Virginia City Ranked Healthiest Community In America, 30 Others Make Ranking: U.S. News

VIRGINIA — Twenty-nine of the healthiest communities in America are in Virginia, including the top-ranked community in the nation, 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. The report also includes an overall ranking of America’s Healthiest Communities.

Falls Church City ranked first in the U.S. thanks to a number one ranking in education, number four ranking in population health and number six ranking in economy. It also was in the top 10 in three categories and top 20 for five categories. Falls Church was also ranked first in U.S. News & World Report's first Healthiest Communities ranking in 2018.

"Among all communities assessed in the rankings, Falls Church posted the highest walkability index score – a measure included in the infrastructure category – and rates among the nation’s best on a similar measure reflecting the share of its population living close to a destination like a library, museum or playground," U.S. News & World Report wrote about Falls Church. "The community also performs strongly in a number of education metrics, with a 93% preschool enrollment rate and 97% high school graduation rate, and with more than 8 in 10 residents possessing at least an associate degree.

Four of America's top 20 healthiest communities are in Northern Virginia — Falls Church City in first, Fairfax County in 14th, Fairfax City in 15th, and Arlington County in 19th.

Loudoun County, which ranked 26th overall, received the number one ranking in the economy category. Fairfax County was ranked 14th overall and was number one in the population health category. Manassas Park City, ranked 311th overall, was second in the equity category. Alexandria City, ranked 105th overall, was second-best for public safety.

U.S. News noted that even the healthiest communities struggle in some categories. For example, the top-ranked Falls Church City was outside the top 500 in the equity and housing categories.

Among more than 3,140 counties ranked, those in Virginia that made the top 500 are:

1. Falls Church city, Virginia

14. Fairfax County, Virginia

15. Fairfax city, Virginia

19. Arlington County, Virginia

26. Loudoun County, Virginia

98. Albemarle County, Virginia

105. Alexandria city, Virginia

107. Poquoson city, Virginia

114. Hanover County, Virginia

139. Roanoke County, Virginia

168. Lexington city, Virginia

178. New Kent County, Virginia

191. Goochland County, Virginia

239. York County, Virginia

253. Powhatan County, Virginia

254. Manassas city, Virginia

255. Botetourt County, Virginia

276. James City County, Virginia

291. Fauquier County, Virginia

309. Prince William County, Virginia

311. Manassas Park city, Virginia

314. Salem city, Virginia

329. Charlottesville city, Virginia

346. Virginia Beach city, Virginia

353. Chesterfield County, Virginia

386. Stafford County, Virginia

407. Chesapeake city, Virginia

409. Bedford County, Virginia

436. Williamsburg city, Virginia

455. Clarke County, Virginia

459. Montgomery County, Virginia

The top 10 healthiest places in the country are:

1. Falls Church, Virginia (city)
2. Los Alamos County, New Mexico
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.”

To compile the rankings and create the overall Healthiest Communities project, U.S. News partnered with the University of Missouri Extension Center for Applied Research and Engagement Systems, a research institution skilled 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 & Medicaid Services, the Census Bureau and the Environmental Protection Agency.