U.S. counties ranked for health

WASHINGTON, Feb. 17 (UPI) -- Location may be as significant to health outcomes as it is to real estate, a ranking of health by county indicates, U.S. researchers say.

The County Health Rankings -- by the University of Wisconsin's Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation -- the first set of reports to rank the overall health of every county in all 50 states -- is at: www.countyhealthrankings.org.

Each county is ranked within a state on how healthy people are and how long they live. Rankings also take into account key factors that affect health, such as smoking, obesity, binge drinking, access to primary care providers, rates of high school graduation, rates of violent crime, air pollution levels, liquor store density, unemployment rates and number of children living in poverty.

Counties that ranked poorly often had multiple challenges to overcome, including:

-- Higher rates of premature death, often from preventable conditions.

-- High smoking rates that lead to cancer, heart disease, bronchitis and emphysema.

-- High rates of obesity, which can put people at risk for diabetes, disability and heart disease.

-- High unemployment and poverty rates.

-- High numbers of liquor stores and fast-food outlets but few places to buy fresh fruits and vegetables.

Overall, healthier counties tend to be urban and suburban, while many of the least-healthy counties are rural, the economy depressed and the rate of premature death higher.