Hamilton County is home to wealth — and health
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
/2024/08/27/1724797567836.gif?w=3840)
Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
Indiana's wealthiest county is also one of the nation's healthiest, according to a new U.S. News & World Report ranking.
Why it matters: Studies show that higher incomes are linked to a lower likelihood of disease and premature death — and Hamilton County keeps proving that point, being named the fifth healthiest community in the country.
How it works: The report examined about 2,800 communities nationwide through 92 health-related metrics under 10 main categories, including economy, education, environment, housing and public safety.
- The project was completed in partnership with a research institution at the University of Missouri based on data from multiple sources, including the Census Bureau and CDC.
Zoom in: HamCo, scored 90 overall across the 10 categories, which were scored from 0-100.
- It ranked highest in the economy (93) and infrastructure (87), but lowest in housing (67) and environment (49).
The intrigue: Indiana's next highest-ranked counties — Boone (69th nationally), Hancock (117th) and Hendricks (126th) — are all doughnut counties surrounding Indianapolis.
The other side: Marion County was unranked with an overall score of 38.
- Community vitality (19) and public safety (21) were Marion County's lowest-scoring categories, while it scored the highest in infrastructure (88).
Stunning stat: Hamilton County residents live, on average, more than seven years longer than people living in Marion County.
- HamCo's life expectancy is 81 years, compared to Marion County's 73.8.
Zoom out: Falls Church, Virginia, took the top spot for healthiest community in the country.
- Others rounding out the top five: Los Alamos County, New Mexico (2); Douglas County, Colorado (3) and Sioux County, Iowa (4).