Report: Marin County Is Healthiest in U.S. for Children

Marin County is the healthiest county for children in the country, according to recently released rankings by U.S. News & World Report, the Sacramento Bee reports (Smith, Sacramento Bee, 6/24).

Details of Report

The rankings were developed in conjunction with the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute (Haupt, U.S. News & World Report, 6/16).

For the report, researchers examined several metrics, including:

• Birthrate;
• Infant mortality;
• Injury-related death rate;
• Rate of children living in poverty; and
• Teen birthrate.

Researchers also considered:

• Availability of medical care and mental health care;
• Environmental factors, such as water and air quality; and
• Socioeconomic factors (Sacramento Bee, 6/24).

California Findings

Two California counties ranked among the top 10 in the U.S. for healthy children:

• Marin County, which ranked first; and
• San Francisco County, which ranked sixth.

Both counties had rates lower than the national average for birth weights, deaths, teen births, children living in poverty and injury-related deaths.

The report noted that 80% of electricity in Marin County is powered by renewable resources, leading to a decrease in air pollution, which can contribute to respiratory diseases and other health problems. In addition, children in Marin County were found to eat about half as much fast food as the average California child.

Other California counties that ranked in the top 50 for healthy children are:

• San Mateo County, which ranked 11th;
• Santa Clara County, which ranked 16th;
• Placer County, which ranked 17th;
• Orange County, which ranked 24th;
• San Luis Obispo County, which ranked 26th;
• Santa Cruz County, which ranked 28th;
• Yolo County, which ranked 30th;
• Sonoma County, which ranked 36th;
• Napa County, which ranked 42nd;
• El Dorado County, which ranked 43rd;
• Alameda County, which ranked 45th; and
• Contra Costa County, which ranked 47th.

The report also highlighted a policy in Santa Clara County -- which ranked 16th overall in the U.S. -- that requires half of food and beverages sold in vending machines to meet certain nutrition guidelines (U.S. News & World Report, 6/16).