The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has funded a health care study called County Health Rankings which reports on the overall health of those individuals living in each of the 50 American states. It is also possible to go to a particular state on their web site and see a ranking for each county within that state.

Each county is ranked within the state on how healthy people are and how long they live. They also are ranked on key factors that affect health such as: smoking, obesity, binge drinking, access to primary care providers, rates of high school graduation, rates of violent crime, air pollution levels, liquor store density, unemployment rates and number of children living in poverty.

After reviewing a few counties in different states, it becomes clear how many of the counties that have the best health are also the wealthiest counties in the state. The poorest counties in the state tend to have the worst health.

It is a travesty that poverty in America is typically associated with poorer health, lower levels of education, higher unemployment, lower income levels, and more crime for all races and ethnicities.