[Factors] [States Ranked By All 21 Factors]
[Healthiest State Rankings 1993 to 2000] [Methodology] [Press Release]
2000 HEALTHIEST STATE |
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ALPHA ORDER |
RANK ORDER |
|||||||||
2000 RANK |
STATE |
SUM |
1999 RANK |
CHANGE |
2000 RANK |
STATE |
SUM |
1999 RANK |
CHANGE |
|
48 |
Alabama |
-16.15 |
48 |
0 |
1 |
New Hampshire |
18.66 |
4 |
3 |
|
18 |
Alaska |
5.57 |
28 |
10 |
2 |
Vermont |
16.64 |
3 |
1 |
|
27 |
Arizona |
1.26 |
35 |
8 |
3 |
Minnesota |
15.85 |
1 |
-2 |
|
44 |
Arkansas |
-8.46 |
45 |
1 |
4 |
Hawaii |
14.53 |
2 |
-2 |
|
19 |
California |
5.53 |
19 |
0 |
5 |
Utah |
13.52 |
10 |
5 |
|
12 |
Colorado |
8.12 |
24 |
12 |
6 |
Maine |
12.84 |
7 |
1 |
|
9 |
Connecticut |
9.34 |
20 |
11 |
7 |
Washington |
12.02 |
10 |
3 |
|
37 |
Delaware |
-4.30 |
40 |
3 |
8 |
Massachusetts |
10.44 |
8 |
0 |
|
43 |
Florida |
-7.52 |
42 |
-1 |
9 |
Connecticut |
9.34 |
20 |
11 |
|
45 |
Georgia |
-9.33 |
34 |
-11 |
10 |
Nebraska |
9.17 |
5 |
-5 |
|
4 |
Hawaii |
14.53 |
2 |
-2 |
11 |
Kansas |
8.46 |
8 |
-3 |
|
20 |
Idaho |
4.93 |
29 |
9 |
12 |
Colorado |
8.12 |
24 |
12 |
|
26 |
Illinois |
2.17 |
30 |
4 |
13 |
Rhode Island |
7.76 |
21 |
8 |
|
25 |
Indiana |
3.41 |
26 |
1 |
14 |
Oregon |
7.75 |
17 |
3 |
|
15 |
Iowa |
7.50 |
6 |
-9 |
15 |
Iowa |
7.50 |
6 |
-9 |
|
11 |
Kansas |
8.46 |
8 |
-3 |
16 |
Virginia |
6.64 |
16 |
0 |
|
33 |
Kentucky |
-1.67 |
37 |
4 |
17 |
New Jersey |
6.44 |
23 |
6 |
|
49 |
Louisiana |
-23.84 |
50 |
1 |
18 |
Alaska |
5.57 |
28 |
10 |
|
6 |
Maine |
12.84 |
7 |
1 |
19 |
California |
5.53 |
19 |
0 |
|
28 |
Maryland |
1.05 |
25 |
-3 |
20 |
Idaho |
4.93 |
29 |
9 |
|
8 |
Massachusetts |
10.44 |
8 |
0 |
21 |
Ohio |
4.92 |
18 |
-3 |
|
31 |
Michigan |
-0.40 |
33 |
2 |
22 |
Wisconsin |
4.64 |
15 |
-7 |
|
3 |
Minnesota |
15.85 |
1 |
-2 |
23 |
North Dakota |
3.53 |
13 |
-10 |
|
50 |
Mississippi |
-26.42 |
49 |
-1 |
23 |
Wyoming |
3.53 |
14 |
-9 |
|
36 |
Missouri |
-4.17 |
38 |
2 |
25 |
Indiana |
3.41 |
26 |
1 |
|
32 |
Montana |
-1.15 |
12 |
-20 |
26 |
Illinois |
2.17 |
30 |
4 |
|
10 |
Nebraska |
9.17 |
5 |
-5 |
27 |
Arizona |
1.26 |
35 |
8 |
|
46 |
Nevada |
-9.91 |
47 |
1 |
28 |
Maryland |
1.05 |
25 |
-3 |
|
1 |
New Hampshire |
18.66 |
4 |
3 |
29 |
Oklahoma |
0.94 |
31 |
2 |
|
17 |
New Jersey |
6.44 |
23 |
6 |
30 |
Pennsylvania |
-0.30 |
22 |
-8 |
|
39 |
New Mexico |
-6.07 |
44 |
5 |
31 |
Michigan |
-0.40 |
33 |
2 |
|
42 |
New York |
-7.19 |
43 |
1 |
32 |
Montana |
-1.15 |
12 |
-20 |
|
34 |
North Carolina |
-3.63 |
32 |
-2 |
33 |
Kentucky |
-1.67 |
37 |
4 |
|
23 |
North Dakota |
3.53 |
13 |
-10 |
34 |
North Carolina |
-3.63 |
32 |
-2 |
|
21 |
Ohio |
4.92 |
18 |
-3 |
35 |
West Virginia |
-3.72 |
36 |
1 |
|
29 |
Oklahoma |
0.94 |
31 |
2 |
36 |
Missouri |
-4.17 |
38 |
2 |
|
14 |
Oregon |
7.75 |
17 |
3 |
37 |
Delaware |
-4.30 |
40 |
3 |
|
30 |
Pennsylvania |
-0.30 |
22 |
-8 |
38 |
South Dakota |
-5.25 |
27 |
-11 |
|
13 |
Rhode Island |
7.76 |
21 |
8 |
39 |
New Mexico |
-6.07 |
44 |
5 |
|
47 |
South Carolina |
-14.42 |
46 |
-1 |
40 |
Tennessee |
-6.72 |
39 |
-1 |
|
38 |
South Dakota |
-5.25 |
27 |
-11 |
41 |
Texas |
-6.73 |
41 |
0 |
|
40 |
Tennessee |
-6.72 |
39 |
-1 |
42 |
New York |
-7.19 |
43 |
1 |
|
41 |
Texas |
-6.73 |
41 |
0 |
43 |
Florida |
-7.52 |
42 |
-1 |
|
5 |
Utah |
13.52 |
10 |
5 |
44 |
Arkansas |
-8.46 |
45 |
1 |
|
2 |
Vermont |
16.64 |
3 |
1 |
45 |
Georgia |
-9.33 |
34 |
-11 |
|
16 |
Virginia |
6.64 |
16 |
0 |
46 |
Nevada |
-9.91 |
47 |
1 |
|
7 |
Washington |
12.02 |
10 |
3 |
47 |
South Carolina |
-14.42 |
46 |
-1 |
|
35 |
West Virginia |
-3.72 |
36 |
1 |
48 |
Alabama |
-16.15 |
48 |
0 |
|
22 |
Wisconsin |
4.64 |
15 |
-7 |
49 |
Louisiana |
-23.84 |
50 |
1 |
|
23 |
Wyoming |
3.53 |
14 |
-9 |
50 |
Mississippi |
-26.42 |
49 |
-1 |
|
| METHODOLOGY--The
Healthiest State designation is awarded based on 21 factors
chosen from the year 2000 edition of our annual reference book, Health Care State
Rankings. These factors reflect access to health care providers, affordability of
health care and a generally healthy population (see box below.) The same 21 factors
considered for last year’s award were measured for this year. The 21 factors were
divided into two groups: those that are "negative" for which a high ranking
would be considered bad for a state, and those that are "positive" for which a
high ranking would be considered good for a state. Rates for each of the 21 factors were
processed through a formula that measures how a state compares to the national average for
a given category. The positive and negative nature of each factor was taken into account
as part of the formula. Once these computations were made, the factors then were weighted
(factors were weighted equally.) These weighted scores were then added together to get a
state’s final score ("SUM" on the table above.) This way, states are
assessed based on how they stack up against the national average. The end result is that
the farther below the national average a state’s health ranking is, the lower (and
less healthy) it ranks. The farther above the national average, the higher (and healthier)
a state ranks. This same methodology was used for our Dangerous State and Safest/Dangerous
City Awards. The table above shows how each state fared in the 2000 Healthiest State Award as well as its placement in 1999. |