As 2018 comes to a close we are treated to many of the year-end polls and surveys and rankings that accompany the end of any calendar year. We’ve already learned that overall life expectancy dropped this year, which is obviously not good, but if you want to dive a bit deeper into the overall health picture for your state you can do so thanks to the United Health Foundation’s 2018 America’s Health Rankings.
The annual study takes many different factors into account, weighing things like clinical care, health policy, and health outcomes in order to form a complete picture of the health of each state. Let’s dive in!
The full study is definitely worth checking out, and the foundation breaks down the data using a variety charts as well as an interactive map. That being said, if you’re just reading this to find out what numerical ranking the study has attached to your state, here’s the full list:
- Hawaii
- Massachusetts
- Connecticut
- Vermont
- Utah
- New Hampshire
- Minnesota
- Colorado
- Washington
- New York
- New Jersey
- California
- North Dakota
- Rhode Island
- Nebraska
- Idaho
- Maine
- Iowa
- Maryland
- Virginia
- Montana
- Oregon
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
- South Dakota
- Illinois
- Kansas
- Pennsylvania
- Florida
- Arizona
- Delaware
- Alaska
- North Carolina
- Michigan
- New Mexico
- Nevada
- Texas
- Missouri
- Georgia
- Ohio
- Indiana
- Tennessee
- South Carolina
- West Virginia
- Kentucky
- Arkansas
- Oklahoma
- Alabama
- Mississippi
- Louisiana
There are a couple of surprises here, but overall the rankings are pretty much in line with past studies that focused on the health of state populations. Many southern states fall towards the bottom of the charts, with Oklahoma, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana all in close proximity geographically as well as making up the four “worst” states on the list.
The Northeast seems to be doing quite well, with New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, and Massachusetts all landing in the top 10, and New Jersey just one spot removed at #11. The rest of the country is a mixed bag, with Utah at #5 sitting right next to Nevada at #36.
