Health outcomes vary dramatically across American counties — by as much as 20 years in life expectancy between the healthiest and least healthy places. These differences are driven by access to care, socioeconomic factors, environmental conditions, and health behaviors. We ranked all 3,144 US counties using CDC County Health Rankings data to identify the 50 healthiest counties in America.
The top county is Los Alamos County, New Mexico, with a health score of 99.6. The top 50 counties average a life expectancy of 79.8 years, compared to a national average of approximately 77 years.
The 50 Healthiest Counties in America (2026)
Our health score combines life expectancy, uninsured rate, poor/fair health rate, and access to primary care and mental health providers into a single 0-100 percentile rank.
| Rank | County | State | Health Score | Life Expectancy | Uninsured Rate | Poor Health Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Alamos County | NM | 99.6 | 82.98 | 2.15% | 8.8% |
| 2 | Douglas County | CO | 99.1 | 82.45 | 3.95% | 9.8% |
| 3 | Nantucket County | MA | 99.1 | 82.84 | 3.77% | 10.9% |
| 4 | Carver County | MN | 99.1 | 82.33 | 3.26% | 10.9% |
| 5 | Broomfield County | CO | 98.8 | 81.87 | 4.07% | 10% |
| 6 | Dallas County | IA | 98.8 | 81.88 | 3.79% | 10.9% |
| 7 | Middlesex County | MA | 98.8 | 81.54 | 2.39% | 11.2% |
| 8 | Howard County | MD | 98.7 | 82.49 | 4.3% | 10.7% |
| 9 | Washington County | MN | 98.6 | 81.28 | 3.95% | 9.3% |
| 10 | Newport County | RI | 98.3 | 82.08 | 3.78% | 12.1% |
| 11 | Winneshiek County | IA | 98.2 | 81.8 | 4.16% | 11.8% |
| 12 | Norfolk County | MA | 98 | 81.19 | 2.35% | 12.1% |
| 13 | Hunterdon County | NJ | 98 | 82.76 | 4.4% | 12% |
| 14 | Dodge County | MN | 97.9 | 81.21 | 4.33% | 11.5% |
| 15 | Delaware County | OH | 97.8 | 81.12 | 4.04% | 11.9% |
| 16 | Dukes County | MA | 97.7 | 83.07 | 4.12% | 12.7% |
| 17 | Nassau County | NY | 97.7 | 81.32 | 4.4% | 11.7% |
| 18 | Ozaukee County | WI | 97.7 | 81.04 | 4.1% | 11.8% |
| 19 | Marin County | CA | 97.6 | 84.32 | 5.11% | 10.6% |
| 20 | Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region | CT | 97.6 | N/A | 4.34% | 12.2% |
| 21 | Saratoga County | NY | 97.6 | 80.25 | 3.75% | 10.3% |
| 22 | San Francisco County | CA | 97.5 | 82.41 | 4.16% | 12.7% |
| 23 | Olmsted County | MN | 97.5 | 80.99 | 4.15% | 12% |
| 24 | Washington County | RI | 97.5 | 80.3 | 3.67% | 11.4% |
| 25 | Addison County | VT | 97.4 | 80.65 | 4.42% | 10.2% |
| 26 | Dakota County | MN | 97.2 | 80.91 | 4.45% | 11.8% |
| 27 | Putnam County | NY | 97.2 | 81.56 | 4.43% | 12.4% |
| 28 | Hamilton County | IN | 97.1 | 80.65 | 4.55% | 11% |
| 29 | Arlington County | VA | 97 | 83.94 | 4.81% | 12.6% |
| 30 | Waukesha County | WI | 96.8 | 80.34 | 3.9% | 12.2% |
| 31 | San Mateo County | CA | 96.6 | 84.09 | 4.64% | 13.2% |
| 32 | Goochland County | VA | 96.5 | 80.19 | 3.94% | 12.3% |
| 33 | Calumet County | WI | 96.5 | 81.22 | 4.19% | 13% |
| 34 | Chittenden County | VT | 96.4 | 80.81 | 4.36% | 12.7% |
| 35 | Morris County | NJ | 96.3 | 81.71 | 5.34% | 11% |
| 36 | Bristol County | RI | 96.3 | 80.65 | 3.55% | 13% |
| 37 | Somerset County | NJ | 96.2 | 81.8 | 5.26% | 11.9% |
| 38 | Barnstable County | MA | 96.1 | 79.49 | 2.98% | 11.9% |
| 39 | Wabasha County | MN | 96.1 | 80.81 | 4.7% | 12.5% |
| 40 | Placer County | CA | 96 | 81.23 | 3.73% | 13.6% |
| 41 | Clinton County | MI | 96 | 79.86 | 4.41% | 11.9% |
| 42 | Franklin County | MA | 95.9 | 79.3 | 2.57% | 11.6% |
| 43 | Loudoun County | VA | 95.9 | 83.82 | 5.59% | 11.6% |
| 44 | Livingston County | MI | 95.8 | 79.68 | 3.81% | 12.4% |
| 45 | Wright County | MN | 95.8 | 80 | 4.35% | 12.5% |
| 46 | Monroe County | IL | 95.7 | 79.62 | 3.83% | 12.3% |
| 47 | Story County | IA | 95.7 | 81.51 | 4.63% | 13.4% |
| 48 | Rockingham County | NH | 95.7 | 80.5 | 4.93% | 12.1% |
| 49 | Washtenaw County | MI | 95.6 | 80.48 | 4.29% | 13.1% |
| 50 | Hampshire County | MA | 95.5 | 80.19 | 2.51% | 13.4% |
Colorado and Minnesota: The Health Belt
The healthiest counties cluster in the Mountain West and upper Midwest. Massachusetts (7 counties), Minnesota (7 counties), California (4 counties), Iowa (3 counties), Rhode Island (3 counties) dominate the top 50. Colorado alone places multiple counties in the top tier, driven by high rates of physical activity, low obesity, strong air quality, and above-average income levels.
Minnesota's strong showing reflects the state's robust healthcare infrastructure, high insurance coverage rates, and aggressive public health investments. The Twin Cities metro area and surrounding counties consistently rank among the healthiest in the nation.
What Drives County-Level Health?
Public health research identifies several consistent predictors of county-level health outcomes:
- Income and education: Counties with higher median incomes and educational attainment consistently show better health outcomes. These factors enable better access to care, healthier food choices, and more time for exercise.
- Insurance coverage: Counties with low uninsured rates have better preventive care utilization and fewer emergency room visits for manageable conditions.
- Provider access: Counties with adequate primary care and mental health provider ratios catch health issues earlier and manage chronic conditions more effectively.
- Environment: Air quality, water quality, and access to green space all correlate with physical and mental health outcomes.
- Social cohesion: Communities with strong social ties and low crime rates experience less stress and better mental health.
Methodology
Health scores are calculated using CDC County Health Rankings (2024) data. Inputs include life expectancy, percentage of adults in poor or fair health, uninsured rate, primary care physician ratio (per 100,000), and mental health provider ratio (per 100,000). Each input is percentile-ranked and combined into a single 0-100 score.
Data sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023), FBI Uniform Crime Reports (2022), CDC County Health Rankings (2024), FEMA National Risk Index, NCES school data, and EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System. All figures are estimates and may differ from other published analyses due to methodology differences.