See which Oregon counties are healthiest — and why
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All three Portland-area counties scored high in an annual measurement of health outcomes by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute.
- Washington and Clackamas counties came in first and third in the state, respectively; both outranked Multnomah, which came in ninth.
Why it matters: Health outcomes are a measure of how long people live on average in a given community, and how healthy the community is — mentally and physically.
How it works: The annual rankings crunch data such as premature death, low birth weight and self-reported mental and physical well-being, along with "health factors" — various inputs that correlate to health outcomes.
- Some factors are directly connected to health, such as the number of dentists in a community or the rate of sexually transmitted infections.
- Others are more indirect, such as social ties, economic health and the physical environment.
Of note: Healthier counties tend to have better access to information through things like broadband internet, libraries and local news outlets, as well as well-funded schools and parks.
What they're saying: "Where there's an opportunity for change is in those health factors," Ericka Burroughs-Girardi, research program coordinator for the County Health Rankings & Roadmaps project, tells Axios. "When health factors go up, health rankings tend to follow."
- The research includes data-backed strategies to address specific problems, like child care subsidies to help close income gaps, or supporting community gardens to promote exercise and healthier eating.
Context: The data is so rich that even high-scoring communities can find weak spots to tackle, often by solving problems that may not immediately seem connected to health — such as inadequate housing, long solo commutes and even low voter turnout.
Details: The town of Cornelius — 25 miles west of Portland in Washington County — got a shoutout in the report for projects that brought Spanish-speaking members of the community into local decision making.
- One healthy result: a new downtown library with affordable senior housing on the floors above.
Zoom in: Compared to the other counties, Multnomah had a significantly better provider-to-people ratio of primary care doctors, mental health providers and dentists.
- People in Multnomah County also beat Washington and Clackamas counties on the number of social associations they have — a positive health factor.
Yes, but: Multnomah County also had a higher rate of sexually transmitted diseases and drug overdose deaths, and ranked worst for income inequality.
- Clackamas County had the highest rate of alcohol-impaired driving deaths and fine-particulate air pollution.
Zoom out: Oregon's lowest-ranked counties for health outcomes are Lake, Jefferson and Klamath.
- You can compare counties here.