The Healthiest Counties in America

10. Scott, Minnesota
> Premature deaths (years of life lost per 100,000): 4,453 (36th lowest)
> Percent reporting fair or poor health: 8.6%
> Unemployment: 7%
> Children in poverty: 6.2%
> Largest municipality: Shakopee

In Scott County, Minnesota, just 8.6% of the residents report being in poor health — one of the smallest portions in the country. Access to care is extremely high in the region, with just 8.4% uninsured compared to more than 30% in many parts of the country. Poverty in the county is nearly nonexistent. Just 6.2% of children in the region live below the poverty line, the 10th smallest rate in the U.S. The unemployment rate is just 7% in the county, well below the national unemployment rate.

9. Hunterdon, New Jersey
> Premature deaths (years of life lost per 100,000): 4,093 (16th lowest)
> Percent reporting fair or poor health: 8.8%
> Unemployment: 7%
> Children in poverty: 4.2%
> Largest municipality: Raritan

Hunterdon County has very healthy socioeconomic conditions. The county is very wealthy, with an average annual household income of more than $97,000. It has the fifth-lowest rate of single parent households in the country, and the third-lowest rate of children living in poverty at just 4%. The county has the lowest rate of teen births in the country at a rate of four per 1,000 women ages 14-19. It has one of the lowest percentages of uninsured residents. It also has one of the lowest rates of premature death.

8. Fairfax, Virginia
> Premature deaths (years of life lost per 100,000): 3,759 (4th lowest)
> Percent reporting fair or poor health: 7.2%
> Unemployment: 4.9%
> Children in poverty: 7.3%
> Largest municipality: Fairfax

Fairfax, Virginia is one of the wealthiest counties in the United States. A prosperous suburban area of the D.C. metropolitan region, Fairfax has the second-highest median income of any county in the U.S. Fairfax has the fourth-lowest rate of premature death in the U.S. The region also has some of the best self-reported health. Residents reported feeling physically ill an average of just 2.3 days each month, and mentally ill just 2.1 days per month.

7. Carver, Minnesota
> Premature deaths (years of life lost per 100,000): 4,009 (10th lowest)
> Percent reporting fair or poor health: 7.9%
> Unemployment: 6.9%
> Children in poverty: 5.6%
> Largest municipality: Chaska

Carver County has the tenth-lowest rate of premature death in the country. At 5.3%, it also has one of the lowest rates of low birth weight among newborns. Only 7% of residents are without health insurance, which is also one of the nation’s lowest rates. The county is wealthy and highly educated. Median household income in Carver is just under $82,000, and only 6% of children live in poverty — the fourth-lowest rate. Eighty-two percent of residents have post-secondary education, which is also among the the country’s highest rates.

6. Story, Iowa
> Premature deaths (years of life lost per 100,000): 4,803 (68th lowest)
> Percent reporting fair or poor health: 7%
> Unemployment: 4.6%
> Children in poverty: 11.7%
> Largest municipality: Ames

Just 7% of Story, Iowa’s population reported being either in fair or poor health. To compare, 36.4% of Starr County, Texas residents reported the same. Just 7.7% of Story’s residents are without health insurance, the seventh smallest percentage among the 1,000 largest counties in the U.S. Residents are very vigilant about their health in the state. Nearly 80% of women over 44 receive mammograms to test for breast cancer, the 16th most among the 1,000 counties. A high of 93% of diabetics receive the HbA1C test to check if the disease is under control, the seventh highest rate among the largest counties.

5. Bristol, Rhode Island
> Premature deaths (years of life lost per 100,000): 4,230 (21st lowest)
> Percent reporting fair or poor health: 8.9%
> Unemployment: 10.1%
> Children in poverty: 8.3%
> Largest municipality: Bristol

Bristol has one of the lowest rates of children living below the poverty line at 8%. It also has one of the lowest teen birth rates in the country. Its 21% obesity rate is particularly low, as is its rate of children born with low birth weight, which is 5.5%. Additionally, Bristol has one of the nation’s lowest premature death rates. Residents feel healthy too with only 8.9% reporting being in fair or poor health.

4. Johnson, Iowa
> Premature deaths (years of life lost per 100,000): 4,511 (40th lowest)
> Percent reporting fair or poor health: 7.7%
> Unemployment: 4.4%
> Children in poverty: 12.5%
> Largest municipality: Iowa City

Residents of Johnson County, Iowa report feeling sick just 2.2 days each month, the fifth-lowest rate among the largest counties in the U.S. The economy of the county is in very good shape. The unemployment rate is just 4.4%, the seventh-lowest rate among the 1,000 largest counties in the U.S. Only 5.3% reported being unable to access a doctor because they couldn’t afford to pay compared to the 20% or more reported in other parts of the country.

3. St. Croix, Wisconsin
> Premature deaths (years of life lost per 100,000): 4,655 (54th lowest)
> Percent reporting fair or poor health: 7.2%
> Unemployment: 7.3%
> Children in poverty: 8.2%
> Largest municipality: Hudson

Only 7.2% of St. Croix County report being in fair or poor health — among the nation’s lowest rates. The county does especially well in the category of mental health. Residents are reportedly mentally unhealthy for an average of only 1.8 days each month, which is the fourth-lowest rate among the 1,000 largest counties. They are physically unhealthy an average of 2.5 days, which is not as exceptionally low but still far below the average. The county population is thoroughly educated with a high school graduation rate of 95%.

2. Arlington, Virginia
> Premature deaths (years of life lost per 100,000): 3,749 (3rd lowest)
> Percent reporting fair or poor health: 8.7%
> Unemployment: 4.2%
> Children in poverty: 10.4%
> Largest municipality: Washington, D.C.

Arlington is yet another extremely wealthy Virginia county that is part of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan region. It has the seventh-highest median household income among the nation’s largest counties. It also has an unemployment rate of just 4.4%, the fifth-lowest in the country. Consequently, only a small percentage of residents, just 7.6%, avoid seeing a physician because of cost. Arlington also has the third lowest rate of years of life lost because of premature death.

1. Riley, Kansas
> Premature deaths (years of life lost per 100,000): 4,227 (20th lowest)
> Percent reporting fair or poor health: 6.8%
> Unemployment: 5%
> Children in poverty: 17.7%
> Largest municipality: Manhattan

Riley County in Kansas is the healthiest county in U.S. Its rate of premature death is extremely low, and only 6.8% of residents report being in fair or poor health — one of the lowest rates of all counties. The average number of days per month that residents report being physically unhealthy is a mere 2.1, which is the second-lowest in the country. As with many other counties on this list, residents of Riley County are highly-educated. The county has a high school graduation rate of 92% with 79.3% of residents with post-secondary education. The unemployment rate is currently 5.0% in Riley, significantly lower than the national rate of 8.3%.

Read: The Most Unhealthy Counties in America

-Michael B. Sauter, Charles B. Stockdale