How healthy is your county? New NJ rankings for 2021

In one county, about one-tenth of the adults are active smokers. In the next, smoking is a habit for nearly a quarter of adults.

In one county, there are 820 primary care physicians for every one resident. In another, the ratio is 2,720 to 1.

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Based on more than 30 health-influencing factors across a number of categories, a report released Wednesday by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute finds certain counties are far healthier than others. Morris County ranks as the healthiest in the state in the 2021 report; Cumberland County is the worst off in terms of the health of its residents.

2021 County Health Rankings:

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

Compared to last year's report, no county moved more than two spots in either direction.

Performance in many categories varies greatly by county.

In Mercer County, for example, 16% of adults report binge or heavy drinking. In Somerset County, 21% are guilty of "excessive drinking." There are two teen births per 1,000 females aged 15 through 19 in Hunterdon County. In Cumberland County, there are 34.

The rankings highlight the fact that illness and disease aren't the only topics worth looking at when discussing health — factors such as high school completion, housing problems and commutes play a role in determining health outcomes.

The rankings take into account data from 2019 or earlier. It's anticipated that the impact of COVID-19 will begin to be seen in the 2022 rankings.