How Did Lorain County Do In Ohio Health Rankings?: Report

AVON, OH — Lorain County did slightly better-than-average among Ohio counties for health outcomes, according to a new study. There are less premature deaths in Lorain County than in other Ohio counties, on average.

The rankings, done by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute (UWPHI), are part of a nationwide study of every county of every state. Each state's counties are then ranked against each other.

Lorain County ranked 38th among Ohio's 88 counties for health outcomes. Unlike other studies, that might focus solely on available healthcare, the RWJF and UWPHI studies also look at how other factors, like employment and public education, have on health.

Lorain County actually ranks 33rd in life expectancy, 27th in health behaviors and 17th in clinical care. Where the county gets dinged is the quality of life category, where the county ranks 47th. Residents reported more poor mental and physical health days than the top-performing U.S. counties on average.

Lorain also got a ranking of 47 in social and economic factors, which examined things like level of education, unemployment, income inequality and children in poverty. Lorain's unemployment was 5.9 percent, which is higher than the average Ohio county's 4.9 percent.

The full ranking of Ohio's counties can be found at countyhealthrankings.com.

The five least healthy counties in Ohio are Adams County, Pike County, Jackson County, Vinton County and Gallia County. Each of the bottom five counties are rural, with small population bases.

Compare that to the five healthiest counties in the state, which are largely suburban: Delaware County, followed by Geauga County, Putnam County, Medina County, and Warren County.

To compile its extensive research into the counties, RWJF and UWPHI examined CDC, USDA, U.S. Census, FBI Crime Reporting, National Center for Health Statistics, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and other data. A full list of resources used to create the report can be found by clicking here.

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