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When the 2010 County Health Rankings were released, Muskegon County’s Healthy on the Shore coalition was already in the planning stages. But the information in the Rankings — where the Michigan county ranked 64th in health outcomes and 70th in health behaviors, out of 82 counties — helped reinforce the need for the task force, focusing on improving unhealthy behaviors in the area.

The 2011 County Health Rankings classified Desoto County as the healthiest county in Mississippi for health outcomes and the fifth-healthiest county for health factors, with lower unemployment rates, higher education rates and greater access to healthy food compared to the rest of the state.

When the Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce first decided to get involved with improving health and wellness in Madison County, Tennessee, officials weren’t sure where to begin or how to determine which issues to tackle. But when chamber president Kyle Spurgeon saw the 2010 County Health Rankings, he saw that the area’s health conditions could be directly tied in to its economic prowess.

Children in South Dakota are diversifying their palettes and biting into an array of fresh produce through an educational program designed to increase their awareness of and interest in healthier eating options. Founded in California, the Harvest of the Month Program includes short, engaging, kid-friendly presentations that expose children to the history, health benefits, and taste of more...

For years in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, nonprofit organizations such as the Windber Research Institute have strived consistently to improve local and regional health conditions. So when the county ranked in the bottom tier in the 2010 County Health Rankings, officials were disheartened — but grateful to have a third-party data source to validate their own observations to the community.

At Center Point United Baptist Church in Lincoln County, West Virginia, 18 parishioners are feeling lighter than they did 11 weeks ago — 250 pounds lighter, to be exact. And it’s thanks, in part, to the 2010 County Health Rankings. The weight-loss group, the brainchild of the church’s associate pastor Jason Cook, is just one example of the small-scale health-improvement efforts taking place in the community in the wake of the rankings.

In Atlanta, one of the many places staff at the Fulton County Department of Health and Wellness looked to improve health was in their own backyard. For years, a group of older, vagrant men loitered in an empty lot near the health department, but were completely disconnected from it and the services it offered especially for this vulnerable population—such as health screenings, smoking cessation assistance, and drug and alcohol treatment programs.

In rural Durant, MS, a group of committed leaders and residents knew what they wanted for their community of 2,600 people. They wanted to bring new businesses and jobs to the community. They wanted better schools. They wanted residents to feel safe.

There is a sense of loss in Rockingham County, NC. Historically, the community had a robust economy that was largely built on the textile and tobacco industries. In the mid-90s, Rockingham lost their tobacco industry and not long after that lost their textile industry. “We went from being a wealthy county to being a poor county very quickly...

To increase physical activity in a rural region with high rates of unemployment and poverty, and lots of snow, Michigan’s Western Upper Peninsula Health Department created the Copper County Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities partnership. This partnership increased opportunities for active transportation through a Complete Streets policy, Safe Routes to School, and improved bicycle and walking...