Updated rankings platform underscores the connection between physical health and a community’s mental health; features COVID-19 vaccine rates.
Congratulations, Douglas County, Colorado! You are the 2nd healthiest county in America, according to the 2021 Healthy Communities rankings by U.S. News and World Report, released in collaboration with the Aetna Foundation. Douglas County, CO was ranked 2nd in the nation in 2020 and in 2018. The County topped the annual list in 2019.
According to the 2021 rankings of the top 500 Healthiest Communities nationwide, Colorado is home to five of the top ten healthiest counties in the nation. Douglas County (2); Broomfield County (5); San Miguel County (6); Pitkin County (7); and Routt County (10).
Now in its fourth year, the Healthiest Communities report and accompanying analysis are based on a methodology evaluating nearly 3,000 counties and county equivalents nationwide across 84 health-related metrics in 10 categories: community vitality, equity, economy, education, environment, food & nutrition, population health, housing, infrastructure and public safety.
This year’s rankings are accompanied by tools highlighting county-level COVID-19 vaccine rates and other pandemic data, as well as editorial explorations of equity and mental health – key components that can shape overall health and well-being.
The COVID-19 tools complement the rankings data to highlight the relationship between the coronavirus pandemic and community health. Based on a U.S. News analysis, counties that performed well in the Healthiest Communities rankings have slightly lower COVID-19 case rates than average.
The project serves as a tool to inform residents, community health leaders and elected officials about policies and best practices for better health outcomes by assessing which communities offer their citizens the greatest opportunity to live a productive, healthy life.
For more information on Healthiest Communities explore Facebook and Twitter using #HealthiestCommunities.
Overall rankings: https://www.usnews.com/news/healthiest-communities/rankings
Methodology: https://www.usnews.com/news/healthiest-communities/articles/methodology
Full Rankings: https://www.usnews.com/news/healthiest-communities
