The snapshot provided by the County Health Rankings offers a starting place for understanding health in your community. It provides county-level data across a broad array of health outcomes and health factors.
We know that health factors and outcomes can differ by age, gender, race, ethnicity, ability, and sexual orientation among many other characteristics. Within counties, differences can also exist from one neighborhood or ZIP code to the next. Understanding the differences for these subgroups in health outcomes and factors can inform community efforts to target resources where they are most needed and improve the health of the community as a whole.
Differences Among Population Groups |
Differences by Locale/Neighborhood |
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Although these differences are not all captured in the County Health Rankings data, health factor and health outcome differences for some measures by race/ethnicity are now available for states and counties. State data is found in the state reports, and county data can be found within the snapshots. However, more detailed data for subgroups and for many other measures of health may exist at the state, county, and even city level. The information in the table below offers a starting point in answering the questions above. For each of the 35 ranked measures in the County Health Rankings, we've made an assessment of the availability of subgroup data for specific demographic groups or for geographic areas smaller than counties. You will find one of three assessments in each cell:
- Yes - This indicates that for at least some counties, subgroup data should be available. In some cases, the data is generally available from state-specific sources, or is only available for larger counties, or some modifications must be made to the measure to get subgroup data. Click on the measure name to get more specific information about how to access subgroup data, and what limitations you might encounter.
- No - This indicates that County Health Rankings staff are not aware of any sources of data for demographic groups or subcounty areas.
- N/A - This represents a cell that is Not Applicable. You will generally find this where we are measuring the availability of a shared resource. For example, everyone in a shared geographic area has the same access to air pollution; it would not make sense to try to estimate different air pollution levels for different demographic groups living in the same geographic area.
Measure |
Age |
Gender |
Race |
Education |
Income |
Subcounty Area |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Premature death* |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
Poor or fair health |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Poor physical health days |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Poor mental health days |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Low birthweight* |
Yes |
N/A |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
Adult smoking |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Adult obesity |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Food environment index |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Physical inactivity |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Access to exercise opportunities |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Excessive drinking |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Alcohol-impaired driving deaths |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
Yes |
Sexually transmitted infections |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
Teen births* |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
Uninsured |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Primary care physicians |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Yes |
Dentists |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
No |
Mental health providers |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Yes |
Preventable hospital stays* |
No |
No |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
Diabetic monitoring* |
No |
No |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
Mammography screening* |
No |
No |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
High school graduation |
N/A |
No |
Yes |
N/A |
Yes |
Yes |
Some college |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
N/A |
No |
Yes |
Unemployment |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Children in poverty* |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
No |
N/A |
Yes |
Income inequality |
No |
No |
No |
No |
N/A |
Yes |
Children in single-parent households |
N/A |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Social associations |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Yes |
Violent crime |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Injury deaths |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
Air pollution - particulate matter |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
No |
Drinking water violations |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Yes |
Severe housing problems |
No |
No |
Yes |
No |
No |
Yes |
Driving alone to work* |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
No |
No |
Yes |
Long commute – driving alone |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
* Data for these measures by race and ethnicity can be found in county snapshots where available. Three additional measures also have values by race and ethnicity including median household income, premature age-adjusted mortality, child mortality and infant mortality