Several Cities in Iowa are Among the Healthiest in America

According to a new study, three of the 25 healthiest cities in America are right here in Iowa!

Premature death rate, adult obesity rate, adults without health insurance, and median household income are some of the factors used to determine how healthy (or unhealthy) a city is, according to 24/7 Wall St. These, along with over two dozen other factors, helped them put together a list of the healthiest cities in the United States. The state of Iowa was happily represented in the top 25 thanks to these three cities:

• Dubuque - at #18 on the list, Dubuque is considered to be a very healthy city. About 95% of residents under the age of 65 have health insurance, and they have a very low premature death rate.
• Iowa City - Iowa City ranked even higher on the list, coming in at #5. There is apparently a large correlation between employment and good health, and Iowa City has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the entire US, with only 2.7% of people out of a job. The lower unemployment rate leads to a lower number of uninsured people. Also, only 8% of kids in the city live below the poverty line, which is the the fourth smallest share in the country.
• Ames - Ames actually came in 3rd place for healthiest cities in the US! Only 2.4% of the workforce is unemployed, which is tied with only one other city for the lowest rate in the entire nation. Also, the life expectancy there is about two years longer than most of the country.

[Via 24/7 Wall St.]