CALHOUN RANKS 37 OF 55 COUNTIES IN HEALTH RANKINGS |
| (03/23/2019) |
| A “snapshot” of health at West Virginia county levels shows no changes at the top and bottom of the annual list from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. Again this year, Jefferson County is ranked the healthiest county in the Mountain State while McDowell County rates as the unhealthiest. Calhoun is ranked at 37th of 55 counties. “The rankings show us that where we live makes a really big difference in how well and how long we can live and also that not everyone has the same opportunity to be healthy,” said Katrina Badger, program officer for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. In terms of health outcomes, the top five counties were:
1. Jefferson County The five counties determined to be the poorest in terms of health were:
51. Mercer County This year's study found that among West Virginiaâs children living in poverty, 44 percent were in a household where more than half of the total household income was spent on housing. “If you think about spending more than half of what you make every month just to cover your housing costs, whether thatâs rent or mortgage costs, that means that you have less than half of what you make to do things pay for healthy food,” Badger said. The full rankings with explanations along with potential paths to improvements are available at www.countyhealthrankings.org. REGIONAL COUNTY RANKINGS 9. Ritchie 11. Wirt 20. Gilmer 30. Braxton 36. Clay 37. Calhoun 40. Roane |