Community Corner
12 PA Counties Among the Healthiest Communities In America: U.S. News
The study used 90 metrics, from housing and food to equity and education. Find out how Pennsylvania's healthiest counties stacked up:
PENNSYLVANIA — Pennsylvania has twelve of the healthiest counties in the United States, according to a new ranking released Tuesday by U.S. News & World Report.
U.S. News said the sixth annual 2024 Healthiest Communities ranking measures how well counties serve their residents and is intended as a blueprint for residents, community health leaders, and elected officials to develop policies and best practices for better health outcomes.
The analysis considers more than 90 metrics and hundreds of thousands of data points across 10 main categories: community vitality, economy, education, environment, equity, food and nutrition, population health, housing, infrastructure and public safety, U.S. News said.
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More than 3,140 counties nationwide were ranked.
The counties in Pennsylvania that made the top 500 are:
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75. Montgomery County
93. Chester County
133. Cumberland County
197. Bucks County
259. Butler County
330. Allegheny County
334. Montour County
385. Washington County
451. Delaware County
485. Westmoreland County
486. Adams County
487. Centre County
Montgomery County, Pennsylvania's leader, received the highest grades in the "housing quality" category, placing 17th overall. The county was also 35th in "educational achievement."
The top 10 healthiest places in the country are:
- Falls Church, Virginia (city)
- Los Alamos County, California
- Douglas County, Colorado
- Sioux City, Iowa
- Hamilton County, Indiana
- Dallas County, Iowa
- Ozaukee County, Wisconsin
- Carver County, Minnesota
- Bremer County, Iowa
- Morgan County, Utah
“Evaluating community health is crucial as we consider the well-being of citizens across our country,” Julia Haines, U.S. News data editor, said in a news release “The Healthiest Communities rankings examine which communities offer the greatest opportunity to live a healthy, productive life. They also highlight that even the ‘healthiest’ communities struggle in certain areas.”
To compile the rankings and create the overall Healthiest Communities project, U.S. News partnered with the University of Missouri Extension Center for Applied Research and Engagement Systems, a research institution skilled in community health assessment.
Overall, the rankings are based on metrics drawn from sources such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Census Bureau and the Environmental Protection Agency
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