Marshall County is one of 36 communities recently recognized as the nation’s healthiest.
U.S. News & World Report in collaboration with the Aetna Foundation announced earlier this week the inaugural Healthiest Communities rankings. The new report evaluated nearly 3,000 communities nationwide across 10 categories, from education and population health to infrastructure and economy. In addition to assessing which communities offer their citizens the greatest opportunity to live a productive, healthy life, the rankings offer insight into the best approaches for improving public health that can be shared and implemented across the country.
“For nearly thirty years, U.S. News has evaluated hospitals, colleges and other sectors for the benefit of consumers, recognizing the importance of access to trusted, in-depth information,” said Eric Gertler, chairman of U.S. News. “Healthiest communities is an extension of that effort, giving citizens, community leaders and policy-makers the tools to assess health in their communities and develop a blueprint for positive change.”
In addition to an overall ranking of the top 500 communities, four peer groupings were developed based on counties’ urban-rural status as tied to population density and the robustness of their economies. The peer groups assure fair comparisons between communities and are categorized by: urban high-performing, urban up-and-coming, rural high-performing and rural up-and-coming. An Honor Roll was also developed that highlights 36 top-performing communities in each peer group from the nine US Census regions.
“Research has shown that in the United States, your ZIP code is a greater predictor of your life expectancy than your genetic code. In other words, where you live has a significant impact on your overall health,” said Mark T. Bertolini, chairman of the Aetna Foundation and chairman and CEO of Aetna. “Our work with U.S. News will provide communities with data that can help them better understand opportunities for improvement, as well as inspire ideas for change by showcasing the best practices of communities across the country.”
The top five Healthiest Communities all score above the national average in at least nine of the 10 categories evaluated. Falls Church city, Virginia, is No. 1, ranking in the top three communities nationally for education, economy and public safety. Douglas County and Broomfield County, Colorado, follow at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively. Los Alamos County, New Mexico, places fourth, while Dukes County, Massachusetts, rounds out the top five.
Virginia and Colorado communities dominate the top 10. Among the top 10: Falls Church city(1), Fairfax city(6), and Loudoun County(10), Virginia; Douglas County (2), Broomfield County (3), Routt County (8) and Ouray County(9), Colorado. Together, communities in the two states boast an average of 62 primary care doctors for every 100 people and an average life expectancy that is more than a year longer than the national average.
Marshall County was the Bluegrass state’s lone entry on the list, while neighboring Tennessee had three (Williamson, Washington and Pickett counties).
To compile the rankings, U.S. News worked with the University of Missouri Center for Applied Research and Engagement Systems (CARES), a research institution skilled in community health assessment, and consulted with members of the National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics. The rankings are based on 80 metrics drawn from sources such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The Healthiest Communities rankings are the centerpiece of a new platform featuring in-depth reporting and analysis on community and public health issues, as well as comprehensive data covering the full spectrum of factors that influence population health. Healthiest Communities is part of U.S. News’ expanding News channel and civic journalism portfolio, which includes the Best States and Best Countries platforms that evaluate how government leaders and public policies best serve their citizens.
2018 Healthiest Communities – Top 10
Falls Church city, Virginia
Fairfax city, Virginia
Douglas County, Colorado
Hamilton County, Indiana
Broomfield County, Colorado
Routt County, Colorado
Los Alamos County, New Mexico
Ouray County, Colorado
Dukes County, Massachusetts
For more information on Healthiest Communities explore Facebook and Twitter using #HealthiestCommunities.