Indiana counties among ‘Healthiest Communities’
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U.S. News & World Report has unveiled its ranking of the 2024 Healthiest Communities, and seven Indiana counties made the cut.
The ranking evaluates communities based on 92 metrics across 10 main categories, including population health, equity, and public safety.
U.S. News collaborated with the University of Missouri Extension Center for Applied Research and Engagement Systems to collect and analyze publicly available data from sources such as the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The additional categories on which the communities were evaluated are education, economy, housing, food & nutrition, environment, community vitality and infrastructure.
Hamilton County in central Indiana is the highest-ranked Hoosier community on the list at No. 5 and is the only Indiana representative in the top 50. The others are:
- 69. Boone County
- 117. Hancock County
- 126. Hendricks County
- 227. Warrick County
- 336. Johnson County
- 480. Dubois County
“Evaluating community health is crucial as we consider the well-being of citizens across our country,” U.S. News Data Editor Julia Haines said in a news release. “The Healthiest Communities rankings examine which communities offer the greatest opportunity to live a healthy, productive life. They also highlight that even the ‘healthiest’ communities struggle in certain areas.”
This year’s ranking is led by Falls Church City, Virginia; Los Alamos County, New Mexico; Douglas County, Colorado; and Sioux City, Iowa.
You can connect to the full ranking by clicking here.