Nursing Home Ratings in New Jersey: Data Analysis of Quality, Safety, and Staffing
New Jersey has 345 nursing homes averaging 3.87 HPRD — 0.03 hours below the national average of 3.90. 63.77% meet the CMS benchmark.
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Data updated quarterly
This analysis reflects the most recent CMS data release (Q3 2025). Staffing figures, grades, and benchmarks are refreshed every quarter as new federal data becomes available.
Nursing Home Staffing in New Jersey: What Families Need to Know
New Jersey's nursing home staffing sits in the middle of the national pack — not the worst, not the best, and not where families want to rely on luck. The state's 345 facilities serve approximately 41,441 residents daily at an average of 3.87 HPRD, close to the national average of 3.90. About 63.77% meet the CMS benchmark.
That middle-of-the-road average masks real variation. 42.6% of facilities earn a B or better, but 23.2% fall to D or F. The difference between a well-staffed home and an understaffed one in New Jersey can be just a few miles — and the data is the fastest way to tell them apart.
Quality varies widely across New Jersey's nursing homes. While 42.6% earn a B or better, 23.2% fall to D or F. That spread reinforces why facility-level data matters more than any state average — the home two miles away might be a completely different experience from the one down the block.
Explore the full New Jersey profile → View facility rankings, county breakdowns, and trend data on our New Jersey state page.
The New Jersey Nursing Home Landscape
New Jersey operates 345 Medicare and Medicaid certified nursing homes serving approximately 41,441 residents daily. Staffing levels range from well above the research recommendation to critically understaffed — a spread that makes facility-level data essential for any family evaluating care options.
The state averages 3.87 total nurse HPRD, which is 0.03 hours below the national average of 3.90. RN coverage averages 0.69 HPRD (national: 0.68), and 29.28% of facilities meet the 0.75 RN research recommendation. The grade distribution shows 147 facilities (42.6%) earning a B or better, while 80 (23.2%) fall to D or F.
New Jersey by the Numbers
Grade Distribution
Staffing Compared to the National Average
Additional Metrics
- Median HPRD: 3.64 (less skewed by outliers than the average)
- Meet Research Recommendation (4.10): 25.51% of facilities
- RN Recommendation (0.75): 29.28% of facilities
- Agency/Contract Staff: 11.11% of total hours
What This Means for Families
RN staffing averages 0.69 HPRD — slightly above the national average of 0.68. About 29.28% of facilities meet the 0.75 research recommendation. Since registered nurses are the clinical decision-makers in any facility, this metric is the single best predictor of whether problems get caught early or escalate.
Weekend staffing drops by an average of 13.89% — roughly in line with the national pattern. Individual facilities vary, so checking the daily staffing data for any facility you're considering is worthwhile.
The 11.11% agency staff rate is notable. While temporary workers help fill gaps, high agency reliance means residents frequently see unfamiliar faces — staff who don't know their preferences, medications, or baseline behaviors. Care continuity suffers.
How Nursing Home Ratings Are Calculated
Our letter grades are based on Hours Per Resident Day (HPRD) — the total nursing staff hours a facility provides divided by its daily resident count. This metric normalizes for facility size, so a 200-bed home and a 20-bed home are measured on the same scale.
The grade thresholds are anchored to two evidence-based benchmarks:
- 3.48 HPRD — the staffing level CMS established through formal rulemaking as an appropriate standard. (The regulatory requirement was subsequently suspended, but the underlying research remains valid and widely cited.)
- 4.10 HPRD — the level recommended by the landmark CMS-commissioned STRIVE study as the minimum to prevent quality problems.
Grades A+ and A correspond to facilities meeting or exceeding the research recommendation. Grade B meets the CMS benchmark. Grades C through F fall below in progressively concerning ways.
All data comes from CMS Staffing & Quality Data — daily reports that every nursing home is legally required to submit. No facility pays to be rated. No rating is influenced by advertising or referral relationships.
Learn more about how HPRD is calculated in our guide to nursing home staffing metrics.
Key Takeaways for Families in New Jersey
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Check the facility-level grade, not just the state average. New Jersey's 3.87 HPRD average masks a range from A+ to F. Every facility is different.
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RN staffing is the most important single metric. Only 29.28% of New Jersey facilities meet the 0.75 RN recommendation. Prioritize homes with strong registered nurse coverage — that's where clinical problems get caught early.
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Ask about weekends. New Jersey facilities drop staffing by 13.89% on weekends on average. A weekend visit may not reflect typical staffing — check the daily data.
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Look at the trend direction. A facility that's improving from C toward B may be a better choice than one declining from B toward C. Four quarters of trend data reveal the direction.
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Review the inspection history. Staffing data measures resources; inspection data measures outcomes. A facility with thin staffing and repeated citations is showing two different signals pointing the same direction.
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Use the comparison tool to evaluate finalists side by side across every metric — staffing, grades, weekend patterns, inspection history, and CMS star ratings.
Frequently Asked Questions
How are nursing homes rated in New Jersey?
New Jersey nursing homes receive CMS Five-Star ratings based on health inspections, staffing levels, and quality measures. Our analysis adds letter grades (A+ through F) based on total nursing hours per resident per day, computed from federal staffing and quality data published by CMS. New Jersey currently has 62 facilities earning A+ or A, and 80 earning D or F.
What is considered a good nursing home rating?
A facility with a B grade or better (3.48+ HPRD) meets the CMS benchmark standard. An A or A+ (4.10+ HPRD) meets the research recommendation for avoiding quality problems. In New Jersey, 42.6% of facilities reach B or better.
How many nursing homes are in New Jersey?
New Jersey has 345 Medicare and Medicaid certified nursing homes serving approximately 41,441 residents daily.
What factors affect nursing home ratings in New Jersey?
Key factors include total nurse staffing hours, registered nurse coverage, weekend staffing consistency, reliance on temporary agency staff, health inspection deficiency history, and clinical quality measures such as fall rates and infection rates.
How can families compare nursing homes in New Jersey?
Our comparison tool allows side-by-side evaluation of any two New Jersey facilities across staffing grades, HPRD levels, weekend drop-off, agency usage, CMS star ratings, and inspection history. You can also explore the New Jersey state page for county-level breakdowns and rankings.