The University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation just released the 2012 County Health Ranking.  The county rankings are determined through an evidence-based model of population health that includes the many factors that, if improved, can help make communities healthier places to live, work, and learn.  The model incorporates not only data about health outcomes (morbidity and mortality) but also data on thirteen factors that contribute to these health outcomes, weighted by their relative impact on health (social and economic factors, 40%; health behaviors, 30%; clinical care, 20%, and physical environment, 10%).

This year, for health outcomes, Tolland was ranked Connecticut’s healthiest county, and New Haven ranked as our least healthy county.  In health factors, Middlesex ranked highest (Tolland was second), and Windham ranked lowest (New Haven was second lowest).  County rankings in Connecticut have remained virtually unchanged since 2010.  The 2012 rankings are as follows:

Underlying data that compare Connecticut’s county data to national benchmarks are available at www.countyhealthrankings.org.