Forsyth, Oconee, Cherokee, and Fayette counties are ranked as the healthiest in Georgia according to the County Health Rankings & Roadmaps report, which measures counties across a range of health-related factors. Cobb County ranks seventh out of Georgia’s 159 counties.
Health is influenced by a range of factors. However, social and economic factors, like connected and supportive communities, good schools, stable jobs, and safe neighborhoods, are foundational to achieving long and healthy lives. These social and economic factors also influence other important drivers of health and health equity. Social and economic factors impact our ability to make healthy choices, afford medical care or housing, and even manage stress leading to serious health problems. The choices we make are based on the choices we have.
“One of the things that the county health rankings has done for almost the last 10 years is really take a look at and show people that where we live matters to our health,” says Michelle Larkin, the foundation’s associate chief of staff. “So we look at things like education, jobs, children living in poverty as well as access to health care providers, obesity rates and those types of things.”
In Cobb County, just 15 percent of residents are listed as being in poor or fair health, according to the group’s statistics. That ranks among the best showings in the United States and well below the statewide average of 19 percent.
According to County Health Rankings & Roadmaps report, about 25 percent of Cobb residents are obese, compared to 28 percent nationwide. About 91 percent of county residents have access to exercise opportunities — defined as living near parks or recreation centers.
The percentage of children living in poverty in Cobb County is 14 percent overall, compared to that rate statewide — 23 percent. Nationwide, 20 percent of children are living in poverty.
A nationwide trouble spot is the increasing number of babies born in the U.S. with low birthweight. Nationwide, 8.2 percent of babies born in 2017 were underweight — a 2 percent increase from 2016, the foundation said. African-American babies are twice as likely to be born with a low birthweight, the group said, and are about twice as likely to die before their first birthday.
Here are the Georgia rankings of healthiest counties:
1 Forsyth
2 Oconee
3 Cherokee
4 Fayette
5 Gwinnett
6 Columbia
7 Cobb
8 Harris
9 Paulding
10 Coweta
11 White
12 Lee
13 Hall
14 Fulton
15 Jackson
16 Pickens
17 Catoosa
18 DeKalb
19 Jones
20 Camden
The five Georgia counties deemed least healthy are:
• Quitman
• Warren
• Crisp
• Turner
• Early
The report noted that children in poverty are less likely to have access to quality schools and have fewer chances to be prepared for higher-wage jobs.
For nearly a decade, the annual County Health Rankings have shown that where we live makes a difference in how well and how long we live. This year, the analyses find that meaningful health gaps persist not only by place, but also by race and ethnicity.
The County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, a collaboration between the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute (UWPHI), compares counties within each state on more than 30 health-influencing factors such as education, jobs, and access to quality health care. The rankings and detailed information are available at www.countyhealthrankings.org.
This article originally appeared in the April issue of the EAST COBBER magazine, on page 48. Click here to view the digital edition.
