See Where Providence Ranks Among Healthiest Cities in the US
Tuesday, February 14, 2017
How healthy is the City of Providence?
Providence is ranked 78th on the list of healthiest cities in the US, according to a study done by WalletHub.
“Location matters when it comes to health. Some places promote wellness by expanding access to nutritious food and recreational facilities. Others strive to keep treatment costs affordable for everyone or protect green space that encourages an active and healthy lifestyle,” said WalletHub.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTProvidence ranks 134th for health care, 74th for food, 78th for fitness and 32nd for green space.
The study also notes that medical visit’s in Providence rank as the 5th most expensive in the country.
The Rankings
Providence is ranked 78th behind Des Moines, Iowa and Mesa, Arizona who rank 76th and 77th respectively. Providence is ranked ahead of Chicago, Illinois and Tucson, Arizona who rank 79th and 80th respectively.
San Francisco, California is ranked as the healthiest city in the country, while Detroit, Michigan is ranked as the unhealthiest.
See the full rankings in the map below
The Method
WalletHub’s analysts compared 150 of the most populated cities across four key dimensions: 1) Health Care, 2) Food, 3) Fitness and 4) Green Space.
They then evaluated the four dimensions using 34 relevant metrics. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for a healthy lifestyle.
WalletHub then calculated overall scores for each city using its weighted average across all metrics and ranked the cities based on the resulting scores.
Health Care – Total Points: 25
- Premature-Death Rate: Triple Weight (~5.36 Points)
- Mental Health: Full Weight (~1.79 Points)
- Mental-Health Counselors per Capita: Full Weight (~1.79 Points)
- Physical Health: Full Weight (~1.79 Points)
- Family Doctors per Capita: Full Weight (~1.79 Points)
- Dentists per Capita: Full Weight (~1.79 Points)
- Cost of Medical Visit: Full Weight (~1.79 Points)
- Cost of Dental Visit: Full Weight (~1.79 Points)
- Quality of Public Hospital System: Full* Weight (~1.79 Points)
- Hospital Beds per Capita: Full Weight (~1.79 Points)
- Adult Health-Insurance Coverage: Full Weight (~1.79 Points)
- Youth Health-Insurance Coverage: Full Weight (~1.79 Points)
Food – Total Points: 25
- Fruit & Vegetable Consumption: Double Weight (~6.26 Points)
- Farmer's Markets per Capita: Full Weight (~3.13 Points)
- Gourmet Specialty-Food Stores per Capita: Full Weight (~3.13 Points)
- Healthy Restaurants per Capita: Full Weight (~3.13 Points)
- Dietitians & Nutritionists per Capita: Full Weight (~3.13 Points)
- Share of Obese Residents: Full Weight (~3.13 Points)
- Limited Access to Healthy Foods: Full Weight (~3.13 Points)
Fitness – Total Points: 25
- Share of Residents Who Engage in Any Physical Activity: Double Weight (~8.33 Points)
- Fitness Clubs per Capita: Full Weight (~4.17 Points)
- Average Cost of Fitness-Club Membership: Full Weight (~4.17 Points)
- Recreational Leagues per Capita: Full Weight (~4.17 Points)
- Weight-Loss Centers per Capita: Full Weight (~4.17 Points)
Green Space – Total Points: 25
- Parkland Acres per Capita: Full Weight (~2.50 Points)
- Quality of Parks: Full Weight (~2.50 Points)
- Hiking Trails per Capita: Full Weight (~2.50 Points)
- Running Trails per Capita: Full Weight (~2.50 Points)
- Walking Trails per Capita: Full Weight (~2.50 Points)
- Walk Score: Full Weight (~2.50 Points)
- Bike Score: Full Weight (~2.50 Points)
- Physical-Activity Access: Full Weight (~2.50 Points)
- City “Greenness”: Full Weight (~2.50 Points)
- Recreation Access: Full Weight (~2.50 Points)
Related Slideshow: The Power List - Health and Education, 2016
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