New Brunswick, NJ

Nymphs are questing, the highest-risk stage for people. Nymphal deer ticks peak in late spring and summer. They're the size of a poppy seed, easy to miss, and cause most Lyme transmission.

New Brunswick is 40% natural land cover (30% forest, plus open and brushy areas) across its 5.23 sq mi, home to about 55,846 people. That makes it the 22nd-most wooded of the 25 towns in Middlesex County. Deer ticks live in wooded areas, along trail edges, and in tall grass — the more of that a town has, the more places ticks can quest.

Middlesex County reports about 45 Lyme cases per 100,000 people a year, the 190th-highest of 210 Northeast counties. That county-level disease pressure, combined with New Brunswick's local habitat, sets how high its daily score can climb when the weather and season allow.

Yes. Nymphs are questing, the highest-risk stage for people. In New Brunswick, today's risk reads low (23/100). Tick activity is low right now, but never zero. A quick check after time outdoors is still worth it.