Philadelphia at bottom of Pennsylvania county health rankings

Pennsylvania's healthiest counties are also among the least economically distressed.

• That's the main takeaway from a new county health rankings report released last week by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute.

The big picture: Across the country, people with lower incomes and people of color have more limited access to affordable care and opportunities that lead to better health.

How it works: The report, using data collected between 2014 and 2021, evaluates counties on health outcomes — length and quality of life — and health factors.

• Factors include everything from access to health care, tobacco use, diet and exercise to education, employment, income, air and water quality, transit and housing.

Where we stand: Philadelphia ranked the lowest of Pennsylvania's 67 counties for both health outcomes and factors.

• More than a third of Philadelphians are obese, per the report.
• 27% of Philadelphia children live in poverty.
• Families, on average, spend more than a third of their incomes on child care.

Meanwhile, neighboring Chester County ranks as the healthiest county for both health outcomes and factors in the commonwealth.

• Chester County has a median household income of $104,161, significantly higher than the state's average of $63,627 and more than double Philadelphia's average of $49,127, according to census data.
• More residents in Chester are insured, receive flu shots, have access to healthy food and get enough sleep, the data shows.

Of note: Neighboring suburban counties Montgomery and Bucks had a good showing.

• Montgomery came in fourth in health outcomes and second in factors, while Bucks ranked seventh in outcomes and sixth in factors.

Between the lines: On average, Pennsylvania families with two children spend more than a quarter of their incomes on child care.

• When an expense eats up a big chunk of a paycheck, it makes it harder for families to afford emergencies or other longterm expenses, like retirement, the report notes.

The bottom line: The report notes that higher wages would go a long way in improving health care access and result in better health outcomes.

• "Living wages cover basic needs and are essential to live a healthy life," the researchers wrote.