Urban, Up-and-Coming Rankings

Measuring health and wellness in similar communities

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Understanding the cultures of communities around the U.S. and how they can overcome obstacles to health and wellness is a key driver behind the U.S. News Healthiest Communities rankings, which allow residents to compare their communities with others across the nation of similar geographic status and economic strength.

Urban communities with up-and-coming economies may face complex challenges and have fewer resources available to try to improve residents’ health. But with these problems can come unique opportunities for innovation and collaboration that can be leveraged to improve health and wellness for all.

Below are the 2019 rankings of the top 100 urban, up-and-coming communities and their scores across 10 categories that drive overall community health, on a scale of zero to 100.

Rank	County	Population Health	Equity	Education	Economy	Housing	Food & Nutrition	Environment	Public Safety	Community Vitality	Infrastructure

1	Houston County, Minnesota	86.1	73.8	38.2	51.6	55.6	57.7	75.2	77.2	66.7	78.3
2	Hood River County, Oregon	79	53.4	46	51.9	51.7	77.4	70.1	78.3	60.1	70.8
3	Bennington County, Vermont	70.3	64.3	63.3	51.2	54.3	58.1	73.9	66.8	57.7	64.5
4	Island County, Washington	82.1	61.2	48.2	43.2	51.6	79	65.4	78.5	54.9	56.6
5	Marquette County, Michigan	75	64.1	53.9	44.3	59.4	44.9	70.2	74.8	49	75.7
6	Giles County, Virginia	55.7	74.2	42.1	51.6	73.8	54.1	70.5	73.6	54.9	59.3
7	Benzie County, Michigan	61	63.4	32.6	46.9	54.3	71.7	75.1	70.8	74.3	59.5
8	Fillmore County, Minnesota	77.1	61.2	34.8	51.7	35.6	53.4	83.1	81	64.8	63.2
9	Freeborn County, Minnesota	73.3	56	36.6	51.1	66.2	44.1	79.9	71	55	67.1
10	Dickinson County, Michigan	76	64.5	41	46	64	51.5	65.6	49.4	58.8	75.3
11	Shawano County, Wisconsin	69.6	73.1	34.3	50.6	63.7	43	69.4	73.2	56.1	61
12	Latah County, Idaho	85.4	49.2	57.9	47.5	45.9	65.5	65.5	61	38.3	78.4
13	Silver Bow County, Montana	60.8	68	54.7	47.3	57.7	61	68.9	53.9	50.6	72.6
14	Rutland County, Vermont	73.9	76.9	57.1	46.8	45.1	51.8	61.3	62.6	49.1	62.8
15	Ford County, Illinois	66.6	73.7	31.6	48.3	63.4	58.9	64.5	69.4	50.6	68.4
16	Hawaii County, Hawaii	78.9	68.5	46.6	48.7	16.8	80.1	83	64.3	47.9	55
17	Bradford County, Pennsylvania	65.2	80.4	40.3	51.8	76.2	50.3	64.3	60.1	47.3	51.1
18	Mercer County, Illinois	66.3	78.1	31	45.9	74.6	39.1	71.2	71.5	58.6	53.7
19	Asotin County, Washington	67.3	73.2	34.2	43.3	62.3	63.6	64.8	55	54.7	72.3
20	Grant County, Wisconsin	66.7	57.1	48.1	51.5	60.5	49	68.2	71.6	48.5	71
21	Kennebec County, Maine	73	73.2	50	49.7	48.7	46.9	69.3	57.8	55.8	56.6
22	Yavapai County, Arizona	68.3	56.2	40.7	51	49.3	66.8	66.7	60.3	58.9	70.4
23	Marshall County, Illinois	60.8	74.3	29.5	51.7	70.8	45.5	64.7	69.9	59.3	58.2
24	Steuben County, New York	64.4	71.9	50.9	50.7	62.9	46.3	64.7	73.4	41.4	58.5
25	Pike County, Pennsylvania	64	68.8	61.6	51.3	40.8	56.4	71.8	62.8	60.2	38.4

The 2019 Healthiest Communities rankings were created in collaboration with the Aetna Foundation and are based on an examination of nearly 3,000 communities across 81 metrics in the 10 health-related categories. Population health and equity are the most heavily weighted categories, based on the assessments of more than a dozen leading experts on what matters most to a community’s health.

These rankings identify the top 100 urban, up-and-coming communities in America, ranging from No. 1 Houston County, Minnesota, to No. 100 Calhoun County, Illinois. Communities classified as “urban” were metropolitan or micropolitan – areas with substantial central populations and integrated adjacent communities – and were home to at least 20 people per square mile. "Up-and-coming” applies to communities that scored in the bottom half in the economy category out of all urban communities assessed in the Healthiest Communities rankings. “Up-and-coming” also is meant to designate communities that have more room to build and strengthen their economies.

Beyond the rankings, the Healthiest Communities platform offers data and insight on each of the nearly 3,000 communities evaluated. Users can dive into the data with our interactive Data Explorer.

14.15%

Population Health

12.23%

Equity

12.15%

Education

11.08%

Economy

9.46%

Housing

8.77%

Food & Nutrition

8.62%

Environment

8.46%

Public Safety

7.62%

Community Vitality

7.46%

Infrastructure

Healthiest Communities

in collaboration with

Healthiest Communities is an interactive destination for consumers and policymakers, developed by U.S. News & World Report in collaboration with the Aetna Foundation, an independent charitable and philanthropic affiliate of CVS Health. Backed by in-depth research and accompanied by news and analysis, the site features comprehensive rankings drawn from an examination of nearly 3,000 counties and county equivalents on 81 metrics across 10 categories, informing residents, health care leaders and officials about local policies and practices that drive better health outcomes for all. Data were gathered and analyzed by the University of Missouri Center for Applied Research and Engagement Systems (CARES).