Healthiest States

While America is a frontrunner in healthcare spending, the complex mosaic of health outcomes across the 50 states paints an intriguing picture. Beginning with a detailed analysis of the United States' health standards, this article sets forth to rank states based on a comprehensive 'Health Index Score'. This score is a quantifiable representation of health in various states on the back of key determinants such as disease prevalence, quality of healthcare, lifestyle factors, and access to health services amongst others.

• The healthiest states are predominantly located in the Northeast, and West of the United States.
• The Southern states showed a concerning trend with poorer health outcomes when compared to the rest of the United States.
• States with higher obesity rates typically had lower health index scores, magnifying the impact of obesity on overall health. West Virginia, Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana with high obesity rates also had lower health index scores.
• Despite being a financial powerhouse, states like New York (71.8) and California (72.1) fell outside of the top ten states for health indexes.
• States with a greater emphasis on outdoor activities such as Colorado (77.7) and Utah (77.9) boasted high health index scores. This suggests the potential positive influence of active lifestyles and healthier behaviors on health outcomes.