Collin County ranks healthiest in Texas

Collin County is the healthiest county in the state, according to a new report from the University of Wisconsin's Population Health Institute, which ranks the health of nearly every county in the country.

Why it matters: North Texas' suburbs fared better than their urban counterparts.

• The highest-ranking counties are also among the state's wealthiest.

What they did: The study examined more than 90 health-influencing factors, including education, housing, jobs, transportation and access to medical care.

• Collin County had the lowest number of premature deaths in the state, per the report.

By the numbers: Denton County ranked second among the state's 254 counties in overall health outcomes.

• Rockwall County was fifth.
• Parker County was 12th.
• Ellis was 18th.
• Tarrant was 26th.

Meanwhile, Dallas County was ranked 43rd.

Zoom out: Both Travis County (Austin) and Harris County (Houston) ranked above Dallas County.

• Bexar County (San Antonio) came in one spot behind Dallas.
• The lowest-ranked county was Brooks in South Texas.

Of note: Collin County is also at the top of the Texas list in the latest U.S. News and World Report "Healthiest Communities" rankings.

What they're saying: The county-ranking model shows that "policies and programs at the local, state, and federal levels play an important role in shaping health factors that in turn, influence a community's health outcomes," the report says.