Health Profile of Cape May County, New Jersey
Cape May County Health Score
The Map AI Health Index is a score that reflects local life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and physical environment to help you quickly compare the overall health and well-being of different areas.
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B
Cape May County Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Cape May County | New Jersey Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 78.3 | 79.4 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 5.0% | 7.5% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 12.9% | 12.9% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Cape May County is 78.3 years, about 1.0 years shorter than the New Jersey average of 79.4 years. The uninsured rate is 5.0%, lower than the New Jersey average of 7.5%. Self-rated poor health is reported by about the same share of residents as in New Jersey, at 12.9%.
Population by Age
Older residents
46,876 residents in Cape May County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 2,551 1,029 men · 1,522 women
- 75–84 8,031 3,583 men · 4,447 women
- 65–74 14,181 6,693 men · 7,488 women
- 50–64 22,114 10,530 men · 11,583 women
Younger residents
15,855 residents in Cape May County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 5,029 2,517 boys · 2,512 girls
- 7–12 4,801 2,395 boys · 2,406 girls
- 3–7 3,524 1,740 boys · 1,784 girls
- 0–3 2,501 1,197 boys · 1,304 girls
About 7,184 residents in Cape May County (7.6% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 78.3 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Cape May County | New Jersey Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 10.3% | 9.6% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 8.6% | 6.3% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 7.7% | 5.8% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 28.8% | 28.9% | 34.3% |
The rate of cancer in Cape May County is about 36% higher than in New Jersey. The rate of heart disease in Cape May County is about 32% higher than in New Jersey.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Cape May County | New Jersey Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 14.0% | 14.2% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 17.0% | 17.2% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 20.6% | 21.9% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Cape May County are about the same as in New Jersey.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 109,924 cigarettes a day, 3.3 million a month, or 40.1 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 1.2 million minutes a day and 441.3 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Cape May County is 78.3 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.03 lifetimes a day, or 11 lifetimes a year.
* Source: Shaw M, Mitchell R, Dorling D. "Time for a smoke? One cigarette reduces your life by 11 minutes." BMJ. 2000;320:53.
Illustrative only. This is not an estimate of how many people actually die from smoking each day or year - it's a rough, order-of-magnitude comparison meant to help grasp the scale of smoking in this area. We take no responsibility for any decisions made based on this figure.
Air Quality
| Metric | Cape May County | New Jersey Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.52 | 6.82 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.5 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Cape May County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Cape May County, NJ Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Cape May County, NJ is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 94,930 residents against a local median of 252,121. Cape May County, NJ's uninsured, at 5.0%, runs 28% below the 7.0% typical of the counties around it. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
Obesity tells the same story from another angle: 28.8% against a local median of 35.8%, 20% below it. Every measure here with a clear better direction points the same way, so Cape May County, NJ is not trading one advantage for another, it reads stronger than its neighbours across the board. The counties themselves spread 6.5% on uninsured, so Cape May County, NJ sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Cape May County, NJ has the 2nd lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape May County, NJ | 94,930 | 78.3 yrs #2/6 | 5.0% #2/6 | 28.8% #1/6 |
| Cumberland County, NJ | 153,308 | 76.3 yrs | 10.5% | 35.8% |
| Atlantic County, NJ | 276,076 | 77.5 yrs | 7.0% | 32.0% |
| Sussex County, DE | 252,121 | 78.5 yrs | 7.0% | 36.9% |
| Kent County, DE | 187,603 | 76.8 yrs | 6.6% | 38.5% |
| Gloucester County, NJ | 306,962 | 77.6 yrs | 4.0% | 32.0% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Cape May County, New Jersey has an overall health index grade of B, making it somewhat better than New Jersey, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Cape May County, New Jersey.
Is Cape May County, New Jersey a healthy place to live?
Cape May County, New Jersey has a Map AI Health Index grade of B, based on life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment; a B grade means residents are somewhat healthier than the U.S. average.
Is Cape May County, New Jersey one of the healthiest counties in New Jersey?
Cape May County ranks 14th healthiest out of 21 counties in New Jersey by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
What is the life expectancy in Cape May County, New Jersey?
People in Cape May County, New Jersey can expect to live 78.3 years on average, 1.0 years shorter than the New Jersey average of 79.4.
What is the uninsured rate in Cape May County, New Jersey?
5.0% of residents in Cape May County, New Jersey have no health insurance, about 1 in 20 people, 2.5 points below the New Jersey rate of 7.5%.
How common is obesity in Cape May County, New Jersey?
28.8% of adults in Cape May County, New Jersey are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, about the same as the New Jersey rate of 28.9%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Cape May County, New Jersey go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 109,924 cigarettes a day, 3.3 million a month, or 40.1 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 1.2 million minutes a day and 441.3 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Cape May County is 78.3 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.03 lifetimes a day, or 11 lifetimes a year.
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