These 10 Counties Have The Healthiest People In All Of Nebraska
We live a pretty sweet life in Nebraska, with beautiful surroundings, endless fun, and a great bunch of people. But being healthy is a big part of living the good life, and these 10 counties are doing it right.
This data was compiled by CountyHealthRankings.org and is based on factors such as premature deaths, quality of life, access to healthcare, preventable hospital stays, and infant/child mortality rates. The factors were recorded in percentages of each county’s population to make the comparison equal across the state.
Polk County, which houses Osceola, came in at number one in the state in terms of overall health. The citizens there who reported they were in poor or fair health were only 8% of the population as compared with the state average of 12%.
In Cedar County, where you'll find Hartington and Laurel, both adult smoking and alcohol-impaired driving deaths measured lower than the state average.
In Wayne County, where the city of Wayne can be found, has a high percentage of high school graduates and a low rate of violent crime, both of which factor into residents' overall health.
Boone County, home to Albion and Cedar Rapids, reports better-than-state-average scores in physical environment. This category includes factors like air and water pollution.
Washington County, where Blair and Fort Calhoun are located, reports alcohol-impaired driving deaths and sexually transmitted infections at lower numbers than the state average.
Home to Valentine and Merriman, Cherry County comes in at number 7 overall in the state. Their strong points lie in low premature death rates and a slightly lower-than-Nebraska-average adult obesity rate.
In Buffalo County, where Kearney is located, you'll find a higher ratio of dentists and mental health practitioners to residents than the state average.
Sarpy County, Bellevue and Papillion's home, reports a lower level of physical inactivity and greater level of access to physical fitness opportunities than the state average.
Rounding out the top 10 in the state, Clay County (home to Clay Center and Harvard) reports premature death rates and sexually transmitted infection rates lower than the state average.
Do you live in any of these healthy places? Would you ever consider moving to a specific town or county due to its health quality ranking? Let us know in the comments.
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As a lifelong Nebraskan, Delana loves discovering the many hidden treasures of her state. She has worked as a writer and editor since 2007. Delana's work has been featured on more than a dozen websites and in Nebraska Life Magazine.
