Best Hospitals in New Jersey 2026
New Jersey has 79 hospitals with an average procedure payment of $21K. The top-rated hospital is Morristown Medical Center in Morristown with a 5-star CMS rating.
Sorted by average Medicare payment, New Jersey's 79 hospitals span from $14,583 (Atlanticare Regional Medical Center - City Campus) at the low end to $29,842 (Carewell Health Medical Center) at the high end. Within-state cost spread on hospital procedures is consistently wide across the U.S.
Ranking interpretation: the rankings sort on the Medicare payment-per-procedure average, weighted equally across DRG codes. That makes them most useful as a cost-comparison starting point — the LakeQuality value grade layered on top combines this cost data with CMS Hospital Compare quality measures, which is usually the more decision-useful number. For patients comparing hospital costs, the ranking is a useful first cut, but the procedure-specific page is the better tool: cost spreads vary by DRG code, and the all-procedure average can hide important per-procedure differences.
Across New Jersey's 79 Medicare-participating hospitals, the average payment per procedure is $21K, above the national average of $16K. 20% ofNew Jersey's hospitals carry a CMS quality rating of 4 stars or higher, and 13% earn an A or B on our Value Score, which weighs price (40%), quality (40%), and patient outcomes (20%).
Procedure prices in New Jersey range from Atlanticare Regional Medical Center - City Campus at $15K per procedure to Carewell Health Medical Center at $30K — a difference of $15K on the same kinds of inpatient stays. Where you go for the same procedure can swing the bill by more than the procedure itself.
All numbers come from the latest CMS Hospital Compare release, which uses Medicare claims data and only reflects payments for Medicare inpatient stays — not what private insurers or self-pay patients actually pay. Star ratings combine seven groups of measures including mortality, patient safety, readmissions, and patient experience. Lower-priced hospitals can still earn an A on the Value Score if their quality stays competitive.
Top 3 Hospitals in New Jersey
Morristown Medical Center
Morristown, NJ
New Jersey's top-rated hospital with a 5-star CMS quality rating and an average payment of $24K per procedure. Outcome score: 100/100.
Hackensack University Medical Center
Hackensack, NJ
Second-best in New Jersey. 5-star CMS rating with an outcome score of 100/100. Average procedure payment: $16K.
St Luke's Warren Hospital
Phillipsburg, NJ
Third on quality + outcomes. 5-star CMS rating; Value Score 80/100. Lists 14 priced procedures.
Top 20 of 79 Hospitals in New Jersey
Hospital quality and cost data for New Jersey is sourced from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Compare dataset.
Frequently Asked Questions
Based on CMS quality ratings and patient outcomes, Morristown Medical Center in Morristown is the top-rated hospital in New Jersey with a 5-star CMS rating and an average procedure payment of $24K. Its Value Score is 73/100 (Grade B).
New Jersey has 79 Medicare-participating hospitals. The average procedure payment across the state is $21K, and 13% of hospitals earn an A or B Value Score.
New Jersey's average procedure payment of $21K is above the national average of $16K. Within the state, prices range from $15K at Atlanticare Regional Medical Center - City Campus to $30K at Carewell Health Medical Center — a gap of $15K per procedure.
Of 79 hospitals analyzed in New Jersey, 16 (20%) earn a CMS quality rating of 4 stars or better. CMS star ratings combine measures of mortality, safety, readmission, patient experience, timeliness, and effectiveness of care.
Hospitals are ranked first by CMS star quality rating (1-5 stars), then by outcome score, which reflects mortality rates, patient safety, and readmissions. The Value Score combines price percentile (40%, lower price = higher score), quality rating (40%), and outcome score (20%).
Hospitals ranked by CMS star quality rating and outcome score. Value Score: price percentile (40% inverted), quality rating (40%), outcome score (20%).