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A study sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin ranked counties across the country by state according to factors including tobacco and alcohol use, diet and exercise, access to quality health care, education, employment, income and environmental quality.
The following are the top 10 healthiest counties in Michigan, according to the report:
- 1. Leelanau
- 2. Ottawa
- 3. Clinton
- 4. Livingston
- 5. Washtenaw
- 6. Alger
- 7. Grand Traverse
- 8. Charlevoix
- 9. Benzie
- 10. Houghton
The counties that ranked at the bottom of the list, in progressive order, are Genesee, Alcona and Wayne counties. Keweenaw County was not ranked.
“These results are testament to some of the excellent work happening in our community - thanks to our community partners and our staff,” said Richard Fleece, health officer for Washtenaw County Public Health, in a statement. “We know there are areas within our community where it’s much harder to live a healthy life. We can’t rely solely on our health care systems and providers to support our health - it takes all of us."
On individual items, Washtenaw County ranked fifth in the state for its good health outcomes and No. 1 in the state for health factors like healthy behavior and access to clinical care. The county ranked fourth in the state for its social and economic indicators.
However, Washtenaw County ranked near the bottom of Michigan's counties at number 62 when it comes to physical environment conditions that affect people's health.
Daily fine particulate matter rates are higher for the county than the rest of the state and the national benchmark. Limited access to healthy foods and the prevalence of fast food restaurants also are contributing factors, according to the report.
A Gallup survey released at the end of February ranked Ann Arbor as the healthiest city in Michigan and the eighth-healthiest city in the country.
Amy Biolchini covers Washtenaw County, health and environmental issues for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at (734) 623-2552, amybiolchini@annarbor.com or on Twitter.