The healthiest city isn’t ultra-walkable New York, fitness-oriented Los Angeles, or even one of the suburbs in the Rocky Mountain states.
A little oasis outside Washington, DC – Falls Church, Virginia – has the best indicators for health and well-being.
The town is small – only 5.6 square kilometers – and has about 15,000 inhabitants.
But the people who live there live years longer on average than most Americans, suffer far less from disease, and the vast majority walk instead of drive.
Falls Church residents enjoy an active lifestyle, with ninety-two percent of residents saying they are fit and healthy
Falls Church Mayor Letty Hardi praised the positive public health outcomes, which take into account people’s access to health care, lifestyle factors and the extent of underlying disease.
The life expectancy of Falls Church residents is around 77 years, while the national average is just over 75 years.
Falls Church Mayor Letty Hardi praised the city after U.S. News officially named it number one on its list of healthiest communities.
The active, social lifestyle of Falls Church residents is similar to that of the Blue Zones, areas of the world such as Ikaria, Greece, and Loma Linda, California, where people often live to be 100 or older.
Falls Church achieved an overall score of 100 out of 100, with its population health specifically scoring 97. This means that people have easy access to health care, are in good physical and mental health, and have low rates of illness.
Mayor Hardi said: ‘We embrace the urban development concept of a ’15-minute city’, in which a wide range of amenities are within less than 15 minutes walking distance, by bike or by public transport.
‘In fact, 70 percent of our residents now live within a 10-minute walk of a supermarket. And that’s without even mentioning our weekly farmers market, diverse restaurants, gyms, parks, and public and cultural life.’
In total, 29 of the healthiest counties are located in Virginia.
According to US News, Virginia counties accounted for 29 of the healthiest in the country
People in Falls Church, VA generally have healthier lifestyles than the average American. In particular, smoking rates are significantly lower in Falls Church
The U.S. News analysis takes into account a number of factors, including community vitality, the economy, education, the environment, equity, food and nutrition, population health, housing, infrastructure and public safety.
The city’s mayor praised the city’s major urban planning successes, which “create more opportunities for daily active and passive physical activity, which also benefits the mental and social health of our community.”
This is evident from the statistics.
The average number of people reporting mental health problems each year is much lower than the national average: 11.8 percent versus 17.1 percent.
And the number of deaths from despair per 100,000 people is 47.9, compared to 63.5 nationwide.
The prevalence of cancer in the community is about the same as the national average, at 6.2 percent of the population.
But the rate of heart disease is much lower there, at 3.5 percent compared to 5.9 percent.
Mayor Hardi said: ‘Many residents are keen to embrace a lifestyle that helps them stay physically healthy and reduce their carbon footprint.
“E-bikes are growing in popularity and our popular fitness centers, busy sports fields, and shady, tree-lined streets – along with the Washington & Old Dominion Trail – offer plenty of opportunities for healthy activities.”
Falls Church generally has a lower rate of chronic disease among its residents than the national average
U.S. News analyzed a total of 500 counties and cities. Including Falls Church, four of the top 20 spots went to counties in Virginia.
Other top performers on the list included Los Alamos County in New Mexico, Douglas County in Colorado, Sioux County in Iowa and Hamilton County in Indiana.
Julia Haines, data editor at U.S. News, said: “Assessing community health is critical as we consider the well-being of citizens across our country.
“The Healthiest Communities rankings examine which communities offer the best chance of living healthy, productive lives. They also highlight that even the ‘healthiest’ communities struggle in certain areas.”
Falls Church’s health statistics are generally much better than the nation’s and even the state’s as a whole. But there is room for improvement in other areas.
The percentage of households in the state that spend at least a third of their income on rent is about 27 percent, compared to the national average of 23.5 percent.
Falls Church’s deaths from despair and severe mental distress are much lower than the national average. Mayor Letty Hardi attributes this to a strong sense of community and a majority of people who engage in mood-enhancing physical activity
Mayor Hardi said, “As The Little City grows, we must continue to add more affordable and diverse housing so more people can share in the benefits our community enjoys.”
On average, people have to work six and a half hours more to be able to afford housing there.
The net migration rate is -11.1 percent, which means that more people are leaving than are coming. At the same time, Mayor Hardi said that the city’s population is growing, especially the small center.
The worst performing locations on the list were Minnesota, Kentucky, Nebraska, and California. The counties there are primarily rural, which greatly increases the likelihood that health care, especially preventive health care, is harder to access.
The population health scores of these provinces ranged from 55 to 71.