2 New Jersey Counties Among Top 25 Healthiest Communities In United States, Report Finds
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Two New Jersey counties have been ranked among the top 25 healthiest counties in the country. US News and World Report, in collaboration with the Aetna Foundation, named Hunterdon and Morris Counties as the 15th and 22nd overall healthiest communities in its third annual Healthiest Communities rankings.
This year, the rankings included new tools tracking COVID-19 data and the editorial analysis on relationships between COVID-19 and the social determinants of health in populations at the local level and underserved communities across America.
The rankings were determined by examining 10 categories including education, population health, infrastructure and environment.
US News and World Report says the project "serves as a tool to inform residents, community health leaders and elected officials about policies and best practices for better health outcomes by assessing which communities offer their citizens the greatest opportunity to live a productive, healthy life."
Other New Jersey counties that ranked on the list include Somerset County at No. 44, Sussex County at No. 143, Bergen County at No. 188, Burlington County at No. 267, and Monmouth County at No. 409.
Six Pennsylvania counties landed on the list. Montgomery County was ranked 140, Chester County ranked 168, Butler County ranked 227, Cumberland County 280, Bucks County 292, and Centre County 468.
The top three overall healthiest communities were Los Alamos County, New Mexico, Douglas County, Colorado, and Falls Church, Virginia.