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The U.S. News & World Report annual list of 500 healthiest communities across the United States was released this week, and the top performers generally are the most affluent areas of the nation. The scores were across 10 categories — population health, equity, education, economy, housing, food and nutrition, environment, public safety, community vitality, and infrastructure — but the rankings seem to track closely with median household incomes.
Sorting the healthiest communities by state, the city of Falls Church placed third nationally and first in Virginia. Loudoun County is sixth nationally and second in the commonwealth, Fairfax County is No. 21 in the United States and third in Virginia, Arlington County is No. 26 nationally and fourth in the state, and the city of Fairfax is No. 31 in America and fifth in Virginia.
Look at median annual household income from countyhealthrankings.org, and Loudoun County tops Virginia at $140,400. Falls Church is next, at $137,600; Fairfax County is third, at $122,000; Arlington is fourth, at $121,000; and the city of Fairfax is seventh, at $105,500 median income. Statewide average household income for 2018 is $72,600.
Around metro Richmond, Hanover County was 64th nationally and sixth in the commonwealth in the U.S. News health rankings. New Kent County was No. 134 in the nation and ninth in Virginia, Powhatan County was No. 153 nationally and No. 13 in the state, Goochland County placed No. 159 nationally and No. 14 in Virginia, and Chesterfield County was No. 353 in the nation and No. 21 in Virginia. The top 500 in the nation includes 27 Virginia cities and counties.
In the metro region, Hanover County tops the median household income list at $91,000, No. 11 in the commonwealth. That’s followed by New Kent County (No. 12, $90,900), Goochland (No. 13, $89,300), Powhatan County (No. 14, $88,500) and Chesterfield County (No. 20, $80,700).
Healthy and Wealthy
Virginia communities by national health ranking of 500 top communities and median household income in each (in parentheses). Metro-area counties are in bold.
3. Falls Church ($137,600)
6. Loudoun County ($140,400)
21. Fairfax County ($122,000)
26. Arlington County ($121,000)
31. Fairfax ($105,500)
64. Hanover County ($91,000)
126. Albemarle County ($80,400)
128. Alexandria ($99,400)
134. New Kent County ($90,900)
141. Botetourt County ($71,900)
149. York County (86,300)
151. Roanoke County ($68,700)
153. Powhatan County ($88,500)
159. Goochland County ($89,300)
179. Poquoson ($96,100)
199. Fauquier County ($93,500)
268. Bath County ($50,600)
285. Stafford County ($108,400)
289. Prince William County ($106,200)
337. Greene County ($67,500)
353. Chesterfield County (80,700)
356. Clarke County ($84,000)
373. Salem ($57,300)
375. James City County ($86,500)
406. Bedford County ($61,200)
424. King George County ($86,600)
458. Frederick County ($77,700)
Six of the 27 Virginia communities that made the healthiest rankings had an household income below the state median. U.S. News ranks Virginia 7th in its Best States list, and 18th in overall health.
A report released earlier in September reflected the flip side of the equation, how persistent poverty can hold back a community’s health.
