Study: Storey County is Nevada’s healthiest county; Clark ranked ninth

RENO — Storey County has the healthiest residents in Nevada and Nye County has its least healthy residents, according to a study.

The annual County Health Rankings, released this past week by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, are based on a range of factors that influence health, including obesity, smoking, drinking, and family and social support.

The study shows the five healthiest counties, in order, are Storey, Lincoln, Douglas, Elko and Eureka. The five counties in poorest health, in order from the bottom, are Nye, Mineral, Lander, White Pine and Churchill.

Nevada’s two most populous counties, Washoe and Clark, are in the middle of the pack as they rank sixth and ninth respectively. Lyon ranks seventh, Carson City eighth, Pershing 10th and Humboldt 11th. Esmeralda County was not ranked.

Dr. Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, president and CEO of the foundation, said the health rankings are driving innovation and change to improve health in counties across the country.

“(They) can be put to use right away by leaders in government, business and health care, and by every citizen motivated to work together to create a culture of health in their community,” she said in a statement.

Other factors that influenced the rankings include high school graduation rates, air and water quality, the number of doctors and dentists per resident, the teen birth rate, the percentage of uninsured residents, and the number of premature deaths and fast-food restaurants.

The report includes a snapshot of each Nevada county with a color-coded map comparing each county’s overall health ranking. It also features new county-level trend graphs detailing change over time for several of the measures, including children in poverty, unemployment and quality of care.

“We all have a stake in creating a healthier community and no single sector alone can tackle the health challenges in any given community. Collaboration is critical,” said Dr. Patrick Remington, professor and associate dean at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.