Understanding Perspectives on Health and Wellbeing in New Jersey

Recent polling of New Jersey residents reveals a broad understanding that health is shaped by more than individual choices.

Across political, racial, and geographic differences, most residents agree that some people face greater barriers to living a healthy life—and that factors such as housing, jobs, and access to care play a major role.

At the same time, perspectives differ on why these gaps exist and how to address them. While many residents point to social determinants, like where people live and the resources available to them, others emphasize personal responsibility. There is also increased recognition across groups that race and ethnicity can influence health outcomes.

Looking forward, RWJF will continue working to elevate solutions that expand opportunity, and support policies and community-driven efforts that remove barriers to health so that everyone in New Jersey has a fair and just opportunity to thrive.

Background

Health inequities in New Jersey do not happen by chance. They are shaped by longstanding differences in access to resources like safe housing, quality education, good-paying jobs, and affordable healthcare.

A recent poll of more than 2,000 New Jerseyans conducted by the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling at Rutgers University with support from RWJF, following up on a similar 2022 poll, tracks how residents perceive these issues and where perspectives are shifting over time. The research explores not only what people believe about health and how those beliefs differ across communities, but also where common ground exists.

Key Findings

• About 71% of residents say some people have less opportunity to live a healthy life, while just 25% believe all residents have equal opportunity to live a healthy life.  
• When it comes to the health of the state, 18% rate New Jersey as “very healthy,” while 58% say “somewhat healthy.”
• Large majorities say factors like access to affordable healthcare (83%), good-paying jobs (82%), and safe, stable housing (78%) have a major influence on health. 
• More than 8 in 10 residents (82%) say housing costs make it difficult to afford other necessities.
• 43% of residents report spending more than 30% of their income on housing.
• 80% of White residents own a home, compared with 46% for both Black and Hispanic or Latino residents.
• Lower-income residents are disproportionately affected, with nearly half of those earning less than $50,000 reporting barriers to affordable housing.
• About 1 in 4 residents say racial discrimination interferes with access to quality healthcare at least “a good amount.”
• About 61% of New Jerseyans say some pregnant people have better access to quality prenatal care than others.
• New Jerseyans broadly and strongly support policies aimed at improving maternal and infant health outcomes. Strong majorities “strongly support”:
  • increasing availability of contraception or birth control methods (65%),
  • an annual state review of maternal and infant mortality causes and rates (60%)
  • and expanding access to health coverage for those uninsured during and after pregnancy (57%), among other approaches tested.
• 81% of residents say the media has at least some responsibility for improving racial equality, highlighting the important role public narratives play in shaping understanding.

Compared to 2022, more residents expressed uncertainty across a range of questions related to health inequities and the factors that shape health. While “don’t know” responses increased modestly on impacts to health for factors like transportation, education, and jobs, uncertainty rose significantly on issues including racial discrimination in healthcare, the causes of higher Black infant mortality, and maternal health policy solutions. For example, uncertainty about whether healthcare bias contributes to higher death rates among Black babies nearly doubled—from 14% to 27%—while uncertainty about whether racial discrimination affects access to quality healthcare more than tripled, from 4% to 14%. The findings suggest growing uncertainty around the causes of health inequities and the actions needed to address them.

Conclusion

The findings reveal a complex picture of how New Jersey residents understand health and opportunity. While there is broad recognition that the conditions around us shape health, there is far less agreement on why inequities persist and what should be done to address them.

These differences matter. They shape how people interpret solutions, where support exists, and how change happens. At the same time, the survey makes clear that common ground is not out of reach. Many residents share core beliefs about what people need to be healthy and the importance of ensuring opportunity for all.

Taken together, the data points to both challenges and possibilities. Progress will require not only advancing solutions but also continuing to build shared understanding so that more people see both the conditions that shape health and the pathways to improving it.

The path forward is to build on that foundation by connecting shared values with practical solutions. And by working together to remove barriers and strengthen the conditions that support health, New Jersey can move closer to a future where health is no longer a privilege, but a right.