These counties tend to be located in the northeastern and western regions of the country, have more social and economic opportunities, and have longer life expectancies, according to the County Health Rankings & Roadmap National Survey Report released today. There is a tendency.
In Wisconsin, areas with the greatest socioeconomic opportunity and highest life expectancy include counties in the south-central and southeastern parts of the state, such as Madison and Milwaukee. Several other counties along the Mississippi and St. Croix rivers in northwestern Wisconsin, northeast of Green Bay, were also among the state's healthier counties. More information about Wisconsin's health situation can be found on our state data page.
Participation is enabled by a community's civic infrastructure, a place where communities connect and share information. Counties with greater access to public libraries, broadband, and local news sources have greater voter participation and union membership. The study also found that counties with better public infrastructure had lower rates of children living in poverty and uninsured adults, less income inequality, and higher high school graduation rates. Exclusive policies and practices can create barriers to participation in decisions that affect health. The study found that in counties with more barriers, such as laws that make voting difficult, life expectancy was more than three years lower than in counties with fewer barriers, at 74.1 and 77.6 years, respectively.
“It's important to ensure that everyone has a voice in shaping these conditions,” said Sheri Johnson, principal investigator of County Health Rankings and Roadmaps and director of the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. he said. “History shows that when historically excluded groups build power, meaningful change that benefits the health and well-being of all people can occur.”
Citizen health varies from country to country. Key findings from the 2024 report include:
- Southern counties have fewer news sources, fewer libraries, and less access to broadband. Voter turnout and union membership rates are also declining.
- Areas with longstanding discrimination and disinvestment, such as counties along the U.S.-Mexico border, the Black Belt, Appalachia, and surrounding American Indian/Alaska Native tribal areas, have fewer libraries than other counties. Poor access to broadband and local news. region.
- Discrimination and disinvestment have left residents in these regions with fewer opportunities to address common challenges that affect everyone's health.
“Improving the health of our citizens requires action,” said Bethany Rogerson, County Health Rankings and Roadmap Co-Director. “We can invest in the ways people connect, value participation, and ultimately influence how we thrive. We all have a say in the future of our communities. You can and should have the right.”
Data-driven solutions for building citizen health for all include strategies such as:
- Fund broadband initiatives to improve access and affordability of high-speed internet. This also facilitates access to jobs and healthcare.
- Invest in public libraries that provide education and civil society programs to local communities.
- Encourage smooth conversations between people with different perspectives.
- Expand automatic voter registration to increase voter turnout and simplify the voting process.
In addition to these solutions, the program's What Works for Health database provides more than 400 evidence-based strategies to help improve community health. Health Ranks' latest podcast series, In Solidarity, also explores what it takes to engage young people. Experts offer insight into what works in civics education.
For more information, visit countyhealthrankings.org.
About county health rankings and roadmaps
County Health Ranks & Roadmaps is a program of the University of Wisconsin Population Health Research Institute with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The program provides communities with data on more than 80 health-related measures, including housing, education, jobs, and access to quality health care. The program draws attention to what impacts health and emphasizes how the power of change can ensure community conditions in which everyone thrives. For more information, visit countyhealthrankings.org.
About the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute
The University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute advances the health and well-being of all people by developing and evaluating interventions and promoting evidence-based approaches to policy and practice at the local, state, and national levels. The Institute works across a variety of components that contribute to health and equity. The institute is leading the work on county health rankings and roadmaps. For more information, visit uwphi.pophealth.wisc.edu.
