Morris County ranks in top 5 percent of healthiest communities in U.S.

MORRIS COUNTY, NJ – Morris County ranks among the top five percent of the nation’s “Healthiest Communities,” according to an analysis of health and wellness in 3,000 communities across the United States released by U.S. News & World Report in collaboration with the Aetna Foundation.

“Healthiest Communities” is an interactive platform developed by U.S. News & World Report with the Aetna Foundation. Guided by a pioneering framework developed by a committee appointed to advise the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the project scored nearly 3,000 communities on 84 indicators across 10 categories that drive overall community health.

Morris County ranked 20 among the top 500 “healthiest communities.” Population health and equity are the most highly weighted factors in the methodology, followed closely by education and economy. Environment and public safety, along with housing, food and nutrition also were factors. Data were gathered and analyzed by the University of Missouri Center for Applied Research and Engagement Systems (CARES).

Separate from the rankings, the platform offers COVID-19 tracking tools which report case numbers, death rates, unemployment and more, and have been updated to include vaccine data.  These tools complement the rankings data to reveal multiple correlations between the coronavirus pandemic and community health. Morris County has led the state, and more recently the nation in overall vaccination rates, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.

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