816
New Jerseyshares a border
Score 68.08
Closest healthier
08828
New Jerseyshares a border
Score 62.40
Similar health profile
68653
Nebraska98% similar profile
Score 60.45
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 | 25.2% | 22.8–27.7 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 35.0% | 32.1–38.0 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 8.8% | 8.0–9.7 |
| Current asthma among adults | 9.4% | 8.4–10.5 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 5.9% | 5.2–6.6 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 5.7% | 4.9–6.7 |
| Depression among adults | 15.6% | 13.5–17.8 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 10.7% | 9.3–12.1 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 40.2% | 37.0–43.3 |
| Obesity among adults | 31.7% | 27.6–36.1 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.1% | 2.7–3.4 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 11.0% | 9.0–13.1 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 8.7% | 7.2–10.4 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 77.8% | 74.9–80.3 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 79.3% | 76.4–81.7 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 89.8% | 88.2–91.1 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 66.8% | 62.6–70.6 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 66.9% | 63.9–69.8 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 72.3% | 65.6–78.3 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 16.5% | 14.2–18.9 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 11.7% | 9.8–13.9 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 23.8% | 20.6–27.4 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 37.3% | 33.3–41.4 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 16.8% | 14.6–19.3 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 15.3% | 13.6–17.2 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 12.3% | 10.8–14.0 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 11.7% | 10.2–13.3 |
| Any disability among adults | 26.2% | 23.1–29.4 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 6.2% | 5.4–7.0 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 6.6% | 5.7–7.6 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 11.9% | 10.2–13.7 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.1% | 2.7–3.5 |
| Vision disability among adults | 4.1% | 3.6–4.6 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 22.2% | 19.4–25.2 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 10.8% | 9.0–13.0 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 6.1% | 4.9–7.5 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 9.6% | 8.0–11.2 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 6.0% | 5.2–7.0 |
| Loneliness among adults | 32.9% | 29.3–36.6 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 5.4% | 4.6–6.3 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | NJ median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 4.2% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 5.8% (1.8–16.1%) n=588 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 9.4% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 5.6% (1.2–16.1%) n=585 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 8.1% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 5.3% (1.4–15.4%) n=589 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 36.9% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 44.2% (20.0–72.5%) n=589 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 8.9% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 5.3% (2.5–9.7%) n=583 |
| Households without a vehicle | 9.0% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 4.8% (0.8–17.6%) n=585 |
| Broadband subscription | 88.0% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 94.4% (88.0–98.5%) n=585 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 31.9% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 31.7% (22.1–46.5%) n=585 |
| Homeownership rate | 86.2% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 77.5% (39.3–94.9%) n=585 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 0.5% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.4% (0.0–7.4%) n=585 |
| Foreign-born population | 12.5% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 13.7% (3.3–39.5%) n=590 |
| Single-parent households | 55.4% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 49.6% (35.2–64.9%) n=581 |
| Population 65+ | 22.2% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 17.8% (11.7–27.5%) n=590 |
| Median age | 46.0 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 42.0 yr (35.6–51.8) n=582 |
| Median household income | $104,702 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $111,711 ($68,311–$188,075) n=565 |
| Median home value | $369,500 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $449,450 ($250,890–$845,440) n=564 |
| Median gross rent | $1,079 | $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 | 79.6 yr ± 1.98 | 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 1.98 years of 79.6, 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