Median household income

Socio-economic status can serve as a powerful predictor of health status, and the predictive power of income alone can shed light on an individual’s predisposition to disease or lower life expectancy. New Jersey is one of the most affluent states in the nation, yet the variation in median household income from community to community, some abutting one another, is significant. The range in median household income spans a low of just $20,856 to a high of $218,667. The median for the 38 zip codes with the poorest health status is $38,860, versus a statewide median of $87,209 – or 55 percent lower. See Appendix.