8 GA Counties Among the Healthiest Communities In America: U.S. News

GEORGIA — Eight of the healthiest communities in America are in Georgia, according to a new ranking released Tuesday by U.S. News & World Report.

U.S. News said the sixth annual 2024 Healthiest Communities ranking measures how well counties serve their residents and is intended as a blueprint for residents, community health leaders and elected officials to develop policies and best practices for better health outcomes.

The analysis considers more than 90 metrics and hundreds of thousands of data points across 10 main categories: community vitality, economy, education, environment, equity, food and nutrition, population health, housing, infrastructure and public safety, U.S. News said. The report also includes an overall ranking of America’s Healthiest Communities.

Among more than 3,140 counties ranked, those in Georgia that made the top 500 are:

• Forsyth County, No. 33
• Oconee County, No. 40
• Fayette County, No. 110
• Columbia County, No. 160
• Harris County, No. 205
• Cherokee County, No. 286
• Cobb County, No. 305
• Bryan County, No. 461

The top 10 healthiest places in the country are:

1. Falls Church, Virginia (city)
2. Los Alamos County, New Mexico
3. Douglas County, Colorado
4. Sioux City, Iowa
5. Hamilton County, Indiana
6. Dallas County, Iowa
7. Ozaukee County, Wisconsin
8. Carver County, Minnesota
9. Bremer County, Iowa
10. Morgan County, Utah

“Evaluating community health is crucial as we consider the well-being of citizens across our country,” Julia Haines, U.S. News data editor, 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.”

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, a research institution skilled in community health assessment.

Overall, the rankings are based on metrics drawn from sources such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Census Bureau and the Environmental Protection Agency.