Report Names Putnam Healthiest County in State [POLL]

For the third consecutive year, Putnam County takes the title when it comes to New York State's healthiest county, according to an annual ranking released Tuesday.

Putnam ranked first out of 62 counties in New York for health—which means residents have lower rates of smoking, adult obesity and teen birth than the majority of counties across the state.

The report—which comes out of the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and is in its third year—rates each county within the state on how healthy people are and how long they live. They also are judged on key factors that affect health, such as smoking, obesity, binge drinking, access to primary care providers, rates of high school graduation, rates of violent crime, air pollution levels, liquor store density, unemployment rates and number of children living in poverty.

"We do so much as a county to promote wellness," County Executive MaryEllen Odell said Tuesday afternoon, adding that the news didn't come as a surprise. "Not a week goes by without a notice for a health screening, from an opportunity for mammograms to testing for colon cancer."

Putnam came in first in 2010 and 2011, too. Tuesday's news showed Westchester County ranked in the second spot, and Dutchess ninth. Bronx County ranked last. Nationwide, 3,000 counties were rated. 

Odell said county government workers and volunteers from across Putnam are the ones to thank when it comes to wellness services, from initiatives that come out of the Youth Bureau to programs for senior citizens. She said that these services, in addition to low crime rates, make Putnam an ideal place to live.

"It all goes hand in hand," she told Patch. "Folks should come on in, because we're open for business ... Putnam County is a great place to raise a family or open a business, and it doesn't get any better than today."

View the rankings and interactive mapping features at: www.countyhealthrankings.org. 

If you're a Putnam resident, feel free to take the (non-scientific) poll below. Please vote just once, and add any extra information in the comments section beneath this story.