Digging Deeper

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
  • Does this measure differ across age groups?
  • How does this measure vary among racial or ethnic groups?
  • How does this measure vary across groups with different socioeconomic characteristics?
  • Are there specific ZIP codes, neighborhoods, or school districts where the measure indicates a localized problem or opportunity?

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:

  1. 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.
  2. No - This indicates that County Health Rankings staff are not aware of any sources of data for demographic groups or subcounty areas.
  3. 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