4 Western PA Counties Among Nation's Healthiest: U.S. News

PITTSBURGH, PA — Four Western Pennsylvania counties are among the nation's healthiest counties, according to a new ranking released Tuesday by U.S. News & World Report.

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.

More than 3,140 counties nationwide were ranked. Allegheny was ranked 321st.

Eleven other Pennsylvania counties made the top 500. Their rankings:

75. Montgomery County

93. Chester County

133. Cumberland County
197. Bucks County

259. Butler County

321. Allegheny County
334. Montour County
385. Washington County
451. Delaware County

485. Westmoreland County
486. Adams County
487. Centre County

The top 10 healthiest places in the country are:

1. Falls Church, Virginia (city)
2. Los Alamos County, California
3. Douglas County, Colorado
4. Sioux City, Iowa
5. Hamilton County, Indiana
6. Dallas County, Iowa
7. Ozaukee County, Wisconsin
8. Carver County, Minnesota
9. Bremer County, Iowa
10. Morgan County, Utah

“Evaluating community health is crucial as we consider the well-being of citizens across our country,” Julia Haines, U.S. News data editor, said in a news release “The Healthiest Communities rankings examine which communities offer the greatest opportunity to live a healthy, productive life. They also highlight that even the ‘healthiest’ communities struggle in certain areas.” Overall, the rankings are based on metrics drawn from sources such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Census Bureau and the Environmental Protection Agency.