When the County Health Rankings were recently released by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, Richland County ranked below average among Ohio counties.
According to its website, “The annual County Health Rankings measure vital health factors, including high school graduation rates, obesity, smoking, unemployment, access to healthy foods, the quality of air and water, income inequality, and teen births in every county in America. The annual Rankings provide a revealing snapshot of how health is influenced by where we live, learn, work, and play. They provide a starting point for change in communities.”
Richland County ranked 54th among Ohio’s 88 counties in “Health Outcomes,” and 58th in “Health Factors.” Detailed breakdown of each is available at the following locations online:
All neighboring counties fared better in the rankings, as did many of Ohio’s more rural areas. That shared, Delaware County was ranked first in health outcomes.
The report does not stop there, but rather continues to lay out roadmaps for improving local public health. That includes an “Ohio State Health Gaps Report,” which makes for very interesting reading. It can be accessed at this location.
