17 Healthiest FL Counties In The U.S. Ranked In New Study

FLORIDA — A new list of the healthiest communities in the United States has 17 Florida counties ranked nationally, but none of the Sunshine State destinations made the top 100 counties on the list.

The study, published by MarketWatch, uses 14 metrics as indicators of county health — including data on food insecurity, healthcare access, life expectancy, health insurance coverage, and water and air quality. MarketWatch ranked 576 U.S. counties by giving each a rating out of 100, based on their performance across those metrics.

Alachua County came in at No. 155 on the list, the highest of any Florida county, with Martin County raking second among the state's counties at No. 192 overall. (See the full Florida list below.)

Overall, the study authors found that the healthiest counties are generally richer areas, with lower rates of food insecurity and more people having reliable, affordable access to health insurance coverage.

Residents in the unhealthiest counties have fewer grocery stores accessible and are more likely to experience food insecurity, while also having more limited access to primary care, the study authors said.

"Many of the top healthiest counties have nature parks, backing up scientific studies that suggest the positive effects green space and exercise opportunities have on our health," MarketWatch wrote. "The healthiest counties are also full of high-income earners."

High income was not a marker for the Florida counties that made the full list, with their median incomes ranging from $58,000 to just over $80,000.

Based on their analysis, Alachua County, Florida, may be the state's healthiest county with a life expectancy of 79 but only 8 percent of people without insurance. However, Collier County had the top life expectancy at 86 years, but 14 percent of residents there are uninsured.

Harris County, Texas was listed as the unhealthiest county in the analysis: More than 20 percent of the population there is uninsured, and because the county "has the most toxic chemical releases and the sixth-worst median air quality of any county in the U.S.," authors said.

In total, the U.S. has more than 3,000 counties.

Here is the full list of how Florida ranked among 576 counties, in the study of healthiest and unhealthiest in the U.S., as well as each county's score out of 100:

• No. 155: Alachua County (83.9)
• No. 192: Martin County (82.3)
• No. 196: Palm Beach County (82.2)
• No. 199: Sarasota County (82.2)
• No. 205: Collier County(81.9)
• No. 225: Pinellas County (81.2)
• No. 232: Indian River County (80.19)
• No. 250: Leon County (80.3)
• No. 266: Seminole County (79.8)
• No. 267: Miami-Dade County (79.7)
• No. 271: Manatee County (79.6)
• No. 287: Orange County (79.2)
• No. 292: Lee County (79.0)
• No. 296: Broward County (79.0)
• No. 317: Okaloosa County (78.3)
• No. 324: Hillsborough County 77.8)
• No. 357: Santa Rosa County: (76.6)

The full study is available here.