NJ's Healthiest Counties For 2022: How Did Middlesex County Fare?

MIDDLESEX COUNTY, NJ — The Garden State's 21 counties were recently ranked from healthiest to least healthy in the 2022's County Health Rankings and Roadmaps. And Middlesex County was placed near the top of the list.

Middlesex County was sixth in the state in rankings for both health outcomes (length of life and quality of life) and health factors (behaviors, clinical care, social and economic factors, and physical environment).

People in Middlesex County had lower rates of sexually transmitted infections than the state average. The rate of adult obesity and physical inactivity was 26 percent, and excessive drinking was 16 percent.

Middlesex County had a lower premature death (death under 75) rate than the state average.

Published annually for the last decade, County Health Rankings is a program led by the University of Wisconsin's Population Health Institute seeking to understand what influences how long and how well we live.

The rankings look at length and quality of life while taking into account different measures that affect a community's health, including smoking, diet and exercise, alcohol and drug use, and sexual activity. Rates for education, income, and community safety are also incorporated.

Deaths attributable to COVID-19 from 2020 were also included in the ranking.

Morris County ranked number 1 in New Jersey while Cumberland County ranked as the least healthy.

"Communities thrive when all people can be healthy in their neighborhoods, schools, and workplaces. CHR&R brings actionable data and strategies to communities working to ensure that healthy places are available to all," the organization wrote on its website.

Here's how each NJ county ranked:

1. Morris
2. Hunterdon
3. Somerset
4. Bergen
5. Sussex
6. Middlesex
7. Monmouth
8. Union
9. Ocean
10. Hudson
11. Warren
12. Burlington
13. Mercer
14. Gloucester
15. Cape May
16. Passaic
17. Essex
18. Atlantic
19. Camden
20. Salem
21. Cumberland

County Health Rankings used data from a variety of sources to compile this year's rankings. To see New Jersey's full report on the website.