Two Northcentral Pa. counties named among top healthiest communities in the U.S.

Harrisburg, Pa. — The U.S. News & World Report recently released its 2024 Healthiest Communities rankings. Chester and Montgomery counties made the top 100 list, while Centre and Montour made the top 500 list.

The 2024 Healthiest Communities rankings and accompanying analysis are based on an evaluation of approximately 2,800 communities. The project looks at how counties perform across 92 health and health-related metrics to capture how they best serve their residents in 10 main categories: Community Vitality, Economy, Education, Environment, Equity, Food & Nutrition, Population Health, Housing, Infrastructure and Public Safety.

Only the top 500 counties receive a ranking. Pennsylvania's communities that made the cut were:

Adams County at #477Allegheny County at #321Bucks County at #188Butler County at #250Centre County at #478Chester County at #84Cumberland County at #124Delaware County at #442Montgomery County at #66Montour County at #325Washington County at #376Westmoreland County at #476

To compile the rankings and create the overall Healthiest Communities project, U.S. News partnered with the University of Missouri Extension Center for Applied Research and Engagement Systems (CARES), a research institution skilled in community health assessment. Overall, the rankings are based on metrics drawn from sources such as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the U.S. Census Bureau, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.