Union County Ranked 9th Healthiest County in New Jersey

Union County has been ranked as the ninth healthiest county in the state of New Jersey, up one spot from 10th in 2014, according to a report released Wednesday.

Union County received top 10 rankings in several categories, including length of life, health behaviors and physical environment.

The lowest rank for Union County was social and economic factors, at 13th. While the rate of violent crime in Union County has decreased slightly, the region received the mark for having a higher violent crime rate than the United States and elsewhere in New Jersey, the report said.

Union County swapped places with Warren County, which fell to 10th after being ranked ninth in 2014.

The 2015 County Health Rankings, published online by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, use data and analysis that allows counties to see what it is that makes residents sick or healthy, and how they compare to other counties in the same state.

The County Health Rankings report consider health outcomes, length of life, health factors and social and economic factors.