Exercise, a good diet and safe habits are some of the biggest determiners of both quality of life and life expectancy.
But did you know that where you live also influences these metrics? According to U.S. News and World Report, health outcomes are often driven by factors like your community's economic performance, the strength of its education system, housing availability and affordability, and numerous other factors.
Through its recent "Healthiest Communities" reports , U.S. News evaluated nearly 3,000 counties on 92 metrics in 10 health categories ― including food and nutrition, housing, population health, education and economy ― to determine the nation's 500 healthiest counties . Specific factors analyzed include everything from housing affordability to food availability to crime rates. U.S. News also used the data to rank the best counties for mental health, life expectancy, safety and healthcare access.
Three southern Wisconsin counties earned top-25 spots in U.S. News' rankings ― Ozaukee and Waukesha counties were named the seventh and 23rd overall healthiest counties, respectively, and Iowa County ranked as the 17th-best county for mental health .
Here's how these Wisconsin communities earned their high marks.
Ozaukee County is one of the healthiest counties in the U.S.
Home to Cedarburg, Mequon and Port Washington, Milwaukee County's neighbor to the north was named the country's seventh-healthiest community by U.S. News.
Ozaukee County scored especially high in the food and nutrition, population health and infrastructure categories. In terms of food and nutrition, the county has a much lower food insecurity rate, 4.4%, than the national average of 11.5%. Additionally, fewer residents suffer from diabetes or obesity than the state and national averages.
As for population health, Ozaukee boasts a life expectancy of 81.3 years, 5.5 years longer than the national average of 75.8. Additionally, only about 4% of residents lack health insurance compared to 11.5% of Americans nationwide, and about 11% of residents smoke compared to 19% of Americans. Additionally, Ozaukee County experiences deaths of despair (suicide or drug/alcohol-related deaths) at about half the rate of the national average. Residents are also more likely than the state and national averages to engage in regular physical activity.
Ozaukee County also exceeds national averages in the infrastructure category. Over 98% of residents have reliable Internet access, compared to about 83% nationwide. The county is more walkable than the national average, and just 3.6% of residents commute more than an hour to work, less than half of the national average of 8.3%. Nearly three-quarters of Ozaukee residents live within walking distance of a library, museum or park, compared to about 47% of Americans.
It should be noted that Ozaukee County is one of Wisconsin's wealthiest counties when it comes to both per capita and median family income, per U.S. Census data. According to U.S. News, the county's median household income was just over $97,000 while it's just under $65,000 nationwide. Obviously, wealth and privilege can play a huge role in the ability to access the resources and opportunities conducive to living a long and healthy life.
Waukesha County is among the top 25 healthiest counties in the US
Following the trend, Wisconsin's other wealthiest county ranked 25th on U.S. News' list of the nation's Healthiest Counties. Waukesha County scored particularly well in the population health, economy and infrastructure categories.
Waukesha County has a life expectancy of 80.7 years, nearly five years longer than the national average. Additionally, just 4.1% of residents lack health insurance, compared to 11.5% nationwide. The county's smoking and heart disease rates are below average, and its teen birth rate is just 3.3 per 1,000 compared to 21.7 per 1,000 nationwide.
As for the economy, Waukesha County's unemployment rate of 2.6% is one percentage point less than the national average. Its median household income of over $107,000 is nearly $38,000 more than the national average. The county has a poverty rate of 5%, while that figure is over 14% nationwide.
Like nearby Ozaukee, Waukesha County performs well in the infrastructure category. Nearly all residents have reliable Internet access, compared to about 83% of Americans. Residents commute over an hour to work at less than half the rate of workers nationally. The county was also rated as more walkable than average; about 72% of residents live within walking distance of a library, museum or park.
Iowa County is one of the best counties for mental health in the US
Southwestern Wisconsin's Iowa County ranked 79th among the nation's overall healthiest counties and 17th on U.S. News' list of the Best Counties for Mental Health .
Home to Dodgeville, Mineral Point and multiple major state parks, Iowa County scored 90 points out of 100 in U.S. News' mental health category. In the county, 14.4% of adult residents report being in "frequent mental distress," compared to just over 17% of U.S. adults. Iowa County sees 28.6 deaths of dispair (suicide or drug/alcohol-related deaths) per 100,000 residents. Nationwide, this rate is 63.5 per 100,000; in Wisconsin, it's 53.5 per 100,000.
U.S. News also reported that 13% of Medicare beneficiaries have depression in Iowa County compared to nearly 18% of beneficiaries both nationwide and in Wisconsin.
What are the healthiest counties in Wisconsin?
These 10 Wisconsin counties ranked the highest on U.S. News's Healthiest Communities list:
- Ozaukee County (No. 7)
- Waukesha County (No. 23)
- Washington County (No. 46)
- St. Croix County (No. 65)
- Iowa County (No. 79)
- Calumet County (No. 89)
- Dane County (No. 97)
- Outagamie County (No. 120)
- Green County (No. 132)
- Portage County (No. 194)
Click here to view U.S. News' full report on the nation's healthiest counties and here for the in-depth methodology behind the rankings.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: These three Wisconsin counties are among U.S. News' 'Healthiest Communities' in America
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