Data: County Health Rankings; Map: Thomas Oide and Jared Whalen/Axios
The better a community's economic outlook, the healthier its people.
That's the main takeaway from new county health rankings released this week by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute.
Zoom in:Sarasota County is the healthiest county in the Tampa Bay area, according to the comprehensive review of health factors and outcomes.
Among the county's strengths are its access to exercise opportunities, its low teen birth rate and the percentage of residents who get mammography screenings and flu vaccinations.
The big picture: Generally, most of Florida's southwest coast ranks high on health outcomes (length and quality of life) and factors (things like access to education, living-wage jobs, quality clinical care, good food, parks and affordable housing) compared with the rest of the state.