A suburb of Denver has been named the nation’s Healthiest Community, according to U.S. News and World Report and the Aetna Foundation.
One big key to Douglas County, Colorado’s success is a lot of green space where its residents can stretch their legs to exercise.
The report looked at more than 80 different factors that would make a community “healthy,” like crime and smoking rates, as well as safe and affordable housing.
While people turn to physicians to get healthy or prevent illness, experts say much of public health occurs outside the doctor’s office.
“We spend maybe one or two or even three hours in the doctor’s office in a year, but we have all those other thousands of hours within a year in terms of our health and a lot of it occurs outside of the doctor’s office,” said Dr. Garth Graham of the Aetna Foundation.
Counties in Utah had the lowest smoking rates.
Counties in Hawaii had the highest life expectancy rates.
Out of 500 counties, San Luis Obispo ranked #251. Santa Barbara County did not receive a ranking and was scored slightly below San Luis Obispo County.
To see the full rankings, click here.
