From the Skylands to the seashore, 22 New Jersey municipalities spanning 14 counties have been selected for going above and beyond to address community health needs this past year.

They range from one of the state’s tiniest boroughs to its second and third-largest cities.

Eight were named “2020 Healthy Towns,” the top honor. They were: Asbury Park, Evesham Township, Montclair, Paterson, Plainfield, Scotch Plains, Wildwood Crest, and Woodbridge.

Nine were designated as “2020 Healthy Towns to Watch”: Bay Head, Denville, Franklin Lakes, Freehold Borough, Hillsborough, Jefferson, Jersey City, Norwood, and Vernon.

Five were named “2020 Healthy Towns Up-and-Coming”: Highlands, Lawrence Township, Morristown, Princeton, and Willingboro.

The Mayors Wellness Campaign made the selections from over 400 participating communities in its “Healthy Towns” initiative. The New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute launched the initiative in 2006 in partnership with the New Jersey State League of Municipalities.

Municipalities taking part in the initiative complete a Healthy Town application each year outlining research they’ve done to identify their public health needs and actions taken to address those needs. This year’s campaign gave special emphasis to addressing food insecurity, helping residents stay physically and mentally active, and other actions aimed at mitigating the effects of COVID-19 and government’s response to it.

Read more here.