JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The annual County Health Rankings show a distinct difference in the health of residents in several counties in northeast Florida, with St. Johns County ranked as the healthiest in Florida and Duval ranked in near the bottom of the list.
The study took into account several factors, including overall health outcomes like length of life and quality of life, as well as factors like health behaviors, clinical care, social and economic factors and physical environment.
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St. Johns County was ranked No. 1 among all Florida counties for the sixth consecutive year. Clay County ranked No. 9 and Flagler No. 14 on the list of all 67 counties in the state.
“While we ranked high overall, 9th out of 67 counties, this report helps us identify community health improvement plan priority areas where we must work harder including our three health priority issues: mental health, access to healthcare and unhealthy behaviors.”
Duval was ranked 55 out of 67 Florida counties when it comes to health, based on data from the University of Wisconsin and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
"The County Health Rankings remind us how health is influenced by our surroundings – where we live, work, and play,” said Kelli Wells, Duval County's director of the Department of Health. "The County Health Ranking is often the spark for policy makers, businesses, community partners, health care providers and others to work together to better the health of the community."
Clay County's health administrator, Heather Huffman, said the rankings help what factors have influenced good health and how to make it even healthier.
“While we ranked high overall -- ninth out of 67 counties -- this report helps us identify community health improvement plan priority areas where we must work harder, including our three health priority issues: mental health, access to healthcare and unhealthy behaviors," Huffman said.
Nassau County is No. 18, Alachua came in at 26, Baker at 39. Columbia, at 57, Putnam, at 54, and Union counties are the only local counties ranked lower than Duval. Union County was ranked last out of 67 counties in the state.
The study found an 85 percent of the increase in premature deaths from 2014-2015 that can be attributed to a swift increase in deaths among 15-44-year-olds.
The Rankings Key Findings Report reveals that while myriad issues contributed to the rise, the drug overdose epidemic is the leading cause of death among 25- to 44-year-olds and is a clear driver of this trend.
The new rankings show a significant shift in suburbs. A decade ago, suburbs had the lowest rate of premature death. Now they have the highest.
There are also some differences among racial and ethnic groups. Premature deaths and drug overdoses were highest among whites and Native Americans.
A map showing all counties and their rankings is available at CountyHealthRankings.org.