[Factors] [States Ranked By All 21 Factors]
[Healthiest State Rankings 1993 to 2001] [Methodology] [Press Release]
|
2001 HEALTHIEST STATE AWARD |
||||||||||
|
ALPHA ORDER |
RANK ORDER |
|||||||||
|
2001 RANK |
STATE |
SUM |
2000 RANK |
CHANGE |
|
2001 RANK |
STATE |
SUM |
2000 RANK |
CHANGE |
|
47 |
Alabama |
-15.67 |
48 |
1 |
1 |
Vermont |
16.62 |
2 |
1 |
|
|
37 |
Alaska |
-3.32 |
18 |
-19 |
2 |
Minnesota |
15.39 |
3 |
1 |
|
|
28 |
Arizona |
0.25 |
27 |
-1 |
3 |
New Hampshire |
15.02 |
1 |
-2 |
|
|
40 |
Arkansas |
-5.92 |
44 |
4 |
4 |
Hawaii |
14.92 |
4 |
0 |
|
|
17 |
California |
6.53 |
19 |
2 |
5 |
Iowa |
14.27 |
15 |
10 |
|
|
21 |
Colorado |
3.57 |
12 |
-9 |
6 |
Nebraska |
13.53 |
10 |
4 |
|
|
14 |
Connecticut |
7.96 |
9 |
-5 |
7 |
Kansas |
12.65 |
11 |
4 |
|
|
43 |
Delaware |
-8.68 |
37 |
-6 |
8 |
Maine |
11.31 |
6 |
-2 |
|
|
44 |
Florida |
-10.04 |
43 |
-1 |
9 |
North Dakota |
10.17 |
23 |
14 |
|
|
41 |
Georgia |
-6.61 |
45 |
4 |
10 |
Massachusetts |
8.84 |
8 |
-2 |
|
|
4 |
Hawaii |
14.92 |
4 |
0 |
11 |
Washington |
8.46 |
7 |
-4 |
|
|
26 |
Idaho |
1.30 |
20 |
-6 |
12 |
Utah |
8.15 |
5 |
-7 |
|
|
32 |
Illinois |
-1.54 |
26 |
-6 |
13 |
Montana |
7.98 |
32 |
19 |
|
|
29 |
Indiana |
0.20 |
25 |
-4 |
14 |
Connecticut |
7.96 |
9 |
-5 |
|
|
5 |
Iowa |
14.27 |
15 |
10 |
15 |
Rhode Island |
7.91 |
13 |
-2 |
|
|
7 |
Kansas |
12.65 |
11 |
4 |
16 |
New Jersey |
6.62 |
17 |
1 |
|
|
31 |
Kentucky |
-0.67 |
33 |
2 |
17 |
California |
6.53 |
19 |
2 |
|
|
48 |
Louisiana |
-17.51 |
49 |
1 |
18 |
Oregon |
6.25 |
14 |
-4 |
|
|
8 |
Maine |
11.31 |
6 |
-2 |
18 |
Virginia |
6.25 |
16 |
-2 |
|
|
33 |
Maryland |
-1.56 |
28 |
-5 |
20 |
Pennsylvania |
4.49 |
30 |
10 |
|
|
10 |
Massachusetts |
8.84 |
8 |
-2 |
21 |
Colorado |
3.57 |
12 |
-9 |
|
|
27 |
Michigan |
0.63 |
31 |
4 |
22 |
Ohio |
3.02 |
21 |
-1 |
|
|
2 |
Minnesota |
15.39 |
3 |
1 |
23 |
South Dakota |
2.95 |
38 |
15 |
|
|
50 |
Mississippi |
-22.44 |
50 |
0 |
24 |
Wisconsin |
2.79 |
22 |
-2 |
|
|
38 |
Missouri |
-3.81 |
36 |
-2 |
25 |
Wyoming |
1.91 |
23 |
-2 |
|
|
13 |
Montana |
7.98 |
32 |
19 |
26 |
Idaho |
1.30 |
20 |
-6 |
|
|
6 |
Nebraska |
13.53 |
10 |
4 |
27 |
Michigan |
0.63 |
31 |
4 |
|
|
46 |
Nevada |
-14.89 |
46 |
0 |
28 |
Arizona |
0.25 |
27 |
-1 |
|
|
3 |
New Hampshire |
15.02 |
1 |
-2 |
29 |
Indiana |
0.20 |
25 |
-4 |
|
|
16 |
New Jersey |
6.62 |
17 |
1 |
30 |
West Virginia |
-0.17 |
35 |
5 |
|
|
45 |
New Mexico |
-12.66 |
39 |
-6 |
31 |
Kentucky |
-0.67 |
33 |
2 |
|
|
34 |
New York |
-1.80 |
42 |
8 |
32 |
Illinois |
-1.54 |
26 |
-6 |
|
|
35 |
North Carolina |
-2.35 |
34 |
-1 |
33 |
Maryland |
-1.56 |
28 |
-5 |
|
|
9 |
North Dakota |
10.17 |
23 |
14 |
34 |
New York |
-1.80 |
42 |
8 |
|
|
22 |
Ohio |
3.02 |
21 |
-1 |
35 |
North Carolina |
-2.35 |
34 |
-1 |
|
|
36 |
Oklahoma |
-2.53 |
29 |
-7 |
36 |
Oklahoma |
-2.53 |
29 |
-7 |
|
|
18 |
Oregon |
6.25 |
14 |
-4 |
37 |
Alaska |
-3.32 |
18 |
-19 |
|
|
20 |
Pennsylvania |
4.49 |
30 |
10 |
38 |
Missouri |
-3.81 |
36 |
-2 |
|
|
15 |
Rhode Island |
7.91 |
13 |
-2 |
39 |
Tennessee |
-5.15 |
40 |
1 |
|
|
49 |
South Carolina |
-18.30 |
47 |
-2 |
40 |
Arkansas |
-5.92 |
44 |
4 |
|
|
23 |
South Dakota |
2.95 |
38 |
15 |
41 |
Georgia |
-6.61 |
45 |
4 |
|
|
39 |
Tennessee |
-5.15 |
40 |
1 |
42 |
Texas |
-6.82 |
41 |
-1 |
|
|
42 |
Texas |
-6.82 |
41 |
-1 |
43 |
Delaware |
-8.68 |
37 |
-6 |
|
|
12 |
Utah |
8.15 |
5 |
-7 |
44 |
Florida |
-10.04 |
43 |
-1 |
|
|
1 |
Vermont |
16.62 |
2 |
1 |
45 |
New Mexico |
-12.66 |
39 |
-6 |
|
|
18 |
Virginia |
6.25 |
16 |
-2 |
46 |
Nevada |
-14.89 |
46 |
0 |
|
|
11 |
Washington |
8.46 |
7 |
-4 |
47 |
Alabama |
-15.67 |
48 |
1 |
|
|
30 |
West Virginia |
-0.17 |
35 |
5 |
48 |
Louisiana |
-17.51 |
49 |
1 |
|
|
24 |
Wisconsin |
2.79 |
22 |
-2 |
49 |
South Carolina |
-18.30 |
47 |
-2 |
|
|
25 |
Wyoming |
1.91 |
23 |
-2 |
50 |
Mississippi |
-22.44 |
50 |
0 |
|
| METHODOLOGY--The
Healthiest State designation is awarded based on 21 factors
chosen from the year 2001 edition of our annual reference book, Health Care State
Rankings. These
factors reflect access to health care providers, affordability of health
care and a generally healthy population (see box below.) Nineteen of the
21 factors are the same as last year. Two of the factors changed slightly.
For the second factor, we switched from “Births to Teenage Mothers as a
Percent of Live Births” to “Teenage Birth Rate.” We also switched
from “Percent of Adults Overweight” to “Percent of Adults Overweight
or Obese.” The 21 factors were divided into two groups: those that are
“negative” for which a high ranking would be considered bad for a
state, and those that are “positive” for which a high ranking would be
considered good for a state. Rates for each of the 21 factors were
processed through a formula that measures how a state compares to the
national average for a given category. The positive and negative nature of
each factor was taken into account as part of the formula. Once these
computations were made, the factors then were weighted (factors were
weighted equally.) These weighted scores were then added together to get a
state’s final score (“SUM” on the table above.) This way, states are
assessed based on how they stack up against the national average. The end
result is that the farther below the national average a state’s health
ranking is, the lower (and less healthy) it ranks. The farther above the
national average, the higher (and healthier) a state ranks. This same
methodology was used for our Dangerous State and Safest/Dangerous City
Awards.
The table above shows how each state fared in the 2001 Healthiest State Award as well as its placement in 2000. |