Tolland County is Healthiest in Connecticut, Fairfield Next, Report Finds

The healthiest county in Connecticut is Tolland County, according to a new report analyzing health data from nearly every county in the country. The 2014 County Health Rankings & Roadmaps ranked Connecticut’s eight counties by health outcomes and health factors. According to the report, health outcomes represent how healthy a county is while health factors represent what influences the health of the county.

In health outcomes, Tolland County led the way, followed by 2)Fairfield County, 3)Middlesex County, 4)Litchfield County, 5)New London County, 6)Hartford County, 7)Windham County and 8)New Haven County.

In health factors, Middlesex County ranked first, followed by Tolland County, Fairfield County, Litchfield County, New London County, Hartford County, New Haven County and Windham County.

The County Health Rankings & Roadmaps program helps communities identify and implement solutions that make it easier for people to be healthy in their schools, workplaces and neighborhoods, according to study authors. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation collaborated with the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute on the state-by-state analysis and report, which measured the health of nearly every county in the nation.

The report website includes “county snapshots” - detailed data for each county, in each of the health factors and health outcomes. Comparisons between counties, and the statewide numbers, are also available.

Health factors data included in the analysis are health behaviors, such as tobacco use, diet and exercise, and alcohol and drug abuse; clinical care, including access to care and quality of care; social and economic factors, including education, employment, income, safety and family support; and physical environment, including air and water quality, housing and transit. Health outcomes date included length of life, and quality of life, with factors such as physical health and mental health.

The report website provides specific data in each of the categories, and ranks Connecticut’s eight counties in each factor. This year’s Rankings release marked the fifth anniversary of the first national release of the County Health Rankings.