News

Beaufort County Ranked Healthiest in State

The University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation released today the 2012 County Health Rankings that highlight the healthiest and least healthy counties in every state. Beaufort County is at the top of South Carolina’s ranked counties, followed by York and Lexington Counties.

The Rankings, found at www.countyhealthrankings.org, assess the overall health of nearly every county in all 50 states based on key factors that influence health, such as education rates, income levels, and access to healthy foods and medical care. This year’s Rankings include several new measures, such as how many fast-food restaurants are in a county and levels of physical inactivity among residents. Graphs illustrating premature death trends over 10 years are new as well.

Also new this year, the County Health Roadmaps will help counties to mobilize and take action to create healthier places to live, learn, work and play. Finally, today marks the release of the call for applications for the Roadmaps to Health Prize that recognizes the efforts and accomplishments of communities in the U.S. working at the forefront of better health for all residents.

• Learn how your county ranks and watch videos about efforts to improve health in San Bernardino, Calif., and Hernando, Miss.
• Read the news release.
• Apply for the Roadmaps to Health Prize.
• Learn about the Roadmaps to Health Community Grants funding opportunity.
• Learn what other communities are doing to improve the health of their residents and how your county can develop plans to address health challenges.
• Find out how factors like education and income influence diabetes rates in your county with the County Health Calculator.