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Report: Williamson County Is The Most Healthy In Texas

Williamson County may have ranked first in the health survey, but Travis County, with its large population of joggers, ranked sixth of all counties in Texas.
Photo by pixajen http://www.flickr.com/photos/atxjen/
Williamson County may have ranked first in the health survey, but Travis County, with its large population of joggers, ranked sixth of all counties in Texas.

Williamson County is the healthiest county in the state, according to a ranking released today by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin.  Travis County ranked sixth in the survey. The least healthy county was Marion, an area about half-an-hour northeast of San Antonio.

Researchers say they used these criteria to rank counties:

1.  Overall Health Outcomes 2.   Health Outcomes – Mortality 3.   Health Outcomes – Morbidity 4.   Overall Health Factors 5.   Health Factors – Health behaviors 6.   Health Factors – Clinical care 7.   Health Factors – Social and economic factors 8.   Health Factors – Physical environment 

Williamson County had a slightly higher obesity rate than Travis County, but fewer residents smoke and drink excessively. WilCo has fewer teen births, sexually transmitted infections, and a lower rate of uninsured adults. Williamson County also has a higher high school graduation rate, fewer children in poverty, and less crime.

This is the second year in a row Williamson County received the highest ranking in the survey.

Marion County, which received the lowest ranking in the survey, was dragged down by factors like a high premature death rate, high rate of teen births, and low socioeconomic factors, including an unemployment rate above 10 percent.

Nathan Bernier is the transportation reporter at KUT. He covers the big projects that are reshaping how we get around Austin, like the I-35 overhaul, the airport's rapid growth and the multibillion dollar transit expansion Project Connect. He also focuses on the daily changes that affect how we walk, bike and drive around the city. Got a tip? Email him at nbernier@kut.org. Follow him on Twitter @KUTnathan.