A new report from CountyHealthRankings.org says the healthiest counties in Colorado are Douglas, Broomfield and Boulder counties.
"When we look at the county heath rankings, we're looking first at the rankings of how long you live and how well you live, and these counties are all doing very well there," said Julie Willems Van Dijk, Director, County Health Rankings & Roadmaps program, University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute.
The report looked at more than 30 factors including poverty, education, transportation, housing, and jobs. All factors that influence how long and how well people live, researchers said.
Here's how Colorado's counties ranked:
- Douglas
- Broomfield
- Boulder
- Routt
- Eagle
- Pitkin
- San Miguel
- Summit
- Larimer
- Elbert
- Jefferson
- Grand
- Garfield
- Park
- La Plata
- Arapahoe
- Weld
- Chaffee
- Gunnison
- Washington
- Kit Carson
- Lincoln
- Rio Blanco
- Archuleta
- Mesa
- Yuma
- Sedgwick
- Ouray
- Morgan
- Phillips
- Custer
- Logan
- El Paso
- Gilpin
- Clear Creek
- Adams
- Moffat
- Denver
- Montrose
- Fremont
- Lake
- Prowers
- Teller
- Montezuma
- Delta
- Dolores
- Rio Grande
- Bent
- Las Animas
- Baca
- Pueblo
- Conejos
- Saguache
- Alamosa
- Otero
- Crowley
- Huerfano
- Costilla
Researchers said sometime rural counties struggle with health issues.
"We think about rural counties as clean air, clean water," Van Dijk explained. "But they often have problems attracting jobs, they may have infrastructure issues, they don't have broadband so its harder to attract jobs. Sometimes harder to keep health care providers."
Six counties were not ranked -- San Juan, Cheyenne, Hinsdale, Jackson, Kiowa and Mineral. Researchers did not say why.
