Beaufort ranked Healthiest County in South Carolina for the 9th straight year!

Beaufort ranked Healthiest County in South Carolina for the 9th straight year!

beaufort healthiest county
One of the reasons we’re the healthiest is the amazing amount of options for exercise in our area. Kayakers on St. Helena Island, photo by Dawn Ramsey

We did it again!  For the ninth straight year, Beaufort County ranks the healthiest of all 46 counties in South Carolina according to the County Health Rankings released this week by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute.

We all know that Beaufort is a very active community and the findings show many ways that Beaufort surpasses the other counties in the state. Beaufort County residents enjoy the longest life expectancy in the state as well as the best quality of life in SC. The study also finds that Beaufort is first in South Carolina when it comes to health behaviors including a low amount of smokers, a low rate of adult obesity and ease of access to exercise opportunities.

The study also showed that the county has lower rates of diabetes and child and infant mortality too.

According to the report, the Top 5 healthiest counties in SC are:

  1. Beaufort
  2. Charleston
  3. York
  4. Lexington
  5. Greenville

The counties in the poorest health are:

  1. Marlboro
  2. Allendale
  3. Marion
  4. Williamsburg
  5. Dillon
  6. \

 

Stay Up‐To‐Date with County Health Rankings & Roadmaps

For the latest updates on our Rankings, community support, RWJF Culture of Health Prize communities, and more visit Countyhealthrankings.org/news. You can see what they’re featuring on their webinar series, what other communities are doing to improve health, and how you can get involved! For a look at the complete report on Beaufort County along with the South Carolina county rankings, visit here.

 

    Beaufort
County
Trend(Click for info) Error
Margin
Top U.S.
Performers
(Click for info)
South Carolina Rank (of 46)(Click for info)
Health Outcomes 1
Length of Life 1
Premature death (Click for info)
5,700
” data-template=”partials/trend-modal.html” data-html=”true”> 5,300-6,100 5,400 8,700  
Quality of Life 1
Poor or fair health (Click for info)
13%
  12-13% 12% 19%  
Poor physical health days (Click for info)
3.3
  3.2-3.4 3.0 4.2  
Poor mental health days (Click for info)
3.8
  3.7-4.0 3.1 4.4  
Low birthweight  
8%
  8-9% 6% 10%  
Additional Health Outcomes (not included in overall ranking) +
Health Factors 1
Health Behaviors 1
Adult smoking (Click for info)
13%
  12-13% 14% 20%  
Adult obesity  
23%
” data-template=”partials/trend-modal.html” data-html=”true”> 21-26% 26% 32%  
Food environment index  
7.9
    8.7 6.3  
Physical inactivity  
16%
” data-template=”partials/trend-modal.html” data-html=”true”> 15-18% 19% 25%  
Access to exercise opportunities  
83%
    91% 69%  
Excessive drinking (Click for info)
21%
  20-22% 13% 18%  
Alcohol-impaired driving deaths  
35%
” data-template=”partials/trend-modal.html” data-html=”true”> 30-40% 13% 35%  
Sexually transmitted infections  
459.9
” data-template=”partials/trend-modal.html” data-html=”true”>   152.8 575.5  
Teen births  
28
  26-30 14 30  
Additional Health Behaviors (not included in overall ranking) +
Clinical Care 8
Uninsured  
14%
” data-template=”partials/trend-modal.html” data-html=”true”> 13-16% 6% 12%  
Primary care physicians  
1,370:1
” data-template=”partials/trend-modal.html” data-html=”true”>   1,050:1 1,490:1  
Dentists  
960:1
” data-template=”partials/trend-modal.html” data-html=”true”>   1,260:1 1,840:1  
Mental health providers  
710:1
    310:1 610:1  
Preventable hospital stays  
3,843
” data-template=”partials/trend-modal.html” data-html=”true”>   2,765 4,520  
Mammography screening  
50%
” data-template=”partials/trend-modal.html” data-html=”true”>   49% 45%  
Flu vaccinations  
48%
” data-template=”partials/trend-modal.html” data-html=”true”>   52% 45%  
Additional Clinical Care (not included in overall ranking) +
Social & Economic Factors 6
High school graduation  
84%
    96% 84%  
Some college  
65%
  61-68% 73% 62%  
Unemployment  
4.0%
” data-template=”partials/trend-modal.html” data-html=”true”>   2.9% 4.3%  
Children in poverty  
18%
” data-template=”partials/trend-modal.html” data-html=”true”> 14-23% 11% 22%  
Income inequality  
4.2
  4.0-4.5 3.7 4.8  
Children in single-parent households  
34%
  30-37% 20% 39%  
Social associations  
9.8
    21.9 11.7  
Violent crime  
389
” data-template=”partials/trend-modal.html” data-html=”true”>   63 500  
Injury deaths  
64
  59-69 57 81  
Additional Social & Economic Factors (not included in overall ranking) +
Physical Environment 5
Air pollution – particulate matter (Click for info)
10.1
” data-template=”partials/trend-modal.html” data-html=”true”>   6.1 10.2  
Drinking water violations  
No
         
Severe housing problems  
18%
  16-19% 9% 15%  
Driving alone to work  
76%
  75-78% 72% 83%  
Long commute – driving alone  
28%
  26-31% 15% 34%  
Additional Physical Environment (not included in overall ranking) +
Note: Blank values reflect unreliable or missing data