Morris County Among The Healthiest Communities In America: U.S. News

MORRIS COUNTY, NJ — Once again, Morris County has been touted as one of the healthiest communities in America, according to a new ranking released by U.S. News & World Report.

The annual report, which was released last week in collaboration with CVS Health, highlights the health and wellness of 3,000 communities across the United States.

Morris County ranked the highest in the state and 16th nationwide. It has held a top position in the report for six consecutive years.

The least healthy county in New Jersey was Gloucester County, which came in at 371st in America. To see the full list of how other counties ranked in NJ, click here.

"I am thrilled U.S. News & World Report continues to rank Morris County among the healthiest places to live in America. It’s one of the benefits of the high quality of life that everyone living here has worked to develop and maintain for decades," Morris County Commissioner Director Christine Myers said.

U.S. News said the sixth annual 2024 Healthiest Communities ranking measures how well counties serve their residents and is intended as a blueprint for residents, community health leaders and elected officials to develop policies and best practices for better health outcomes.

The analysis considers more than 90 metrics and hundreds of thousands of data points across 10 main categories: community vitality, economy, education, environment, equity, food and nutrition, population health, housing, infrastructure and public safety, U.S. News said.

Here is how Morris scored in various categories:

• Population health: In Morris County, the life expectancy is 81.7 years, significantly higher than the national median of 75.8 years. Approximately five percent of the county’s population lacks health insurance, compared to the national average of 11 percent.
• Education: The high school graduation rate in Morris County is 93.2, and the national median is 88 percent. More than 60 percent of the county's population has an advanced degree.
• Economy: The unemployment rate in the county is 3.7 percent, compared to the national median of 3.6 percent. The median household income is $115,710.
• Public safety: The violent crime rate in Morris County was 63.5 percent per 100,000, while the national median was 255.2 percent per 100,000.
• Housing: Roughly 31 percent of the population spends at least 30 percent of their income on housing, and they have to work over 30 work hours to pay for affordable housing.

To compile the rankings and develop the overall Healthiest Communities project, U.S. News collaborated with the University of Missouri Extension Center for Applied Research and Engagement Systems, a research institution renowned for its expertise in community health assessment.

Overall, the rankings are based on metrics drawn from sources such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Census Bureau and the Environmental Protection Agency.

" We have the largest county park system in New Jersey, top schools and educational facilities, and access to premium healthcare, including one of the world’s top ranked medical facilities," Myers added. To visit us is to discover that Morris County is a refreshing breath of fresh air—literally, because we also annually rank as having some of the cleanest air in the nation."

With reporting by Michelle Rotuno-Johnson