Chester County Ranked Healthiest County In Pennsylvania: Study

Yet again, Chester County is the healthiest county in Pennsylvania, according to a comprehensive study that analyzed counties across the nation from researchers at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute.

Residents of Chester County, on average, live healthier, longer lives, have better access to care, and live in better social and economic situations than residents in any other county in Pennsylvania.

Researchers took data from a wide variety of national and local sources and ranked them with statistically-informed weight. Categories were broken down into two headings, health outcomes and health factors, and analyzed health behaviors , social factors, and the extent of the care available locally.

Chester County excelled in most categories, leading Pennsylvania and placing in top percentiles nationwide in exercise rate, food environment index, percentage of residents with health insurance, access to care, and number of premature deaths.

However, for the second year in a row, the county ranked only 36th in the state for "Physical Environment." Among issues cited in the study were air pollution and drinking water violations. The study also noted the high percentage of county residents who drive alone on a long commute to work (41 percent).

Some other interesting tidbits from the study:

• Chester County is getting fatter, with adult obesity climbing to 24 percent of the population
• 44 percent of driving deaths are alcohol-impaired, compared to the statewide mark of 33 percent
• 19 percent of Chester County adults binge drink; 18 percent of Pennsylvanians do
• On the bright side, just 14 percent of Chester County adults are smokers, as compared to 20 percent in the rest of the state
• The unemployment rate is 4.1 percent, well below PA's average of 5.8

Nearby, Montgomery County was ranked 2nd in the state, Bucks 6th, Delaware 35th, and Philadelphia last, in 67th.

Nationwide, researchers found that overdose deaths are continuing to spread at epidemic-like levels, particularly between individuals in the aged 15-44 category. Drug overdoses are the leading cause of death among 25 to 44 year-olds, and are the "clear driver" of the increase in premature deaths in recent years.

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Researchers said that they hoped the data would help improve healthcare policy at the local level.

"The County Health Rankings show us that where people live plays a key role in how long and how well they live," said Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, MD, RWJF president and CEO. "The Rankings allow local leaders to clearly see and prioritize the challenges they face - whether it's rising premature death rates or the growing drug overdose epidemic - so they can bring community leaders and residents together to find solutions."

Learn more about the data sources for this study here.

Image of Pennsylvania premature death rate courtesy Robert Wood Johnson Foundation