Community Corner
Health Rankings: Cook County Residents Among Unhealthiest in State
Cook County came in as 78 most healthy county out of the 102 counties in Illinois.
Cook County residents are among the least healthy in the state, according to annual health rankings released Wednesday by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Cook County came in as the 78th healthiest county out of a total 102 Illinois counties. The following factors were used to measure a county's healthiness: length of life, quality of life, clinical care, health behaviors, socioeconomic factors and physical environment.
The report provides a snapshot of health statistics for Cook County. For example, the report states that 26 percent Cook County adults are obese and 24 percent lack physical activity. Additionally, 19 percent of Cook County adults smoke. The report noted that the excessive drinking rate is 21 percent.
Find out what's happening in Palatinewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The report also revealed that 20 percent of Cook County residents are uninsured and 10 percent of children live in poverty. The county's unemployment rate is 9.4 percent, compared to 10.3 percent nationally.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
