(Forsyth County, GA) Forsyth County has been ranked the 54th healthiest county in the nation by U.S. News & World Report – jumping up three spots since last year.
At the state level, Forsyth County came in second to Oconee County (35th place nationally) for the healthiest county in Georgia.
Along with reporting the news, U.S. News is a publication that releases consumer rankings on several topics like cars, colleges, countries and counties.
U.S. News partnered with the University of Missouri Extension Center for Applied Research and Engagement Systems (CARES) for the 2022 Healthiest Communities Rankings, which names the top 500 healthiest counties in the country.
Data for deciding these ratings are gathered from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Forsyth continues to be listed as one of the nation’s healthiest communities and it is easy to see why with our wonderful parks system that offers a wide array of exercise options, growing access to the best healthcare providers and our focus on providing clean air and water,” said County Commission Chairman Alfred John. “Our success is widely recognized and continues to attract the brightest and the best which contributes to making Forsyth the best and healthiest place to call home.”
Forsyth County Health Ratings
About 3,000 counties are included in the study and judged with 89 metrics throughout 10 different categories with each category holding a different weight.
Forsyth County is the 54th healthiest County in the nation for 2022.
Forsyth County was the 57th healthiest County in the nation for 2021.
In 2020, Forsyth County ranked 65th, meaning the community jumped up 11 places in just two years.
What Changed?
Most of the categories stayed the same or improved, the most noticeable being the 17-point jump in the “Food & Nutrition” and “Environment” categories.
These categories are judged based on the following:
Food & Nutrition: Weighed at 8.8 percent
- Food Availability
- Nutrition
Environment: Weighed at 8.6 percent
- Air & Water
- Natural Environment
- Natural Hazards
The two categories that saw a drop in points were “Population Health” at five points and “Infrastructure” at eight points.
These categories are judged based on the following:
Population Health: Weighed at 14.2 percent
- Access to Care
- Health Behaviors
- Health Conditions
- Health Outcomes
- Mental Health
Infrastructure: Weighed at 7.5 percent
- Community Layout
- Transportation
So which county is currently the healthiest county in the United States? Los Alamos County in New Mexico.
For more information on the healthiest community rankings, click here. To learn more about how the counties are ranked, click here.
If you have a news tip in Forsyth County, contact Justine Lookenott at justine.lookenott@newsbreak.com.
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